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John York Foley (born August 3, 1946)[1] is an American bassist and guitarist. He is best known for his work with the Byrds.
John York | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John York Foley |
| Born | August 3, 1946 White Plains, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock, country rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, record producer |
| Instrument(s) | Bass guitar, guitar, oud, vocals |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Labels | Tribe, Columbia, Debris, Taxim |
| Website | www |
Prior to joining the Byrds, John York was a member of the Bees and the Sir Douglas Quintet, and also worked as a session musician for the Mamas & the Papas and Johnny Rivers.[2] He was also the bassist in ex-Byrd Gene Clark's touring band.[2]
York joined The Byrds in September 1968, as a replacement for the band's original bass player Chris Hillman.[3] He remained with the group until September 1969, when he was replaced by Skip Battin.[4]
Despite only being with the Byrds for a year, his bass playing and singing appear on two of the group's studio albums, Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde and Ballad of Easy Rider, as well as on the non-album single "Lay Lady Lay".[1] He wrote "Fido", which appears on Ballad of Easy Rider, and co-wrote "Candy", which is included on Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde.[4][5] He also appears on the Columbia/Legacy Byrds' live album Live at the Fillmore - February 1969.[6]
Following his departure from the Byrds, York worked with Clark during the mid-1980s, along with Pat Robinson, in the group CRY.[7] He served as an integral member of the Tribute to the Byrds band along with Gene Clark, Michael Clarke, Rick Roberts and others in the mid to late 1980s.[citation needed]
York has maintained a lengthy career as a guitarist and bass player, and since the 1980s has worked with artists including Chris Darrow, Katie Trickett, Steven T., Nick Binkley, and Carla Olson, among others.[8]
In 1988, he recorded a number of songs with fellow ex-Byrds bass player Skip Battin, and these recordings were issued as the Family Tree album in 2001.[8] He released three solo albums, Sacred Path Songs (1991), Claremont Dragon (1998), and Arigatou Baby (2006),[8] and recorded the albums Clan Mother Songs with Jamie Sams, and Koto with Yukiko Matsuyama.[9] In 2008, York teamed-up with singer-songwriter Barry McGuire for a live tour entitled Trippin' the 60's.
The Bees
- "Leave Me Be"/"She's an Artist" (7" single – 1965)
- "Forget Me Girl"/"Baby, Let Me Follow You Down" (7" single – 1966)
Sir Douglas Quintet
- "She Digs My Love"/"When I Sing the Blues" (7" single – 1966)
The Byrds
- Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde (1969)
- "Lay Lady Lay"/"Old Blue" (7" single – 1969)
- Ballad of Easy Rider (1969)
- Live at the Fillmore – February 1969 (2000)
The Museuns
- "Train in the Desert"/"Sweet Names of Spanish Ladies" (7" single – circa 1974–1976)
John York
- Sacred Path Songs (1991)
- Clan Mother Songs [with Jamie Sams] (1992)
- Claremont Dragon (1998)
- Koto [with Yukiko Matsuyama] (2003)
- Arigatou Baby (2006)
- West Coast Revelation [with Kim Fowley] (2007)
- Trippin' the 60's: The Show Songs Live [with Barry McGuire] (2009)
- West Coast Revelation [with Kim Fowley] (GRA Records; 2011)[10]
CRY
- After the Storm (2000)
Family Tree
- Family Tree [with Skip Battin, Ricky Mantoan, Beppe D'Angelo] (2001)
Selected album guest appearances
- The Mamas & the Papas – The Papas & The Mamas (1968)
- Jack Street Band – Jack Street Band (1982)
- Katie Trickett – The Next Time (1994)
- Mojave – Tumbleweed Circuit (1995)
- Peter Lewis – Peter Lewis (1995)
- Nick Binkley – Pin Stripe Brain (1996)
- Chris Darrow – Coyote + Straight from the Heart (1997)
- Chris Darrow and Max Buda – Harem Girl (1998)
- Anita Kruse – Creation Flight (1998)
- Toulouse Engelhardt and Remi Kabaka – A Child's Guide to Einstein (2004)
- Steven T. – Damage (2004)
- Carla Olson – Have Harmony, Will Travel (2013) ~ John sings lead on 2 songs: "First In Line" (written by Paul Kennerley) and "Upon A Painted Ocean" (written by P. F. Sloan). He also plays guitar on the album including on the Richie Furay/Carla Olson version of Gene Clark's "She Don't Care About Time".
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