The Flip Sides of The Byrds' Singles: He Was A Friend Of Mine

For our final day of our look at The Flip-Sides of The Byrds' singles, we are going to do something a little different. Dare I say...special.

He Was A Friend Of Mine was a traditional folk song dating to the mid 1930s. On the night of John F. Kennedy's assassination, on this very date 50 years ago, Roger McGuinn rearranged the traditional folk ballad and rewrote the lyrics to make the song about the slain President. The Byrds recorded McGuinn's He Was A Friend of Mine almost two years later on November 1, 1965 and released the tribute to the fallen President on The Byrds' second LP, Turn, Turn, Turn.

Now here is the kicker. The above pictured 45rpm of He Was A Friend Of Mine was never actually released. Bazinga. Columbia Records pressed a few test pressings of the record with He Was A Friend Of Mine pressed on both sides of the disc in November of 1966 and distributed them to radio stations only in Los Angeles to see if the stations thought a JFK third anniversary tribute had any potential. Clearly the answer was "no" and Columbia pressed no more.

We at On The Flip-Side thought it appropriate to pull this out of our vaults on this, the 50th anniversary of JFK's assassination, and solemnly share this rather rare record for you today.

Until next time, we'll see you On The Flip-Side!

The Flip Sides of The Byrds' Singles: Pretty Boy Floyd, Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man

Pretty Boy Floyd

For the 14th single, Gram Parsons was now clearly exerting a massive influence in the band. But the man with the plan was Chris Hillman. Hillman was firmly ensconced as a primary songwriter in the band and it was he who began pushing the country sound and many critical personnel changes, including using Clarence White as a studio musician and bringing in Gram Parsons to replace David Crosby. Hillman gets songwriting credit for the A-Side, I Am A Pilgrim (Though we agree with the commenter below, it's a traditional song that predates the Byrds). For the Flip-Side Gram Parsons pushed the Woody Guthrie number, Pretty Boy Floyd. Because of contractual issues, Gram Parsons could not sing the lead, leaving Roger McGuinn to more than ably handle the duties. John Hartford plays banjo on the number. I'm unsure of who plays the fiddle and the mandolin. 

Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man

The only 45 from The Byrds to show Gram Parsons name as a composer didn't even feature Parsons. By the time Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man was recorded and released in January of 1969, Chris Hillman and Gram Parsons had flown the coop and reunited with ex-Byrds, Michael Clarke to form the Flying Burrito Brothers. That left McGuinn to do the lead and the harmony singing. Guitar wizard Clarence White takes over lead guitar, John York was on drums and Gene Parsons picked up the pace at drums.

The Flip Sides of The Byrds' Singles: Change Is Now, Artificial Energy

Change Is Now

By the time the Byrds released their 12th single, the Goffin-King composed, Going Back, on October 20, 1967, they were a band in the midst of massive change. For starters, change in personnel, as David Crosby left the band shortly after recording this single. But also a change in musical direction as the band dabbled with country, psychedelia and straight out pop -- to mixed results, I might add. The Flip-Side, Change Is Now, is our featured song and it may be the last thing Crosby recorded with the band. It's likely that Jim Gordon is sitting in on drums for Michael Clarke and Red Rhodes provides us with the nice pedal steel throughout the song.

 Artificial Energy

It took quite some time for the new-look Byrds, now with Gram Parsons replacing David Crosby on guitar and vocals and Kevin Kelly replacing Michael Clarke on drums, to release their 13th single. A full 6 months had passed since their last single. The re-feathered Byrds returned to a tried and true formula -- record a Bob Dylan song! The fabulous You Ain't Going Nowhere was recorded in Nashville and showed The Byrds' full frontal embrace of country music. For the Flip-Side the band turned to an old song recorded for the previous album, the Hillman, McGuinn, Michael Clarke composition, Artificial Energy which kicked off the tepid Notorious Byrd Brothers LP released just three months prior. It's a peppy pop number with horns and, I believe, Hillman on lead vocals.

The Flip Sides of The Byrds' Singles: Don't Make Waves, Old John Robertson

More on the path less traveled of Byrds singles.

Don't Make Waves

Don't Make Waves appeared on the Flip-Side of Have You Seen Her Face, released on Columbia in May of 1967. For the first time ever, bassist Chris Hillman gets writing credit on both sides of the single. Hillman is the lone composer of the excellent Have You Seen Her Face (which we wrote about almost two years ago here) and he shares credit with Roger McGuinn for the Flip-Side that we feature today. Don't blink, it goes by fast at a cozy 1:36. Apparently David Crosby thought it "a masterpiece" as you can hear at the end of the song.

Lady Friend

This is soooo hard not to share some of these A-Sides. Lady Friend, a non-lp number composed and sung by David Crosby is a real great gem with harmonies reminiscent of the best work by the Beach Boys. The Flip-Side is an odd number composed by McGuinn and Hillman called Old John Robertson.  Mcguinn takes the lead and we even get a funky little string concerto break down in the middle. All in 1:50.

