Mr Tambourine Man

The Byrds | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 30, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sbme Special Mkts.
• ASIN: B003O5MO6Q
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,913 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

The complete 1965 release, augmented by unreleased alternate takes of She Has a Way; I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better; It's No Use , and You Won't Have to Cry , plus the mono single version of All I Really Want to Do (on CD for the first time) and an unreleased, long-rumored instrumental called You and Me !

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Byrds Take Off In Stunning Debut, January 29, 2012

By 

Tom (Rochester, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mr Tambourine Man (Audio CD)

In 1964, Jim (later Roger) McGuinn, Gene Clark, and David Crosby were young folk musicians caught up in the rising tide of Beatlemania. The trio joined forces at the Troubador Club in Los Angeles in the spring of 1964, drawn together by their common interest in creating a synthesis of folk and pop; combining Bob Dylan with John Lennon. The group worked on their sound for the balance of the year at World Pacific Studios under the tutelage of Svengali manager and producer, Jim Dickson. Chris Hillman (bass) and Michael Clarke (drums) were brought in to augment McGuinn on lead guitar and Crosby on rhythm guitar. Vocals were handled by McGuinn, Clark, and Crosby. The Byrds were born. Dickson had some connections to Dylan which resulted in the group rehearsing the unreleased "Mr. Tambourine Man." Through the efforts of Dickson and with the help of Miles Davis, the Byrds signed a contract with Columbia Records.

The Byrds entered Columbia's Studio A in Hollywood in January 20, 1965 to record "Mr. Tambourine Man" and B-side, "I Knew I'd Want You" (by Gene Clark). Producer Terry Melcher (son of Doris Day) allowed only McGuinn to play on the two tracks, relying on veteran session musicians to fill out the instrumental backing. The rest of the songs on the "Mr. Tambourine" album were recorded from March 8 to April 22 with the band playing the instruments.

"Mr. Tambourine Man," the single, was released on April 12, 1965 and became the number-one song across the U.S. in June. Another single, "All I Really Want To Do" with B-Side, "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better", was released on June 14 but only peaked at number-forty on the charts. The album was released on June 21 and peaked at number-six.

For eighteen months American rock music listeners had wondered when a domestic band would rise to the challenge of the "British Invasion." "Mr. Tambourine Man" was the first noteworthy American response to the British domination of the pop charts. Reaction to the Byrds was immediate. Critics labeled the innovative new sound as "folk-rock." The chiming, jingle-jangle sound of McGuinn's 12-string Rickenbacker combined with the soaring choir-like harmonies of McGuinn, Clark, and Crosby became the Byrds' trademarks. At a time when rock albums were usually comprised of a hit single or two surrounded by filler, this album was solid from start to finish. "Mr. Tambourine Man" directly influenced the future work of Dylan and the Beatles and spawned a myriad of imitators. There are only a handful of rock albums from 1965 that are worth listening to now. "Mr. Tambourine Man" is one of them. Rolling Stone Magazine voted "Mr Tambourine Man" number 232 on its 500 Greatest Albums list released in 2003.

The Byrds recorded a total of twelve albums from 1965 to 1973 and were often at the forefront of new musical styles including jazz rock, psychedelic rock, and country rock. Members dropped out (or were fired) and were replaced over the years with McGuinn being the only constant. Former Byrds went on to enjoy significant and influential careers as soloists or members of other bands. But the original Byrds' place in the rock pantheon will forever be distinguished by the term, "legendary." The five founding members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.

Side One:

Mr. Tambourine Man - One of the most influential singles of the 60's; the marriage of folk and pop rock. The famous Wrecking Crew session players backed McGuinn. Rolling Stone voted the Byrds' single version of "Mr. Tambourine Man" as song number 79 on its 500 Greatest Songs list released in 2004.

I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better - Gene Clark sings good-riddance to a former lover. One of his best songs.

Spanish Harlem Incident - Another Bob Dylan tune. Nothing special.

You Won't Have To Cry - Clark's and McGuinn's simple, Beatle-ish love song.

Here Without You - A great Gene Clark tune.

The Bells of Rhymney - The Byrds take a Scottish folk song, made famous by Pete Seeger, and rock it up. Fabulous! George Harrison borrowed the guitar riff for his "If I Needed Someone."

Side Two:

All I Really Want To Do - Another Dylan tune. Sonny and Cher's version was more popular.

I Knew I'd Want You - Another wonderful Gene Clark love song.

It's No Use - Clark and McGuinn wrote this driving rocker which presages the Byrd's "Fifth Dimension" album.

Don't Doubt Yourself, Babe - The Byrds pay homage to early supporter, Jackie DeShannon.

Chimes of Freedom - A Dylan protest song is transformed into a classic Byrds folk-rock tune.

We'll Meet Again - The Byrds end the album with tongue in cheek with this British WWII song that was featured in Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove" (1964). The Byrds will continue to feature a novelty song at the end of their next several albums.

The following album outtakes were included in the 1996 CD reissue:

She Has A Way - A lovely Gene Clark tune. Too bad it didn't make the original album in place of "We'll Meet Again."

I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better - Less polished, earlier version. Gene's vocal are more pronounced.

It's No Use - Earlier, alternate version.

You Won't Have To Cry - Earlier, alternate version.

All I Really Want To Do - Single version.

You and Me - Funky instrumental credited to McGuinn, Clark, and Crosby.