Pedal Steel Legends Lloyd Green and Jay Dee Maness share “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”

In 1968, The Byrds released the legendary Sweetheart of the Rodeo, a deeper exploration of the country music they had begun to explore on earlier releases. This shift was brought on in large part by the entrance of Gram Parsons whose association with the band would introduce his sound and songwriting to a vast audience.

In addition to the contributions of Parsons, Sweetheart of the Rodeo received much of its authenticity from a pair of country-music steel-guitar wizards: Lloyd Green and Jay Dee Maness. Green, an in-demand Nashville session player (George Jones, Johnny Paycheck, and Charley Pride) and Maness, a young gun on the L.A. scene, gave Sweethearts its unforgettable twang and down-home pedal-steel hooks – and forever put their stamp on country-music history.

Now, Green & Maness are preparing to release their new album, Journey to the Beginning: A Steel Guitar Tribute to the Byrds, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of those fabled Sweetheart of the Rodeo sessions. Producer John Macy worked with Green and Maness to transform eleven Sweetheart classics into lush, imaginative steel-guitar instrumentals that stay true to The Byrds’ simple but perfect melodies while injecting new life into the songs.

Today, ND is pleased to share the closing track, a reprise of Bob Dylan’s “You Ain’t Going Nowhere.” Featuring Sam Bush on mandolin and vocals from Herb Pedersen (The Desert Rose Band), Jeff Hanna (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), Richie Furay (Buffalo Springfield) and Jim Lauderdale, the all-star group put their indelible stamp on a beloved classic that is just as endearing as the original.

Lauderdale had this to say about working on the project, “Lloyd and Jay Dee are sounding better than ever revisiting and expanding their mastery on the groundbreaking and important album that they added their touch and feel too all those years ago. It was a thrill and an honor to get to help sing on “You Ain’t Goin Nowhere.” Hearing these two legends play together is a dream for a steel lover like me.”

Green, Maness, and their friends have crafted a wonderful celebration of this classic album, casting Sweetheart of the Rodeo in a light that is as inventive and fresh as ever – raising a toast to the past while reveling in the present and opening the eyes of new generations of fans. For more information visit HERE.