1960s FOLK-ROCK LINKS

Here's a selection of links to explore for info on major and minor 1960s folk-rockers. In cases where there are numerous web sites for the same artist, I've usually limited myself to listing one or two. These will almost always have links to other sites, and with a little time and navigation, you should be able to find almost anything on the Internet that's specifically devoted to the artist in question.

Eric Andersen: The basic lowdown on the gentle singer-songwriter's past and present work.

Joan Baez: The singer's official web page, with discography, current tour info, news, and links to Joan on the Internet.

The Band: Quite a few resources beyond the usual history and discography here, including a videography, filmography, audio files, video clips, and details on unreleased tapes. A very well-organized, comprehensive site. There's also a Rick Danko blog.

The Beau Brummels: A timeline, interviews, news profiles of individual band members, FAQs, and links to some other sites with info on these San Francisco folk-rock pioneers.

Michael Bloomfield: Not exactly a classic folk-rocker, no, but he did play on some crucial 1965 Bob Dylan recordings, as well as some more obscure folk-rock records that might have escaped your mention. The Official Mike Bloomfield Website has a discography, bio, a memoir from his brother, a bulletin board, and other features honoring his memory.

David Blue: Even by the standards of cult folk-rock singer-songwriters, David Blue's history is mysterious and obscure. Besides the basic history and discography, this site has interesting commentary about his appearance in Renaldo & Clara. What's most interesting, though, is a section of postings about Blue, some from people who knew him and/or saw him perform. The webmaster is eager to accumulate more such material, so pay the page a visit if you have something to contribute.

Jackson Browne: True, Browne was much more of a post-1970 phenomenon than an important part of 1960s folk-rock. But he was already placing folk-rock songs with recording artists like Steve Noonan, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Nico in the late 1960s. It takes a lot of digging to retrieve information about those days, and one web page with reasonable resources that was previously listed here has been discontinued. At least The Road & The Sky: A Jackson Browne Concert Chronology has some information about his live appearances during that era.

Tim Buckley: Bio, articles, concert reviews, discography, links, even guitar tablatures for his songs. The articles section is especially valuable, with the text from literally dozens of previously published stories on Buckley, dating back to the late 1960s. A stunning site, really, one of the best out there, with a goldmine of resources for those wanting to learn more about the singer-songwriter. Also worthwhile is the simply named www.timbuckley.com.

Vashti Bunyan: A mighty obscure, mild British folk-just-barely-rock-influenced singer who did a few singles and a 1970 album produced by Joe Boyd. Her story is told in a fair amount of detail on this page, with year-by-year rundowns of her 1965-70 activities.

The Byrds: It seems pretty inconceivable there's not a good website for such an important group, but that's been the case since the demise of "Byrdwatcher,"  a pretty dazzling array of branches to explore: discographies, interviews, individual member bios, spinoff bands, bibliographies, FAQs. If Byrdwatcher comes back online or a different quality Byrds site goes up, please let me know.

Gene Clark: A little short on hard original facts here, but there are lots of pictures of the original Byrd member from throughout his life, and links to a ton of information available on the singer-songwriter elsewhere on the web.

Leonard Cohen: The Leonard Cohen Files has an unimaginable abundance of details on the moody singer-songwriter. One of the most in-depth sites listed here.

Halimah Collingwood: Known in the 1960s as Sherry Snow. half of the Bay Area folk-rock duo Blackburn and Snow, one of the most overlooked folk-rock acts of the 1960s. Her website has plenty of information about her current work as the host of Ethnic Excursions, an international world music radio show on KHSU, 90.5 FM in Arcata, California, as well as a bio of her musical history.

Judy Collins: Her official website is like many such sites focused on her current activities and personal appearances. An unofficial Judy Collins page run by Richard Hess has a lot more in terms of archival information on recordings, videos, and more, including oddities like pre-Elektra album appearances, non-LP singles, and such.

Country Joe & the Fish: The band's official web page is "home of the 60s band that stopped the war in Vietnam." No one's going to accuse these guys of having set their sights low. Highlighted by a history and recollections by early band associates Ed Denson and Bill Belmont, with links to pages for individual band members, including the fine site run by Country Joe McDonald. Also check out this detailed Country Joe & the Fish fan site.

Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young: The official site concentrates on current touring info and news, with bios of the individual members. More usefully, perhaps, there are links to many other sites on CSNY's collective and solo projects.

The Daily Flash: A lengthy feature, with first-hand interview quotes, on the Seattle folk-rock group that was one of the best folk-rock acts not based in the major media centers of California, New York, or London. This is actually part of a site devoted to the 1960s non-folk-rock band Rhinoceros, with whom some members of the Daily Flash were associated. The band are still active; for more info, check the Daily Flash website.

Sandy Denny: Basic biographical and discographical information on Britain's greatest folk-rock singer. Also good is this Sandy Denny memorial site (actually a part of the larger English Folk Music site), which has a bio, bibliography, database of Denny's records and songs, guide to cover versions, and more.

Jackie DeShannon: The page for the great singer-songwriter's Appreciation Society  is chock full of goodies, like articles from the society's magazine, guides to her released and unreleased compositions and cover versions, and even a recollection of how the Searchers came to cover her songs by the Searchers' Frank Allen. Among the links are one to her official site, which has some basic info, and a few audio and, more unexpectedly, vintage video clips.

The Dillards: A pretty neat trove of info on the bluegrass band that influenced the Byrds before doing two of the most eclectic folk-rock-slash-country-rock-slash-bluegrass albums of the late 1960s, Wheatstraw Suite and Copperfields . There's a thorough group history and discography, including details on really rare releases and session appearances.

Dion: Dion's official site is a disappointment, with little more than perfunctory information about new releases, gigs, photos, and a few of the CDs in his catalog. For now, it's about the best the web has going for a singer who's most known for his early doo wop and rock'n'roll hits, but made a good many underrated folk-rock recordings in the 1960s.

Bonnie Dobson: Not a website, but a pretty interesting interview with the Canadian singer-songwriter who originated the classic "Morning Dew."

Donovan: This very good page has not just a discography but sessionography, list of TV/radio/film appearances, interviews, bootlegs and rarities guide, lyrics, links, Donovan covers, and lots more. Donovan's official page is real high-tech, playing his songs as you navigate the site, highlighted by his lifeline chronology.

Nick Drake: The Nick Drake Homepage has almost all of the information you'll need to guide yourself around his discography, lyrics, and the available literature.

Judy Dyble: The website for the woman who sang in the first lineup of Fairport Convention and went on to work with Giles, Giles, & Fripp, Trader Horne, and as a solo artist, with a thorough self-penned biography, discography, news, and reviews.

Bob Dylan: Well, where do you start with one of the most documented and analyzed artists of the twentieth century? There are so many pages with Bob content that it's best to go to the Bob Links, focused mostly on links to Dylan pages and information on the web. The official Bob Dylan site, www.bobdylan.com, isn't bad by the standards of official superstar pages, offering oddities like the transcript of an April 1966 interview he gave in Stockholm.

Ramblin' Jack Elliott: A pretty insanely detailed site for a fellow that actually did very little folk-rock, but was certainly an influence on the first generation of folk-rock performers, including Bob Dylan. There are entire sections on the Dylan/Elliott influence-interchange and the 1964 demo of "Mr. Tambourine Man" he sung on with Dylan, for instance. There are also quite a few other recollections and FAQs, and a link to a site with info on the fine 2000 film documentary on Jack's life, The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack.

Fairport Convention: A deep well of information about the long-lived, pre-eminent Briitsh folk-rock band, which has seen numerous individual performers of note pass through its ranks at one time or another. Includes comprehensive discography, original articles and reprints of same about Fairport, fan forum, and links, including a prominent one to the band's official site, and others to sites of various musicians that have passed through or worked with the band, such as Richard Thompson and Iain Matthews.

Marianne Faithfull: Known primarily for her British Invasion pop hits, her (often very good) far deeper-voiced new wave and art song efforts of the 1980s and 1990s, and her association with the Rolling Stones, Faithfull did more folk-oriented tracks in the 1960s than has been realized. This site covers her  career in depth, including plenty of information on her LPs, CDs, TV/film appearances, and more.

Merrell Fankhauser: Run by the artist himself, with a bio, pix, catalog, an interview, and links to his primary reissue label, Sundazed. You can e-mail Merrell himself from here, and if you buy albums from him directly, he'll be glad to autograph them.

