Heard Lawrence Hammond sing "West Texas Border Patrol" in Boston in what was probably early 1977. I remember at the time thinking that it was not just a song about the illegal immigration mess, but a story that looks at the whole thing from more than one angle and makes no judgements. I mean it was not preachy. I also got the words from him after the coffee-house gig. I am pretty sure he sang "and that black bird wheels around in the sky" although the words on the lyric printout he gave said "big bird." It is very interesting to read about this song and Hammond's life during this time. I can believe he WAS reluctant to perform this, in light of all the stuff revealed above. It's challenging stuff and not strictly speaking entertaining. I found this thread while looking to see if this (or anything else) was ever recorded, and the hints that another "missing" album might exist and actually be released, and that the song actually WAS (according to Enrique Paredon above) recorded. Although I was aware a the 60s psychedelic group Mad River, I had never actually heard that until recently (there are some tracks on U-tube, and had no idea Hammond was a member. What he did after seems very different. What does stand out in the MR stuff is the musical adventurousness, and that on the "Coyote's Dream" record was way ahead of its time for country music.. Why has no one re-released that album? He was an impressive performer and had some pretty funny stories to tell between songs. Had an upright bass player and another guy who doubled on mandolin and guitar, and I think both had latino names. Who
were those guys?