Incoherent ramblings on the 50th anniversary of the release of the Byrds's Fifth Dimension

I did some checking to refresh my memory, and according to Rogan (as quoted in this post) the song that Michael Clarke played harmonica on after a failed attempt by Gene (and Roger) was the outtake version of "She Don't Care About Time." But Roger has also reported that Michael was the one who played harmonica on "Captain Soul." In that case though, the rumor that Gene was at the session is apparently untrue.

 

Glad to see you like my favorite rock album, Mr. Mooze.

 

I asked Bob Irwin & he said Clarke plays the harp on 'Captain Soul'. My other question for him was who arranged the strings on the two folk song covers but he didn't know.

 

It's a Turkish poem by Nazim Hikmet (1902-63) which was set to a Scottish folk tune by Pete Seeger. The English translation was done by Jeanette Turner & sent to Seeger with the suggestion that he try to write or find a melody for it. I love it.

 

I wonder what is the source of the rumor that it's Gene Clark playing harmonica on "Captain Soul"? I'm pretty sure I remember hearing it in the 80s when I was a new Byrds fan, but I can't remember where. Is it simply based on the fact that Gene played harmonica on other Byrds tracks, so it was assumed to be him? Did the misspelling of Clarke's name in the songwriting credits (he's listed as "M Clark") create confusion?

 

It makes sense that it's Clarke, since I believe he was the one who wanted to do a "soul" number on the album & pushed to include their jam on "Get Out Of My Life Woman". I think it's super groovy. I always picture go-go dancers in miniskirts when I hear it. Too bad they didn't credit Clarke under his real name (M. Dick).

 

David Fricke's liner notes on the 1996 reissue of the Fifth Dimension compact disc credit Gene Clark with the harmonica for Captain Soul. "Clark continued to pop into the studio; that's his harmonica on the vanilla R&B instrumental 'Captain Soul'" On the musicians credits Gene Clark is credited with playing tambourine, harmonica and vocals. Michael Clarke is only credited with playing drums. On the other hand the songwriting credit for Captain Soul goes only four ways with no credit going to Gene Clark. I have always wanted it to be Gene playing on that song. My assumption is though, that Michael did indeed play on the song.

 

Ok, here is my version of Fifth Dimension. I tried to make it filler free. I put a Gene song in there(Thanks Maggie).

Side 1
1. 5D
2. Wild Mountain Thyme
3. Mr. Spaceman
4. I See You
5. What's Happening
6. The Day Walk
Side 2
7. Eight Miles High
8. Why
9. I Know My Rider
10. Psychodrama City
11. John Riley
12. Captain Soul

Side 1 remains pretty close to being the same except I put Gene's The Day Walk in place of I Come and Stand at Every Door. I do like the song but not enough to keep it. I have always been influenced by the Never Before cd sessionagraphy where it said that the Day Walk was found on the same tape as the early versions of Eight Miles High and Why. We later found out that it was recorded much earlier during the Turn Turn Turn sessions. I would not be surprised to learn that the song was started in September 1965 and was finished in December 1965. just like the third version of Why was finished much later for inclusion on Younger Than Yesterday. No matter, the song sounds like it belongs on Fifth Dimension. So that is where it will go.

On side 2 I got rid of Hey Joe and put Why in its place. I then put the two songs that were recorded after the albums release, I Know My Rider and Psychodrama City. I think they sound like they belong on this album. I am going to pretend that the album was released a month later so these songs can go on there. I got rid of Lear Jet Song and put the instrumental Captain Soul at the end.

 

Is there a 'MONO' digital verison with bonus tracks?

 

yeah...the Japanese Blu-Spec disc...mono/stereo plus bonus tracks.

 

Thanks. Locating an available copy is ostensibly impossible. As an example on Amazon it clearly indicates M.T.M. as a Japanese Blu-Spec while 5D.......not so clear.


EDIT--just found this.
Fifth Dimension [Cardboard Sleeve (mini LP)] [Blu-spec CD] [Limited Edition] The Byrds CD Album »

 

I was listening to my Sundazed mono the other day. Flipped the album over to side two with the great Eight Miles High kicking it off. But I was hearing a weird scratch in certain spots. I thought I may be losing my mind. i thought my speakers were going wonky. So I listened on headphones. Still there. Then I went to my original mono copy and heard it there, just a little softer. Then I went to the Mono Singles Collection vinyl that Sundazed released last year. Still there. Though I could not hear it on any stereo copies I have. Has anyone else heard it? Can you check it out for me? Thanks.

