What Happened to The Byrds? Gene Clark, Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, David Crosby, Gram Parsons
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- čas přidán 23. 04. 2024
- What ever happened to the innovative and influential rock band The Byrds?
The story of rock music is impossible to tell without discussing The Byrds. They created 3 different genres of music while experiencing a schizophrenic rotation of personalities within the band, some who will become rock icons. They faced a series of setbacks that would make anyone throw their hands up. The Byrds impeccable instincts revolutionized the soundscape of music in the 1960’s and beyond. Lets journey through this extraordinary story, uncover the unexpected obstacles they overcame and the remarkable conclusion of The Byrds.
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A great tangled story of success, excess and occasional art. That's rock'n'roll.
I was smitten the first time I heard TURN! TURN! TURN! as a 12 year old in1965. Been listening ever since. Saw Roger in concert 2 weeks ago, still MAGICAL!
Awesome
I was 12 also in 1965 and heard this even had the 45rpm later…imagine I became a Christian when I was 35 the rest is His Story
While contributing to the Byrds
he was not considered a Byrd member but was a member of the Flying Burrito Bros as you had a solo photo posted on the front cover. It really should have been Roger McGuinn as a larger photo. Don't get me wrong, I love Gram Parsons but please get your details right.
Clarence White was my first love amongst them all.
Flying Burritos, the Byrds and Emmy Lou Harris debuting was my first concert on Phila the age of 15. Months later,.Gram and Clarence would be gone.
What a time we lived in. Thought it would never leave us. Boy, were we wrong!
Gram was so much more talented than McGuinn. He’s a far better singer and you can’t even seriously compare McGuinn’s songwriting to Gram’s. No serious musician or music fan could think Roger could write anywhere near as good as Parsons.
@@emmettmckenna4565 but McGuinn was the band leader, so i understand what she says. You could say the same about Gene Clark or David Crosby, but McGuinn was the band leader. I don't care about that front image (because this documental is really good), but i understand what she says.
I believe that The Byrds were among the most influential rock groups of the entire 20th century... period.
💯💯💯✌️
I will TURN TURN TURN 70 years old this month. I loved the Byrds then and i love them now. 😁 🐦
Awesome
Happy joyfilled bday ya ol fart!!! I just turned 69! May 16th and find it shocking I’m still here. Gimme the Byrds, CSNY, Moody Blues, Led Zeppelin and list goes on as the beat… happy trails my friend🙏🏻😁❤️
@@lindabuck2777 Thanks very much. Hope you had a good birthday. 🎂🎉
@@Spacebanana-im5qt I DID! 70 approaching Cap’n which way do I go…😂😂😂meh just LIVE KID!😝🙏🏻
You forgot to mention that drummer Michael Clarke played in Rick Roberts' "FIREFALL" who had a top-10 hit single in 1976 with the song, "You Are The Woman."
That doest predate Tambourine Man
@danielschear556 I was going to mention that. Glad you did. Firefall was a great band. Saw them live in 1976 or 77 with Nicolette Larson opening.
Eight Miles High sounds as good today as it did when i first heard it in the sixties. One of the great rock songs of all time.
It's on 1 of my few CD's that I always listen to when I'm in the car mate. Saying that, all of the music that I listen to these days is mostly from the 60s & 70s, with nothing later than the mid 90s 😆✌️
💯 definitely an all time favorite
@@freewheelingideas Too right mate. I'm trying to find a CD with their version of 'I wasn't born to follow' on it. The only album I've heard it on is the Easy Rider soundtrack, but some of that album is a bit weird for driving along to.....songs like If you want to be a bird, and Kyrie Eleison 😵
If you say so. I can’t listen to the guitar track without thinking I could have done as well - or badly - myself at that age. I can’t play guitar at all. Maybe if I try listening to it on acid?
YES!
Solid doc. Appreciate the Gram Parsons interview audio.
Awesome thank you 🙏
Roger McGuin’s 12 string guitar playing makes the Byrds sound. Best 12 string player
Such a distinct sound!
