First time hearing THE BYRDS - Eight miles high REACTION
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- Опубліковано 14 лип 2024
- First time hearing THE BYRDS - Eight miles high REACTION.
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This song sounds like what the sixties felt like at the time
I was immersed in this type of music in my teens and early twenties and just took it all for granted. How fortunate was I to have been experiencing this in real time? What a wonderful thing! 🌺✌️
Me too, what fun days!
My sister had this album when it came out. I was about 8 but I remember this song.
Me too. I'm really enjoying all these reactors discovering the fantastic music of my teens,
The guitar Roder Maguin is playing is one of the best 12string guitars in the US ever and still made in the USA, Rickenbacker forever! ask Chris Squire of YES Bassist signature model bass.Rodger has a signature 12 sting Rickenbacker 350 guitar also,
My Mother "Dotty" worked at Rickenbacker in 63-67 and she made this guitar and four more for The Beatles and many other legendary bands from that era.
That is totally cool !
Nice ! 😊👍
That's great. You mother would have some great stories to tell.
I hope your mother bought one to give you
I own 36 Electric Guitars including a 2014 exact copy of John's 325-C64 Custom model.@@normatible9795
This was a psychodelic song with the weird, almost backwards sounding 12 string guitar parts - it was really iconically psychodelic.
The Byrds were a lot more diverse and varied than many people realize, a great catalog of music. Thanks for the reaction Harri ✌️
The unusual guitar sound is from Roger McGuinn who was the guitar player and leader of The Byrds. He is playing an electric 12-string guitar, which gives their music a jangly sort of sound. The electric 12-string Rickenbacker guitar is his signature instrument.
My Mother worked at Rickenbacker in 63-67 and she made this guitar and four more for The Beatles and many other legendary bands from that era.
Wow!
@@HarriBestReactions My mom “Dotty” made most of special order famous RIC guitars of that era.
Harrison‘s, Lennon’s, Townsend’s & McGuinns 12 strings. The first time she had to put strings on a 12 string with the double tuning head style she had to ask Ward (GM) how to do it and it took him three tries to get it right. Harrison’s 360/12 was the second 12 string ever made, but the first with new tuning design and the model the rest were made after making it the real first Production Model.
At their New York meeting, Lennon asked Hall to make him a twelve-string model to match his 325, and in March '64, Rickenbacker shipped a 325-12 Jet-glo guitar to him in London.
“Dotty gives our guitars the woman’s touch, that’s why they are so sexy looking” - Ward Deaton GM at RIC 1964
Dotty made Bass guitars for Paul McCartney, Paul later painted his left-handed 1964 4001S FG Rickenbacker bass psychedelic. McCartney’s bass was the first left - handed ever made in January 1964. It was given to him in August 64 at the Hollywood Bowl concert.
John Entwistle, Chris Squire, Roger Waters, Maurice Gibb and many others.
Mom is 89 years old and lives in SO Cal.
@@HarriBestReactions In the 1974, I worked for “Fender Musical Instruments” in Fullerton California.
I made two Fender Rhodes Electric Pianos for John Lennon/Apple Studios.
The one used on “Walls and Bridges”
“Well if they’re gonna send one, send two cause I’d like one as well”
John Lennon ordering a Fender Rhodes Electric Piano at the Apple studios.
(Elton John recorded “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” with the same piano)
My mother and myself are the only mother/son that both built an instrument for John Lennon.
My mother made guitars for many famous Rockers, including the red guitar that was smashed by Peter Townsend of the WHO and is in the Rock HOF. I have built pianos for “You name it”
just about everyone IE: “Pink Floyd” on “Dark Side Of The Moon”
It is our little contribution to Classic Rock.
I’m very proud of that fact.
@tecdessus Francis Hall brought the first one with him to N.Y. when he met with The Beatles. A radio station gave Harrison a second 12 string later. Some are confused about the two.
Written by Clark, McGuinn, and Crosby, the song was influenced by the sitar player Ravi Shankar, as well as by John Coltrane. It relates to the Byrds trip to London. It was released in 1966, and was one of my favorites at that time, when I was about to finish my undergrad work and head off to graduate school.
Makes sense. Almost sounds at times like there is a sitar also in the song.
You're right. You can hear the influences of Coltrane and Shankar in this song as The Byrds translate those influences into something uniquely theirs. It's a classic song that absolutely stands the test of time--very little of today's music can compare with this for originality, power and messagery. I left a longer comment here for the man who posted the reaction video.
