One thing I love about the web is the opportunity to share my thoughts and passions with others. But I also like to hear what others think and to exchange ideas.

On this page, I'll share some of the comments I've received via e-mail. In some cases, I may also respond to the comments. Please get in touch!

 

 

This from Rosemarie, Clarence Whites Sister

 

Skip was an awesome guy. I remember sometimes I would go to his house with Clarence’s wife Susie. He had a sweet spirit about him and many times he would be in another room meditating. I was so sad when I heard that he had been ill and then when he passed.

 

I am Clarence White’s younger sister. It is awesome to see footage of them in action. I suppose Skip, Clarence, Gram and Gene are playing some awesome music up there!

 

I would love to see more footage of concerts be available to purchase. I really miss Clarence…

 

Rosemarie~

 

And this follow up

 

I did not know about the site till someone posted it on the Clarence
White Forum site. (http://www.bbenderguitars.com/CWforum/) I have pictures of the Byrds hanging in my main hallway of my house and pass by many times a day and think back to those days and each of them. A lot is all mixed up in my head and some things I don't remember much because I was 13 at the time Clarence joined in '68. But I do remember how nice all the guys were when I was around. Most new band member that came and went. John York I remembered coming to their house. Too many years have
passed and some things forgotten.

I do have most of the items you mentioned except maybe the '71 concert
in Washington DC. I am not sure how to find a lot of the stuff that is
out there. I know most of the things I hear about are from the Clarence
forum. Otherwise I wouldn't know how to get a lot of it, other than
through Sierra Records. Some of Clarence's fans have sent things to me
also. They have been very kind. Even pictures.....
Of course you can post my comment. I didn't hang out a lot with him but the times I did see him he was a very nice human being. At the time, Clarence was living in Topanga Canyon and I was living in the desert still with my mom. But I would drive and go see them or stay with them. Skip didn't live far from them if I remember correctly. See...there's that remembering again. I loved to hear and watch him play bass. The Byrds DVD with all the colors in the background is the best. I wish Roger would release more of that time era. It would be nice to see more of Clarence and the rest of the band.

Well thank you for keeping Skip's memory alive. It's people like you and the guys from the Clarence forum that make their memory stay close to our hearts. I have your site bookmarked, so I will check in to see what is happening.

Have an awesome day...

Rosemarie~

 

 

From Dan

 

Really good to see a Skip Battin site on the web at last! I posted a link to it on www.clarencewhiteforum.com as many of the readers there will be interested in your site I hope, I loved Skips playing with the Byrds, would be nice to see a picture of that fantastic Fender Bass he played, I hope it remained in the family.

 

Regards

Dan

 

I understand his son, Brent has it.  But we have the pic on the home page.

 

 

And from John  from England

 

Hi - love the site. Skip to my mind, was an excellent bassist whose contribution to the Byrds legacy has all too frequently been overlooked. Well Come Back Home to my mind will always be a haunting reminder of the tragedy and futility of war. I notice that the Byrds lineup you mention for the Banjoman appearances includes Gene Parsons. I'm pretty certain that by that point, Gene had been replaced by John Guerin for what potentially was a very interesting lineup. Apparently his drumming combined with Skip's bass playing on the elongated Eight Miles High realy made for interesting listening - but unfortunately of course there are no (officially) available recordings of such performances. One final point, the name 'Battin' is not at all common here in England. But in Winchester Cathedral that very name was carved graffiti style into a wooden panel during the very early 1600's - I've seen in myself. I've often wondered whether this was perhaps an ancestor of good old Skip - he might even have come over on the Mayflower! Keep up the excellent work.

 

 all the best

 

                                 John Ward (aged 55) Manchester, England

 

The Banjoman sessions must have been done earlier.  By '75 when the film was released Skip was with the New Riders, and Roger was pretty much solo, and Clarence White had already been killed.  Line up info is from INDb.  Webmaster

 

 

