1. Some questions about "Limited Edition." Some albums have a "theme," or are trying to communicate something in particular. Is that the case with this CD, or is it just a "random" collection of good folk music -- both traditional and originals?

 

“Limited Edition” is an eclectic collection of traditional songs, electrified blues and songs written with my wife Camilla rich in Rickenbacker “Jingle Jangle.” The unifying factor is the Rickenbacker electric 12-string guitar sound.

 

2. You wrote some of these years ago; how come you're just recording them now? And as a follow-up, why so long between albums? Don't you need to make albums to earn a living, or do you earn your living more from concerts and/or other means?

 

Many people requested that I record  a CD with the “jingle jangle” sound that was on the Byrds albums and “Back From Rio.” Camilla and I wrote a number of songs in 1996 for such a project, but because I recorded  the mainly acoustic CDs  “Live From Mars” and “Treasures From The Folk Den” the songs remained unrecorded until now. We recorded 18 songs and picked the ones we liked the best to be on the CD. Concert appearances are my main source of income. Until “Limited Edition” the record company took over 90% of income from record sales. Now we own the record company, so that may change.

 

3. Why is "Limited Edition" available only online and at your shows -- and not in stores?

 

We decided to keep things simple. It’s much more rewarding to just sell the CDs on line and at concerts. We feel the traditional record company and brick and mortar business models are broken

4. What's the story behind "Made in
China"? Have you and Camilla somehow gotten involved in this issue, trying to make a difference?

 My wife Camilla was reading about the terrible situation in China where female

 babies were being systematically starved to death as a result of China's

 one child policy. The thing that really got her was that our newspapers

 had buried the story on the inside page. China was also a mecca of

 bootlegging records. We thought if we were to write and record a song to

 bring attention to the starving babies, there would be little chance of

 our CD being bootlegged there, and it could possibly bring the situation to greater public awareness.


5. What's the story behind "Parade of Lost Dreams"? Were you once in that parade?

 

 Camilla and I were sitting at a sidewalk cafe in Hollywood one

 night watching the bizarre stream of traffic pass by. We had both lived in the   Los Angeles area for many years and had watched the gradual cultural decline

 of Hollywood Boulevard. The title "Parade of Lost Dreams" came to us and

 we decided to write a song about it. As the song developed it began to

 incorporate everything wrong with American society. It's a general

 statement and not a denigration of any individual. Songs should mean

 whatever you want them to mean to you.

 

 

6. Anything else about "Limited Edition" you'd like to say? 

 

Yes, here are the titles and brief descriptions of some of the other songs on my new CD.

 

Track List:

 

 "If I Needed Someone"

 

 George Harrison wrote this song after hearing the Byrds recording of

 "Bells of Rhymney."  He gave a copy of his new recording to Derek

 Taylor, the Beatles former press officer. Derek flew from London to Los   Angeles with the preview record of "Revolver." He brought it over to my house

and said that George wanted me to know that he had written the song based on

 the rising and falling notes of my electric Rickenbacker 12-string guitar

 introduction. It was a great honor to have in some small way influenced

 our heroes the Beatles.

 

 

 "Shady Grove"

 

 This is an old English ballad that found its way to rural Appalachia. It

 was one of many such songs that were discovered by "song catchers"

who went into remote parts of the Southern United States to collect folk lore

 and music. Many of these songs have changed very little in over three

 hundred years. This version uses urban drums to give it a more

 contemporary beat. I like to call the syntheses - "Pho-Kop."

 

 "James Alley Blues"

 

 Originally recorded in 1929 by Richard "Rabbit" Brown in New Orleans,

this song is one of the gems from the Harry Smith Anthology of American Folk

 Music. My version is a bit more upbeat with bass, drums and a few added

 blues licks.

 

 

 "On and On"

 

 Camilla and I wrote "On and On" based on my experience living and

Working  in Greenwich Village in the early 60's. As a young musician surviving on  coins thrown into baskets at various coffee houses, there was a need to

 believe in eternity and possess a sense of optimism. This song has lots of

 room in its melody for a chiming Rickenbacker 12-string guitar break.