Richard & Mimi Fariña: A good site detailing albums, films, books, literary criticism, interviews, web links, and other references related to the music and writings of folk-rock pioneer (with his wife Mimi) Richard Fariña, with a page on Mimi Fariña as well. The section listing Richard Fariña cover versions is particularly useful, and almost certainly the most thorough such resource available.

Julie Felix: An American who will be far well more known to British audiences, this Californian folk singer moved to Britain in the mid-1960s and did a fair amount of recording and television work there, eventually going electric after a tentative fashion. Her website has a basic biography and discography, recent articles and reviews, and a gig guide.

Jackson Frank: The Jackson Frank homepage does as much as can be done with the slim legacy of the cult singer-songwriter, who made one rare mid-1960s album (now on CD) and was an influence on Sandy Denny, Paul Simon (who produced the album), and others. It has a discography and links to articles, covers of Frank songs, sleeve notes, and more.

The Fugs: Check out these interviews with Fugs Ed Sanders and Tuli Kupferberg on the Perfect Sound Forever website, which also has one with another Fug, Ken Weaver.

Steve Gillette: The singer-songwriter who released an album on Vanguard in the late 1960s and wrote material for Ian & Sylvia, Linda Ronstadt & the Stone Poneys, and the Sunshine Company is still very active on the folk circuit with Cindy Mangsen. Their web site has info on their latest ventures and Gillette's back catalog.

Grateful Dead: You could fill a website with Grateful Dead links alone, and people have. So I've opted to link to two of those, Grateful Dead Links and Old Hippie's Grateful Dead Links, myself. You could spend a lifetime exploring those -- and people do. No kidding. There's also the Grateful Dead's official site, which Old Hippie's Grateful Dead Links tactfully notes is "always under construction."

Gib Guilbeau: A host of info on a musician who had a rather peripheral but interesting role in folk-rock, playing in mid-to-late 1960s country and country-rock bands (notably Nashville West) with future Byrds Clarence White and Gene Parsons. Brought to you by the same fine fellow who administers a Dillards page of similar quality (see Dillards link above), and a page for another Nashville Wester, Wayne Moore.

Arlo Guthrie: Mucho material on Guthrie's official site, and not just the standard promo items: also a videography, tablatures, message boards, and the like.

Tim Hardin: A modest page, with basic discog and bio info. But it's nice to see a site for one of the secondary yet important folk-rock figures.

Roy Harper: The inscrutable British folk-rocker's official page has all the expected information, links, and plenty of sound files to listen to.

Richie Havens: The official Richie Havens page, including an illustrated guide to his style of open-tuned guitar playing.

Judy Henske & Jerry Yester: Basic home page for Judy Henske.

Carolyn Hester: The folk revival singer who helped Bob Dylan's career and went on to do some little-known folk-rock in the second half of the 1960s has a basic page of discographical, biographical, and current performance info.

Dan Hicks: Though he's justifiably known mostly for his witty pseudo-western swing, Hicks did have roots in folk-rock-psychedelia as part of the Charlatans. The Hicksville site has a bio, discography, touring news, and links to a buncha other sites with Hicks content.

Chris Hillman: The homepage of the Byrds' bassist and occasional songwriter, who's gone on to play in numerous country-rock and country bands.

Jake Holmes: Not a proper site, but a long interview with the Perfect Sound Forever webzine by the hiterto-mysterious minor folk-rocker who wrote and recorded the original version of "Dazed and Confused," upon which Led Zeppelin's famous track of the same name was based.

Holy Modal Rounders: Just a basic bio and discography here, with a pointer to a Holy Modal Rounders newsgroup. You can also link from here to the modest home page of Holy Modal Rounder Peter Stampfel, with updates on his latest activities and recordings.

Jac Holzman/Elektra Records: A site based around Elektra founder/president Holzman's recommended combination autobiography/history of Elektra Records, Follow the Music. Includes mammoth Elektra Records discography, and sound clips of early Elektra folk recordings.

