The Byrds were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles,California,in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence,with frontman Roger McGuinn being the sole consistent member. Although their time as one of the most popular groups in the world only lasted for a short period in the mid-1960s,the Byrds are considered by critics to be among the most influential rock acts of their era. Their signature blend of clear harmony singing and McGuinn's jangly 12-string Rickenbacker guitar sound was "absorbed into the vocabulary of rock" and has continued to be influential.
Sweetheart of the Rodeo is the sixth album by the American rock band the Byrds,released in August 1968 by Columbia Records. Recorded with the addition of country rock pioneer Gram Parsons,it became the first album widely recognized as country rock as well as a seminal progressive country album,and represented a stylistic move away from the psychedelic rock of the band's previous LP,The Notorious Byrd Brothers. The Byrds had occasionally experimented with country music on their four previous albums,but Sweetheart of the Rodeo represented their fullest immersion into the genre up to that point in time. The album was responsible for bringing Parsons,who had joined the Byrds in February 1968 prior to the start of recording,to the attention of a mainstream rock audience for the first time. Thus,the album is an important chapter in Parsons' crusade to make country music fashionable for a young audience.
Younger Than Yesterday is the fourth studio album by the American rock band the Byrds,released on February 6,1967,by Columbia Records. It saw the band continuing to integrate elements of psychedelia and jazz into their music,a process they had begun on their previous album,Fifth Dimension. In addition,the album captured the band and record producer Gary Usher experimenting with new musical textures,including brass instruments,reverse tape effects and an electronic oscillator.
Mr. Tambourine Man is the debut studio album by the American rock band the Byrds,released on June 21,1965,by Columbia Records. The album is characterized by the Byrds' signature sound of Jim McGuinn's 12-string Rickenbacker guitar and the band's complex harmony singing. The material on the album mostly consists of cover versions of folk songs,primarily composed by Bob Dylan,and originals written or co-written by singer Gene Clark. Along with the Dylan-penned single of the same name,Mr. Tambourine Man established the band as an internationally successful act and is widely regarded by critics as representing the first effective American challenge to the chart dominance of the Beatles and other British Invasion bands during the mid-1960s.
The Notorious Byrd Brothers is the fifth studio album by the American rock band the Byrds,released on January 15,1968,by Columbia Records. The album represents the pinnacle of the Byrds' late-'60s musical experimentation,with the band blending together elements of psychedelia,folk rock,country,electronic music,baroque pop,and jazz. With producer Gary Usher,they made extensive use of a number of studio effects and production techniques,including phasing,flanging,and spatial panning. The Byrds also introduced the sound of the pedal steel guitar and the Moog modular synthesizer into their music,making it one of the first LP releases on which the Moog appears.
The Byrds' Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits album by the American rock band the Byrds and was released in August 1967 on Columbia Records. It is the top-selling album in the Byrds' catalogue and reached number 6 on the Billboard Top LPs chart,but failed to chart in the UK.
Dr. Byrds &Mr. Hyde is the seventh studio album by the American rock band the Byrds and was released in March 1969 on Columbia Records. The album was produced by Bob Johnston and saw the band juxtaposing country rock material with psychedelic rock,giving the album a stylistic split-personality that was alluded to in its title. It was the first album to feature the new band line-up of Clarence White (guitar),Gene Parsons (drums),John York (bass),and founding member Roger McGuinn (guitar). Dr. Byrds &Mr. Hyde is unique within the band's discography for being the only album on which McGuinn sings the lead vocal on every track.
Farther Along is the eleventh album by the American rock band the Byrds and was released in November 1971 on Columbia Records. For the most part,the album was recorded and produced by the Byrds themselves in London,England,over the course of five work-intensive days in July 1971. It was quickly released as a reaction to the commercial failure of the Byrds' previous album,Byrdmaniax,and as an attempt to stem the criticism that album was receiving in the music press.
