Last week, Legacy Recordings unveiled a special treat for fans of The New Christy Minstrels, the bestselling, Grammy-winning large folk ensemble. The digital release Live from Ledbetter's: The Complete Concert (iTunes / Amazon) was recorded at the Los Angeles venue in 1964 but remained on the shelf until rescued from the vaults in 1999. Now, a quarter of a century later, producer-historian Tom Pickles has returned to the Ledbetter's tapes for a brand-new, expanded presentation premiering three entirely unheard performances from the group. As Live from Ledbetter's is a digital-only release, some may worry that they're missing out on crucial context. Team TSD wouldn't want that to happen!  Tom Pickles has generously shared his previously unpublished liner notes with us - and they reveal quite a story. Thank you, Tom! And now...Live at Ledbetter's: The Story Behind the Unreleased Album!

The Story Behind the Unreleased Album
September 2024 - Tom Pickles, Producer and Author
© 2024, Thomas Pickles

The New Christy Minstrels - affectionately, The Christies -- were one of the most popular folk groups of the early Sixties. One can take that statement two ways. First, they did indeed have a huge audience of fans. During their heyday, they were booked for literally hundreds of sold-out concerts per year. Second, they sang and recorded "popular" folk music - folksongs arranged for an audience who preferred entertainment and harmony to protest movements. They were featured on TV shows such as The Andy Williams Show and ABC's Hootenanny and on specials with the likes of Perry Como and Julie Andrews. They also populated the stages of urban nightclubs such as the Latin Quarter, the Coconut Grove and the Copacabana. With such showcases, their fans were more apt to be Kingston Trio fanatics than card-carrying members of the Greenwich Village intelligentsia. All of this gives a clue that this was not a group destined for the late Sixties subculture - at least not as a group. Some of the individual members made it there.

Still, the music they sang from 1962 through 1964 - the "glory years," I like to call them - was firmly rooted in folk heritage. Founder Randy Sparks and influential members like Art Podell, Nick Woods, Barry McGuire, Barry Kane, Larry Ramos and Clarence Treat all brought material to the group's repertoire. The songs were indeed "polished" for a mainstream audience by the time they emerged from the recording studio. And, despite some snide disdain from the folk "purists," they were hugely successful - both commercially and, yes, artistically. The reason will become obvious as soon as you listen to these recordings. In those "glory years," the membership of the New Christy Minstrels included an array of talent that was unmatched in the folk era. Oh, those harmonies - nine voices strong! And, oh, what voices they were! Nick Woods had one of the strongest voices of the Sixties. Frontman Barry McGuire was no slouch either. Nor was his former partner Barry Kane (together known as Barry and Barry before they joined the Christies). Nor was Art Podell or Paul Potash (known as Art and Paul in their pre-Christy days).  Clarence Treat was the tenor -- the voice that brought that distinctive bite to the Christy blend. Larry Ramos, later a key force in The Association, added yet another soaring voice to the group's sound and was a top-notch instrumentalist. Ann White's silky soprano added a delicate lace to the ballads and a wonderful edge to the blend on the upbeat numbers. Finally, there was Karen Gunderson. Ah, Karen!  A major talent with a whispery, jazz-flavored sound, superb phrasing and exquisite musical instincts.

This was the line up in 1964 and it was indeed a formidable ensemble - a group who could put on a hell of a show and create wonderful magic in the studio. There was far more depth to this group than TV viewers could see in the one or two songs sandwiched into a guest appearance on a variety show. Even their early studio albums, fine as they are, could offer only glimpses of the depth of talent among the members.  To understand what made the New Christy Minstrels one of the great acts of the folk era, you needed to see their concerts. Barry Kane once said, "Nick Woods on record wasn't 5% of what Nick Woods was all about."  The same could be said of him. Or McGuire. Or Ramos. Or Podell. Or Gunderson. Or any of them.

All of which leads us to the irony of the Ledbetter's recordings. This album is without question the one Christy release that offers a strong representation of the depth and breadth of talent in The New Christy Minstrels. It is unlike any other Christy release. The leashes were off. There were more solos. There were some experiments. It was recorded at Randy Sparks' (then new) folk club, Ledbetter's Store of Fun and Folk Music in Westwood Village just off the UCLA campus in mid-April of 1964 - at the peak of the group's popularity. Yet, the Live from Ledbetter's album was never released - quickly shelved and virtually forgotten for decades.