Mary Hopkin: The comprehensive Mary Hopkin Friendly Society website has a wealth of information on the underappreciated Apple artist, who did more folk-oriented stuff than many people realize. Includes unbelievably thorough discography and videography, vintage press articles, a bulletin board, a detailed article on the multi-generation origins of "Those Were the Days," and much more.

Janis Ian: Her official site, focused on current release and touring information, with bio and articles about the singer-songwriter. There are some unusual things here if you spend some time, though, like a series of CDs of unreleased recordings that aren't available in stores.

The Incredible String Band: Basic coverage of the British hippie psych-folksters, with FAQs, discography, and upates. Not that these don't lead you to some unexpected discoveries, like a DVD with ISB footage and interviews.

Jade: This very obscure trio made one album in 1970 that sounded more like Fairport Convention did on their first two albums with Sandy Denny than anyone else besides Fairport themselves did. This website, for Jade singer Marianne Segal, has information about the group, including liner notes from the 2003 CD reissue of the Jade album. The site also includes news and information on her recent recording and performing activities.

Jefferson Airplane: The official Jefferson Airplane site has basic info about the band and links to websites of some of the band's members. Also check out the site for Jeff Tamarkin's recommended 2003 Jefferson Airplane biography " Got a Revolution! ," which contains excerpts from the book and some interesting material that didn't make it to the printed version. On another site, read about Craig Fenton's 2006 Jefferson Airplane book, Take Me to a Circus Tent.

Kaleidoscope: This site devoted to the overlookedband of unparalleled folk-rock eclecticism is quite good, including lengthy transcripts of interviews done with Kaleidoscope's Chris Darrow and Chester Crill by this author. Getting more off the beaten track, there's an interview with non-member Alex Shackelford, who wrote one of the band's better songs, "I Found Out." Also news, vintage photos, and links to a wide variety of surprising Kaleidoscope-related ephemera, like Wall of Voodoo's Stan Ridgeway's recollections of taking guitar lessons from David Lindley in 1966. Chris Darrow 's website has plenty of info about all of his recording and musical activities, including of course the ones he undertook as a member of Kaleidoscope.

Al Kooper: One of folk-rock's most vital session musicians, for Bob Dylan, Tom Rush, and others, administers his web site himself. Includes road diaries and a list of Al's top 100 recordings.

Gordon Lightfoot: There are a bunch of Lightfoot sites out there, and it's difficult to recommend any one as the best without offending some worthy contenders. Try the one linked to via this paragraph, though, for its lengthy list of links (complete with discographies), and also its lengthy archive of press clippings.

Trini Lopez: What does Trini Lopez have to do with folk-rock? Well, even though he's gone down in history as a nightclub entertainer, plenty of people heard "If I Had a Hammer" for the first time when he put it to an electric guitar and go-go beat in 1963; Marty Balin of the Jefferson Airplane cited him as an influence in starting to think along the lines of rocking up folk songs; and Mickey Jones, who toured the world with Bob Dylan and the Hawks in 1966, played in Lopez's band. Anyway, his site isn't bad as official pages go, with plenty of discographical/movie/TV/biographical information.

Love: Strange, isn't it, that one of the most esteemed cult rock bands of all time doesn't have a top-notch web site. This page, though, does have a discography(including bootlegs), news updates, cover versions, and most importantly, links to some other pages with Love info. Among the more interesting of those are the web sites for Love leader Arthur Lee, secondary Love singer-songwriter Bryan MacLean and Love drummer Michael Stuart.

The Lovin' Spoonful: The official Lovin' Spoonful site focuses on the current version of the band, which does not include their original leader, John Sebastian. Sebastian has his own home page (http://www.johnbsebastian.com), which in addition to the usual current touring info has links, interviews, and such.

Mac MacLeod: You want obscure? We got obscure for ya. Obscure is not synonymous with inconsequential, mind you, as Mac MacLeod was an early accompanist for Donovan, sang in a duo with Maddy Prior long before Prior joined Steeleye Span, worked with fellow cult British folk-rocker Mick Softley, and did some little-known recording of his own, some of which was never released. Plus, he was an inspiration for Donovan's megahit "Hurdy Gurdy Man," which Donvoan originally planned to give to Mac's group Hurdy Gurdy, but then decided to record himself. You can read MacLeod's story on this site, which also has his (slim) discography and updates on current activities.

