THE BYRDS

“What you pay for your riches and fame,

Was it all a strange game,

You're a little insane,

The money that came and the public acclaim,

Don't forget what you are,

You're a rock'n'roll star…”

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“D+”

Main Decade: 60's

Main Eras:

Folk, Folk-Rock (1940 -???)

Psychedelia (1966-1969)

Country, Country Rock and Southern

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Key Members:

Roger McGuinn: Lead guitar and vocals

David Crosby: Guitar and vocals

Gene Clark: Tambourine, harmonica and voice

Chris Hillman: Bass

Michael Clarke: Drums

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Key Songs:

Hey Mr. Tambourine Man, Turn Turn Turn, Eight Miles High, So You Want To Be A Rock & Roll Star, 5D, I Feel A Whole Lot Better, I See You , My Back Pages, Have You Seen Her Face, Chimes of Freedom, All I Really Want To Do, I See You, The Bells of Rhymney

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And so, finally we arrive at the Byrds, that American band that had the most beautiful guitar in the world, and played beautiful, soft harmonies, and did Dylan covers and… and… Does anyone remember why else they're one of the most important bands of the 60s?

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People hardly remember anything about them beyond the first three songs on the list. They debuted quite late to compete with the Beach Boys for the title of most important American band of the first half of the 60s, and their sound was very "Early 60s," too mellow for the nascent hippie movement to consider them a psychedelic standard-bearer. Furthermore, their best lyrics were for covers, and they had all sorts of internal problems that led to an original member leaving the group with almost every album.

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Why, despite all this, do critics acclaim them (Starostin gives them a B), and why do they still occupy a prominent place in 60s rock? I suppose the reason is that they're remembered more for singles than albums, and of those three songs that left the biggest mark and are still remembered today, two are covers: one of Dylan and one of Seeger. Over time, they've been labeled as cover artists, as doing Bob Dylan's electric version, a band that released a few good tracks in the mid-60s and that's about it. Their sound is generally light, pleasantly warm, thanks to McGuinn's characteristic jingle-jangle guitar style and the harmonies that Crosby would later export to Buffalo Springfield and CSN&Y. However, many of the leading figures of the British Invasion would later acknowledge that The Byrds were their favorite American band of the mid-60s.

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The thing is, their sound seems dated now, but at the time it was a smash hit, a true revolution. Remember when I mentioned that the Beatles turned almost everything they touched to gold, even though they hardly invented anything? Well, the Byrds were the opposite. They innovated enormously, influenced a ton of bands, and were a fundamental part of the 60s musical revolution, but received little to no recognition for it. Folk rock? Yes, the Beatles released the more acoustic, Dylan-influenced Help! first. Errhhh… NOT! The Byrds released their debut two months earlier, inaugurating the genre in June of '65 and paving the way for pre-psychedelia. George Harrison himself would admit to being tremendously influenced by McGuinn's guitar during the recording of Rubber Soul, where in many tracks he tries to emulate that twang of the 12-string Rickenbacker. Psychedelia? Well, there's no exact date for the genre's beginnings, but the Byrds released the single "8 Miles High," perhaps their most emblematic original song, in March 1966. Roots and Country-Rock? Absolutely! While most bands were still immersed in the psychedelic wave, they released The Notorious Byrd Brothers, featuring the first tracks that blended Country and Rock, just in January 1968. Okay, the great Bob Dylan beat them to it by a few days with John Wesley Harding, which is also a mix of Folk, Country, and Rock, but the Byrds would release a fundamental piece in the middle of the year with Sweetheart of the Rodeo, entirely Country-Rock, which would make the genre fashionable, even though I'm not exactly a fan.

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The band began in 1964 in Los Angeles, when young Jim McGuinn (before changing his name to Roger), David Crosby, and Gene Clark met in the local folk coffee shop circuit. Each had his own folk trio, but that year Beatlemania began, and McGuinn and Clark wanted to give their respective bands a more pop slant, without much success. When they discovered their mutual interest, they formed a duo that played Beatles songs in a folk style with double harmonies. One night at the Troubadour, David Crosby was listening and, from his seat, began singing third voice, earning a standing ovation from the entire venue. Needless to say, that night they left as a trio, taking the name The Jet Set.