Why? What happened?

On one level, there were some technical problems. The miking was off-kilter here and there and the songs featuring the full ensemble suffered from "live performance syndrome," i.e., the instruments (bass especially and rhythm guitars) lacked needed depth. All of this could have been corrected easily back then, yet the work was never done; so, this was not really the main reason for the album remaining in the can.

The greater truth is that all was not well within the Christy team and with Randy Sparks' interface with Columbia Records. The creative dynamic that had driven the Christies' whirlwind success over the preceding two years was evaporating. The relationship between Randy Sparks and the members had been deteriorating since he revealed the plans to treat them as employees on straight payroll rather than essential talents who would participate in the success of "their" group. Randy had in truth created The New Christy Minstrels and had positioned himself and his business partners (Sid Garris and George Greif) as the "owners" of the group. Together, in tandem with Columbia Records, this threesome brought Randy's folk music innovation to a broad national audience in record time. They delivered a level of celebrity to the members that none of them had ever tasted before. However, Randy failed - or didn't want - to recognize that the talent within the ranks was what attracted the fans. As their success mushroomed, the members legitimately believed their contributions to the group's success were not being fairly rewarded...or even acknowledged.

In the early days, while the group's sudden success was fresh and exciting, the members were having too much fun to dwell on the fact that they were just salaried employees. However, by 1964, they were on an exhausting (but lucrative) concert schedule, playing sold-out venues night after night. Many of the fans knew them by name. Hawaiian-born Larry Ramos was often greeted by hand-made signs in the audience proclaiming "Aloha, Larry!!" Other fans would yell, "Hi, B-a-a-a-r-r-y!!" Clarence Treat once remarked, "Back then, it seemed like many of the fans had a 'pet minstrel'" - a member of the ensemble they had singled out as their favorite. But their paychecks were only a small percentage of the huge revenue stream.

The perceived inequity was most acute among the senior members, notably Art Podell and Nick Woods, who had played key roles in shaping the Christy sound and style, but by April 1964 their frustration had proven contagious. The involvement of the charter members had pre-dated that of Sid Garris and George Greif, the management team that Randy had hired at the coaxing of Columbia Records.  Sid and George, thanks to Columbia Records' ties with Andy Williams, landed the group's first big break - their spot as regulars on the debut season of NBC's The Andy Williams Show in '62-'63. Covering the significant expenses of a group with nine or ten performers was a huge challenge, and profitability required a revenue stream that only the production budget of a network television show or a packed concert schedule could produce. With that daunting reality in mind, Randy had made Sid and George full partners - thus, relegating Nick and Art (and the other members) to the status of hired (expendable) talent with no stake in the organization's financial success. Art recalls a fateful night early in the group's career during their debut engagement at the Troubadour in the summer of 1962:

Although we were young at the time, we weren't a bunch of kids off the street who answered an audition call. We were the cream of the crop of the LA folk scene. Most of us could have drawn a crowd at any of the local venues. Up until that night at the Troubadour, we had come on board with the natural understanding that at the reckoning, we would be treated fairly. Randy knew that was how we all perceived the situation. That's why we all stayed long enough to get the momentum going.

That night, when Sid and George and Randy offered us those contracts, my only thought was: "Wait a minute, WE should be the ones offering a contract to these guys to manage us, not the other way around." We hardly knew George and Sid. They were two strangers from the big band world invading our "family" and offering us this "deal" with the veiled threat that if we didn't like it, the door was down the stairs. It infuriates me to this day. I made the argument to the other members, but Sid and George and Randy cornered each of the members privately and picked them off one at a time. I held out the longest. By the time they got to me, everyone else had signed. Took about two weeks.

...I guess (Randy) also knew that when the chips were down, I'd fold. He, Sid, and George played my bluff to the end. Nick and I were watching something beautiful that we had created be taken away from us bit by bit. It was agony.

