PREMESSA: LA SUPERIORITA' DELLA MUSICA SU VINILE E' ANCOR OGGI SANCITA, NOTORIA ED EVIDENTE. NON TANTO DA UN PUNTO DI VISTA DI RESA, QUALITA' E PULIZIA DEL SUONO, TANTOMENO DA QUELLO DEL RIMPIANTO RETROSPETTIVO E NOSTALGICO , MA SOPRATTUTTO DA QUELLO PIU' PALPABILE ED INOPPUGNABILE DELL' ESSENZA, DELL' ANIMA E DELLA SUBLIMAZIONE CREATIVA. IL DISCO IN VINILE HA PULSAZIONE ARTISTICA, PASSIONE ARMONICA E SPLENDORE GRAFICO , E' PIACEVOLE DA OSSERVARE E DA TENERE IN MANO, RISPLENDE, PROFUMA E VIBRA DI VITA, DI EMOZIONE E  DI SENSIBILITA'. E' TUTTO QUELLO CHE NON E' E NON POTRA' MAI ESSERE IL CD, CHE AL CONTRARIO E' SOLO UN OGGETTO MERAMENTE COMMERCIALE, POVERO, ARIDO, CINICO, STERILE ED ORWELLIANO,  UNA DEGENERAZIONE INDUSTRIALE SCHIZOFRENICA E NECROFILA, LA DESOLANTE SOLUZIONE FINALE DELL' AVIDITA' DEL MERCATO E DELL' ARROGANZA DEI DISCOGRAFICI .

NEW RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE / NRPS
n.r.p.s.
(eponymous / same / self-titled)

Disco LP 33 giri , columbia , PC 30888 , 1971, this is mid 80's reissue, USA
ECCELLENTI CONDIZIONI, vinyl ex++/NM , cover ex++/NM

New Riders of the Purple Sage is the self-titled debut album by the American band the . It was released by in 1971, and reached number 39 on the .

New Riders of the Purple Sage is the only studio album by the New Riders to feature co-founder of the on pedal steel guitar. He is also featured on the live album .

and play drums and piano, respectively, on two tracks — "Dirty Business" and "Last Lonely Eagle".

Etichetta:  Columbia
Catalogo: PC 30888
Matrici : PAL 30888 2AD / BL 30888 G A  CA T
Data di pubblicazione: around 1986  Supporto:vinile 33 giri Tipo audio: stereo Dimensioni: 30 cm. Facciate: 2 Red yellow label, barcode on back cover, white paper original inner sleeve
tracks

All songs written by John Dawson.

"I Don't Know You" – 2:24 "Whatcha Gonna Do" – 3:14 "Portland Woman" – 3:33 "Henry" – 2:34 "Dirty Business" – 7:55

"Glendale Train" – 2:58 "Garden of Eden" – 4:31 "All I Ever Wanted" – 4:30 "Last Lonely Eagle" – 5:10 "Louisiana Lady" – 3:00

Lineup New Riders of the Purple Sage – , – , acoustic guitar, , vocals – , acoustic guitar, vocals – , – , Additional musicians – drums, percussion – Production Produced and arranged by the New Riders of the Purple Sage Executive producers: , Engineer: Steve Barncard Technician: Ellen Burke Recorded and mixed at , Cover art: Michael Ferguson and

Anyone who enjoyed 's or and wanted more, then or now, should get the New Riders of the Purple Sage's eponymous release and follow it with the Riders' next two albums. With and in tow, and 's playing what drums didn't, plus at the piano, New Riders of the Purple Sage is some of the most spaced-out country-rock of the period. Even ignoring the big names working with , , and , however, this is a good record, crossing swords with , , and even and holding its own. Maybe a few of the cuts (especially "Henry") are predictable at times, but mostly, New Riders of the Purple Sage was full of surprises then (the amazingly sweet, brittle guitars, in particular) and has tunes that have held up well: "Portland Woman," "Whatcha Gonna Do," "I Don't Know You," and "Louisiana Lady," not to mention the eight leisurely paced minutes of acid-country found in "Dirty Business." There are no added notes, but they'd hardly be vital -- the album is an open book.