 

 "Southbound 95"

 

 As we were driving south on Interstate 95, coming home from a long road

 tour, we were listening to the truckers talk on the CB radio. I began to

 take mental notes about their attitudes and the stories they told. By the

 time we arrived at our house, I had composed all three verses. I played

 the song for Camilla and she came up with a chorus - "Drive 'em high.

 drive 'em low, In the rain and in the snow." Everything but the chorus

is something actually said by truckers.

 

 "Castanet Dance"

 

 "Castanet Dance is a song about relationships, love and forgiveness.

 

 "Shenandoah"

 

 A lovely traditional song, and another great vehicle for a Rickenbacker

 12-string break!

 

 "When The Saints Go Marching In"

 

 This old spiritual is a favorite of New Orleans Dixie Land Jazz musicians.

 The banjo, tambourine and Rickenbacker give this version an added punch.

 

 "St. James Infirmary"

 

 Originally called the "Gambler's Blues" this traditional song was

recorded

 by Cab Calloway on December 23. 1930. The song became a huge worldwide

 hit. My lyrics are more traditional than the Calloway version.  It's a

 cool slow electrified blues.

 

 "May The Road Rise to Meet You"

 

 A friend sent me a plaque from Ireland with the blessing - "May the road

 rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine

 warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields and, until we

 meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand."

 

 As I was trying out a new guitar strap in the mirror and noticed the

 plaque. I made up a melody for it and changed the words around a bit so it

 would rhyme. When Camilla got home, I sang it for her. She loved it and we

 decided to write verses around it and keep the Irish blessing as a chorus.

 When I perform this song at concerts, people always come up and ask if

 they can buy a CD with "May The Road Rise To Meet You" My CD from

 the mid  90s "Live From Mars" had a version of this song but that CD is

 now out of  print. One of the reasons for recording this new CD "Limited     Edition" was to have a way to get this song to people who wanted to buy it.

 

  


7. I understand you're a Christian. Tell me about how you became a Christian, and what your faith "looks like" in your life today -- i.e., how does it play out in your everyday life? Are you a member of or a regular attender of a particular church? If so, which one and where?

 

I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior in 1977. We joined the Church On The Way in Van Nuys California and have followed the teaching of Jack Hayford ever since. We have attended local churches in Morro Bay CA , and Orlando FL as well. We are currently searching for a church that exercises the gifts of the Holy Spirit in an orderly way.

 

Here’s the story of how I came to the Lord, an excerpt from my autobiography, a work in progress.

 

