Like their first, this next record was structured around a nucleus of Woodstock musicians. Back again were DAVE SANBORN, and BEN KEITH who had played so wonderfully on the first one.
New to the fold were AMOS GARRETT and CHRIS PARKER. From New York City came WILL LEE, MICHAEL & RANDY BRECKER, BARRY ROGERS, and STAN FREE. “The Second Album" recorded at CRS Studios and produced by Jon, featured an intriguing collection of original compositions that stretched the boundaries of musical styles even further than “Sweet Dreams..." had.
Where else could you hear a pedal steel and horn section all on the same song. Looking back, this is what made the BORDERLINE sound so unique at the time.
Unfortunately, just as “The Second Album" was about to be pressed and shipped in early 1974, there was a shake-up at United Artists and the record’s release was put on hold.
When the dust settled, the new leadership at the label decided to go with some newer acts and shelve the projects signed by their predecessors. They made no further commitment to back the record. Attempts were made to legally resolve the impasse but to no avail. The musical experiment known as BORDERLINE was over.
Jim Rooney eventually made his way down to Nashville and in time, established himself as one of “Music City’s" top producers. Dave moved out to Colorado where he continued writing, recording, and performing his music. Jon stayed in Woodstock for another year or so trying to configure new bands with NICK JAMESON, TONY BROWN, ARLEN ROTH and others before relocating to Massachusetts to promote his music publishing company and work on new material. Although Dave and Jon got together a few times in the 80s and early 90s to do some demo recordings, the music business had by then moved on with Disco, Heavy Metal and Punk. This left precious few opportunities for songwriters who specialized in country/rock, folk, and blues inspired tunes.
In recent years however, a new appreciation of their music began to surface, and with it, a recoginition of the contributions made by the group BORDERLINE. The authoritative “Rock Buyers’s Guide" named “Sweet Dreams & Quiet Desires" “one of the top Country-Rock LPs from the 70s." The original LP is now a much sought after collector’s item going for as much as $50 at internet auction sites. In 2000 and 2001, Capitol/EMI, who in the mid 80s purchased the UA Records catalog, re-issued both BORDERLINE albums on CD in Japan. The CDs have sold an unusually large number for this genre due to the many fans who stayed loyal to them and an enthusiasm for American Roots music by the younger generations there. Plans are in the works for CD re-issues of these records for the U.S. market.
With interest in what is now called “Americana" and “Alternate Country" growing, it seemed like the perfect time for the Gershens to work together on a new album. Recording sessions began in August, 2003 at Dan’s House Studio, a digital studio located in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. The resulting CD, released in March 2004 is called “FADED GLORY" and represents a milestone in the brothers' musical journey. In many ways it revisits themes found on the BORDERLINE albums of the 70s, yet it is an entirely new kind of record for them. Production wise, Jon decided to use just a handful of musicians. The idea was to focus attention on the emotional center of each song without a lot of distractions. The few he decided to use were carefully chosen for the project. For lead guitar, Jon called on his good friend ARLEN ROTH. The two had remained close since their days in Woodstock.
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