What started with and continued with Untitled as well and suddenly became mainstream with the release of the magnificent debut from . Reaching number 39 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, the eponymous album delivered a delectable dish of country, rock, and psychedelia that appealed to a rapidly growing audience of space cowboys. Of course it helped that NRPS had gotten its start as a Grateful Dead spin-off that featured , , and along with and songwriter John Dawson, but by 1971, the band had evolved into its own entity as Dave Torbert replaced Lesh and former drummer Spencer Dryden stepped in for Hart. Garcia soon would leave the band too, but not before he added some stunning pedal steel guitar to the group’s initial outing.

Recently, New Riders of the Purple Sage was completely remastered and augmented with a trio of bonus tracks. Quite frankly, it has never sounded better. The album now boasts a crisp clarity that allows the music to ooze from one’s stereo speakers with a sweet sonic splendor that illuminates the songs’ magical twists and turns, causing the lyrics’ southwestern imagery to spring to life through the expansive, mescaline-soaked musical arrangements. Tight vocal harmonies graced tracks like the bouncy pop of I Don’t Know You as well as the -influenced Louisiana Lady, and Garcia underscored each tune with powerful peals of pedal steel — from the distorted effects of Dirty Business to his majestic musings on Last Lonely Eagle. Add to this three prime concert cuts — a sprightly cover of Joe South’s Down in the Boondocks, a leisurely stroll through The Weight, and the gentle gait of Dawson’s Superman — and a classic, psychedelic-cowboy album becomes even better. Indeed, NRPS released several other respectable outings in the wake of its debut, but none matched the superlative sublimity of New Riders of the Purple Sage. ½

Dave Torbert  Santa Barbara 5/20/73
photo by Gary Baker

New Riders of the Purple Sage is an American band. The group emerged from the scene in in 1969, and its original lineup included members of the . Their best known song is "Panama Red". The band is sometimes referred to as the New Riders, or as NRPS.

1976 Publicity Photo (l-r): Stephen Love, David Nelson, Buddy Cage, John Dawson, Spencer Dryden.

Origins: Early '60s – 1969

The roots of the New Riders can be traced back to the early 60s // scene in San Francisco, where future guitarist , then considered to be one of the finest players of the , often played gigs with like-minded guitarist . The young , also known as "Marmaduke", from a well-to-do family centered in Millbrook, New York, also played some concerts with Garcia, Nelson, and their compatriots while visiting relatives on summer vacation. Enamored with the sounds of -style country music, Dawson would turn his older friends on to the work of and while providing a vital link between the East Coast, -dominated psychedelic scene and the West.

Dawson went on to college, Nelson moved on to Los Angeles with future Grateful Dead/New Riders lyricist and tape archivist Willy Legate, and Garcia formed the Grateful Dead, then known as the Warlocks, with an acquaintance, blues singer .

By the time Nelson returned to the in 1966, the -led were in full swing, with the Dead serving as house band. Though the group briefly considered replacing with the more experienced Nelson, this never materialized. Throughout 1967 and 1968, Nelson worked as a journeyman musician in the San Francisco area, playing anything from electric psychedelic rock (he was briefly lead guitarist of after and departed) to contemporary with groups such as the Mescaline Rompers.

After attending a junior college in the Los Angeles area, Dawson returned to the Bay Area, where he decided to find his fortunes as a solo folksinger. Attending some of the Acid Tests and visiting the Dead at their commune in 1967, Dawson decided that it was his life's mission to combine the psychedelia of the San Francisco rock scene with his beloved electric country music. An early 1969 experience confirmed this, and the erstwhile perpetual student-cum-folkie began to compose songs on a regular basis. Some, such as "Glendale Train", were traditional country pastiches, while a number of others ("Last Lonely Eagle" and "Dirty Business") found him working in the milieu of a countrified Dead. Others, including the shuffle "Henry", were a combination of the two — traditional music combined with then-contemporary lyrics (the exploits of a smuggler, drug-related themes being a common motif in the New Riders' repertoire).

