If Tom Petty was ever inspired by The Byrds, things came full circle in 1990 with the release of "Back From Rio," a long-awaited record from founding member Roger McGuinn. McGuinn hadn't seen any chart action since 1979 when "Don't You Write Her Off" reached #33. That song was done by remnants of The Byrds who simply called themselves McGuinn, Clark & Sullivan. But Tom Petty's influence is all over the tunes on "Back To Rio," most notably on their duet called "King Of The Hill." Nothing from this record helped get McGuinn back on the charts, but it is a pleasant affair that reminds the listener of the classic 12-string guitars and harmonies that The Byrds made famous. "Suddenly Blue" is one of the best off the record. The song was co-written with Scott Cutler, who would later score a smash hit when Natalie Imbruglia covered his song "Torn" in 1997.
Firefall was a 70s soft rock band best known for their top ten smash, "You Are The Woman," which peaked at #9 in 1976. One of the few top ten singles I can recall that featured a flute ("Down Under" by Men At Work being another). The band would score some additional hits like "Just Remember I Love You" (#11 in 1977) and "Strange Way" (#11 in 1978). They racked up a few lesser known top 40 hits before the fire died in the early 80s. The Colorado group was put together by Rick Roberts of the Flying Burrito Brothers and Jock Bartley of Zephyr. They recruited Larry Burnett and Mark Andes, who just finished his tenure with Jay Ferguson in Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne, and Mike Clarke of The Byrds (and also of Flying Burrito Brothers). "Leave It Alone" is one of my favorite guilty pleasure tracks from "Undertow," the fourth and final album to feature the founding lineup. Andes left to join Heart in 1980 and Clarke, who was causing problems with his drinking, also departed. Sadly, Clarke died of liver failure in 1993.