The Flip Sides of The Byrds' Singles: Everybody's Been Burned, Renaissance Fair

Day four of our Tour de Byrds Flip-Sides in chronological order. 

Everybody's Been Burned

After a four month hiatus, The Byrds returned to producing records in January of 1967 for Columbia Records with the stellar So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star. That number was written by McGuinn and bassist Chris Hillman, who gets his first song writing credit on the A-Side. The Flip-Side was, for the second straight release, a David Crosby composition. Everybody's Been Burned is another languorous number with Crosby singing lead and not a single trademarked Byrds harmony to be heard. It's really exquisite and very Un-Byrds like. 

Renaissance Fair

For the 9th single, released in March of 1967, The Byrds returned to the proven formula of putting a Bob Dylan cover on the A-Side, My Back Pages, and an original composition on the Flip-Side. David Crosby again does the heavy vocal lifting in this song he wrote with Roger McGuinn. McGuinn and Hillman lay the new sounding Byrds harmonies on thick. The goofy lyrics and hippy-dippy ethos of Renaissance Fair should make me run for the ye olde hills. But I love it, largely for the musical arrangement. Chris Hillman's bass work in particular is really something special here. 

The Flip Sides of The Byrds' Singles: Why?, Captain Soul, What's Happening?!?!

 Day three of our spin of the Flip-Sides of The Byrds original US singles.

Why? (singe version)

Why? appeared as the Flip-Side to The Byrds 5th official single, the remarkable Eight Miles High as released on Columbia Records in March of 1966. The A-side was written by Gene Clark, Roger McGuinn and David Crosby. McGuinn and Crosby get songwriting credit for the featured song today. This would mark the last recording before Gene Clark would take flight from the band. The song would later be reprised with a different take featuring a longer intro and no Gene Clark, for the apex of their LP work, Thoughts And Words. 

Captain Soul

Captain Soul is an instrumental credited to the whole band (sans Gene Clark who just left months before) and was featured as the Flip-Side to 5D (Fifth Dimension) released June of 1966. The song is a clear lift of the Allen Touissant song, Get Out Of My Life Woman which would get released by The Leaves five months later on Mira. Get Out Of My Life Woman was also recorded by Dutch garage gods, Q65. 

 What's Happening?!?!

David Crosby gets his first lead singing job on a Byrds single with What's Happening?!?!, the Flip-Side to the September 1966 release, Mr. Spaceman. David Crosby had a languid jazzy style with odd timings, chord progressions and unexpected phrasing. That style would play itself out over his long career, but here you get to hear the birth of his unique style. I love this song and the way Michael Clarke propels the number into the warped Roger McGuinn leads.

The Flip Sides of The Byrds' Singles: She Don't Care About Time and It Won't Be Wrong

Back for more of The Flip-Sides of The Byrds' singles. Today we look at the Flip-Sides of the third single, Turn, Turn, Turn, and the fourth single, Set You Free This Time.

She Don't Care About Time

She Don't Care About Time was the Flip-Side of the The Byrds' third single and mega-hit, Turn, Turn, Turn, released on October 1, 1965. Gene Clark, for the third straight time, provides us with the original composition backing a cover song on the A-Side. Gene Clark, logically, takes the lead on the song as well as performing the harmonica work over the brief guitar lead. 

It Won't Be Wrong

For the fourth single, released on January 5, 1966, Gene Clark was given the A-Side with his melancholy song, Set You Free This Time, the first time an original had graced that coveted side of the record. That left Roger McGuinn to get the Flip-Side with his 1:58 composition, It Won't Be Wrong. It's an incredibly strong Flip-Side with a catchy guitar riff and some nice time changes that give the number a jazzy feel. Roger McGuinn sings the lead with Clark and Crosby harmonizing throughout.

The Flip Sides of The Byrds' Singles: I Knew I'd Want You, I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better

As frequent readers of On The Flip-Side know by now, I'm a fan of Flip-Sides. That's often the place where the edgier, less pop oriented songs were relegated. And with the Byrds, particularly the early days, that's the place to where the band originals were relegated. We're going to spend the next few posts looking at the Flip-Sides of most all of the Byrds US singles discography through the 1960s. There are so many that we will double and triple up to cover them all.

We'll start today with the first two singles, both from 1965 for the titan of labels, Columbia Records.

I Knew I'd Want You

I Knew I'd Want You was the Flip-Side of the band's debut single, the brilliant cover of Bob Dylan's Mr. Tambourine Man. Roger McGuinn gets the lead on the A-Side, but here, on the Flip-Side, Gene Clark steps to the center of the mic on his own composition. The four singers of the band, Gene Clark, Chris Hillman, Rogert McGuinn and David Crosby were rarely ever better than on Clark's compositions. Dig the lush harmonies of McGuinn and particularly Crosby's tenor. Gene Clark didn't fly all that long with The Byrds. But his three years (and occasional returns) were incredibly important to the sound of the LA based band that rocketed to fame at the speed of sound. Gene Clark's compositions were brooding, most often slow (almost awkwardly slow) with unusual vocal phrasing and puzzling lyrics. I'm guessing that is Van Dyke Parks on the electric piano hidden way deep in the mix. 

