The Long Ryders were originally formed by several American musicians who were each multi-instrumentalists, influenced by Gram Parsons and The Byrds, with country and punk rock influences. They were named after the Walter Hill film, The Long Riders. The band featured Sid Griffin, on guitar, autoharp, and bugle, Stephen McCarthy, guitar, steel guitar, mandolin, and banjo, Des Brewer, as bassist, (later replaced by Tom Stevens) and Greg Sowders, playing drums and percussion. Although two members were transplants from the American South, they became a popular rock band, forming in Los Angeles in the early 1980s and originally associated with a movement called the Paisley Underground. With a sound reminiscent of Gram Parsons, Buffalo Springfield and The Flying Burrito Brothers, but with a harder edge, they anticipated the alternative country music of the 1990s by a decade. Their early work contained influences of both punk (largely attributed to confirmed anglophile Griffin), and old school country (ironically championed by Englishman Brewer). Former Byrd Gene Clark added vocals to the song "Ivory Tower," on the 1984 Native Sons. The Long Ryders formed from the ashes of the Los Angeles band The Unclaimed. Their initial studio release the "10-5-60" EP consisted of Griffin, Brewer, McCarthy, and Sowders. Brewer left after the release of "10-5-60". He was replaced by Tom Stevens and that line-up remained in place until their eventual demise youtube/watch?v=W4b2gucSPBI
Posted on: Sun, 22 Sep 2013 19:07:11 +0000