It's a lot easier to like and respect someone from a distance than to spend a bunch of time working with them.
I think McGuinn, Hillman and Marty Stewart’s band working together on this Sweetheart of the Rodeo project is wonderful! As far as Cosby; I think the following would hit the sweet spot to,get them together and avoid the whole Byrd’s Hullaballoo: Just ONE TIME , record and film this - Have the Roger, Chris, Marty and band perform Sweetheart. Bring Crosby; out , have them play 4 recent solo songs of his choice, same for Chris and Roger . Then the inevitable Byrd songs. Recorded and filmed for our collections. Then they would be done with all the reunion talk and would display their current relevant work. ...........of course , if anything genuine, and organic developed from this project and they wanted to work together ......well....well.........!
It's a little weird that they're doing Sweetheart without Gram, when they could be doing Younger Than Yesterday and Notorious Byrd Brothers with Crosby. When you've got the three creative principals behind those two albums still alive and touring, it feels a bit of a waste and a missed opportunity to focus on Sweetheart instead. But I get the reasons.
I spun my preferred Turn Turn Turn: Turn Turn Turn It Won't Be Wrong Set You Free This Time Lay Down Your Weary Tune She Don't Care About Time He Was a Friend of Mine The World Turns All Around Her Satisfied Mind If You're Gone The Times They Are A-Changin' - Alternate rockin' arrangement Wait and See It's All Over Now, Baby Blue This might have been their best album if they knew how to sequence an LP.
[ I like Captain Soul and I'm not that big of a fan of Rider (a deserved outtake, IMO). But I have to give you credit for not deleting Hey Joe. I've never understood the dislike this song engenders among many fans. Aside from Crosby's ill-suited vocal, it's a great performance.
A thread has been started regarding a Sweetheart of the Rodeo tour, here.... "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" 50th Anniversary tour
"Captain Soul" had already been used as a B-side, which is pretty much where it belongs. Not just a mediocrity, it sticks out like sore thumb and doesn't bring at least a little bit of cohesion to the album.
This is remarkable and significant in that it's the first time in a long time McGuinn has actively participated in a Byrds project. I hope it goes well on its own merits: just about every country artist and many americana artists owe something to the Byrds. Not to mention every band that pushed itself beyond its orginal concept (and quickly: only 13 months separated Turn Turn Turn and 8 Miles High.) Beyond that, I hope it generates some new music.
Echoes interviewed Ianthe McGuinn about het book and the early days of the Byrds back in January. She also shared some rare photos of the Byrds and gave us the back story on them. You can read the interview and see the photos at the link below: January 1, 2018 vol.2 no.1
Does anyone detect some irony in that the Sweetheart of the Rodeo tour is esentially being promoted as a Byrds tour? Since David owns the Byrds name, did he have to give any permission? Otherwise, aren't Roger and Chris sort of doing the same thing Michael and Gene did in the late 80's, touring as a 'Byrds Tribute' band (and contracting as such, although the promoters had other ideas) that led to the fallout between R,C and D, and G and M? Just when I thought it was time for some disfunctionality or potential controversey from the Byrds they come through again!
The Sweetheart tour thread has some discussion of this, simmering nicely and complicated by debate over the surviving Byrds' religious beliefs. The battle lines are being drawn. Time to get under that chair...
I'd like to read this book, to get a different view. Like when we got the Gram documentary, after several male/band-dominated biogs (Griffin, Fong-Torres, Walker - all very enjoyable and readable in their ways) - the whole picture was altered by the contributions of his female relatives and associates. The Gene Clark story too became a lot more understandable once we got his family's side. It all becomes more human and well-rounded (wrote he, fumbling for adjectives).
Al Jardine got in trouble for using Beach Boys, Family and Friends, because Mike had the rights to the Beach Boys touring name. The Byrds poster I saw kind of straddles the line, just saying Byrds Co-founders and mentioning the 2 Byrds and 1 other performer touring with them.
Crosby owns the trademark to the Byrds' name as well as the distinctive 5D logo. I really doubt McGuinn and Hillman would be using either in their advertising without Crosby's permission. And I really doubt he would deny them permission, because he wants to stay on Roger's good side since as long as the three of them remain alive he will harbor hopes that Roger will relent.
Has anyone ever noticed that "Space Odyssey" was released on tNBB in January 1968, while Kubrick's film did not come out until almost 3 months later?
True, but the song was still based on the film, in a roundabout way. The film's story was loosely inspired by Arthur C. Clarke's "The Sentinel" which was published in 1951. Kubrick began filming 2001: A Space Odyssey in December 1965, and its title was known to the public as early as 1966 (it's mentioned in this New Yorker profile of Kubrick that was published in November 1966). McGuinn and Hippard's "Space Odyssey" follows the plot of the earlier "The Sentinel" (a pyramid built by aliens being found on the moon). Clearly, they knew that Kubrick was making a film called 2001: A Space Odyssey that was inspired by "The Sentinel," so they wrote a song called "Space Odyssey" that was based on "The Sentinel."
Has this ever been posted before? An interview with Roger (or "Rodger") and Chris from the Record Mirror, right before their ill-fated South Africa tour. "There was tension in the group because they were leaving for South Africa the next morning, and two members of the group didn't want to work for segregated audiences." Love reading these primary sources - I can easily spend hours looking through all the articles from the 1960s Music Magazines blog.
Kubrick's film was eagerly anticipated for quite some time by the US psychedelic bands. Info about it must have leaked out. There's an interview with Jerry Garcia somewhere where he says that, when it finally came, it didn't disappoint!
The Byrds were clearly science fiction geeks. McGuinn wrote his song about a Clarke story, and Crosby referenced Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land" in two different songs.
