Bidin’ My Time, the first new solo album in more than a decade by Chris Hillman, a founding member of The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, Manassas and the Desert Rose Band, will be released on Sept. 22 via Rounder Records. Tom Petty produced the album at his studio in Southern California, and Hillman’s longtime collaborator and co-founder of the Desert Rose Band, Herb Pedersen, served as executive producer.
Featured performers and guests on the recording include Byrds co-founders David Crosby and Roger McGuinn; Desert Rose Band alumni Pedersen, John Jorgenson and Jay Dee Maness; Petty and fellow Heartbreakers Mike Campbell, Steve Ferrone, and Benmont Tench; Mark Fain, Josh Jové and Gabe Witcher. Pre-order the CD here; vinyl here.
Hillman chose a good Petty tune to cover, “Wildflowers,” that’s well-suited for his voice. Listen to the song, released on August 10
The album kicks off with a new recording of Pete Seeger’s and Welsh poet Idris Davies’ “The Bells of Rhymney,” which the Byrds recorded for their debut album, Mr. Tambourine Man. Crosby and Pedersen contribute harmonies to the tune. “I decided to cut it again because I wanted to sing with David and Herb, two great tenors,” Hillman said in a press release. “David just loves Herb’s singing, and at 75 years old, David is still a powerful singer, one of the best I’ve ever worked with or been around.”
Listen to a brief teaser for the album
Related: A chat with Richie Furay of Buffalo Springfield and Poco
Another Byrds nod, “Here She Comes Again,” was co-written by Hillman and McGuinn, and until now, had only been recorded on a live album in Australia. Hillman plays bass on the track—the instrument he originally played with the Byrds but hadn’t picked up in more than 30 years. “She Don’t Care About Time,” the original B-side to “Turn! Turn! Turn!,” was written by Byrds co-founder Gene Clark, who died in 1991.
Listen to “She Don’t Care About Time” from the new album
The early Byrds (l. to r.): David Crosby, Gene Clark, Michael Clarke, Chris Hillman, Jim (Roger) McGuinn (Photo from the band’s Facebook page)
Hillman also reworks “Old John Robertson,” first featured on The Notorious Byrd Brothers in 1968, as “New Old John Robertson.” The album also includes interpretations of the Everly Brothers’ “Walk Right Back,” Petty’s “Wildflowers” and “When I Get a Little Money,” written by family friend Nathan Barrow. See the full track listing below.
Hillman and Pedersen (with John Jorgenson) have announced a series of tour dates for this fall. A full list of dates is also below.
Watch Hillman and Petersen sing “Turn! Turn! Turn!”
Bidin’ My Time Track Listing
1. Bells of Rhymney
2. Bidin’ My Time
3. Given All I Can See
4. Different Rivers
5. Here She Comes Again
6. Walk Right Back
7. Such Is The World That We Live In
8. When I Get a Little Money
9. She Don’t Care About Time
10. New Old John Robertson
11. Restless
12. Wildflowers
Tour Dates
9/21 Sellersville, PA/Sellersville Theatre
9/22 New York, NY/City Winery
9/23 Fall River, MA/Narrows Center for the Arts
9/24 Boston, MA/City Winery
9/26 Alexandria, VA/The Birchmere
9/29 Duluth, GA/The Red Clay Theatre
10/1 Nashville, TN/City Winery
10/4 Newport, KY/Southgate House Revival
10/5 Kent, OH/Kent Stage
10/6 Chicago, IL/Old Town School of Folk Music
10/7 Edwardsville, IL/The Wildey Theatre
10/12 Bakersfield, CA/Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace
10/13 Berkeley, CA/Freight & Salvage
10/16 West Hollywood, CA/The Troubadour
10/26-28 Park City, UT/The Egyptian Theatre
11/8 Baton Rouge, LA/Red Dragon Listening Room
11/9 The Woodlands, TX/Dosey Doe Barn
11/10 Austin, TX/Texas Union Theater
1/27/18 Thousand Oaks, CA/Scherr Theatre
Watch The Byrds (with Hillman on bass) lip-sync “All I Really Want to Do” in 1965
3 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationfavorite bassist.don’t see portland. oregon on the rotation.maybe in the future we get Hillman here,many great venues.
My favorite member of the Byrds, back when he was terribly underrated. The man has incredible talent.
Awesome news! So talented ☮