John York (musician)

American bassist and guitarist

John York

Birth name| John York Foley
Born|  (1946-08-03) August 3, 1946 (age 77)
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.johnyorkmusic.com

Musical artist

John York Foley (born August 3, 1946)[1] is an American bassist and guitarist. He is best known for his work with the Byrds.

## History[edit]

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.

## Selected discography[edit]

### The Bees[edit]

* "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[edit]

* "She Digs My Love"/"When I Sing the Blues" (7" single – 1966)

### The Byrds[edit]

* 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[edit]

* "Train in the Desert"/"Sweet Names of Spanish Ladies" (7" single – circa 1974–1976)

### John York[edit]

* 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[edit]

* After the Storm (2000)

### Family Tree[edit]

* Family Tree [with Skip Battin, Ricky Mantoan, Beppe D'Angelo] (2001)

### Selected album guest appearances[edit]

* 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".

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "John York Biography". Taxim Records. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
2. ^ a b Rogan, Johnny (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. p. 279\. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
3. ^ Hjort, Christopher (2008). So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965–1973). Jawbone Press. pp. 190–191. ISBN 978-1-906002-15-2.
4. ^ a b Rogan, Johnny (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. pp. 295–299. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
5. ^ Rogan, Johnny (1997). Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde (CD booklet). The Byrds. Columbia/Legacy.
6. ^ Fricke, David (2000). "Knights on the Road". Live at the Fillmore – February 1969 (CD booklet). The Byrds. Columbia/Legacy.
7. ^ Einarson, John (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of The Byrds' Gene Clark. Backbeat Books. pp. 264–265. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
8. ^ a b c "John York Discography". Byrds Flyght. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
9. ^ "John York Bio". johnyorkmusic.com. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
10. ^ "John York on Outsight Radio Hours". Retrieved July 19, 2015.

## External links[edit]

* John York bio at Taxim Records website Archived July 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
* http://www.johnyorkmusic.com

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