Painfully aware of the burgeoning hostility, Randy had started to distance himself from the group. Back in 1999, he offered this perspective:

(At first,) I didn't see the raging conspiracy just beneath the surface pleasantries among the performers, but little by little it began to emerge. There was so much hatred! I was the establishment and everybody else was my enemy. When it finally hit me, I was devastated; I wanted to run away. Then suddenly, in that instant, I grew up. All at once, it no longer mattered whether or not these people liked me... I found myself thinking this is a business...and it's mine! The fact is, we have work to do; let's get it done.

Even so, Randy's daily interface with the group had indeed become sporadic. His priorities had shifted to the Ledbetter's operation, choosing talent to feature at the club, and, separately, his unending passion for songwriting. His reduced direct involvement with the group led to the atypical choice of material for the Ledbetter's recordings. Make no mistake - the Sparks influence is still there. "Good-Time Joe," "Saturday Night," "Charleston Town" and the concert opener, "Walk the Road," all reflect Randy's tastes and commitment to ensemble efforts. However, the number of solos in the album was a dramatic departure and a direct reflection of the unleashed interests of the members. "Vayiven," an Israeli folk song was markedly un-Christy. So was Barry Kane's flamenco gypsy solo, "Tani." Both songs became dramatic elements in the show.

Upon hearing the Ledbetter's tapes, the A&R folks at Columbia Records were surprised...and unhappy. They were predictably concerned about the very substantial change in the material and taken aback by the emphasis on solos.This isn't the Christy sound that fans heard on the hit records!  What is Sparks up to now?!  Beneath the skepticism, there was something more fundamental in play. While the label had been understandably very pleased with the group's popularity on the charts in 1963, they were finding Randy Sparks to be maybe...just maybe...more trouble than it was worth. This was driven by several factors.

Back in September, Randy had lost his initial collaborative relationship with a Columbia producer. When he first approached Columbia in early spring 1962 with his concept of a choral scale folk ensemble, he met Columbia staff producer Jim Harbert. Jim had been a fan of Randy's earlier solo recordings and was intrigued with Randy's new vision. Within a matter of days, Jim proved instrumental in signing the group to the label. In the studio, Jim respected Randy's input and gave him a sense of freedom in the recordings. Perhaps more important, Jim worked as a useful buffer between Sparks and the key players in Columbia's sales force, looking for ways to motivate them to promote the group's releases. In essence, Harbert had been a valuable ally within the Columbia organization - something that Sparks never fully appreciated and, perhaps, never witnessed. In late summer of 1963, Harbert had left the label for a job opportunity in Las Vegas, which Randy saw as his chance to force his way into the role of official producer of the group's recordings, a prestigious credit he had long wanted. Columbia, however, was on a completely different wavelength. In the fall, they assigned a hot new producer to replace Harbert - Mike Berniker, who was coming off a phenomenally successful stint as producer for Barbra Streisand's first three albums. While Sparks didn't recognize it, assigning Berniker was undoubtedly an expression of faith in the group's future with the label. In December 1963, when Mike showed up for his first session to meet Sparks and the group, Randy stonewalled him, feigning ignorance about what was planned for the sessions in hopes of humiliating Berniker. Mike soon left in annoyed frustration, but Randy's little skit undoubtedly did not go over well with the label's top A&R players. In effect, Randy squelched the possibility of replacing Harbert with a new ally within the Columbia organization, all in a quest to see his name as "producer" on the album credits. He eventually did get that album credit...once...on the group's lowest charting album up until that time.

Perhaps indicative of his miscalculation, shortly after his faceoff with Berniker, Randy had a squabble with Columbia's top exec in the West Coast sales force about the group's next single - the follow up to "Green, Green" and "Saturday Night." Columbia wanted something with a similar, catchy choral energy, but Randy wanted "Today" - his new ballad - and pulled a few temperamental antics to force his choice. Eventually, Columbia did give in. While to Randy's credit, the "Today" single eventually did become a hit, that success had not yet happened at the time of the Ledbetter's sessions. The faceoff had left a bad taste with key players in the label's sales force. Some even suspected Randy was planning the Ledbetter's release primarily as a PR tactic for his club, which was then still a struggling new venture.