The Mamas and the Papas: A fan page with the basics to get you familiarized, plus a lot of links to other points on the web going deep into the crannies of their history, including pages for Cass Elliott, Denny Doherty, and Scott MacKenzie, as well as the Monterey Pop Festival.

John Martyn: Quite a bit of reviews, interviews, news, and guitar scores on the British guitarist who's cultish even by cult standards. Also links to other sites with Martyn content, with the homepage of the John Martyn Appreciation Society being especially worth checking out for fans.

Ian [Iain] Matthews: A basic page covering the long career and current endeavors,, as a soloist and a member of groups, by one of the original Fairport Convention singers.

Mary McCaslin: This folk singer is considered to have reached her prime as a recording artist in the 1970s, but it's not well known that she did do a bit of folk-rock recording in the late 1960s. You can hear a sample on her site, on which you can hear her late-1960s cover of George Harrison's "I Need You," with Bernie Leadon as accompanist.

Roger McGuinn: The home page of the most important Byrd has Byrds FAQs, bio material, photos, and easy ways for you to get his recent CDs. His Folk Den section lets you hear more than a couple dozen of his performances of traditional folk songs, including classics like "The House of the Rising Sun" and "John Riley," and even pre-Byrds performances dating back as early as 1957.

Barry McGuire: The man famous for "Eve of Destruction" actually has had a long career that both predates and postdates that hit single by wide margins. This newly launched (in 2002) site has a lengthy bio, discography, videography, and touring info.

Scott McKenzie: McKenzie gave his blessing to the webmaster of this site with the caveat, "I can't imagine any one having the slightest interest in me." Prove him wrong and give it a visit. Includes interview with McKenzie and John Phillips.

Ralph McTell: Learn about one of the lesser-known British folkies to emerge in the late 1960s on this site with the standard bio, FAQs, and discography.

Melanie: A Melanie page with some interviews, collector's corner, and more links than you'd suspect existed for the unfairly critically maligned singer-songwriter, in addition to the usual bio and discog. The Melanie Music Society has more in the way of archive interviews and press clips, and again, there are way more of those than you'd suspect.

Joni Mitchell: Exhaustive Joni Mitchell site that will set you up with everything you need to find out about one of the finest and most influential singer-songwriters of the 20th century. Well done. For lovers of the perverse, there's a sound file with Morrissey (yes, the Morrissey) interviewing our Joni. Also good is The Joni Mitchell Discussion List , particularly the large on-line library of vintage articles, interviews, and press clips.

Mick Moloney: Site covering the basics of one of the foremost musicians and folklorists of traditional Irish music, who was in a group in the late 1960s and early 1970s that occasionally ventured into folk-rock, the Johnstons.

Wayne Moore: Along with Gene Parsons, Clarence White, and Gib Guilbeau, Wayne Moore was part of Nashville West, and played on a whole lot of overlooked mid-to-late-1960s sessions that served as unheralded bridges between folk-rock and country-rock. His story's laid out in pretty amazing detail on this page, as part of the same site that has similar sections on Gib Guilbeau and country-rock pioneers the Dillards.

Fred Neil: A discography, bio, and a few articles on the enigmatic folk-rock recluse, including an account from a fan who actually tried to track him down in Florida, and did succeed in talking with someone who knows him well.

Nico: From the same people who brought you the fine Marianne Faithfull site mentioned above, another cool compendium of information on Nico's recordings, film appearances, lyrics, session information, and more. Yes, Nico is most known as a singer on the Velvet Underground's first album and the gothic moon goddess tone of most of her solo work. But for her 1967 debut album   Chelsea Girl , she was, just for a moment, pretty near to a folk-rock singer.

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band: A page so comprehensive that it might take you a while to get to information on this long-lived ensemble's 1960s beginnings. In the context of online culture, that's a compliment.

Phil Ochs: Basic but nice Phil Ochs page, with details on all his albums, links, lyrics, and a pretty interesting section about Ochs on film.

Gram Parsons: Everything you'd possibly want to know about the country-rock forefather. Well, it used to, anyway; as of this update, it promises, "the official Gram Parsons coming soon."

Tom Paxton: The basics on the major topical and children's singer-songwriter. For something a little more out of the ordinary, look into this Tom Paxton discography.

