Firefall are coming up on fifty years of existence, a number that might daunt some bands but this band that at times has included Byrds and Flying Burritos in the line-up not only continues but has a new release about to hit the streets. The album ‘Friends and Family’ will be out on September 22nd on Sunset Blvd. Records. It features a baker’s dozen of classic rock songs from the likes of Poco, The Band, Flying Burrito Brothers, and, of course, The Byrds.
Remaining founding band member and guitarist Jock Bartley told Americana UK that: “I was such a huge Byrds fan in high school and college. And it’s so amazing for me to have played in bands with ex-Byrds Michael Clarke, Chris Hillman and Gram Parsons. What an honor! For years Firefall played “So You Want to Be a Rock n Roll Star” on stage for our encore song and we cut that track for our Friends & Family album. But as the album was progressing, I had the feeling that the Byrds song we should be doing was “I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better” off their first album, one of Gene Clark’s best songs ever. I don’t know why I had that feeling, but I loved that song and used to play and sing it in bands when I was in college. And so we recorded it and it felt really right. I asked our friend, the great John Jorgenson if he would play Rickenbacker 12-string on the tune and he did!! It’s one of the classic Byrds tunes, and to me, it sounds really great on our Firefall album ‘Friends & Family’. (P.S. We are currently making a Friends & Family 2 album and “So You Want to Be a Rock n Roll Star” ’ will be appearing on that!”