 

Coming late to the thread, but great post!--and no more incoherent than something David Crosby would have said about it at the time

 

Bump.

 

Yeah it's there on my Japanese singles set too - Eight Miles High is in mono on that one.

 

I'm not sure what you're hearing... could it be string squeak from McGuinn's heavily compressed Rickenbacker? Is it audible on the stereo version?

 

I think the album is a lot like the Beatles' HELP album - too much filler on it to be taken seriously, but the 3 or 4 strongest originals on it were like nothing else anyone had done before. George didn't stick with the 12 string guitar, but McGuinn did - that sound added some sort of steely focus to the whole thing. The Byrds kept the harmonies but Gene left - they were in the middle of gaining (stronger songs) but lost perhaps their finest songwriter, which was the beginning of the end. My favourite track : I SEE YOU, played loud.

 

I'm not sure what you mean, but if you give times in the song, I could check against my mono copies. I'm so steeped in the texture of that song that nothing about it seems wrong.

 

I'll listen to it tonight if I think about it and post times. Was out of town for work today so I couldn't get back. But it doesn't sound like a string squeak to me. Almost more of an radio static sound.

 

All right, here are some incoherent ramblings:

"STATELY, PLUMP BUCK MULLIGAN CAME FROM THE STAIRHEAD, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed. A yellow dressing gown, ungirdled, was sustained gently-behind him by the mild morning air. He held the bowl aloft and intoned:
-- Introibo ad altare Dei."


"Madame Sosostris, famous clairvoyante,
Had a bad cold, nevertheless
Is known to be the wisest woman in Europe, 45
With a wicked pack of cards. Here, said she,
Is your card, the drowned Phoenician Sailor,
(Those are pearls that were his eyes. Look!)"


"I was standing in the grocery store trying to picture what it would be like to not have an imagination. I looked over to say something to my existentialist real estate agent, he sold real estate but the estates were only real to him. I was distracted and my mind started to wander while I was keeping an open mind, and when I turned back around I had lost my mind."


"Arg! Also blurg!"


I was going to link to the Democratic and Republican Convention speeches, but I guess that's against Forum Rules. Sigh, such fertile fields waiting to be furrowed! And that's just THIS year!

 

Reading this post is like listening to the Firesign Theater, except not as funny.

 

The Byrds: 5D. CBS UK

 

I'm assuming it's the bit around the 2.35 mark - always thought it was just damage to the tape.

 

I thought it was established that The Day Walk was from the Turn! Turn! Turn! sessions. It's a great song and sounds at home added to either album, but...

I happen to think the first two albums by The Byrds are unbeatable and I always name Turn! Turn! Turn! as my favorite by the group. What some music fans hear as a dated, immature sound is utter perfection to my ears; never matched and never bettered.

5D was a frustrating album to me at the age of 12. I was heartsick when I saw that Gene Clark was not pictured on the cover and I tried to convince myself that he must have been sick on the day of the photo session, like Al Jardine on the Beach Boys Summer Days (and Summer Nights). But there was no picture of him on the back cover either... how could this be true!? I love the string arrangements, but they injected a bit too much something for everyone variety into the program and the album is nearly capsized by the second side. "Why are they covering The Leaves Hey Joe?" I thought. I did a CDR project several years ago that put the album back into rotation for me.

5D (Fifth Dimension)
Wild Mountain Thyme (Another Dimension version without strings)
Mr. Spaceman
I See You
What's Happening?!?!
I Come And Stand At Every Door

Eight Miles High
Captain Soul
John Riley (Another Dimension version without strings)
I Know My Rider (outtake)
Why? (single version)
2-4-2 Fox Trot (The Lear Jet Song)

The undubbed versions of Wild Mountain Thyme and John Riley aren't necessarily better, but they make the album more cohesive to my ears. I happen to like Captain Soul and it works well as a palette-cleanser after Eight Mile High. I Know My Rider is great, Why? belonged on this album, not YTY, and closing with a humorous novelty song was okay... I always enjoyed 2-4-2 FT (although I did a "remix" on this, centering the backing-track/vocal channel and reducing the overall volume of the sound effects).

I would be curious to hear the MONO version, for sure.