{"id":5701,"date":"2022-08-31T19:28:25","date_gmt":"2022-08-31T18:28:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shindig-magazine.com\/?p=5701"},"modified":"2022-09-01T10:02:11","modified_gmt":"2022-09-01T09:02:11","slug":"the-byrds-1964-1967-a-400-page-art-book-curated-and-annotated-by-surviving-members-roger-mcguinn-chris-hillman-david-crosby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shindig-magazine.com\/?p=5701","title":{"rendered":"The Byrds: 1964-1967 \u2013 a 400-page art book curated and annotated by surviving members Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman & David Crosby."},"content":{"rendered":"

BMG Publishing unleash this epic new book on 1st September. To celebrate this momentous\u00a0occasion we are running\u00a0HARVEY KUBERNIK’s exclusive interviews with McGuinn, Hillman, and Crosby<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

BMG has announced The Byrds: 1964-1967,<\/em>\u00a0a new large-format 400-page collectible art book curated by the band\u2019s three surviving founding members, and available in three versions, including a Super Deluxe Limited Edition signed by Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, and David Crosby.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the definitive visual history of the group and features rare and never-seen photos, and is available in numbered and hand-signed limited editions.<\/p>\n

The Byrds: 1964-1967<\/em>\u00a0is available at The Byrds 1965-1967<\/a><\/p>\n

When the Byrds released ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ on Columbia Records in 1965, they introduced Bob Dylan\u2019s songs to a new audience and launched a career that would see them grow to become one of the most influential rock bands of all time.<\/p>\n

With their unmistakable harmonies and Roger McGuinn\u2019s innovative 12-string Rickenbacker guitar work, The Byrds never stopped experimenting. They incorporated folk, country, jazz and beat influences into a fresh blend that helped define an era. \u201cAnd not to be too shallow,\u201d Tom Petty once wrote, \u201cbut they also were just the best-dressed band around. They had those great clothes and hairdos.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s three surviving founding members \u2013 Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, and David Crosby \u2013 have come together to present\u00a0The Byrds: 1964-1967<\/em>, a large format tabletop book that offers a unique visual history of their group with vocalist\/songwriter Gene Clark and drummer Michael Clarke.<\/p>\n

Featuring more than 500 images from legendary photographers such as Henry Diltz, Jim Dickson, Barry Feinstein, Curt Gunther, Jim Marshall, and Linda McCartney, the book also includes restored images from the Columbia Records archives and the personal archives from the band\u2019s original manager, Jim Dickson.<\/p>\n

Gary Strobl, archivist and Diltz librarian, cleaned and scanned 180 images culled from original negatives snapped by Diltz, and Dixon.<\/p>\n

A dozen of the pictures of The Byrds were first displayed in my 2009 book, Canyon Of Dreams The Magic And The Music Of Laurel Canyon<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The Byrds: 1964-1967<\/em> is accompanied by a running commentary featuring McGuinn, Hillman, and Crosby\u2019s memories of the group, the era, and their late compatriots Gene Clark and Michael Clarke, this crafted volume is a glorious collector\u2019s item for Byrds fans and anyone who enjoys photography books spotlighting the pop culture of the \u201960s.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cI loved being in The Byrds,\u201d volunteers Chris Hillman. \u201cI absolutely loved it. And as crazy as we all were at times, when we were on our game, we soared, we flew high and mighty. I think we all shared a private belief and a strong faith that this was going to work. And it worked so well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Roger McGuinn with Rickenbacker Photo by Jim Dickson, Courtesy of the Henry Diltz Archives and Gary Strobl<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Adds Roger McGuinn: \u201cBeing in The Byrds was a detour to my dream of being a folk singer. It was a very special detour, and one I will always hold close to my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

This century I\u2019ve interviewed Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman and David Crosby. My first interview with Roger was in 1974 for the now defunct Sounds <\/em>magazine. \u00a0Chris and I spoke a few times over the last couple of decades. My brief Crosby interview was in 2021. <\/em><\/p>\n

I remember when The Byrds played Hollywood High School and Fairfax High School in 1965. They used to have these $2.50 school assemblies. During \u201965, I saw The Byrds taping an episode of Shindig!<\/em> at ABC-TV studios on Prospect Ave. in Hollywood. \u00a0\u00a0I followed the band from \u201965-75. I recall a May \u201968 benefit concert that the McGuinn and Hillman helmed Byrds did for Robert F. Kennedy\u2019s presidential campaign at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. Professional football player Roosevelt Grier was involved. Sonny & Cher were there along with Mahalia Jackson.<\/p>\n