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Under that name, they recorded a series of demos at World Pacific Studios, attempting to create an amalgamation of sounds from the Beatles and Bob Dylan, showcasing their masterful use of triple vocal harmonies. In mid-1964, they became a quartet with the addition of Michael Clarke. He barely knew how to hold the drumsticks, but he was good-looking and fit in with the group, so they took advantage of his conga skills and put him on drums, even though he actually started out playing a tambourine. For their first single with Electra Records, they had to play with session bass and drums, and the label asked them to change their name to something that could compete with the British Invasion bands, so they chose The Beefeaters. "Please Let Me Love You" was released in October 1967, but it was a chart failure.

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Shortly after, their manager, Jim Dickson, played them a record by a rising star named Bob Dylan. It was "Mr. Tambourine Man," which didn't initially thrill them, but they began working on adapting it to their style. Dickson, convinced they were getting great but noticing the band's insecurity, had the idea of ​​inviting Dylan himself, who was impressed with their version. This boosted the band's confidence. Around that time, A Hard Day's Night was released, and they tried to acquire instruments similar to those used by the Beatles in the film. McGuinn bought a 12-string Rickenbacker that would become his signature; Clarke got a Ludwig drum kit; and Clarke acquired a Gretsch guitar that Crosby would eventually use. Around this time, Chris Hillman joined as their permanent bassist. Despite his country background, he fit in well with the group, completing the initial lineup. By November, through Dickinson's contacts, they had signed a contract for an album with Columbia and changed their name to The Byrds, which bears a distant sonic resemblance to The Beatles.

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For the recording of their first single as The Byrds, curiously, only McGuinn was going to play, surrounded by session musicians, since the others weren't exactly… ahem… musically cohesive, although the triple vocal harmony would feature Crosby and Clarke. However, after a month of rehearsals, it remains unclear whether all the Byrds played their instruments on the final version of the single or just McGuinn.

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While the single was being released, the band began to build a following in the Los Angeles bar circuit. One night, Dylan arrived unexpectedly and joined them for a few songs, further boosting the group's reputation. The scenes witnessed years earlier in Liverpool, with lines snaking around The Cavern, would be repeated at Ciro's and in the clubs where the Byrds regularly performed. The single was finally released on April 12, 1965, and due to the treatment it received from both the band and producer Terry Melcher, it would be officially considered the first folk-rock song. Never before had a song with rock instrumentation had such intellectual lyrics, so to speak.

 

The single reached number one and launched the folk-rock boom. The album Mr. Tambourine Man was released in June, featuring a mix of covers and original songs, mostly by Gene Clark. The album would be a huge influence, even on the Beatles, who would release Help! a couple of months later, with a more acoustic and folk-oriented sound. This would be the pinnacle of the Byrds' popularity, and perhaps the moment for which they are most remembered, being one of the few American counterweights to the British Invasion, which was at its peak. McGuinn's square glasses would become emblematic among the nascent intellectual counterculture that would eventually form the hippie movement.

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The problem was that the band became obsessed with creating a new "Mr. Tambourine Man," and of course, they never succeeded. To make matters worse, the band was very shy in front of the cameras, a stark contrast to the powerful stage presence of British bands. And when they attempted a European tour, the press tore them apart for their limited musical abilities on stage. In October, they released the single "Turn, Turn, Turn!", a Bob Seeger adaptation of Ecclesiastes, which also reached number one in the US and, similarly, became the title track of their next album, released in December. Stylistically, it was a continuation of their debut, although slightly weaker, or at least lacking the element of surprise.

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In December, they recorded "8 Miles High," considered the first psychedelic rock track, with a certain Indian influence, although McGuinn would say that the guitar solo is more influenced by Coltrane's free jazz. Soon the Yardbirds, Donovan, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Beach Boys would be emulating the strobe-like sounds of "8 Miles High," which would lay the groundwork for everything that would be heard in 1966 as a transition to the Great Summer of Love. Just before the single's release in February, Gene Clarke left the band due to his fear of flying (ironic, isn't it? A Byrd afraid of flying!). With increasingly frequent tours now that they were more cohesive on stage, Gene couldn't overcome his fear. But, aside from his contributions to harmonies, songwriting, and lead vocals on some tracks, his instrumental contribution was more decorative. Hillman would begin to take over the vocal role Clarke had vacated.