Dawson's vision was timely, as 1969 marked the emergence of country rock via the Band, the -era , , ' , and . Around this time, Garcia was similarly inspired to take up the , and Dawson and Garcia began playing coffeehouse concerts together while the Grateful Dead was off the road. The Dawson and Garcia repertoire included Bakersfield country standards, traditional bluegrass, Dawson originals, a few Dylan ("", "You Ain't Going Nowhere", ""), and 's song "". By the summer of 1969 it was decided that a full band would be formed to satisfy Garcia's desires in this creative outlet. David Nelson was immediately recruited from Big Brother to play electric lead guitar.

In addition to Nelson, Dawson (on ), and Garcia (continuing to play pedal steel), the original line-up of the band that came to be known as the New Riders of the Purple Sage (a nod to the classic and an obscure combo from the 40s) consisted of Robert Hunter on electric bass and Grateful Dead drummer . Hunter was soon replaced by Dead soundman and old crony Bob Matthews, who in turn did not last very long. Finally, of the Grateful Dead was named bassist. Not only was this line-up economical — for only two extra plane tickets, the cash-strapped Dead had an opening act — but Dawson's songs, combined with Garcia's self-taught pedal steel style and the eccentric rhythm section of Lesh and Hart (neither had much experience in country or folk music) gave the New Riders a singularly unique sound that stood out from the pack of emerging country-rock bands.

Vintage NRPS: 1969 – 1982

After a few warmup gigs throughout the Bay Area in 1969, the New Riders (for all intents and purposes Dawson and Nelson) began to tour in May 1970 as opening act with the Grateful Dead. This relationship continued on a regular basis until December 1971. Throughout much of 1970, the Dead would open with an acoustic set that often included Dawson and Nelson before segueing into the New Riders and then the electric Dead.

By the time the New Riders recorded their first album in late 1970, change was in the air. , a young Bay Area musician, replaced Lesh. After Mickey Hart went on sabbatical from music in early 1971, (from ) began a ten-year relationship with the group as their drummer, and eventually manager. , eponymously titled, was released on Columbia Records in late 1971 and was a moderate success. Featuring all Dawson songs, the record was driven by Garcia's inventive pedal-steel playing.

With the New Riders desiring to become more of a self-sufficient group and Garcia needing to focus on his other responsibilities, the musician parted ways with the group in November 1971. , a seasoned pedal steel player who had contributed to the latter-day recordings by and the , replaced Garcia. The Dawson–Nelson–Cage–Torbert–Dryden lineup is generally considered to be the finest of the group. Thanks to rampant touring and the coattails of the Grateful Dead, with whom they still gigged periodically (both bands shared the same management in this epoch), the New Riders managed to nearly eclipse the parent band in popularity. This was not necessarily a surprise, considering that their sound was far more accessible than was the Dead's.

The band peaked in popularity in 1973 with the sleeper hit and the accompanying single, "Panama Red", an FM radio staple. The Adventures of Panama Red was the group's lone , and is considered by most critics to be one of the better country-rock opuses to have emerged from the 1970s; the juxtaposition of a rootsy ambiance with irreverent lyrical themes clearly influenced the movement of today.

In the mid-1970s adopted the song "On My Way Back Home" from the album as the station's theme tune. The song was well-suited to the station's album-oriented format of the time, and included the lyric "Flying to the sun, sweet Caroline".

The New Riders of the Purple Sage continued touring and releasing albums throughout the mid to late '70s and early '80s. In 1974, Dave Torbert left NRPS, and he and co-founded the band . , formerly of the Byrds, took over on bass guitar, followed in 1976 by of Rick Nelson's "Stone Canyon Band" and the Roger McGuinn's "Byrds". Spencer Dryden left the drummer's chair to manage the group in 1978. His musical replacement was . Allen Kemp joined in 1976, originally on bass, but later on guitar and vocals, contributing to the song wrting for the 1981 album, Feelin' All Right. Then, in 1982, David Nelson and Buddy Cage departed from the band. Allen Kemp left in 1986.

New New Riders: 1982 – 1997

From the early '80s to the late '90s, John Dawson continued as leader of the New Riders of the Purple Sage. He was joined by multi-instrumentalist , who sang and played acoustic guitar, , , banjo, and . During this fifteen-year period, an evolving lineup of musicians played with Dawson and Gautier in the New Riders. These included, among others, guitarists and , bass players and , and drummer .