Throughout his time with Columbia, it had become increasingly clear to the label execs that Randy Sparks had serious issues with his management skills. The group's weekly appearances on The Andy Williams Show in '62-'63 had undeniably been their big break; however, by the end of the season, Williams himself had had enough of Sparks' abrasive antics and did not want the group to return for a second season, a sting that could not have been missed by the A&R brass. Throughout the year that followed, Columbia also recognized that Sparks had alienated his own group to the extent that the roster - the faces that had attracted the fans - was looking very, very fragile. In fact, three of the members [a third of the group] had quit a couple of months before the Ledbetter's appearance. While no one denied that Sparks had developed a wonderfully innovative concept with a fresh new sound, it looked as though his egocentric antics were destroying it in record time.

In sum, Randy had lost much of his credibility with the label. As a result, Columbia backed away from the project and the Ledbetter's recordings were shelved. Late in the summer of 1964, Randy decided to call it quits and sold his interests in the New Christy Minstrels to his partners, George Greif and Sid Garris. According to Garris, Randy really had no choice, because by that time, the members had refused to work with him any longer. He continued his focus on Ledbetter's and found more gratification in writing, producing and performing. However, his work with the New Christy Minstrels remained his most visible success.

POSTSCRIPT

The New Christy Minstrels Live at Ledbetter's - The Complete Concert is essentially a fascinating chronicle of the sessions and the time. While the recordings [including the bonus tracks] are indeed somewhat rough around the edges, the album is still an essential release for fans of the group and the genre. The playlist is quite different from what Randy Sparks normally had the group record, i.e., more edge...more grit...more range. Also, the solos made the album a much better representation of how the group appeared in concert in 1964; spotlight solos were always woven into the program, a facet of the New Christy Minstrels which had never been reflected in their prior releases.

In hindsight, it's a shame the Ledbetter's album was shelved. While Columbia's sales forces - always eager to chase proven formulas for chart success - may have been skeptical about the album's departure from the sounds of earlier releases, tastes in pop music at the time were changing dramatically amidst the British invasion and the exploding popularity of Motown and California surf rock. The group's pop/folk ballad "Today" did chart well in June (benefiting from its considerable crossover appeal on Adult Contemporary radio), but it proved to be the group's last significant hit single. The folk era was rapidly drawing to a close. Even so, the potentially provocative new sounds might have brought a timely new dimension to the group's image and a deeper appreciation of the talent within the ensemble, which could have given the New Christy Minstrels a burst of renewed relevance on the music scene, particularly among the influential college radio stations.  Of course, that theory is hard to prove now, but it seems likely. But even if the album had had that kind of impact, it would have been short-lived. The musical vision of the group's new "owners" - George Greif and particularly Sid Garris (both veterans of the big band era) - were completely out of sync with the new sounds that were making the charts. Furthermore, Greif-Garris saw the group as an "eternally young" [ever-changing] showcase for eager young talent hoping to make a mark in music. Soon after they took the helm in September of 1964, they cut the salaries of the senior members, hoping to trigger some turnover that would bring in younger - cheaper - talent. And that's exactly what happened.

Rarely, if ever, did the group have a line-up of talent and vocal synergy of this caliber again. While Barry McGuire, Art Podell, Paul Potash and Clarence Treat are still enjoying life on the planet, their former bandmates are sadly all gone -- Nick Woods, Barry Kane, Karen Gunderson, Ann White, Larry Ramos and, most recently, Randy Sparks himself. So, it feels particularly poignant to hear them all together again (with Randy in the booth) in the prime of their youth on this release...The New Christy Minstrels: Live from Ledbetter's - The Complete Concert.

THE SONGS

The Ledbetter's recordings were made over three consecutive nights - April 10, 11 and 12, 1964. This collection presents the best performance of each of the songs recorded for the album.

Opening Comments to the Audience - by Barry McGuire. We included McGuire's upfront instructions to the audience, which were obviously were never intended for commercial release, because they are a charming peek under the tent about the staging of the concert recordings as well as evidence of Barry's natural warmth and charisma as the group's front man.

