The Byrds
The Byrds | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Byrds in 1970 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Genres | Folk rock, country rock, psychedelic rock, pop music |
| Years active | 1964–1973; 1989-1991; 2000 |
| Labels | Columbia |
| Past member(s) | Roger McGuinn Gene Clark David Crosby Chris Hillman Michael Clarke Kevin Kelley Gram Parsons Clarence White Gene Parsons John York Skip Battin John Guerin |
| Website | www.byrds.com |
The Byrds were a popular folk rock band, from California.[1] Their members included Jim McGuinn (who later changed his name to Roger), David Crosby, Gene Clark, Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke. Later band members included Gram Parsons, Clarence White, and Gene Parsons.
The Byrds pioneered folk rock, a blend of folk music with rock and roll. Many of their songs were remakes of Bob Dylan's songs, such as "Mr. Tambourine Man", which was their first hit in 1965.[1] They recorded a bright, uplifting version of "Turn, Turn, Turn", which had been adapted by Pete Seeger from Ecclesiastes in the Bible.[1] Other songs were written by band members.
The Byrds recorded "So You Wanna Be a Rock'N'Roll Star?" about the Monkees, not liking the star-making machinery that made the Monkees famous overnight.[2][3] McGuinn later said the song was about the pop music business, not the Monkees.[4] They softened their opinions, though, once they'd met the band and saw they had real talent. Members of the Byrds played on Monkees recording sessions, and the later band Crosby, Stills & Nash was formed partly from meetings at Peter Tork's house.
One Byrds song, "You Showed Me", became a hit for The Turtles late in 1968. The Byrds's lineup changed many times, and after the last new lineup disbanded in 1972, the original members reunited to record an album, titled Byrds.
Discography
[change | change source]- Mr. Tambourine Man (1965)
- Turn! Turn! Turn! (1965)
- Fifth Dimension (1966)
- Younger Than Yesterday (1967)
- The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968)
- Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968)
- Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde (1969)
- Ballad of Easy Rider (1969)
- (Untitled) (1970)
- Byrdmaniax (1971)
- Farther Along (1971)
- Byrds (1973)
References
[change | change source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Hoard, Joel (2001). "The Byrds". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 15 November 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
- ↑ Hjort, Christopher. (2008). So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965-1973). Jawbone Press. p. 113. ISBN 978-1-906002-15-2.
- ↑ Fricke, David (1996). "Fame and Misfortune: The End of the First Golden Era". Younger Than Yesterday (CD booklet). The Byrds. Columbia/Legacy.
- ↑ "The Byrds and The Monkees?". Planting Seeds Records. 1998. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
Other websites
[change | change source]- Hear the Byrds on the Pop Chronicles, 1969.
- 1960s American music groups
- 1964 establishments in California
- 1970s American music groups
- 1980s American music groups
- 1990s American music groups
- 2000s American music groups
- 2000 disestablishments in the United States
- American pop music groups
- American rock bands
- Country bands
- Folk music groups
- Musical groups disestablished in 2000
- Musical groups established in 1964
- Musical groups from Los Angeles