STARBYRD OFFICIAL WEBSITE

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF MAD

Liner Notes

The details are a bit hazy, but I think I first became acquainted with Horst-Peter Schmidt and Graham Allman-Talbot (the duo known as Starbyrd), separately, via an INTERNET search using the words "Byrds" and "jangle." It is quite fortuitous how search engines bring music fans and musicians together. You now hold in your hands further evidence of contemporary irony: without today's technology, the music of Starbyrd - which is deeply rooted in the pop, rock, folk-rock and country-rock music of the 60s and 70s - might not exist. Be grateful that two very talented Boomer generation singer/songwriter/musicians could bridge the distance between them, forge a musical alliance and collaborate on such a fine album. Fifteen years ago, Horst-Peter Schmidt and Graham Allman-Talbot might never have found one another. Through INTERNET dialogue and digital files, they have merged their skills to share fifteen original songs and two terrific cover songs with a 21st century audience. If you dig music that harkens back to the Sunset Strip scene of the mid-60s, you'll be glad you're along for the ride. Horst-Peter and Graham did not select the moniker STARBYRD by accident! These songs are overflowing with the great Rickenbacker 12-string electric guitar jangle that Roger McGuinn has showcased throughout his career - as a founding member of the Byrds and as a solo artist. Starbyrd's songs - which feature chiming, ringing electric riffs and acoustic guitar flourishes - should also resonate with fans of George Harrison, the Beatles, Tom Petty, CSNY and the Eagles. The McGuinn influence on Starbyrd's music is predominant and inescapable. Starbyrd recorded one of the cover songs - "Handle With Care" - hoping that it would sound like a version of the song had Roger McGuinn been a member of the Traveling' Wilburys. They succeeded so well in their endeavor that Graham and Horst-Peter might now be considered the other "should have been" members of the Wilburys. The second, less-known cover song included herein is a Roger and Camilla McGuinn-penned tune that McGuinn featured in his 80s concert repertoire but never recorded - "The Tears." Through the marvels of modern technology, Graham and Horst-Peter worked closely with Roger and his wife, Camilla, to craft their version of this wonderful song. Without mimicking the composer's solo stylings, Starbyrd recorded "The Tears" in a Byrds-inspired manner that should make Roger proud. On The Other Side Of Mad is replete with musicianship, production quality and artistic passion that is absent from far too many other "side projects." I heartily recommend that you visit the Starbyrd website and link to Horst-Peter's and Graham's respective websites to learn more about these two gifted artists' previous recordings. Horst-Peter Schmidt has been the driving force behind three very fine albums released by the German band Different Faces. In addition, Horst-Peter has a backlog of exceptional unreleased solo material. Graham Allman-Talbot has released two superb albums under the moniker GAT. Their musical similarities go far beyond their nimble Rickenbacker 12-string guitar-playing skills and make them as natural a pop music partnership as John Lennon and Paul McCartney or Roger McGuinn and Gene Clark. Play this album, discover the crisp and chiming Starbyrd sound and enjoy the melodic enchantment that is evident in every song. Like me, you will hope that further collaborations are in the offing. You will also learn to appreciate the value of a "Byrds" or "jangle" word search on the INTERNET - since it just might lead to a friendship with, and allegiance to, musicians like Graham and Horst-Peter.

Eric Sorensen - "Jangly" music columnist, www.fufkin.com INTERNET magazine

Camilla McGuinn writing about 'The Tears'

One day as I was walking by Roger's studio, he called out to me, "Camilla, come in here I want you to hear a song that a group of musicians have recorded together in different countries via the internet." I sat down in my usual chair and listened to a song he played for me on his computer. I was amazed. I knew the song. I wrote the lyrics. It was "The Tears". Memories came flooding back to the day on the airplane when the song was written on a paper napkin. I had been thinking about the time I had spent in college and the dormitory where I lived. As is with young women tears are a part of the passage of life. Sometimes tears come because of truly devastating events, sometimes from lost loves and sometimes just because the soul needs a release. In my dorm it was not unusual to pass by a door and hear the sounds that come with tears. The tintinnabulation of Edgar Allen Poe's poem, "The Bells" began ringing in my mind as I thought of those tears, so my poem began. When I finished it, I read it to Roger and we came up with a melody. Roger sang it live at some shows and even made a rough demo of the song, but we put it on the shelf and there it stayed until "Starbyrd" asked permission to record it for their new high tech CD. Starbyrd's rendition captures the emotion of the song and when I heard it, my eyes filled with tears.
Camilla McGuinn –August 2004
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Well first off I want to say that Starbyrd did a wonderful version of McGuinn's The Tears - it blew me away. The whole CD gave me Tears, Tears of JOY! The tears of joy you get when you hear the jangle of a 12 string Rickenbacker played front and center around a wonderful band. Starbyrd is top notch in every way, it's a Byrds/McGuinn fan's dream come true. All of their songs are well written and performed and the 2 cover songs are great. I always thought McGuinn should have been a Willbury. It is a GREAT time to be a Byrds fan. We have so much to be thankful for. We have Byrds Of A Feather giving us live early sounding Byrds shows and now we have Starbyrd giving us new songs done in tradition of the Byrds, not a copy though. Starbyrd does somehow have their own sound. I hope Byrds fans all over the world buy Starbyrd, you will be thrilled. I think Starbyrd is GREAT!!!! The first 2 songs (on the EP) are really good, but the third one "Equal Minds" blew me away, all I can say is WOW! I don't think Paul McCartney could write a song as good as that today.
Reviewer: Clark Eldridge