Byrds is the twelfth and final studio album by the American rock band the Byrds and was released in March 1973 on Asylum Records. It was recorded as the centerpiece of a reunion among the five original band members:Roger McGuinn,Gene Clark,David Crosby,Chris Hillman,and Michael Clarke. The last time that all five members had worked together as the Byrds was in 1966,prior to Clark's departure from the band. During the reunion,the current,latter-day lineup of the band continued to make live appearances until February 1973,with McGuinn being the only member common to both versions of the group.
"Eight Miles High" is a song by the American rock band the Byrds,written by Gene Clark,Jim McGuinn,and David Crosby. It was first released as a single on March 14,1966. Musically influenced by sitar player Ravi Shankar and jazz saxophonist John Coltrane,the song was influential in developing the musical styles of psychedelia and raga rock. Accordingly,critics often cite "Eight Miles High" as being the first bona fide psychedelic rock song,as well as a classic of the counterculture era.
"5D (Fifth Dimension)" is a song by the American rock band the Byrds,written by band member Jim McGuinn. It was released as a single in June 1966,and also included as the title track on the Byrds' third album,Fifth Dimension.
"Ballad of Easy Rider" is a song written by Roger McGuinn,with input from Bob Dylan,for the 1969 film Easy Rider. The song was initially released in August 1969 on the Easy Rider soundtrack album as a Roger McGuinn solo performance. It was later issued in an alternate version as a single by McGuinn's band the Byrds on October 1,1969. Senior editor for Rolling Stone magazine,David Fricke,has described the song as perfectly capturing the social mood of late 1969 and highlighting "the weary blues and dashed expectations of a decade's worth of social insurrection".
"Triad" is a song written by American singer-songwriter David Crosby in 1967 about a ménage àtrois. It was recorded by the Byrds that year,while Crosby was a member of the band,but their version went unreleased at the time and was not issued until twenty years later. Jefferson Airplane released a version of the song in 1968 on their Crown of Creation album and a live version performed by Crosby was included on Crosby,Stills,Nash &Young's 4 Way Street in 1971.
"Mr. Spaceman" is a song by the American rock band the Byrds and was the third track on their 1966 album,Fifth Dimension. It was released as the third single from the album in September 1966,reaching number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100,but failing to chart in the United Kingdom. Upon its release as a single,the music press coined the term "space-rock" to describe it,although since then,this term has come to refer to a genre of rock music originating from 1970s progressive and psychedelic music.
"Have You Seen Her Face" is a song by the American rock band the Byrds,written by the group's bass player Chris Hillman and included on their 1967 album Younger Than Yesterday.
"Lady Friend" is a song by the American rock band the Byrds,written by band member David Crosby and released as a single on July 13,1967. The single was commercially unsuccessful,only charting at number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100 and failing to chart in the United Kingdom at all.
Preflyte is a compilation album by the American folk rock band the Byrds and was released in July 1969 on Together Records. The album is a collection of demos recorded by the Byrds at World Pacific Studios in Los Angeles during late 1964,before the band had signed to Columbia Records and become famous. It includes early demo versions of the songs "Here Without You","You Won't Have to Cry","I Knew I'd Want You",and "Mr. Tambourine Man",all of which appeared in re-recorded form on the band's 1965 debut album.
"Why" is a song by the American rock band the Byrds,written by David Crosby and Jim McGuinn and first released as the B-side of the band's "Eight Miles High" single in March 1966. The song was re-recorded in December 1966 and released for a second time as part of the band's Younger Than Yesterday album.
History of The Byrds is a double album compilation by the American rock band the Byrds and was released on May 18,1973 by CBS Records. The compilation was released exclusively in Europe and the UK,peaking at number 47 on the UK Albums Chart,but it was also available in the United States as an import.
Never Before is a compilation album by the American rock band the Byrds,consisting of previously unreleased outtakes,alternate versions,and rarities. It was initially released by Re-Flyte Records in December 1987 and was subsequently reissued on CD in 1989,with an additional seven bonus tracks.