In addition to touring, the band released a number of albums, after a meeting with Relix Records Founder Les Kippel and Relix Magazine Publisher, Toni Brown at a show in Bucks County PA. The band were invited back to Tequila Dawn Studios in New Hope, PA and decided to work with Relix to release some recorded projects. Many fans consider the recordings from this period as the band's finest, although they remain relatively obscure.

Some projects had the current lineup performing new material and others reworked older material. On some albums, such as Midnight Moonlight, the band's sound was less influenced by electric country rock and more by acoustic bluegrass music.

In 1997, the New Riders of the Purple Sage retired from show business. John Dawson moved to Mexico and became an English teacher. In 2002, The New Riders accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award for their musical endeavors from magazine. On hand were a frail Dawson (suffering from emphysema), Nelson, Cage, Dryden and Torbert's widow Patti.

NRPS Revival: 2005 – present

Shortly after the death of Spencer Dryden, a reconstituted line-up of the New Riders began touring in late 2005. It features David Nelson and Buddy Cage, alongside guitarist and latter-day sideman , bassist , and drummer . This line-up premiered October 5th, 2005 at original , a 100-seat venue in Danielson, Connecticut. John Dawson, reportedly in ailing health, has given his endorsement to the group. According to NRPS's official web site, "Dawson remains retired in Mexico and has given the guys his blessing and sends his best to all his fans out there." Musically, the new band's tight, rambling jamming style bears a close resemblance to the sound of Nelson's own group, the . In 2007 this New Riders lineup released a concert DVD and CD called Wanted: Live at Turkey Trot.

 

In the summer of 1969, John Dawson was looking to showcase his songs while Jerry Garcia was looking to practice his brand new pedal steel guitar. The two played in coffeehouses and small clubs initially, and the music they made became the nucleus for a band—the New Riders of the Purple Sage.

That same year, David Nelson, expert in both country and rock guitar, joined the group on electric lead guitar. Filling out the rhythm section in those early days were Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart and engineer Bob Matthews on bass, who was later replaced by Phil Lesh. In 1970, Dave Torbert took over on bass and the New Riders played every chance they got. Soon enough, smoky clubs all over the San Francisco bay area were filling up with whooping, foot-stomping crowds as their music got tighter and more dynamic. They began to tour extensively with the Dead, and in December of 1970, Spencer Dryden, who had previously showed his impeccable drumming style with the Jefferson Airplane, had stepped in on drums.

One of the many gigs with the Dead included the Trans-Canadian Festival Express with Janis Joplin, The Band, and other American and Canadian artists like Ian and Sylvia, who had with them a brilliant, innovative pedal steel player named Buddy Cage. When Garcia's busy schedule made it increasingly difficult for him to play with the New Riders, the talented Cage was the perfect choice to fill the pedal steel spot. He moved from Toronto where he had been working in Anne Murray's band, to California in the fall of 1971 to join the New Riders. With the addition of Cage, the New Riders emerged as a fully independent unit. An excitingly creative band with a special brand of music—sweet country harmonies mixed with pulsing rock rhythms.

The New Riders were signed to Columbia Records in 1971 by Clive Davis and their eponymous first album, , was released in September of that year to widespread acclaim. In December, 1971 they played a live radio broadcast with the Dead over WNEW-FM in New York to an audience of millions. In 1972 the pattern of their success continued to grow, with their first European tour followed in June by the release of their second album, . They toured the United States extensively in response to increasing demand, and in November, 1972 released their third album . These first three New Riders albums were all produced by Stephen Barncard, who also worked with Crosby, Stills and Nash and co-produced the Dead's American Beauty.

In May of 1973, the New Riders appeared on ABC-TV's "In Concert" program to a nationwide audience. Working hard on the road for much of the year, including gigs with the Dead at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco and R.F.K. Stadium in Washington, DC, they took a brief time out to go into the Record Plant in Sausalito with producer Norbert Putnam. The result was , released in September of 1973 and with Peter Rowan's title track, this became an FM radio staple and the first gold record for the band. In November they embarked on an east coast tour that included them setting the box office record at New York City's Academy of Music. This tour was recorded for the group's first live album, , which was produced by Jerry Garcia.