Pearls Before Swine: This site on the inscrutable cult folk-rock-psychedelic band doesn't have a vast vault of information. But it does have a useful discography (including solo albums by group leader Tom Rapp), basic biography, links to several articles about Rapp, and news on his current activities.

The Penny Arkade: Probably the most obscure of the artists listed here, the Penny Arkade played good Buffalo Springfield-styled folk-rock, produced by Mike Nesmith of the Monkees, but never released anything while they were active. There's a lengthy CD of their recordings out now, and bassist Don Glut tells the story of the band in his own words on this section of his website.

The Pentangle: The second-most important British folk-rock band after Fairport Convention. These Pentangle Pages are under the auspices of original singer Jacqui McShee, and include a history, early photos, a discography, and news about their still-active current lineup.

Shawn Phillips: The official Shawn Phillips site has a lengthy interview with the singer, bio, and a great many sound clips through which you can sample his music.

Poco: The homepage of Poco, the groundbreaking, at least at the start, country-rock band.

Pamela Polland: The overlooked singer-songwriter, as part of the duo the Gentle Soul in the late 1960s and a solo artist in the early 1970s, is still active in Maui. Her website has details about her past and present projects.

Linda Ronstadt: Way back at the beginning of her career, particularly with her first group the Stone Poneys, Linda Ronstadt did do folk-rock, though that's been somewhat forgotten now. This page has a mammoth amount of information about her career, though admittedly not too much about her 1960s folk-rock, as well as a lot of links, including one to fellow Stone Poney Kenny Edwards.

Tim Rose: The official Tim Rose website has a biography and discography of the late singer who did much to popularize "Hey Joe" and "Morning Dew," and sang with a pre-Mamas & Papas Cass Elliot in the Big Three.

The Rose Garden: A webpage on the one-shot L.A. folk-rock/sunshine pop band that had a hit with "Next Plane to London" and recorded a couple of otherwise unreleased songs by Gene Clark of the Byrds on their sole album.

Tom Rush: While the singer-songwriter's page is largely devoted to promoting his current touring activities, check out the link to a very interesting interview (actually on the Joni Mitchell website) in which Rush talks at length about his early association with Joni Mitchell.

Buffy Sainte-Marie: A tribute page to another unfairly overlooked folk-rock precursor, with deeper content than is apparent from a glance at the fairly modest home page.

The Searchers: The Merseybeat band that, at times, helped point the way to folk-rock with their guitar jangle. This official band site has basic info, discography, and interviews/articles.

Pete Seeger: The Pete Seeger Appreciation Page has a heck of a lot of information about a singer who didn't do much folk-rock at all, but inspired many folk-rockers, and wrote one of folk-rock's greatest anthem, "Turn! Turn! Turn!" There's plenty of info not just on records, but also a videography, bibliography, Seeger's books and current activities, and lots more.

The Seekers: A page for one of the most commercial acts to edge into the folk-rock spectrum.

Simon & Garfunkel: There are sites for Paul Simon, and at least one for Art Garunkel even, but this is for the duo, which is the format in which the musicians made their impact upon 1960s folk-rock.

P.F. Sloan: This entry for the cult folk-rock singer-songwriter has about as much material as could be extracted from his legacy, including one of his rare interviews, and a lengthy discography laying out his extremely involved recording career, as both an artist and composer.

Rick Stanley: Along with Pamela Polland (see her website link above), Stanley was the main figure in the worthy yet little-known group the Gentle Soul. His site is devoted primarily to the harps that he hand-builds these days, but does have a section selling recordings that he's done, going back to the 1960s.

Steeleye Span: They didn't form until the very beginning of the 1970s, but they were an important British folk-rock band who included several important 1960s folk-rock and folk musicians, including Ashley Hutchings, Maddy Prior, and Martin Carthy. This site has lots of discographical information, reviews, links, history, and news.

Al Stewart: Although thought of primarily as a 1970s singer-songwriter, as that decade saw his biggest international hits, Stewart made his first two albums in the late 1960s, when he was at his most folk-rock-oriented. His official site is basic, but does have links to other sites with more in-depth info on various aspects of his career and discography.

