Gram Parsons – A Song For You (1973)

To follow the previous post and the recent-ish genius of The Handsome Family (here), I felt obliged to return to the motherlode of Alt.Country – not that such a genre existed in 1973 nor was it where the original country genre was obviously going.

Gram Parsons died of a drug overdose in September 1973 in Joshua Tree, California.

This wonderful track was recorded a few months before his death and it appears on his debut LP “GP”. Prior to going solo, Gram had been a member of The Byrds for their classic “Sweetheart of the Rodeo” LP and, subsequently, was a member of the Flying Burrito Brothers.

This track features Emmylou Harris on joint vocals and has depth, lyricism and melancholy that have been rarely matched.

The original LP track has unfortunately been removed from Youtube but this is a great rare and scratchy live version from Max’s Kansas City.