My brother and I selected 8 or 10 albums from the Columbia Record Club advertisement that we found in a magazine. I was about 12 and my brother 10. When the albums arrived apparently money was due. Our dad sorted it out somehow and we ended up getting to pick one album to keep and sent all the others back. We selected Mr. Tambourine Man.
Very cool! You still have it right?
Crosby's ranting during the Byrds' set and then playing with the Springfield at Monterey set the downfall in motion. RIP Cros....
I was there!
Who can forget those square "Byrd" tinted glasses. Quite the rage in 65.
Definitely a style that matched the sound!
All I know is they created a truly classic album “The Notorious Byrd Brothers.” That’s all that matters as time goes by.
Such a great album
For me personally, the Byrds were the best American of the 1960s.
I fully checked out at Sweetheart Of The Rodeo. I had followed the Byrds closely from Tambourine Man and was deeply inspired by the originality of their writing. To me, Rodeo was almost a betrayal. I recall mourning the loss of a prime influence.
Ditto...I still don't care for C/W .. that album was disappointing.. prior to "Rodeo...I was a die had fan.
You missed the point. Sweetheart was Gram Parsons arrival, which brought Country Rock to the fore. (Poco, Burrito Bros,EmmyLou Harris) I really thought that the byrds couldnt get hit without Dylan. (Pulling your chain) I must say that I thought it was crappy that the Beau Brummels that wrote all their ow stuff, were being ignored.
@@ziblot1235 I didn’t miss any point, if you are actually addressing my comment. It is musical laziness IN MY OPINION. I don’t have an agenda, I just don’t like it.
Gram Parsons had absolutely nothing to do with my feelings about the music. After 5 records of genuine innovation that left a huge mark on me as a musician, I just don’t like Sweetheart Of The Rodeo. The Byrds were, for me, an adventure with each record, surprising, thrilling even. Sweetheart is hokey and ultra predictable, among many of the disappointments I feel.
Sweetheart of the Rodeo is a masterpiece of an album. You should give it another spin.
You ‘checked out’ on what is perhaps the best Country rock album ever made!
Roger took them through several incarnations before giving up - Crosby and Gene Clark were the other geniuses of the band, though.
He really hung in there. Gotta give him credit.
A good solid documentary on a truly seminal band. Their influence musically and culturally is often times understated.
Thank you and I agree!!
Saw many negative comments here re the Byrds. They have a right to their opinions, as do I. I'm an old guy from Texas and feel so fortunate to have been a teenager in the 60's to experience, in my opinion the Greatest rock psychedelic country band ever. No debate.
Larry you know a lotta folks forget that Jerry Garcia and Co. would never have tried C&W without the Byrds breaking the ice. It took courage. McGuinn had good instincts.
@@ziblot1235 thanks for your input!
Great comment’s
A lot of interesting Gene Clark interview excerpts I haven't heard before!
Yea he provided a lot of insights that helped paint the picture.
The Byrds are a great American classic band. Great music.❤🎉😊
Gene Clark forever!💖 Where is the whole interview with him?
There’s quite a lot in CZcams
You cannot unhear this.
The “untitled” lineup was the one with the best musicians, but didn’t have the awesome vocal harmonies of the first lineup.
Or songs
Great Stuff, Thanks!
You’re welcome 🙏
Excellent vid. Crazy that I was a kid when the Byrds first record came out.
Thank you 🙏
A+++ video, Freewheelin' ThankYou!
You’re very welcome 😊
They had some really good hits in the 60's.
They sure did!
You folks do such an incredible job with your documentaries and I could watch them for hours! I love watching them since I was too young to remember that time in popular music that you highlight. I couldn't help but laugh at the hypocrisy of such musicians like David Crosby who pontificates here about being anti-government and being part of the "counter culture" and then, with that as their history, align themselves with the very establishment that they opposed in their youth. Same goes for the likes of Young, Springsteen, and Mellencamp. It is hilarious that they don't see it themselves with all the media available of them putting themselves out there, just to fall in line as it were....Thanks for the great job!!...Paul
Thank you Paul! 🙏 and I agree
"Wasn't Born To Follow" and "Chestnut Mare" My two favorites/
The 'run in' was with Jim Dickson, no longer manager.
