LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

"This acid-tinged LP is well worth rediscovering" - NME David Hemmings...boy opera star...young British character actor...star of the iconic 1960's movies "Blow Up" and "Barbarella"...film and TV director and producer...and latterly again a character actor and star in such films as "Gladiator" "Gangs Of New York" and the elegaic British movie "Last Orders"...an impressive resume for any man, one might think....and he made a record too?....YES!....but not the usual actor-makes-an-album camp artifact...oh no...our David was quite serious about this. David Hemmings Happens was produced in Los Angeles by Byrds manager and producer Jim Dickson, and features The Byrds as well as a session crew (led by legendary bassist James Bond Jnr.) drawn from Dickson's years producing folk and jazz for the World Pacific label...the fact that it was done somewhat in a rush due to David's film commitments actually worked in it's favour...as the Columbia-rejected and otherwise unheard Gene Clark song "Back Street Mirror" opens the album with a full-on gorgeous orchestral Folk Rock rush...largely improvised collaborations with The Byrds and Mr. Bond's crack crew of jazzers follow, allowing David to express his love of folk music against a background of prime Byrds at their Raga Rock peak, and the cream of LA's jazz fraternity! David's friend, Monkees songwriter Bill Martin provides a couple of songs, and we are on course for an album of rare beauty...an unknown and hidden gem indeed! ** Original album remastered in the usual painstaking Rev-Ola style! ** Lavish booklet featuring an interview with Jim Dickson about the making of the album! Also features photos of the sessions and the original promo copy insert with an illustration by David Hemmings! ** Features backing The Byrds at their peak and a stellar cast of jazz musicians, led by former Chet Baker/Fred Neil bassist James Bond Jnr! Produced by the Byrds mentor, manager and producer, Jim Dickson! ** Also features the unreleased Gene Clark masterpiece "Back Street Mirror" as sung by David and arranged by Leon Russell....using the original backing track, which was meant for Gene's aborted second Columbia album! ** A must for all lovers of film and theatre...and all Byrds fans too!! Back Street Mirror / Reason To Believe / Good King James / Bell Birds / Talkin' LA / Anathea / After The Rain / War's Mystery / The Soldier Wind