"Walk the Road" - Written by Terry Tillman. (New Christy Music Publishing Co., BMI) Terry had been a member of a folk quartet called the Fairmount Singers from Eugene, Oregon whom Randy had recruited to be charter members of the New Christy Minstrels late in 1961. Unfortunately, professional commitments caused them to withdraw from the project before the Christies signed with Columbia Records. Even so, Terry kept in touch with Randy and, as a result, "Walk the Road" worked its way into the Christy repertoire.

"Saturday Night" - Written by Randy Sparks. (Cherrybell Music Co., ASCAP) The studio version of this song was recorded the previous September (1963) and became a Top 40 hit that fall. By the time of this session, it had become a major crowd-pleaser. However, Randy recalls that the song was not nearly as popular among the members:

Several members, Larry Ramos in particular, had expressed displeasure with my material.  In August (1963), shortly after I finished writing "Saturday Night." I met the group at the LA airport. I had an hour to teach them the song at the airport, and to avoid problems of unhappiness over my writing, I used a pseudonym on the lead sheets - Harold Jenkins. (I love that name.  It used to belong to a friend of mine, and I knew he wouldn't mind because he had a new one: Conway Twitty). Larry said, "Good song." Others loved it equally well. Everybody was pleased with the choice. When the record was released with my by-line, everyone knew he'd been had.

"That Choc'late Ice Cream Cone" - Written by Famous Lashua (The Country Music Co.) Previously recorded by The Maddox Brothers and Rose for King Records. Solo: Clarence Treat. Notes Clarence: "I sang this song as a child in Arkansas. In the Christies, as a joke, I submitted the song as a possibility for the show. I sang it like a little boy going on stage for the first time, being shy and somewhat scared but eventually getting into the story. People laughed so I guess it worked."

"Elijah Rock" - Traditional spiritual. The arrangement features the trio of Barry McGuire, Nick Woods and Clarence Treat. Clarence remembers, "'Elijah Rock' was my arrangement of a spiritual which I had sung in high school choir and I thought it added a different dimension to the Christies. The group, with a generous spirit, went along."

"Jamie" - Written by Randy Sparks. (Cherrybell Music Co., ASCAP) Solo: Ann White. Ann's lovely performance conveys a frailness and sensitivity that brings a tragic love story to life. She remembers: "I remember thinking that Randy had written a folk song that was hauntingly beautiful. I was delighted when I was asked to perform it for the 'live' album."

"Banjo Medley" - Instrumental medley of P.D. bluegrass classics, showcasing Larry Ramos' amazing skills on the banjo. Unfortunately, the original master for this track has been lost in the Sony archives. However, we did have an acetate of the recording that Randy gave the reissue producer (that would be me) for his archives years ago. It's in mono, so it was debatable where to place it in the release of "The Complete Concert" edition of the album. However, Larry Ramos was a core member of the roster with a solid fan base of his own, so the decision was made to integrate the track as smoothly as possible into the flow of the album to bring the concert to life as a chronicle of the event.

"Good-Time Joe" - Written by Randy Sparks. (Cherrybell Music. Co., ASCAP) Step out soloist: Paul Potash. Paul joined the Christies in March of 1964, about a month before these sessions. (He had replaced future Byrd Gene Clark.) Paul offers these recollections: "I remember the (song) was chosen to do ('Good-Time Joe')...felt entirely out of character for me. I still believe to this day that Barry McGuire or Larry Ramos could've done a much better job. I did give (it) my best shot though."

"Vayiven" - Traditional Israeli folk song ("in manuscript") brought to the group by Art Podell and Paul Potash who had previously recorded the song as Art and Paul. Featuring the duo of Barry McGuire and Barry Kane in a dramatic performance. Notes Art, "I learned the song as a kid. The official name for is "Vayiven Uzziahu. Translation: "And (King) Uziah Built" (towers in Jerusalem)."

"God Bless the Child" - The Billie Holiday classic and a stunning showcase for the amazing vocal talent of Nick Woods. Nick had been performing this song in concerts for years - well before he joined the group -- and it was always well received by his audiences and, of significance, highly regarded by the other members in the group. This track was not included in the original plans for the album because...well, the obvious reason: Billie Holiday didn't seem like a good fit for a Christy release. Nonetheless, the song was often Nick's solo on the concert trail...and for good reason. His performance is mesmerizing.