The Byrds A&R man & occasional Producer Terry Melcher was the intended target of Charles Manson at the Cielo Dr. house where Sharon Tate & four others were murdered. Manson had met Melcher ( The son of Doris Day ) at that house & been rejected for a record deal. You see The Flying Burrito Brothers in Gimme Shelter at Altamont Speedway. Roxy Music do a very credible cover of 8 Miles High. My favorite solo album by a Byrd is If Only I Could Remember My Name by David Crosby. The track Laughing with Jerry Garcia is incredible. Great band with so many stories ! Love The Byrds 🎸
Yea it’s so crazy how all that is connected. I Cover some of that in the Laurel Canyon video.
Manson knew Melcher had moved
@shombie2737 No , he was told that & didn't believe it. The fact is that Melcher went into hiding for a year at advice of the authorities. Mansion knew that even if he wasn't " home " that night he would get the message if his " friends " were sacrificed. All ended well for Terry as he co-wrote Kokomo a # 1 hit for The Beach ⛱️ Boys. I know much more but I'm not telling you ! Bye-bye 👋
No Manson did not know any such thing@@shombie2737
@@shombie2737you watch too many Quentin Tarantino and Hollywood crap Terry Melcher and a young Doris Day were the targets
McGuin, in spite of all the acid he ate is still in decent shape, as is Hillman, but the Cros is pushing up flowers.
I noticed the same thing.
Oops. I didn't even know that. But he'd looked good-to-go for around twenty years.
Interesting comments. Eight Miles High was a song written about the groups trip London UK. .. rain grey town, known for its sound = London. Song title … Height of the airplane cruising about 7 miles high.. changed to 8 miles high ( around the same time the Beatles released 8 days a week track ). Song in my opinion not about drugs.
💯
What a fantastic video have a wonderful day also i have subscribed to the channel ❤❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊
they flew the coop...
Great documentary but what about the Untitled double album? Chestnut Mare & Just A Season are two of Byrds best songs.
Yes indeed… like many of the Byrds songs have stood the test of time
What i have always heard an is documented many times is only Roger was allowed to play on mr tambourine man, the others just couldn't cut it.That song was done in one or two takes. By the next sessions without the wrecking crew it was taking forever for them to get one mistake free recording. I have always loved the Byrds, still have my original copy of their first album bought as soon as ot came out.
Crosby spot on 🎯💯jfk
Im surprised mcguinn isn't heard here mentioning that the 12 string intro on 8 miles high was borrowed from John Coltrane, who they were all listening to at the time..
Influenced by, not coping
I have a new respect for David Crosby, even at this early date, he knew our own government did it to JFK. @17:33
So did Dorothy Kilgallen of "Whats my LIne fame. It got her killed.
Singular sound. Synergy
Nice to know at least some survived the rock n roll life. Are the Parsons related?
No not related, just random coincidence!
I bet you all didn’t know that The Byrds had a lot of help in the studio from The Wrecking Crew. So much for being original. 😂😂😂
It’s in the video
WTF you were waiting to say this, McGunn played 12 string on every Byrds song, MTM is arranged by McGuinn intro and ending, he it changed from Dylan’s 2/4 to 4/4, the harmonies are pure Byrds, wrecking crew supplied Drums, bass and rhythm guitar, very basic stuff. 2 songs in 3 hours and that’s all WC did
Chestnut mare reminds me of an old girlfriend in a good way!!!
Probably the greatest band except for The Beatles.
Nah! The Stones and Led Zeppelin were way better. Not even the best American band. The Doors, and Chicago were much better. But everyone is entitled to their opinion.
They kicked out Crosby and he put a curse on them
Maybe so
The Byrds didnt create Folkrock. What about the Beau Brummels?
Oh please
A great band. I saw them several times.