When I lived in Malibu California, I arrived home and found a young man sitting on a bench under the large oak tree, in my front yard. He was all smiles and said that Jesus had directed him there, and wanted him to give me some songs that he'd written. He made me a little nervous because I thought he was crazy, and I didn't want to have anything to do with him or his songs. He was persistent though, and couldn't understand why, if Jesus had told him to bring me these songs, that I didn't want to hear them. I went into the house and locked all the doors behind me. Finally the man went away. The next day I noticed that the house across the street had a barbed wire fence, an electric gate and a closed circuit television camera to monitor visitors in the driveway. There was a sign that read, "H & H Securities," with a phone number which I immediately called. They sent someone to give me an estimate, and within two weeks, I had my protection installed. I thought I was safe. But iron gates couldn't keep Jesus out! Something strange had begun to happen to me. Another Christian appeared while I was playing a show in Oklahoma City. This fellow was grinning at me from the bottom of a flight of stairs. Normally, I would have ignored him, but I was high on cocaine, and I found his grin rather irritating. The drugs had destroyed my sense of humor and I couldn't have smiled if I'd wanted to. I asked him what he was grinning about and he said, "The Lord just told me that you're going to come to Him." I thought he was crazy and said "Yeah, that'll be great when it happens." He kept grinning and said, "It sure will!" Right after that, I ran into Jennifer Warnes at my manager's house. I was on my way to Magic Mountain to ride the Revolution roller coaster, so I asked her if she wanted to join me for a wild ride. She did, and we had a wonderful time, flying upside down, with the wind blowing through our hair. We stayed for a performance by Three Dog Night, and I took her back stage to meet the band. I really enjoyed being with her and called her the next day. She invited me to her house, where we ended up talking about religion. What had sparked the conversation, was a picture of Jesus that she kept on her dresser. I told her I believed that Jesus was just one of the prophets, and that all spiritual roads spiraled to the same peak at the top of the mountain. She disagreed and told me that Jesus was the only way to get through to God. I'd never heard anyone, whom I respected, tell me that before. Her words made a strong impression on me. Elvis Presley had just died, and that really shook me up. It was a complete shock to read that he was a victim of prescription drugs. I had been getting prescription drugs from a series of doctors for years; speed and quaaludes, both of which apparently Elvis had depended upon heavily. I was doing illegal drugs as well, and Elvis was only seven years older than I was when he died. I thought, "Man, I've only got seven years left." and I panicked. The functioning lobes of my brain began demanding that I investigate what was going on spiritually in the world. Some self preservation instincts were kicking in. Suddenly a horrible new feeling began to plague me. It felt as though an elephant was standing on my chest and my arms were as heavy as lead. Right after I began to experience this sensation, I met a jazz piano player, named Billy. He was also a Christian, and when I told him about the "heavy" feeling that I had been having, he thought it was spiritual oppression of some kind. He asked me if I believed in the power of prayer. I did, after having read "The Power of Positive Thinking," by Norman Vincent Peale. Billy prayed with me, "Lord, I pray that you come into this man's heart, in your own time, slowly and surely and take away this bad feeling, in Jesus name, amen." Nothing happened. The crushing feeling came and went for no apparent reason. One day while I was sitting on the couch in my girlfriend's living room, I began to get that "heavy" feeling again. Suddenly I found myself in prayer, "Oh Lord how can I keep from feeling like this?" An answer came to my spirit, "Well, you could accept Jesus." I said silently, "all right, I accept Jesus." The "heavy" feeling left me and I could feel the Holy Spirit moving in me physically and it felt good to have Jesus in my heart. That was over twenty years ago. The Lord has richly blessed me with a wonderful wife and a fulfilling life. I don't perform gospel music. I prayed about it, and received that I was to stay where I was when I was called. So I put a positive spin on all my songs and hopefully, with the Lord's help, will continue to light up the darkness in a different way.

 

8. Were you a Christian while with the Byrds? How would you describe your faith -- or lack of it -- at that time?

 

I was searching for God during my years in the Byrds. My interpretation of Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” was a prayer asking God to use me in any way He wanted. I believe that when you search for God, He will find you, and when you ask Him for something He will give it to you.

9. Lisa Shively's cover letter says yours is a "wonderful story of a rock star surviving the excesses of the early days of rock 'n' roll." What excesses? How did you survive -- and how, if at all, was faith part of that process?

 

Between 1960 and 1977 I experimented with various drugs, LSD, marijuana, and cocaine. I gave up taking illicit drugs when I came to the Lord. Camilla and I agreed that you can’t feel the Holy Spirit when you’re high on drugs.

 

 

10. Once a Byrd, always a Byrd? Or is that a chapter of your life that you've left behind? Is a reunion out of the question? Why or why not?

 

I’m happy to leave the Byrds as a great memory. My Christian faith prevents me from being a business partner with one of the surviving members of the Byrds:

 

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
And what communion hath light with darkness? 2Corinthians
6:14

 

I first came to that realization at the Church On The Way. Camilla and I had just gotten married. We were at a Wednesday night prayer meeting . After the service I felt lead to seek prayer about an impending bankruptcy. Over the years I had gotten $100,000.00 in debt from touring with a band and spending more money than I had made. My attorneys and financial advisors urged me to file for bankruptcy. The papers were ready to sign, but I realized that we hadn’t prayed about the situation. Camilla and I went into the back prayer room at the church and prayed with one of the elders. He asked what the problem was and when I told him about the debt he said that God’s children were not bankrupt, but that God owned all the cattle on a thousand hills. "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills"  (Psalm 50:10, KJV).