From Rick, in Houston I was a long time fan, saw Skip play a few times standing between Clarence and Roger, wow what a live group. Bought his album when it came out around 72, really fun. Then much later, around 90 or 91, saw and met him in Aspen , playing in a band called the Byrds , but the name seemed wrong (even though it had Skip and Michael Clarke).  Anyway, he was so nice, very easy to talk to, full of humor and humility.  I will always admire him and his music that I loved so well. Skip, Clarence, etc, you guys were the greatest and I hope you are in a heavenly jam right now. By the way, I’d be interested to know who is running this website. Best, Rick Ehrlich , Houston Thanks for the kind words, Rick.  I am the webmaster, just another long time fan.  I met Skip when he was with the New Riders of the Purple Sage, March of 1974.  I attempted to reconnect with him in Feb 2003 and found that he was in the facility suffering from Alzheimers.  My Bro and I were lucky enough to become e-mail friends with his lady, who has provided some of the content for the site.  Much more has come from fans who kindly share. By the way, Skip's lady reads the site regularly, and I know she likes to hear how much Skip and his music means to all of us.  So keep it coming.

 

  

It's nice to see what you've done for Skip.

 

-Greg    Appreciate it, Greg!

 

 

From Terry

 

I too think Skip Battin's contributions to country-rock have been sadly overlooked.  I love the picture of him on the cover of "Farther Along".

I agree that the "Farther Along" Byrd's line up was the best.

 

 

Another comment from the UK

 

Really good to see a website dedicated to Skip and the footage from the Fillmore and the Old Blue clip I've not seen before, although I have searched. Skip always seems to get a rough ride from Byrds fans but I always enjoyed his often quirky songwriting and his solo stuff and his songs with the New Riders. I'm never quite sure how he hooked up with Kin Fowley, maybe that's something you could cover. I do have a Byrds Celebration concert on VHS filmed in Italy, where Skip at the piano performs Citizen Kane. I also promoted a handful of Gene Parsons concerts here in the UK in the late nineties and solo date in Lincoln approx 3/4 years ago and he described Skip as a real nice guy although I have to say Gene was less complimentary about Roger McGuinn! Look forward to the site developing.   Best Wishes, Steve (living in Nettleham, a few miles outside Lincoln,Lincolnshire,England   My musical aspirations are at www.songersingwriter.blogspot.com and www.pbunch.blogspot.com     Thanks, Steve!  Look for the Battin / Fowley story soon on the new inproved bio page, coming soon.

 

      

 From Mark

 

 Thank you! Finally, Skip gets some recognition. I've been a fan since the Byrds days and think he was so underrated. Please see my five-star review of Skip's solo album at Amazon. I also have Navigator (great also) and can't wait to get Topanga and Don't Go Crazy; Brent, let us know if we can help in any way! I briefly spoke with Skip at a concert nearly thirty years ago, and what a nice guy! I've also had the pleasure of having a brief email dialogue with Gene Parsons; again, super nice. I'm so pleased to read on the site that others think that the version with Skip, Clarence, and Gene was the best version of the Byrds. I've long thought that and am glad some others agree. The site is so well done; I hope Skip is somehow aware ...

Mark

 

      Me too, Mark!!!

 

 

Hello,      Just found your website dedicated to the great musician Skip Battin.  Your site is wonderful.  A Skip Battin webpage has been long overdue.       I attended one of his concerts in Columbus, Ohio in the late 1980's.  During the concert, he announced to the audience that they were going to do one of the greatest classic rock songs of all time.  It was either "Mr. Tambourine Man" or "Eight Miles High".  Before he could say the name of the song I shouted, jokingly, "Cherry Pie?"  Skip looked directly at me (I was in the second row) and this large smile came over his face and he said, "So you are the one who bought that?"   I met and spoke with Skip after the concert and he said, "You're the guy who wanted to hear "Cherry Pie?"  I answered with a red face that I was.  He said, "I liked that comment.  No one ever asks for 'Cherry Pie'"  I remember telling Skip that one of my favorite songs was "My Secret Life" from the "Skip" album.  He was very cordial and a real gentleman to talk with. His passing is a real tragedy.  His music was so many things and it is sometimes hard to categorize his compositions with Kim Fowley.  Whether it was the serious "Well Come Back Home" or the whimsical "Ballad of Dick Clark", Skip was always on top of his game.  I feel the best vocal he ever did on record was "Lazy Waters" from the "Farther Along" album.      Long live your website and long live the legacy of Skip Battin!   Frank   Thanks for the great story, Frank...fans like yourself are the reason this site exists.