The Byrds - All I Really Want to Do (Top of the Pops - 1965)

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One of the most influential American rock groups of all time, the Byrds began in 1964 as a Los Angeles folk trio called the Jet Set, composed of Jim McGuinn (who later changed his name to Roger) along with David Crosby on guitar and Gene Clark accompanying on tambourine; all three shared vocal duties. McGuinn had been an accompanist for the Limeliters, the Chad Mitchell Trio, Bobby Darin and musical director for Judy Collins. Gene Clark had been a member of the New Christy Minstrels (along with Barry McGuire and Kenny Rogers).

After changing their name to the Beefeaters, McGuinn, Clark and Crosby recorded an Elektra single called "Please Let Me Love You," which was not well received. By 1964 the group added bassist, Chris Hillman (who also played mandolin), and were in search of a drummer. Crosby and McGuinn were standing in front of the Troubadour when they spotted a man coming toward them who looked like a combination of two of the members of the Rolling Stones. Michael Clarke was hired on the spot for just looking the part. Clarke didn't know how to play the drums, but that didn't matter.

Crosby's friend, Jim Dickson, was a producer at World Pacific Studios. Dickson would let the trio record late every night on some old tape that wasn't good enough to use for a record but was fine for rehearsal. Chris Hillman was playing a cheap Japanese bass and Michael Clarke didn't have a drum kit, so he learned on a set of cardboard boxes with a tambourine taped to the top. The first practice recordings they made sounded very primitive. Dickson decided to get a $5000 loan so that the band could get some real instruments.

The band was having Thanksgiving dinner when they tried coming up with a new name for the band. Gene Clark offered "The Birdsies." Nobody liked that name and Dickson said, "How about the Birds"? "Birds" was slang in England for girls and the band didn't want to be called "the Girls." Then McGuinn came up with the B-Y-R-D-S spelling, and it stuck.

The group's first big break came when Jazz legend Miles Davis heard them and got them a contract with Columbia Records, contingent on the success of a single. Their second stroke of luck was when Jim Dickson remembered a Bob Dylan song that Dylan wasn't going to use on his next record because someone was singing out of tune on the track. The song was a folk style tune in 2/4 time with four verses. It ran about five minutes long. Dickson had the Byrds line up in front of the studio monitor and listen to "Mr. Tambourine Man."

Crosby said, "I don't like it man! It's too folksy with that 2/4 time and all those verses. Radio will never play a song like that!" David was right. Radio wanted what sounded like Beatles' songs and had a strict time limit of two minutes and thirty seconds for a single record. McGuinn had an idea for a new arrangement. He added a Bach-like intro on his Rickenbacker 12-string guitar and changed the time signature to 4/4 time like a Beatles' song. Then they all auditioned for the lead vocal part. First Gene sang it, then David and finally McGuinn.

Dickson liked the way McGuinn sounded on the lead and gave him the part. McGuinn also suggested that they use only one verse to cut down the overall length of the song. They picked the verse with "Boot heels wandering" because it reminded them of "Beat poet," Jack Kerouac.

"Mr. Tambourine Man" was recorded in the winter of 1965 at Columbia's studio "A," in Hollywood. The record sounded good, but Columbia wasn't sure when it should be released and the tape was held back for what seemed like an eternity. Then on June 5, 1965, "Mr. Tambourine Man" was released. By June 26, 1965 it had climbed to the number one spot on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

You can read the rest of this bio at http://www.classicbands.com/byrds.html

Category:

Education

Tags:

• pop
• rock

[DivineBananaFly]

all they did was steal bob dylan's songs and then take all out the authenticity out of them?

[John1948TwoC]

@DivineBananaFly You know Bob Dylan sold songs to other artists, right? They didn't steal anything.

[mfeltes]

Yes, Michael Clarke, it's annoying to have to mime your songs on TV, but you could at least hit your drums.

[Celi415]

Pshh..i dunno what you guys are talking about...I mean, obviously it takes skill to play drums like michael does in this video!! lol

[gonzataker]

I want a hair and a glasses like Roger McGuinn

[TheBabyboomkidof53]

@SpeegBJ I'm glad to be from back then too I have alwas been a big fan of the 3Bs...thats beatles, beach boys, and byrds. I had a pair of the green ben franklin glasses. that is the name they were marketted by. but they were called granny glasses by popular use. I never found crosby's cape anywhere but I sure tried to. clark's boots however were everywhere.they came in assorted colors of suede,yellow-green,blue,brown,­black,red,as well as imitation black leather. I still listen to byrds music.

[SpeegBJ]

Jim, later Roger, McGuinn wore the (called back then) Granny, never Franklin, glasses to the first shows they performed together in in '65 in L.A.---Ciro's. I saw them then. This was way BEFORE other rock or folk performers wore them; maybe even before Lennon. The cape worn by David, those glasses and the knee-high suede boots worn by Gene Clark were a sensation, as their sound was. They were an instant take. Grateful to have experienced them back then.

[John1948TwoC]

@moxie96 They are two names for the same thing.

"Contrary to the name, granny glasses were a sign of vibrant, energetic youth. Granny Glasses, or Ben Franklin glasses, were first seen in California around 1965. A few months later, they were on such famous faces as John Lennon and The Byrds. Created by Roger McGuinn... As with most fashion trends, the craze came to a quick end in 1967."

badfads[DOT]com/pages/fashion/­granny-glasses.html

[moxie96]

@petie71 no just regarded as ben franklin glasses according to the ad I saw for them in a vintage magazine I may not have anymore, john had a pair of them as did george (think his were bottle green) but I'm not sure if they were blue like jim's and perter cook's worn in bedazzled were black lensed curved ones!

[raponte1955]

@MsDylangirl Yeah! Dylan rules forever!!!!!

[raponte1955]

LOL for those who wondered if David Crosby was once young and (almost) handsome, there is the proof!!

[ilovedatasoong]

0:42 - 0:56 Did anyone else notice that Gene was smiling.....but when he looked at Jim, his smile faded :(

I wonder why...