The elder said “I sense a need for repentance. Are you unequally yoked?” I was in a band with former Byrds members Gene Clark and Chris Hillman, but had never read  2 Corinthians 6:14, and hadn’t even heard the concept mentioned. I was indeed unequally yoked. I vowed to change that situation and decided not to file for bankruptcy. We prayed for enough money to pay my creditors. My bankruptcy attorney said “I admire your faith, and wish you good luck, because the credit card companies will bankrupt you anyway.” That didn’t happen. God answered our prayers. Within months thousands of dollars came in and I was able to pay everyone back. I must say though, that at this point in my life, I wouldn't want to get back together with the Byrds even if they were all Christians. I feel it's much better to leave the Byrds as a great memory.

 

 

11. Tell me a little about your family. How long have you been married? Any kids? All musicians in the family? Tell me about how Camilla is involved in the creative process; how do you write together?

 

Camilla and I got married in April of 1978. We just celebrated our 26th anniversary. We had both been in previous marriages. Camilla had no children. I had two sons, my son Patrick is the oldest, born in 1966. He plays guitar, and sings. He has recorded several albums over the years, but as a graduate of NYU film school, he prefers making films. My youngest son Henry plays guitar and sings and has made two CDs. We get to see each other frequently during our travels.

Our daily devotions consist of reading a chapter from the old testament, one from the new, a psalm, and a chapter of Proverbs. We always read the chapter that corresponds to the day of the month, Proverbs chapter 1 on the first and so on. Then we recite some favorite verses of the Bible that we’ve memorized and pray for family, friends and nations. It takes from 45 minutes to an hour each morning, but it’s a wonderful way to start the day.

 

Camilla and I began writing songs together right after we were married. She came up with lyrics and melodies to the songs on every album I’ve made since then. We set aside time to write songs. Sometimes we go to the beach or some other relaxing location to get away from the pressures of everyday life. We bounce ideas back and forth and come up with many songs, then pick the ones we like the best to record. We always ask God to help us with our songwriting, and everything else for that matter.


12. Lisa also quoted you as saying, "I pretty much spend my time making my own music, and I don't worry about the music business." Why not? What's wrong (or right) with "the music business" today? What's been the most significant change(s) since The Byrds' heyday?

 

The music business is what the name suggests, a business. I’m more interested in the music than the business. That’s why we fly under the radar, so to speak. I feel very fulfilled performing in small to medium size theaters in the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Fame isn’t important to us, we need to have just enough recognition to get people to come to the venues. It’s a simple and very enjoyable life. Traveling around the world with Camilla is like an endless honeymoon.

13. You're a "folk troubadour who spends much of the year on the road." I'm typing these questions from a desk in an office without a window, so from here, that sounds pretty romantic and appealing! Give me a glimpse of what that "life on the road" is like; I assume it's not the "rock star" life of cushy tour buses, but something quite different. Describe it not just in generalities, but with a specific anecdote or two. I.e., include a sentence that might begin, "For example, the other day, Camilla and I . . ."

 

When we’re in the United States and Canada we travel in a high top conversion van.


