Dillard & Clark United States Years: 1968 - 1970 Styles: Bluegrass, Country Rock Founder Doug Dillard - Banjo, Fiddle, Guitar, Violin, Vocals (in band: 1968 - 1970) Gene Clark - Guitar, Harmonica, Harp, Vocals (in band: 1968 - 1970) Members David Jackson - Bass Guitar, Cello, Double bass, Piano, Vocals (in band: 1968 -) Bernie Leadon - Banjo, Guitar (in band: 1968 - 1969) Don Beck - Mandolin, Resonator Guitar [Dobro] (in band: 1968 - 1969) Byron Berline - Fiddle (in band: 1968 - 1970) Donna Washburn - Guitar, Tambourine, Vocals (in band: 1969 - 1970) Jon Corneal - Drums, Tambourine (in band: 1969 - 1970) |
Dillard & Clark was a country rock duo which featured ex-Byrds member Gene Clark and bluegrass banjo player Doug Dillard.
The group was formed in 1968, shortly after Clark departed the Byrds and Dillard left the Dillards. They were considered part of the Southern California country-rock scene in the late 60s, along with Poco, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Linda Ronstadt, Michael Nesmithand the First National Band, Rick Nelson & The Stone Canyon Band, and the latter-day Byrds.
Their first album The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark was released in 1968 on A&M. Personnel included Clark, Dillard, Bernie Leadon, David Jackson, Don Beck, and Byron Berline. Most of the songs were written by Clark, Dillard, and Leadon. Drummer Michael Clarke assisted with live performances. The album is hailed by critics and musicians as a unique masterpiece at the intersection of country rock and americana. Music critic Matthew Greenwald, writing for Allmusic, called the album "perhaps [Clark's] most brilliant recording... Graceful, spellbinding, and tasteful all at the same time. Absolutely essential."
Through the Morning, Through the Night is the second and final album from the country rock duo Dillard & Clark, released in 1969. The musicians included country rock and folk rock pioneers Gene Clark, Doug Dillard, Bernie Leadon, Chris Hillman, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Byron Berline, and Michael Clarke. However, the addition of Dillard's girlfriend Donna Washburn as a full-time harmony vocalist (and lead vocalist on "Rocky Top"), replacing Leadon, caused Leadon to leave the group and join Hillman, Clarke and Kleinow in the Flying Burrito Brothers, although he, Hillman and Kleinow appear as "special pickers" on the album.
The core band on this album included Clark, Dillard, Washburn, David Jackson, fiddler Byron Berline, and drummer Jon Corneal, who had quit the Burritos, which made room for Clarke to join them. The large number of cover songs included on the album caused critical reaction to be decidedly less positive than on the prior album. As a result, Gene Clark also left the band after the album. Although Doug Dillard tried to continue the group as the Doug Dillard Expedition, the group soon came to an end.
When the band split up, Gene Clark resumed a solo career. Dillard kept performing as Doug Dillard & The Expedition for a short time, but soon pursued his own solo career.
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