Here's an album I picked up yesterday for $1.99 at In Your Ear in Harvard Square. I have seen Kyle's other two records - "Times That Try a Man's Soul" and "Kyle" - floating around the interwebs, but not this one. I couldn't track down much about this guy other than this was his final disk. At times he sounds a little like Neil Diamond. It was produced by Danny Janssen and Bobby Hart (of Tommy Boyce and ...), which made it essential - at least for me. If anyone out there has some info on ol' Kyle, please share it in the comments.
On my blog is the first album Kyle.
ReplyDeleteI was searching for information about this artist, but did not find one unfortunately ..
http://grapher-music.blogspot.ru/2013/12/kyle-times-that-try-mans-soul-1971.html
Hi Elliot!
ReplyDeleteCan I ask "Kyle" album in uncompressed (WAV) format for me?
Wish I could, but I don't have any way to convert that for you.
ReplyDeleteNothing to worry about. No - means no.)
ReplyDeleteCUE file to album: Kyle - Kyle (1974 ABC Records)
-----------------------
REM DATE 1974
PERFORMER "Kyle"
TITLE "Kyle"
FILE "01 Side One.mp3" WAVE
TRACK 01 AUDIO
TITLE "Rescue Me"
INDEX 01 00:00:00
TRACK 02 AUDIO
TITLE "By The Time I Reah Tomorrow"
INDEX 01 03:22:00
TRACK 03 AUDIO
TITLE "One Line Rhythm"
INDEX 01 05:38:00
TRACK 04 AUDIO
TITLE "I'm To Blame"
INDEX 01 09:16:00
TRACK 05 AUDIO
TITLE "Robin's Egg Blue"
INDEX 01 11:57:00
TRACK 06 AUDIO
TITLE "I'll Be Back Again"
INDEX 01 15:46:00
FILE "02 Side Two.mp3" WAVE
TRACK 07 AUDIO
TITLE "I Got The Music To Play"
INDEX 01 00:00:00
TRACK 08 AUDIO
TITLE "I Got Lovin' On My Mind"
INDEX 01 03:41:00
TRACK 09 AUDIO
TITLE "Peace In The Country"
INDEX 01 07:11:00
TRACK 10 AUDIO
TITLE "If I Had The Cash"
INDEX 01 10:33:00
TRACK 11 AUDIO
TITLE "Silver Wings'"
INDEX 01 13:18:00
I used to play guitar in his backup band. I played guitar on Silver Wings and I'll Be Back. Kyle as far as I know started building patios after the tour flopped. I was on some of the album though . . .
DeleteRich Ballou
Thanks so much for this one. I have a request if you don't mind. do you have the 1971 self titled album by Dave Antrell on Amaret? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHey monkeeboy ... I do have that Dave Antell, but it may take me a day or so to locate it.
ReplyDeleteKYLE - LOST RIVAL TO BILLY JOEL
ReplyDeleteWhen Billy Joel signed his first solo deal, he had competition.
There was another promising male singer-songwriter on Artie Ripp's "Family Productions" (a division of Paramount Records). Billy released "Cold Spring Harbor" while Kyle (shortened from William Kyle Eidson II) offered "Times That Try a Man's Soul." For some, Kyle's earthy rock seemed more promising than Joel's Long Island pop.
Guitarist Don Evans played on both these 1971 albums...that's how even Billy and Kyle were.
A big difference between Kyle and Billy's albums: Kyle's was properly mastered at the right speed! (The flaw was finally rectified for Billy when Columbia re-issued "Cold Spring Harbor). But in the end, both the chipmunk-y Billy Joel and rootsy Kyle debut albums both failed, in part due to Paramount's indifferent parent company Gulf + Western.
Billboard, on May 22, 1971, declared that Kyle ("a new discovery from the West Coast") was a "winner." The mag praised the "well written and performed" album. The same issue also had the same complilment for the debut album of another Illfolks fave, "Gun Hill Road," pronouncing this debut "a winner" as well.
Most performers never get any kind of deal and say "some day..."
On your sample song from the album, Kyle sings: "Some day's late and yesterday's right on time." If he's still singing, he's singing that line out of years of experience.
Sticking to the single name "Kyle," the singer-songwriter would get two more chances: "KYLE" (released by MGM in 1973, featuring "Stoney Road" and "She Brings Sunshine") and "KYLE" (released by ABC-Dunhill in 1974, and featuring "Rescue Me" and "I'll Be Back Again.") Both were more pop than country-rock, which one might expect from producers Bobby Hart and then John "At the Hop" Madara. Despite the three different record labels, all were "Family Productions," the name of Artie Ripp's management company.
UPDATE
The original post below gave Kyle's real name as "Kyle Garrahan," due to what seemed like a well-researched reference on the Internet. Ahem. Hmmm. Wasn't the case. Thanks to the poster who mentioned the esteemed Joel Whitburn, and the news that a Kyle single nearly made the Top 100 back in 1973, "She Brings Sunshine." Additionally, I've researched music publishing records, and found that Layne Music, on December 16, 1971, registered one of Kyle's songs, "Ain't No Use in Loving You," as "w & m Kyle, pseud, of William Kyle Eidson II." So forget Kyle Garrahan as being THIS guy, or Kyle Minogue.
Ordinary Average Guy said...
I happen to be Kyle's son. Our last name is not Garrahan, and, my father never used a pseudonym. Email me for further questions at kyleeidson@u.boisestate.edu
I would like to find a third album: Kyle - Kyle (1973 MGM)???
ReplyDeleteSide One:
A1. She Brings Sunshine** 3:12
A2. Summer Days*** 2:02
A3. The Wrong Song*** 4:15
A4. Red, White and Blue** 3:38
A5. Prelude To Stoney Road* 4:42
Side Two:
B1. Stoney Road* 4:59
B2. Dream Maker*** 3:51
B3. Face The Music 3:59
B4. She**** 2:25
Produced by John Madara
Arranged By Tom Sellers, Artie Butler,
Gene Page, Artie Ripp and Kyle
Members:
String Arrangements on "She" by John Madara and Tom Sellers
Drums: Hal Blaine
Bass: Joe Osborn
Piano: Mike O'Martian
Guitars: KYLE, Larry Carlton, Dean Parks, David Cohen, Michael Stewart
Percussion: Gary Coleman, Gene Estes
Congas: King Erickson
Background Vocals: KYLE, Larry Marks, John Madara
Concert Master: Sid Sharp
Recorded at Western Sound Studios, Los Angeles, California
Engineered by Joe Sidore and John Boyd