Canyon-rock quintet the Evergreen Blueshoes was formed in 1967 by singer/bassist Skip Battin and guitarist Al Rosenberg. Scouring local bars for additional personnel yielded guitarist Lanny Mathijsen and keyboardist Ken Kleist, and with the addition of drummer Chet McCracken, the lineup was complete. The Evergreen Blueshoes soon took up residence at the Los Angeles club the Topanga Corral, honing a sound that fused traditional country and bluegrass with the expansive folk-rock of the Byrds. The group eventually signed with the Argo label, recruiting ubiquitous songwriter and producer Kim Fowley to help write and record their 1969 debut The Ballad of Evergreen Blueshoes; the album received little notice, however, and the band soon dissolved. Battin later resurfaced as a member of the Byrds themselves, subsequently joining the Flying Burrito Brothers, while McCracken eventually landed with the Doobie Brothers. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