I'm having a little trouble remembering the date - probably very early eighties, when i saw Clark, McGuinn & Hillman tour as The Byrds in Australia. Saw them at Brisbane Festival Hall with surprisingly George Grantham from Poco as their drummer. Second row seats so a bit privileged. Back in the day probably a tenner to get in.
It was 1978. They toured nz too
Correct. June / July 78.. Attended the Sydney & Canberra concerts. Great memories
@@rossdavidson7790Thanks for reminding me - i'm older than i thought !!!!!!!!!! Did others tour NZ as well - Doobies, Little Feat, Dylan, Amazing Rhythm Aces, Leon Russell, Supertramp, Eagles ? Saw all these in Brisbane - bit of a pattern yeh !!
Roger McGuinn and Thunderbirds/byrds, not mentioned, saw at Rider College, NJ, circa 1978
Cool!
Not a great overview. A bit disjointed, and some things out of the correct timeline, and some outright mistakes. Mike Clarke didn't quit the band until the end of December 67, and Gene Clark came back for 3 weeks in Oct-Nov.67. Lots of important stuff skipped over, especially the early days. He never mentioned that Crosby kicked his habits after being incarcerated. Nice see a focus on the Byrds, but could have been a lot better.
I have seen Chris Hillman with Herb Pedersen. Spoke with Chris for a little while. Saw CSN 3 times all good shows.
Very cool
If you ask me, Roger McGuinn seems to be the biggest problem with keeping The Byrds fresh and innovative. He's bossy, jealous, and hasn't got too much intellect. It wouldn't be a lot of fun making music and touring with a guy like that. If he listened a bit more to members like Crosby, the band wouldn't have ended in nowheresville so soon..
The short answer is Fame. Gene Clark discovered a profound fear of flying, refused to tour, and left. David Crosby sat in with Buffalo Springfield, at Monterey, pissed off Jim, er, Roger. His love song to a ménage à trois, Triad, was a bridge too far, though, and Roger "fired" him (who made it Roger's group?). Mike Clark had given up somewhere in there, too, so, when Chris Hillman left to start the Flying Burrito Brothers, with interim Byrd-member, Gram Parsons, Roger was left holding the bag, the only "Byrd" left standing. Fame made them all believe they were (each) more important than what had brought them together. It's an old story oft repeated, ego run amok.
Big mistake. Roger did not get his trademark Ben Franklin glasses from George Harrison. Just the opposite
didn't Michael Clark play in firefall.
Yes!
One hundred years from now.........
Graham Parsons was a talented but super spoiled trust fund kid and he literally fell in love with Keith Richards and pretended the apartheid issue was why he refused to go to S Africa. Parsons never had to worry where his next meal was coming from.
All he done was screwed the band up
Parsons was like Mike Bloomfield, another trust-fund kid. A couple of posers who made a splash initially but faded quickly. Neither ever had to pay any dues.
Gram had a lot of tragedies in his family. A parent's suicide and more. Some people never recover from stuff like that.💔
@@MarigoldThyme I had an aunt suicide herself with a gun while her kids and I were playing in the living room in the same house. It literally ruined her kid's lives, IMO but if you have good back up which I believe Gram did, it is likely not earth shattering/ Apparently, my aunt had tried a few times before cause her kids knew exactly what the sound was right away while I had to be schooled and brought up to speed..
This was '63 and the big shame was that she was a book author and likely hippy material if she had just hung on for a few more years
@@jsigur157 Unfortunately Gram did not have good backup, and money doesn't do it. His father died of suicide when he was 12 and his mother of alcoholism when he was 18. Death stalked him with two good friends also dying. Your aunt's story is also a sad one.
What happened to The Byrds? WTF happened to David Crosby?
great research , but mc guinn had ben frank glasses first .
The first album influenced George Harrison on guitar esp the 12 string sound.ok cats, thanx!
It’s the other way around. McGuinn bought a 12 string after seeing Harrison playing one.
