Back in October an all-star lineup including Beck, Jakob Dylan, Fiona Apple, Cat Power and others staged “Echo In The Canyon” in Los Angeles, paying tribute to bands and songs from the early days of Southern California rock and roll.  The concert was timed as a 50th Anniversary celebration of the release of The Byrds’ debut album, “Mr. Tambourine Man”.  

A studio album is due out sometime in 2016, and the first track available is “You Showed Me” performed by Jakob Dylan and Cat Power.  The original was The Turtles’ last big U.S. hit in 1969 and was written by Roger McGuinn and Gene Clark of The Byrds.  Listen to the cover then enjoy a studio performance of the original – complete with vintage 60’s hairdos.

Hollywood Vampires is a super-group of classic rockers built around Alice Cooper and Joe Perry, with Johnny Depp thrown in for good measure.  The band’s name harks back to a drinking club formed by Cooper in the 70’s, with members that included a fair bit of rock and roll royalty.

“I Got A Line On You” covers the incredible band Spirit. Headed by guitarist/vocalist Randy California, Spirit also included Randy’s stepfather, Ed Cassidy. Cassidy was a well known jazz drummer, who just before joining his stepson played in Rising Sons with Taj Mahal and a 17-year-old Ry Cooder. Check out the Hollywood Vampires’ take and the original, and if you want to hear a bit more by Spirit, refer to this earlier post.