Fantastic Dueling Electric 12 String Rickenbackers !
Starbyrd has created an easy to listen to 1960s retro celebration chock full of dueling electric Rickenbacker 12 strings that bring Roger McGuinn and The Byrds to mind. Lots of great orignals and a few cover tunes that will please just about everybody but especially fans of The Byrds and jangly music! Go Starbyrd !!!!!
Reviewer: Bill Kaffenberger (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/starbyrd)

12 String Artistry
This cd is absolutely magnificent! A genuine artistry of the 12 string Rickenbacher guitar sound coupled with carefully crafted songs that are extremely melodic. A shame that more of this type of music isn't being created today. But Starbyrd makes up for that in spades. One of the best albums I've heard in the last 25 years hands down.
Reviewer: Riverman (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/starbyrd)

We need more Starbyrd on the Radio with Equal Minds good sound go for it Starbyrd
Reviewer: Trick (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/starbyrd)
Miss the Byrds? Graham Allman-Talbot, Horst-Peter Schmidt, and Ritchie Dunlop + mates come to your rescue with 17 Rickenbacker 12-string saturated tracks! Check out their very “Mr. Tambourine”-like “It’s Still Me”! This CD contains more than 100% of your minimum daily requirement of Byrdsy goodness! We love this stuff! Includes a cover of the Traveling Wilburys’ “Handle With Care” and their version of a previously unreleased Roger McGuinn song – “The Tears”! EXCELLENTLY JANGLY!!!
Reviewer: Ray Gianchetti (Kool Kat Music)

STARBYRD, a BYRDS related band, have released their first CD called ON THE OTHER SIDE OF MAD.It is filled with Byrds-sounding songs. Actually, it sounds more "Byrds" than any solo album recorded by ex-Byrds members (except maybe for Roger McGuinn's Back From Rio).(BYRDSFLYGHT STRONGLY RECOMMENDS THIS ALBUM) It contains an excellent version of an hitherto unreleased Roger McGuinn / Camilla McGuinn song called THE TEARS (which Roger performed live in the mid-80s). Roger helped the band with suggestions for the recording, and Camilla wrote part of the booklet liner notes.
Reviewer: Raoul Verolleman (http://users.skynet.be/byrdsflyght/)

Graham Allman-Talbot and Horst-Peter Schmidt were kind enough to send me an advance copy of their forthcoming Starbyrd album - On The Other Side Of Mad. Byrds fans and Roger McGuinn fans should not miss this disc when it is released later this summer. Graham, a Brit who records under the moniker GAT, and Horst-Peter, who fronts the German band Different Faces, are both disciples of McGuinn and his Rickenbacker 12-string playing style. As those old Wrigley gum ads used to say, "Double your pleasure, double your fun!" On The Other Side Of Mad features 17 songs that are overflowing with chiming, ringing and jangling Rickenbacker riffs - including a cover of the Travelin' Wilburys' "Handle With Care" and a terrific cover of McGuinn's "The Tears." The latter song was performed frequently as part of McGuinn's mid-80s concert repertoire, but Roger never recorded the song. I can't think of a better artist to tackle and record this song than Starbyrd! In fact, Graham and Horst-Peter received some long-distance advice on how to record the song from Roger himself. A month ago, when Roger was touring Europe, Graham and Horst-Peter attended Roger's concert in Belgium and socialized with him after the show.Long may you jangle, Sir Graham and Sir Horst-Peter!    Eric Sorenson ("Jangly" music columnist, www.fufkin.com INTERNET magazine)

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