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The group continued as a quartet and released *Fifth Dimension* in July 1966, following the psychedelic trend, though far removed from the acid rock that was beginning to dominate the West Coast. *Younger Than Yesterday* in 1967 was a continuation of that sound. The albums are very good, but the band began its commercial decline, as its sound didn't fit with the Californian acid rock trend. There would be no more "Mr. Tambourine" or "Eight Miles," but they took the opportunity to launch a scathing critique of manufactured groups like the Monkees with "So You Want To Be A Rock And Roll Star," which would be one of their last hits. *Younger Than Yesterday*, while not a commercial failure, already reflected the band's waning popularity. Furthermore, it featured Hillman's own compositions for the first time, with certain country influences. Around this time, Jim McGuinn changed his name to Roger after converting to an Indonesian religion.

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During the second half of 1967, at the height of the psychedelic era, they began recording The Notorious Byrd Brothers, which featured a much stronger country influence. Crosby was trying to take control of the band, and tensions intensified due to his politically charged speech at the Monterey Pop Festival, which upset the others (cough, cough, Roger, cough, cough). This, coupled with the fact that he played with Buffalo Springfield at the same festival, replacing Neil Young, who had just left the group, further complicated matters. Tensions escalated when the band refused to include Crosby's song "Triad," which tells the story of a love triangle. He eventually gave the controversial song to Jefferson Airplane, which led to his departure from the Byrds and his permanent move to Buffalo Springfield. Shortly afterward, Michael Clarke also exploded during the Notorious sessions and quit. The album was completed with session musicians and would be a transitional record, with pop, folk, and psychedelic nuances, and an increasing presence of what would be defined as country-rock.

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With lineup changes and only two-fifths of its original members remaining, The Byrds were never the same. They became more of a quasi-underground band living off their past, but experimenting with new genres. Gram Parsons arrived to replace Crosby on guitar. Parsons would be fundamental in their complete shift towards country-rock, practically taking the lead on the recording of Sweetheart of Rodeo, which is a cult classic for country music fans. Just as the Byrds were the first to fuse folk with rock, they were also the first to fuse rock with country. However, a dispute began between Roger and Gram over control of the band. Due to legal issues, McGuinn and Hillman recorded Parsons' lead vocals on the album, which infuriated Gram. On the 1968 British tour, Parsons became friends with the Rolling Stones, particularly Keith Richards, whom he taught to master the open G tuning typical of country music. In exchange for tons of cocaine, Parsons "inspired" Keith with some of his best riffs of the time. In July 1968, just before flying to South Africa for a series of concerts, Parsons used his anti-Apartheid stance as a pretext to quit the Byrds. It's rumored that he rejected an offer to join the Stones to replace Brian Jones, later founding the Flying Burrito Brothers, while Richards continued using the riffs Parsons had recorded behind his back for another two or three years.

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The rest was McGuinn's stubborn determination to keep the band together. What was done was done. The following albums (as awful as their titles), with a more stable lineup and Roger's iron grip, went completely unnoticed, perhaps making them the first band to become dinosaur-like (another innovation!). They released five more albums between 1969 and 1972, when another major turnover of musicians began, until then-guitarist Clarence White died drunk in a car accident.

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Roger told everyone to get lost and called back the original lineup. Miraculously, the five reunited and recorded one last effort, the self-titled album released in 1973, which would be their best since their country period, and which, while not dazzling, is good enough to show that the Byrds weren't just McGuinn. After the brief reunion, the Byrds finally disbanded, although they would reunite with different lineups from 1984 onwards to revive nostalgia.

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The Byrds, then, I don't know if they have a perfect album, but they have quite a few good, innovative songs. They knew how to stay a step ahead of most of their contemporaries, and although they generally needed help from a bigger band to set trends, in hindsight, they were the initiators of many of the stylistic shifts of the decade, at least three of the main ones.

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The issue is also that so many stylistic changes prevented them from creating a lasting identity, in addition to the constant lineup changes, in which an original member left every year until only McGuinn remained of the founding members, but it has become clear that he wasn't a genius capable of carrying the band on his shoulders. Nevertheless, the Byrds left their mark on musical history, and I think they are one of the most underrated groups of that era.

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By Corvan

May/9/2015

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