The Byrds - Bells Of Rhymney Outtakes

[12347771]

at 4:17 there is a wonderous passing tone that someone sang in the final chorale that was left off the final.

[marrakeshexpressuk]

Crosbys guitar is just as much the guitar identity of the Byrds than the 12 string Rickenbacker.

[oceantracks]

@marrakeshexpressuk ....So great you noticed that ...I was just thinking of that myself listening to this. I once emailed David and asked him if he knew whatever happened to his Gretsch and he just said "have no idea" ;) But yes Crosby's bridge pickup through those Showmans was integral to their sound.

[BUDDYSHADOW]

FAKE! They're not even moving their lips in the video! :o)

[nicodagger]

Is this two voices singing at the same time, or one voice doubled or tripled? Or did they use delay?

[kerrgal]

@nicodagger You mean when it's unison. It's not hard to imagine that their voices are blending so perfectly, though it could be delay or reverb. We'll have to ask them.

[kerrgal]

Where'd you find this? This is dynamite!

[gibb253]

@darling67 Hi- i was going to post the complete lyrics for you but i see rip2451 got there before me! As you can see the anwers are Merthyr and Blaina

[rlp2451]

Why so worried sisters? Why? Sang the silver bells of Wye And what will you give me? Say the sad bells of Rhymney Oh What will you give me? Say the sad bells of Rhymney Is there hope for the future? Say the brown bells of Merthyr Who made the mine owner? Say the black bells of Rhondda And who killed the miner? Say the grim bells of Blaina

[rlp2451]

Oh What will you give me? Say the sad bells of Rhymney Is there hope for the future? Say the brown bells of Merthyr Who made the mine owner? Say the black bells of Rhondda And who killed the miner? Say the grim bells of Blaina Put the vandals in court Say the bells of Newport All would be well if, if, if, if Say the green bells of Cardiff

[1Phoebus]

these are exquisite sound bites...thx alot for helping me go back to a time of pure, sounds from the raw emotions of 20th Century Balladeers! ^/^

[shoobedoowap]

and the missing verse:

They will plunder will-nilly,

Cry the bells of Caerphilly.

They have fangs, they have teeth,

Shout the loud bells of Neath.

Even God is uneasy,

Say the moist bells of Swansea.

And what will you give me?

Say the sad bells of Rhymney.

remind you of anyone? :)

[skydogz1]

Melcher is cool. RIP

[rkt88]

@skydogz1 terry was the best. 

[janfreidun]

hey man where did you find this, it is not on the remastered ed of the first LP only alternate takes of feel a whole lot, No use and all I really is there, this was one of their best tunes ever! where did you find it? from a fellow byrdmaniac

[ArniepII]

Killer tune. Wish I understood the words. Even reading them loses me since I'm an American! Great harmonies as usual.

[taffaber]

crisp(ebrain)

bloody english rhyme, where in england`s Merthyer then?

[aleecat75]

Merthyr is in Wales. All towns referred to in the song are in Wales. It's a song about a mining disaster

Words from "Gwalia Deserta" by Idris Davies. Music by Pete Seeger.

The Byrds are a brilliant band, but you knew that.

[hoppuss44]

its an old welsh mining song

[crispian2005]

actualy it was writen by peat seeger....

[crispian2005]

ITS AN OLD ENGLISH NURSEY RHYME...

[gibb253]

Welsh, please.

[fangiopiacentini]

harrison beatle mixed with dylan miex with classical music

mac guin said

[rockerdude59]

lets not fight over the origin of this song, just sit back and enjoy it. I always thought the commercial release need to bring the vocals more upfront. Yeah I like the Rickenbaker 12 string but I like the singing too!

[gibb253]

Dan, you sure get around, but you're wrong. Rhymney is in Wales like the other places mentioned in the song: Cardiff, Newport, Rhondda and Wye. Find me an Italian word that rhymes with any of them! (P.S. I'm Welsh and I live in Italy!)

[Egoxeno]

Great Stuff! Thanks HighFlyinByrd

[johnhjort]

I really enjoyed hearing this alternate take on one of my all-time favorites!

I don't feel this should be considered as a lead vocal by Gene, though, anymore than the released version was NOT a lead vocal by Gene.

As was quite common with the group at the time, there was NO lead vocalist on this song. It was being sung by Clark and McGuinn in unison, with harmony by Crosby.

Gene just happens to be closer to the mike in this out-take than on the final choice.

Thanks for the memories!

[HIghFlyinByrd]

well yes, roger and mcguinn are singing the lead melody, but gene's is more prominent

[HIghFlyinByrd]

roger and gene i mean, haha

[bobbilse]

Yes...that's all I meant to say. They probably just changed where Clark and McGuinn were standing in relation to the microphone by the time they made their released take.

[doll0116]

That's right, although, on the album, they used the, slightly better take with McGuinn closer to the mic, which has stood McGuinn in good stead throughout the years. Either way, it was a memorable session. Check out John Denvers' version on youtube. As far as I know, there is no P. Seeger version (apart from the recorded one on his live album "I Can See A New Day", which is where McGuinn (I think) first heard it.

[kerrgal]

@doll0116 What do you mean there is no Pete Seeger version? The Byrds got this arrangement from Pete Seeger.

[marvinbnaylor]

@kerrgal I meant there doesn't seem to be a Pete Seeger rendition on youtube, the only one I know being on a live album from '64 (where McGuinn heard it - see end of my comment).

[kerrgal]

@marvinbnaylor My apologies, I didn't mean to sound "snarky". Yes, I was listening to the Seeger performance earlier.

[marvinbnaylor]

@kerrgal That's OK. I heard The Byrds version in '75, not knowing the origin untill about 20 years later when I saw it on the P. Seeger live LP whilst looking through a junk shop (known as charity shops now!). There wasn't alot of information available on this kind of thing back in the 70s!

[boynamedsuew]

Great!!!

[gillesbertacco]

Hmmmm. Wonder why they didn't keep it like that? Gene does a good job. No?

[fireplace911]

maybe they thought he was dominating the album too much, since he wrote so many good songs on it as well.

[moorlock2003]

Gene was better singing his own songs, that's my take on it.

[kerrgal]

@gillesbertacco the vocals fall apart at the end and there was also a couple of mistakes earlier

[craviola880]

WUNERFUL! Heard it over at sugarmegs.

So great. :-)

[HIghFlyinByrd]

yep, the bootleg this is on has some really good studio outtakes