Happy Birthday Garry Jones

Garry introduced me and many others to the music of Gram Parsons with this fantastic version of Hot Burrito No. 1. 

If you listen carefully you can hear Garry lighting one of his Gauloise and opening a can of Stella at the beginning of the vocal track. This is a performance, although Garry would often rework and rework stuff, this is a take - not the very first, but a complete take from the first session where Garry also recorded '$1000 wedding' and 'New Soft Shoe'.

 

Huw Turner plays guitar on this session, in between learning to drive, and popping out to buy tomatoes for his then girlfriend. Whilst it's amazing that this session actually got done, it was also truly effortless, sometimes studios are best when they just record what happened in the moment and leave it at that. I think this was one of those times.  Garry gave complete respect to his musicians and allowed them the space to create what they wanted. He was less good at editing it, but more of that another time. 

Typically - I remember that Garry demanded I mix this before i went away for a months holiday, so that he could get it out there. It never has really seen the light of day, and that was September '97. It deserves an audience

This song always made me cry, today it makes me feel happy, lucky and grateful. Happy birthday Garry and thanks.