The van is equipped with mobile Internet, GPS navigation, XM and Serius satellite radios, a 20.1” LCD screen for TV, DVD and moving map display.  It’s very comfortable for traveling on the Interstate system for great distances. It’s about 20% as fast as a private jet in practice. Last week we made it from northern California to central Florida in just four days and have gone from New York City to Orlando FL in a single day. It’s great fun! We both love traveling this way and take turns driving 100 mile shifts, so it’s easy! It takes all the stress out of traveling. We love to fly, but don’t relish the nerve wracking, and time consuming security screening at airports these days. In our van, we never sit in the right front passenger seat, but as one drives the other sits in the right rear seat and navigates using the GPS moving map display. We are fearless about getting off the Interstate highways and love to take back roads that we’ve never been on. This is such a beautiful country, and it’s great to be able to see it close up. Camilla likes to read the Bible or nap on the bed in the back, and I enjoy watching DVDs and playing with my computer while she’s driving. We stop at antique stores when time permits and shop for Russell Wright dishware and old transistor radios. My radio collection is here: http://www.ibiblio.org/jimmy/Radio/Radios/ We sing “car tunes” together and have a tremendous feeling of freedom “under the radar” in our “land jet.”



14. (Almost done!) Tell me about The Folk Den. Why do you do it? What do you find most attractive about folk music? Who are some of your favorite composers? Do you have an all-time favorite folk song? What's in your CD player right now?

 

In 1995 I was listening to a tribute to Woody Guthrie album on Smithsonian Folkways, and realized that I hadn’t heard much traditional music lately. There were no folk clubs, and even public radio wasn’t playing much traditional music. The singer songwriters were getting all the attention with their new songs. I decided to do something about the situation. My web site had been up for a few years and I had uploaded some music for free download, so it was easy for me to record and upload folk songs that way. I called the section of my site the Folk Den after a room in the Troubadour folk club in Hollywood where the Byrds had gotten together. I promised to upload a traditional song each month along with the lyrics, the chords and a brief description of the song’s origin. After more than eight years of doing this, there are over 100 songs available for free download from http://mcguinn.com It is sponsored by the University of North Carolina as a public service, and is truly a labor of love.

 

Pete Seeger and Lead Belly are my favorite folk singers. They both played 12-string guitar. Bob Gibson was my early folk influence. He came to my high school and got me interested in folk music. My all time favorite folk song is “Turn Turn Turn.” I love the lyrics derived from Ecclesiastes 3
 
1 To everything there is a season,
        A time for every purpose under heaven:
        2A time to be born,
           And a time to die;
        A time to plant,
           And a time to pluck what is planted;
        3A time to kill,
           And a time to heal;
        A time to break down,
           And a time to build up;
        4A time to weep,
           And a time to laugh;
        A time to mourn,
           And a time to dance;
        5A time to cast away stones,
           And a time to gather stones;
        A time to embrace,
           And a time to refrain from embracing;
        6A time to gain,
           And a time to lose;
        A time to keep,
           And a time to throw away;
        7A time to tear,
           And a time to sew;
        A time to keep silence,
           And a time to speak;
        8A time to love,
           And a time to hate;
        A time of war,
           And a time of peace.

 

The melody is elegant, graceful and beautiful.



15. Why do you post songs for free? Illegal downloads are such a problem; are you concerned about contributing to the growing mentality that all online music should be free?

 

My intention with the Folk Den is to spread the traditional songs, to make them available to the world and keep them alive. They are our heritage and were in danger of being lost in the noise of the commercial music business. The songs in the Folk Den are protected by the Creative Commons License which allows downloading and sharing but no commercial use. You can burn CDs of them and give them to your friends, but may not sell them.

 

I make a distinction between the free MP3s on the Folk Den and the songs from my commercial CDs like “Limited Edition” which are available for download through http://www.eMusic.com  for a small fee. I’m not worried about confusing folks concerning free music, I think people know that they should pay for some songs and not for others.

16. What do you see yourself doing for the next few years?

 

 

I would love to be able to play concerts for people until I go home to be with the Lord.

 

 Andres Segovia has long been a hero of mine. I loved his amazing prowess

 with the classical guitar, a genre which he singlehandedly invented. He

 was a perfectionist in his performances and recordings, and maintained his

 ability to play well into old age. He was booked at Carnegie Hall at the

 age of 94, and only failed to perform at that concert, because he had

 died.

 

 "Echoes Live" from “Limited Edition” is my small tribute to him.