"Charleston Town" - Written by Geller and Miller for MGM's Advance to the Rear. (Quail Music Publishing, BMI) The song was about to appear on the group's upcoming Today album (which cracked the Top 10) and became a concert staple throughout the spring and summer of 1964. However, this was another track that was not part of the original plans for the Ledbetter's album, in this case probably because it was a standout track on the Today album and there was no reason to dilute the focus.

"Listen, I'll Sing You the Blues" - Written by Randy Sparks. (Cherrybell Music Co., ASCAP) Solo by Karen Gunderson. Back in 1999, after hearing this recording for the first time in thirty-five years, Art remarked, "God, can she sing!" That about sums it up. Randy noted that "Karen had a really good jazz sound and (after the Ledbetter's dates) I produced a session for her for Columbia on direct orders from Goddard Lieberson, the president." Among all the members, the shelving of the Ledbetter's album was perhaps the most detrimental to Karen's career; she had joined the group only recently, back in February at the same time as Ann White. Her performance is truly outstanding. Had this album been released as planned, her talents would have been spotlighted at a time when the group was still near the peak of its popularity. Karen herself adds this comment: "This song reminds me why I started singing in the first place. I'm happy to finally have something that I sang 'my' way make it onto a Christy recording...even several decades after the fact. Maybe it's even better this way. I can appreciate it more."

"The Story of Waltzing Matilda" - Adapted for concert audiences by Randy Sparks (Witmark Music. ASCAP) Solo:  Art Podell. This recording is Art Podell's finest hour with the New Christy Minstrels. He skillfully guides his audience on a rich explanation of the Australian folk standard - often witty, sometimes outrageous and occasionally poignant, all in a matter of minutes. It is truly an amazing performance. Paul Potash recalls: "One outstanding memory for me is watching Artie do 'Waltzing Matilda.' Those audiences loved it, and well they should have. Artie had all the right stuff for that type of song. I think he should have been the group's Pete Seeger. Actually I've heard Pete Seeger do 'Waltzing Matilda' and I preferred Art's performance."

 "Tani" - Traditional flamenco adapted by Barry Kane. Barry recalls:

When I first joined the group, I realized that I needed a unique song that would establish my identity. My repertoire was heavy with foreign music, mainly Russian, Spanish and Italian; but I had nothing that gave the appearance of real virtuosity. I found "Tani" on an old Sabicas flamenco album, translated it phonetically and began to perform it. This type of song is known as canciones populares in Spain and is sung in the gypsy dialect known as Cajo (pronounced with a hard "j"). The song was very difficult for me to perform authentically because, after all, I'm not a Spanish gypsy. Even so, the audience reaction became phenomenal. "Tani" was soon positioned next to the closing number in the show and I'm proud to say it consistently received a standing ovation.

"Glory, Glory" - This rousing track was adapted from P.D. material by Nick Woods, Art Podell, Larry Ramos and Clarence Treat and eventually published with shared songwriting credits (Blackwood Music, Inc. BMI) when it was re-recorded as "Freedom" one year later in 1965. When this Ledbetter's recording was first unearthed from the archives for release in 1999 in an abridged edition, Randy had claimed co-writing credits (Cherrybell Music. Co., ASCAP) with members of the Back Porch Majority [Mike Crowley, Mike Clough and Kin Vassy] because that group had recorded the song back in 1965 for their own Live from Ledbetter's album. It's the same song with essentially the same arrangement. In truth, Sparks and the Back Porch players had nothing to do with the arrangement that appears here, i.e., Sparks just wanted to put his name on the credits on the Christy CD release back in 1999. The arrangement came from within the group in 1964 and the song was a staple in their concert repertoire for years.

