Lost Dillard & Clark Song, “The World is Open Wide”

John Delgatto (Sierra Records) and I are following leads in an effort to track down “The World is Open Wide,” a song written by Lalo Schifrin and Alan and Marilyn Bergman, and performed by Dillard & Clark. The track was slated to be the main song in the Steve McQueen film The Reivers. According to Byron Berline’s A Fiddler’s Diary, the recording session took place on August 13, 1969 at CBS Studio Center — not A&M, as one might have expected. 

Lalo Schifrin composed the film score, but it was ultimately rejected by Director Mark Rydell, who then brought in John Williams. 

Schifrin’s rejected score has never surfaced.

Below is a fascinating press release from A&M’s Bob Garcia, who discusses D&C’s involvement in the film (obviously prior to Schifrin’s firing). Notice also his claim that the band recorded “dozens of completed tracks.” This could very well be standard PR hyperbole—but it’s still interesting to think about, even though the tapes were probably destroyed in the Universal fire.

If you have any information on “The World is Open Wide,” please contact me at clarkophile@gmail.com.

Above: Dillard & Clark, 1969
Seated: Gene Clark, Doug Dillard
Standing: Donna Washburn, Byron Berline, 
Jon Corneal, and David Jackson