Yesterday, I got the sad news that Dallas sound engineer and Texas music hero Phil York had passed away last Saturday. I met York while researching the liner notes for the 2009 Heavy Light release of The Relatives' Don't Let Me Fall. He had engineered the original Relatives sessions and his gentle spirit and generosity were obvious from the moment I stepped into the studio of his modest Irving home. Well, as modest as a home can be with gold records hanging on the wall.
That generosity extended to his stories about some of the biggest names in music. When a seasoned vet reminisces about his time behind the boards with Willie Nelson or The Rolling Stones, it's best to shut up and keep the tape recorder rolling.
Here, York shares Nelson's vision for "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," the first track put to tape during the Red Headed Stranger sessions at Autumn Sound Studio in Garland.