"Green, Green" - Written by Barry McGuire and Randy Sparks (Shauda Music, BMI/New Christy Music Pub. BMI). This is yet another track that was not part of the original plans for the Ledbetter's album, but clearly the fans at Ledbetter's wanted to hear it...so the tapes kept rolling. Listen to it for what it is - a raw, raucous and fun performance. As a "live" recording, it reveals how much the studio work contributed to the hit single back in 1963, e.g., the added power of the doubled chorus and the more dramatic emphasis on the 12-string guitar riffs. By this time, the group had performed the song in hundreds of concerts, and there are subtle traces of boredom in their performance. For example, the original catchy, syncopated guitar rhythm at the end of the 12-string riffs on the hit single has been replaced with a more mundane, on-the-beat, thump, thump-thump, thump because "it was easier to play." Quibbling aside, the track is still a hoot and it's wonderful to have a "live" performance by the group from their peak years. And, of course, Barry McGuire delivers a powerhouse performance.

"Oh! Michael (Row the Boat Ashore)" - Adaptation by Randy Sparks. (Cherrybell Music Co., ASCAP) The traditional folk standard was given the Christy treatment and became a suitable encore. It also stands as evidence that it didn't take much innovation to slap a copyright on an adaptation.

Three Bonus Tracks:  Unreleased Until Now

"Summertime" - the Gershwin classic from Porgy and Bess and another nice showcase for Karen Gunderson. Karen had been performing the song since her days in high school, so when she first joined the group, it was an efficient choice for her stepout solo in concerts. This was yet another track that was never intended for the Ledbetter's release. Randy, quite impressed with Karen's talent, wanted her solo to be a song he had written, "Listen, I'll Sing You the Blues" (which turned out to be the better showcase for her, so...good call.) "Summertime" might have been recorded at the club as a favor to Karen, but more likely there was an interest in getting it in the can for future consideration. Perhaps adding evidence of the sour dynamics within the group towards Randy, in the months that followed Karen reverted to performing "Summertime" in concerts. In fact, her recording of "Listen, I'll Sing You the Blues" captures the only time she ever performed the song. No doubt, the influential voices in the group who shaped the concert repertoire at the time resisted adding more Sparks material to the program when they didn't have to.

The other two (unreleased) bonus tracks were studio versions of two songs recorded at Ledbetter's: Barry McGuire and Barry Kane's version of "Vayiven" (but with a different arrangement that had Art (Podell) and Paul (Potash) joining them on the final verse), and Barry Kane's solo of "Tani" (which lacks the "live" vitality of his performance at Ledbetter's but is nonetheless interesting). Both tracks, along with several other international tracks, were stripped-down demos recorded in Los Angeles in August 1964 - at the last sessions with Randy Sparks in the booth before he sold his interests to Greif-Garris Management. It appears the group was thinking about an album of international material that never quite jelled as initially envisioned, possibly derailed by the distraction of the management shake-up.

A NOTE OF APPRECIATION

A special thanks to Tim Smith and Jeff James at Sony Music for their support over the years, with a special nod to Tim, in particular, for his help with this release. Also, thanks to Joe Marchese at The Second Disc for publishing these notes which provide an essential backdrop to the Ledbetter's recordings.

A WORD ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tom Pickles is a freelance author and producer who first started writing about the career of the New Christy Minstrels back in 1980.  Since then, he has been largely responsible for the reissue of most of the group's recordings for Columbia Records, working with Sony, Collector's Choice Music and Real Gone Music. Over the years, he developed close working relationships and friendships with founder of the group Randy Sparks and most of the prominent alumni from the group's peak years, notably Art Podell, Barry McGuire, Jackie Miller Davidson, Dolan Ellis, Gayle Calwell, Larry Ramos, Clarene Treat, Barry Kane, Karen Gunderson, Ann White, Paul Potash and Columbia producer Jim Harbert. Decades of conversations and correspondence (peppered with a few spicy debates) with this cast of colorful characters have put Tom in a unique position to see the patterns, the creative forces, the talents, the enablers and the dysfunctional elements behind the early success of the New Christy Minstrels. Eventually, his deep knowledge of the history of the group prompted Randy Sparks to dub him The Official Group Historian (a moniker that makes Tom cringe). These liner notes tell the fascinating behind the scenes story of the Ledbetter's concert recordings, one that reveals a lot about the group, Randy Sparks, and the dynamics of their relationship with Columbia Records. And there is no one in a better position to tell that story than Christy "historian" Tom Pickles.