I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better

The Gene Clark composition I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better may well be my favorite Byrds song of all time. Columbia toyed with the idea of releasing it as the A-Side of their second single, releasing it as a double sided promo on red wax in the US, before deciding to put it on The Flip-Side of another Dylan cover, All I Really Want To Do. I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better is clearly the superior of the two songs. Gene Clark again has the lead on his own composition, this time a more sprightly number with a slew of suspended chords that would become a trademark of The Byrds sound. Roger McGuinn's guitar work, from the jangly suspended chords to the lead, are just perfect. 

A&M Records Spotlight: The Flying Burrito Brothers - Older Guys

From 1970, we have the ground breaking Alt. Country pioneers, The Flying Burrito Brothers, performing Older Guys. Three members, Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke came from The Byrds. Bernie Leadon played guitar and also appeared on the Dillard And Clark song, Out On The Side, which was featured just two days ago. Sneaky Pete Kleinow rounded out the line up.

Until next time, we'll see you On The Flip-Side!

Song of the Week: The Byrds -- It's All Over Now, Baby Blue

We close today with not one, but two -- that's right, TWO - versions of The Byrds performing It's All Over Now, Baby Blue. The blue version is an unreleased recording by the original line-up of The Byrds (Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, Chris Hillman, Gene Clark and Michael Clarke). It was recorded in Los Angeles in 1965, about the same time the Beckett Quintet recorded the song in the same town, and was slated to be the perfect pitched band's 3rd single on Columbia Records. The Byrds and their manager, Terry Melcher, were unsatisfied with the recording as a single and instead turned to another song which Roger McGuinn had been arranging, Turn, Turn, Turn. Somehow the Byrd's early version of It's All Over Now Baby Blue never got past a preview showing on a local LA radio station. Never even made it to an album. D'oh!

Roger McGuinn returned to Bob Dylan's song four years later in 1969. But this was a very different Byrds band. David Crosby was now a founding member of Crosby, Stills and Nash (yuck), Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke left to found The Flying Burrito Brothers with interim Byrds-alum, Gram Parsons. And Gene Clark was making some striking records with Doug Dillard. The version of the The Byrds who recorded this song were Clarence White, John York, Gene Parsons and, of course, McGuinn. This version did see the light of day in both the film and soundtrack for Easy Rider. Much slower, and much more countrified. It's still pretty cool and this line-up of The Byrds showed they could harmonize just about as well as the original line-up. 

Enjoy!

Video Diary: The Flying Burrito Brothers - Chrisie's Tune (Devil In Disguise)

Song of the Week: The Byrds -- Have You Seen Her Face?

The Byrds were probably America's best band in an era dominated by the British Invasion. Not just clones of the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, The Byrds blended American country and western, pop and folk to create a beautiful new sound. That sound was most distinguished by the beautiful harmonies of four of the five members. By the time the band's fourth -- and best -- album Younger Than Yesterday was released,  Gene Clark (pictured above on the right and recipient of two Flip-Side posts in his post-Byrds career. Those are Out On The Side and Polly) had departed the band for good. With that departure the Byrds were now missing their strongest singer and perhaps their strongest songwriter. Tensions between David Crosby and the rest of the band were bubbling over and creating particular tension between the band and band leader Roger McGuinn.

From that bubbling cauldron, bassist Chris Hillman emerged, perhaps unlikely so, as a major creative force. Co-composer of the album's #1 hit single, So You Want To Be A Rock-N-Roll Star, Hillman also wrote and sang lead on four other songs on the album: Thoughts And Words, Time Between, The Girl With No Name, and today's SOTW, Have You Seen Her Face.

And more than that (if that wasn't enough), Hillman changed the sound of The Byrds, not just with his flatter, more countrified voice, but with the musicians he brought in to support his songs. Chris Hillman called on country guitar wizard Clarence White to play leads on Hillman's songs, essentially ditching The Byrds trademark 12-string chimey Rickenbacker as the lead instrument. Now we had the twang of a Fender Telecaster. This was a total rebranding of the Byrds that would become permanent as David Crosby would soon leave the band and be replaced by another Chris Hillman friend, Gram Parsons (himself a recipient of a Flip-Side post for his beautiful solo-era song, A Song For You). Of course those two would quickly leave The Byrds, along with drummer Michael Clarke, and form their own group, The Flying Burrito Brothers.

Have You Seen Her Face was released as a single in the US and died a miserable death on the charts. In some respects, it marks the beginning of the end of The Byrds' chart success. That doesn't mean the song isn't great, just that the stuff they were soon to record wasn't as radio friendly as before.

I've always had a soft spot in my musical heart for Chris Hillman. Not only was his bass work for the Byrds tremendous, but as noted above, his song writing and singing grew into it's own. As co-founder, and anchor, of the Flying Burrito Brothers, Hillman proved to be the corner stone in the creation of country-rock.

Enjoy Have You Seen Her Face.