 |
 In
the summer of 1969, John Dawson was looking to showcase his songs
while Jerry Garcia was looking to practice his brand new pedal
steel guitar. The two played in coffeehouses and small clubs initially,
and the music they made became the nucleus for a band—the
New Riders of the Purple Sage.
That same year, David Nelson, expert in both country and rock
guitar, joined the group on electric lead guitar. Filling out
the rhythm section in those early days were Grateful Dead drummer
Mickey Hart and engineer Bob Matthews on bass, who was later replaced
by Phil Lesh. In 1970, Dave Torbert took over on bass and the
New Riders played every chance they got. Soon enough, smoky clubs
all over the San Francisco bay area were filling up with whooping,
foot-stomping crowds as their music got tighter and more dynamic.
They began to tour extensively with the Dead, and in December
of 1970, Spencer Dryden, who had previously showed his impeccable
drumming style with the Jefferson Airplane, had stepped in on
drums.
One of the many gigs with the Dead included the Trans-Canadian
Festival Express with Janis Joplin, The Band, and other American
and Canadian artists like Ian and Sylvia, who had with them a
brilliant, innovative pedal steel player named Buddy Cage. When
Garcia's busy schedule made it increasingly difficult for him
to play with the New Riders, the talented Cage was the perfect
choice to fill the pedal steel spot. He moved from Toronto where
he had been working in Anne Murray's band, to California in the
fall of 1971 to join the New Riders. With the addition of Cage,
the New Riders emerged as a fully independent unit. An excitingly
creative band with a special brand of music—sweet country
harmonies mixed with pulsing rock rhythms.
The New Riders were signed to Columbia Records in 1971 by Clive
Davis and their eponymous first album, New
Riders of the Purple Sage, was released in September of
that year to widespread acclaim. In December, 1971 they played
a live radio broadcast with the Dead over WNEW-FM in New York
to an audience of millions. In 1972 the pattern of their success
continued to grow, with their first European tour followed in
June by the release of their second album, Powerglide.
They toured the United States extensively in response to increasing
demand, and in November, 1972 released their third album Gypsy
Cowboy. These first three New Riders albums were
all produced by Stephen Barncard, who also worked with Crosby,
Stills and Nash and co-produced the Dead's American Beauty.
Read On > |
|