One marvelous Byrds\u2019 gig was in \u201970 at The Ash Grove club in West Hollywood when guitarist Clarence White was in the outfit. \u00a0In \u201988 I worked on the benefit concert for the New Ash Grove at the Wiltern Theater in LA where all five original members of The Byrds appeared.<\/p>\n

Kim Fowley:<\/strong>\u00a0I was at Ciro\u2019s night club the night Dylan jammed with The Byrds in 1965. I had seen Roger, then Jim McGuinn, play in Las Vegas in \u201962 when he was in Bobby Darin\u2019s group. He was like a music student. Jim Dickson the group\u2019s co-manager who helped them develop their sound was there. He was a nice guy. Jim was like an older brother of everybody. He had worked at Dick Bock\u2019s World Pacific studios with Nik Venet and Lenny Bruce. He produced Odetta and the MFQ. Jim discovered Lord Buckley and produced several of his albums, including\u00a0Hipsters, Flipsters And Finger Poppin\u2019 Daddies<\/em>\u00a0and then The Byrds.<\/p>\n

I had grown up with Terry Melcher who was The Byrds\u2019 producer at Columbia Records. I loved The Byrds when I first heard them the first time with ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’. Great. It was electric folk music with a rock \u2019n\u2019 roll backbeat.<\/p>\n

Dylan showed up the afternoon before and had a press reception that Columbia Records publicist Billy James arranged. I was introduced to Dylan and asked him, \u201cBob Dylan what is your concept?\u201d And he replied, \u201cI have two: Asking questions. Telling stories.\u201d<\/p>\n

I later wrote a song for The Byrds\u2019 Untitled <\/em>LP with Roger McGuinn and Skip Battin, ‘Hungry Planet’.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The Byrds and Bob Dylan at Ciro’s in Hollywood. Photo by Jim Dickson, Courtesy of the Henry Diltz Archives and Gary Strobl<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rodney Bingenheimer<\/strong>: In 1965 I stood outside The Peppermint Stick nightclub in San Francisco, North Beach and heard The Byrds. I was underage. Later in \u201965 I moved to Hollywood and was at\u00a0The Big TNT Show<\/em>\u00a0where they played in The Moulin Rouge with Ray Charles, Joan Baez, Donovan, Bo Diddley, Roger Miller, The Lovin\u2019 Spoonful, The Ronettes, Petula Clark, and The Ike & Tina Turner Revue. It was Godhead! Because of the sound system, the guitars, amps, drums and Chris\u2019s bass playing, The Byrds were really making folk music come to life. Chris Hillman was always the quietest rock star and a nice guy. I saw him at Ben Frank\u2019s on Sunset Blvd. around the time I met Bob Dylan at The Trip which was across the street.<\/p>\n

Henry Diltz:<\/strong> \u00a0I knew The Byrds as fellow musicians. I was with The MFQ, did some sessions with Phil Spector, and I played on Bob Lind\u2019s ‘Elusive Butterfly’ that Jack Nitzsche arranged. I didn\u2019t see The Byrds play a lot in 1965 and \u201966, except once in \u201866 in downtown LA because I was working with The MFQ.<\/p>\n

To stand there and watch McGuinn play that Rickenbacker 12-string was mesmerising. It just put me into a place, and the harmonies, those were the songs we heard everyday driving down Sunset Strip on the radio. So, to me it was magic.<\/p>\n

I do know at The Monterey International Pop Festival there was tension in that group. Crosby was rubbing McGuinn and Chris Hillman the wrong way somehow. Well, Crosby is a Leo, the royal sign. He\u2019s like a young crown prince of rock \u2019n\u2019 roll. He\u2019s a great harmony singer and wrote some fantastic tunes. And Crosby has kind of a naughty boy thing. Holding up the guitar at Monterey with an STP sticker and doing his rap about the Kennedy assassination.<\/p>\n

Johnny Rogan<\/strong>: There were several reasons why Jim Dickson was fired. David Crosby had become entranced by Larry Spector, who was representing Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda, Hugh Masekela and various Monkees. Crosby persuaded the others that a change of manager would be a good idea, something he later regretted.<\/p>\n

Dickson could be overbearing and would never play the sycophant. He always told The Byrds what he thought about every aspect of their career, music or personalities \u2013 whether they wanted to hear it or not. Beyond the issue of personalities, his leaving was also symptomatic of the times.<\/p>\n