Early 1974 found bassist Dave Torbert wanting to pursue a more rock and roll direction as he left the New Riders to form Kingfish with old friends Matthew Kelly and Bob Weir. Skip Battin, formerly with the Byrds, joined the band on bass as they kept to their solid touring schedule which had become one of the band's trademarks. In August, 1974, the New Riders gave a free thank you concert in Central Park on a Tuesday afternoon to 50,000 New York fans. Their sixth album, entitled , was released in October, 1974 and found their recorded sound getting crisper with delicate harmonies and more original songs.

1974 Publicity photo (l-r): Spencer Dryden, John Dawson, David Nelson, Skip Battin, Buddy Cage.

Searching for expanded musical horizons, the New Riders hooked up with producer Bob Johnston, known for his work with Bob Dylan, in 1975. Letting Johnston take them down uncharted terrain, the resulting found the band hooking up with Sly Stone and a bevy of female background singers. Mighty Time also features Jerry Garcia's electric guitar leads on "Take A Letter Maria." Just about this time, the music business was entering another era and the New Riders ended their relationship with Columbia Records. The subsequent release of the , with its infamous cover, fulfilled their obligation to Columbia and the band then signed with MCA Records in 1976.

, the bands first release for MCA, was comprised of mostly cover material and was the last album to feature Skip Battin, who had left to join his cohorts in the Flying Burrito Brothers. Once again, mining from the Byrds/Roger McGuinn stable of bass players, Stephen Love, also an alum of Rick Nelson's Stone Canyon Band, joined the band and inserted a renewed energy to the live shows. Love's songwriting talents contributed heavily to , which was released in the Spring of 1977. At this point, Spencer Dryden traded in his drum sticks to begin managing the band. Patrick Shanahan, another Stone Canyon Band alumnus, fit right in on drums and is featured on , the late 1977 release that ended the bands association with MCA.

Many more changes would engulf the New Riders personnel from this point on. Buddy Cage and Stephen Love departed in 1978 to join the short-lived San Francisco All Stars with John Cippolina. Skip Battin and his Burrito Brother pals Gib Gilbeau and Sneaky Pete Kleinow were then brought in for what would seem like a dynamic mix. But after a brief tour of the Northeast, they had exited as quickly as they entered. Bobby Black from Commander Cody's Lost Planet Airmen took over on pedal steel and another Rick Nelson alum, Allen Kemp, took over on bass. Cage would re-join the band in 1980 and the band would make their last major label release for A&M with .

The years of grinding it out on the road and the lack of major label attention led to Nelson and Cage taking a break in 1982. Dawson continued to carry the New Riders torch all through the 1980s and early 1990s with help from Rusty Gauthier, Gary Vogensen, Bill Laymon, and select other Bay Area musicians.

Where are they now? John Dawson has retired to the hills of Mexico, David Nelson is creating incredible music with his David Nelson Band and Buddy Cage is working with an array of acts including the Brooklyn Cowboys. These three main components of the New Riders' sound reunited in October, 2001 for band archivist Rob Bleetstein's 40th Birthday Bash at the Sweetwater in Mill Valley, California. They performed two highly charged sets, including classic versions of "Garden of Eden" and "Portland Woman."

The New Riders of the Purple Sage received a Lifetime Achievement Award from High Times magazine at their Doobie Awards in September, 2002 and performed a brief set (which included "Loneseome L.A. Cowboy" and "Panama Red" with Peter Rowan) at the festivities at B.B. King's Blues Club in New York City.

Henry's taken the breaks off and 2006 finds the New Riders of the Purple Sage back on the road with a revived and inspired lineup, bringing the songs of John Dawson back to the ears of adoring crowds nationwide as well as taking those songs to places they've never been before musically. Led by David Nelson and Buddy Cage, the current touring lineup includes Michael Falzarano (Hot Tuna) on guitar and vocals, Ronnie Penque on bass and vocals and Johnny Markowski (Stir Fried) on drums and vocals. John Dawson remains retired in Mexico and has given the guys his blessing and sends his best to all his fans out there and thanks you all for continuing to enjoy his songs.