It did influence the beatles though when they did rubber soul
@@crowkid5553 That’s true. Harrison already had the 12 string but it was McQuinn’s style of playing using sus4 and sus2 chords that influenced Harrison on If I Needed Someone. I hope I don’t sound too pedantic, but I love these kinds of discussions.
The notorious Byrd Brothers was their last decent album
Left out Untitled.
Talking about “The Byrds” is like talking about 18 different bands with 18 different sounds.
I wish Gene Clark could have stayed with the original Byrds.
Ah well…
That’s true. A very diverse collection of music.
Daivd?
Needs rectification pronto...
I am sure The Byrds weren't Copying The Beatles with their hair style or anything. What we have hear is a bunch of New York folkies all relocating to LA to get a helping of the food the Beatles eat
The Beatles heavily influenced everything at that point in time.
Both McGuinn and Crosby have expressly stated that they went to see “A Hard Day’s Night” taking notes on which brand guitars they played and how they cut their hair.
@@jamesfetherston1190 I think looking back, they were a creation much like the Monkees were a creation to capitalize on the fleeting whims of the public snf in 1965, that was the Beatles.Initially they were a fake band with only half participating on their initial release.Of course Monkee members were best buddies with the Laurel Canyon crowd,Stephen Stills actually trying out. It was a great contrast to the fact that we all thought Laurel Canyon was so creative. Of course, its been exposed how created by the Deep State that whole element was
@@freewheelingideas I mean wasn't their gig sort of, "Go where the music takes you man." For a band just trying to sound and look like the Beatles doesn't their hippy proclamations sound sort of hollow? My other answers aren't showing up, are you part of the "only supportive comments" crowd pretending that my views don't exist?
@@freewheelingideas Even the fan support was mostly fake. A CIA operative with an Italian sounding name ran the neighborhood store at the bottom of Laurel Canyon. He also did Dancing Sessions which became the new Hippie way of grooving to the music. These dancers all went down the strip and went into the night clubs to lead the dancing and sell that these bands were really good! Their main job was to get "Normies" to come in and take part in the excitement. The dancers were all outfitted in what was to become standard hippy attire. Of course when Jack Nicholson put in those Byrds songs as part of the "EZ Rider" sound track, they were then able to totally sell themselves as kool.
It was all a con job on ''Waspish" America to promote decadence that still goes on today times 5/
Byrd flu
Terry Melcher was pond fungus nothing more
I THINK-LET ME SEE,---YEAH,-"THEIR "MUSIC"-STINKS,-I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY GOT AWAY WITH IT,-FOR SO LONG !!
I don’t like the sweet heart album at all. So I only have every album before that one
Yea it’s not for everyone. Some really love it.
The Byrds, a bunch of egos and foolishness…..
And talent!
Crosby and Parsons are extremely overrated. Ones a poseur and the other is a nut job junkie,
I have never believed Gene Clark's drunken nonsense about Brian Jones
Well, at least one of them is dead.
Gene Clark, Michael Clarke and last year David Crosby - three actually.
Add Gram Parsons being in the photo and of course later incarnation with Clarence White who passed before Gram. There after a couple more members who were regarded as hired hands.
@@michaelrose3101 Too right...
Who Cares? their biggest hit was a cover of a bob Dylan song
This band is sooooooooooo OVER-RATED. They STUNK in the studio and their tour of the UK was a complete DISASTER. The Byrds were NOT an influential band - they should thank Bob Dylan.
Musical history shows otherwise.
The most OVER-RATED band in music history - name an ORIGINAL song that was a commercial success.
lousy live. wonderful records. the first 5 is a reason to live. egomaniacs who didn't get along. never reached their full potential cos of their apparent loathing of each other. bad management. due to crosby. having said all this bs, they are in my top 5. i distinctly remember hearing mr. tambourine man first time. 5th grade crossing the crosswalk, 1965. someone had a decent transistor radio. love the music, not their personal lives. hillman said the only thing they had in common was their love of beatles and cannabis. majick. esp the expanded cds. regards, god bless. 🎼🦜🦜🦜🦜🦜🎚
Thanks for your input
Hillman said that?🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