John Stewart: All of the requisites for an in-depth site are presented and accounted for on this homage to the singer-songwriter, who quickly branched into folk-country-pop-singer-songwriting in the late 1960s after leaving the Kingston Trio: discography, latest news, bio, interviews, lyrics database, and links, including one to the active and devoted Bloodlines John Stewart discussion group. 

The Strawbs: In-depth site on the British band that started out as a folk band oh-so-long ago in the 1960s. The "Family Trees" section alone will keep you busy for hours if you're so inclined.

Shel Talmy: If you've heard of this producer, you probably know him for his recordings with the Who and the Kinks. He was a significant player in British folk-rock too, though, as producer for the Pentangle and Roy Harper. This is his home page, and if there's not much about his folk-rock work here yet, well, maybe there will be one day.

James Taylor: At first glance this looks slick enough to be an official site, but the presence of "rarities" and "bootlegs" as two of the main sections tips you off right away that it ain't. And good for them, and you, if you want to find out a wealth of detail on the career of a pop star who did start out, more or less, in folk-rock in the late 1960s.

The Turtles:  Y'know the Turtles were really a pop-rock band, not a folk-rock one. But they were briefly identified with the most commercial face of the movement at their inception, and their site is available for those who want the basic lowdown.

Dino Valenti: The Quicksilver Messenger Service fan page has a section devoted to one-time member Valenti, including the text of Ben Fong-Torres' article on the singer-songwriter from the February 1, 1969 issue of Rolling Stone. There are also engrossing interviews with Quicksilver members Gary Duncan and David Freiberg, in which they talk about Valenti some, and a great deal about the Quicksilver Messenger Service's entire career. A very good site, recommended whether you're looking for Valenti or Quicksilver stuff.

Townes Van Zandt: There are several pages devoted to a guy who's remembered as a country-folk singer-songwriter, but who did skirt folk-rock in his earliest recordings in the late 1960s. If you want more than what's here, it has links to several other Van Zandt or Van Zandt-related sites.

Jerry Jeff Walker: He was the man who wrote "Mr. Bojangles," and recorded some little-heard folk-rock on some of the recordings by his pre-solo career group Circus Maximus. You won't find out much about those years on his website, but it does have information about his just-released biography, which does go into those years in parts.

We Five: Basic bio, discography, photos, and a section in which group member Jerry Burgan answers fan questions. Did you know that in addition to landing one of the first folk-rock hits with "You Were on My Mind," We Five (according to the site) were the "first rock group to write and perform original music for Coca Cola commercials"?

Tom Wilson: In-progress site devoted to the producer of Bob Dylan's early-to-mid-'60s work (including his first electric rock recordings), early Simon & Garfunkel, mid-'60s Dion, and Nico's first album, among other folk-rock records (as well as numerous other important records by the Velvet Underground, the Mothers of Invention, and major jazz musicians).

Neil Young: A lotta data, including a "Lotta Links" section, on one of several pages devoted to the folk-rocker who's outlasted them all in terms of critical acclaim and devoted fandom.

Steve Young: There's not a huge amount of content on the web site of this underrated country-folk-rock singer-songwriter, but it does give you a basic bio, discography, tour  info, and sections for his lyrics and samples of some of his songs. The most unusual part? The Steve Young appreciation by Van Dyke Parks (click on the "extras" section of the site), even if Parks mistakenly refers to 1963 (not 1965) as the year the Byrds broke through with "Mr. Tambourine Man."

GENERAL RESOURCES

All Music Guide: The world's largest on-line database of record reviews and artist biographies, including many bios and reviews by this author. Many of them are also in the 1200-page book the All Music Guide to Rock (Miller Freeman Books).

Folk Blues & Beyond: Dedicated to British 1960s folk-blues, folk, and folk-rock artists, this has artist profiles and discographies for Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Nick Drake, Davy Graham, Jackson C. Frank and John Martyn, as well as links and info about new artists working in similar styles.

Stefan Wirz: The American Music section of Stefan Wirz's website has discographies, Internet links, and interesting miscellaneous bits of information about numerous lesser-known folk-rock figures and folkies with ties to 1960s folk-rock, like Karen Dalton, Bruce Langhorne, Stefan Grossman, and Patrick Sky.

 

contents copyright Richie Unterberger , 2000-2010
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