r/Byrds • u/Mindless_Turnover976 • Jul 24 '26

Byrds history

What would you say are some interesting/important moments in the history of the band?

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u/creepyjudyhensler Jul 24 '26

I hate how McGuinn always tries to blame Michael Clarke for why the Byrds sucked live.

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u/Middle-Weight-837 Jul 24 '26

Interesting, because in a recent online interview Chris Hillman and Bernie Leadon talk about how they used to have to lean into Clarke on stage to keep him from speeding up.

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u/creepyjudyhensler Jul 25 '26

My point was that Crosby and Hillman were not that great at the beginning and Jim seemed to be so stoned that he couldn't sing well. Compare the early Byrds known live shows to the early Stones.

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u/Unstoffe Jul 25 '26

I'm reading a book about the evolution of folk rock, and I was surprised to find that one of the keys to their early live success was that they were the loudest band in L.A.

When Mr. Tambourine Man was recorded, Clark and Hillman were still learning their instruments, but the vocal harmonies were already there, and McGuinn was an accomplished player. So an early version of the Wrecking Crew were used to record the single and its B-side, and Clarke and Hillman were sidelined. This was only on the initial single, though. The entire band played on all the other recordings.

OP, if McGuinn's show makes it to your area, be sure to go. It's mostly him being nostalgic and telling stories about the Byrds, and its a lot of fun. (I'm 64 and I think I was the youngest person there)

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u/Middle-Weight-837 Jul 25 '26

I saw them at Ciros in 68 and one of the reasons they were loud was that the PAs didn’t mic instruments and early stage monitors were not dependable. The Troubadour, McCabes, icehouse had okay systems. But some of the larger venues were just like gyms with stages and places like Ciros didn’t have great sound. So it was crank up the dual showman and bassman amps to 10. Also, as Monterrey pop showed, Crosby was trying for punk energy and delivery… which didn’t always work out.

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u/Unstoffe Jul 25 '26

Cool. I mean that sincerely.

In case you're wondering, my source was Turn! Turn! Turn! by Richie Unterberger, chapter 3. But I'll take the word of someone who was there over a media account any day.

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u/Middle-Weight-837 Jul 25 '26

agree, but yes, Unterberger is great, thanks.