Seminal Psychedelic Rock track. 12 string guitar solo essentially an homage to John Coltrane's playing style.
Psycodelic music from the 60's !
One of my favorite Byrds songs
Iconic
The jingle jangle sound of a 12 string Rickenbacker is what you are hearing.
As I recall, at the time it was said "Eight Miles High" referred to the altitude that a commercial private jet made by the Lear company could fly. The song is about the disconnect between normal life and being able to fly so high and far in such a short time that you feel estranged on arrival.
👍🏼👍🏼
My young days, Sir Harri. We lived through a renaissance of music and art, fashion, peace, et cetera. Don't ever change the greatest channel in the world.
Emperor Don! 😁✌🏾
@@HarriBestReactions What Don said!
This is one of the songs you recognize after two seconds of the intro.
Roger's 12 string Rick just makes my heart happy this is one of those song that the group said was about a plane trip to LA and the drug people said was about a trip
Psychedelic time of my youth I was given a kaleidoscope and saw rainbows.
I definitely enjoyed this, Harri!
Roger Mcguinn played an electric Rickenbacker 12 string guitar. He says, in several interviews, that he was listening to a lot of John Coltrane at the time. In particular the modal improvisational technique that he employed on certain jazz recordings.
🖤✌🏾
@tecdessus Yep. The real Scott Walker. ( the one you are thinking about only used my name as a stage name ). :-)
The Byrds were such a fantastic band back in the 60s and 70s. Good choice Scott.
Oh wow. Forgot about this one. Loved it too back in the day. The Byrds were great as were so many other bands back in the creative era of the wonderful 60 s. Best music era imo but then again - I lived through all these incredible music times and they all represent an amazing time machine of memories.😊👍
@@Cynthia... Part of the song briefly references them (The Byrds) being accused of using the name of a not so well known British band called The Birds when they (The Byrds) arrived in Britain.
It was a huge hit in the 60's with us Hippies!
Great early rock group. I helped get them to my college, back in the day.
Front row, center, with HuGe BonG 😁
I was a platonic groupie ~
Hahahha a very beautiful platonic groupie!
The intro is a 12-string guitar which was their trademark they were a folk-rock group
Tripped out masterpiece.
My teen years, British Invasion! Great song
The Byrds gave the world a radically new sound in Rock music. The 1980s/90s band REM were heavily influenced by the Byrds sound.
Very psychedelic. Jazz influence in the solos.
When this was released, the jazz world was a buzz about John Coltrane (A Love Supreme). All the West Coast rockers wanted to pick up on a piece of that.
Harmonies are sooooo smooth. Would like to have been in the studio when they recorded this.
That would have been something
Roger mcguinn.friend the sound is from the 12 rickenbacker guitar its sound is bitchin.no one could play it like roger mcguinn one of the finest guitar players alive. bar none.
Thanks for featuring this classic song by The Byrds. As someone else has pointed out here, The Byrds were strongly influenced at the time by listening to John Coltrane and Ravi Shankar, so those influences show up in the song in unique ways as The Byrds make it their own in what was dubbed psychedelic rock. As you say, it's more artistic and avant garde than much of what they'd done previously or was more commercial at the time. Like you, I love the vocal harmonies that are so ethereal and sweet in The Byrds' recordings like this. You asked about the guitar sound and what instrument it is. As far as I know, it's Roger McGuinn playing his usual Rickenbacker 12-string guitar, but playing it somewhat like a jazz/sitar instrument, and David Crosby is playing the rapid-fire chords as the rhythm guitarist of the band.
The Byrds introduced folk rock along with Dylan and Buffalo Springfield, then blew things open with this pre psychedelic epic! Nice memories!
Love Roger McGuinn's signature Rickenbacher 12-string. The solo is inspired by John Coltrane's "sheets of sound". I saw him do it live on Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue in Toronto, '75. Some old friends - identical twin brothers' older brother's band played this at a party for our class, maybe grade 6 or 7 too. Couldn't have been just us, we were 21-2. Used to love playing 'Hey Mr. Spaceman' myself.
A very attractive co-worker passing my work area one day said, "I was thinking about you last night." "Oh?" I retorted wittily. "Yeah, I started reading 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy." Again, my quiet smile spoke librairies. Of congress. ;>D I have that effect on women. "Gotta study."
On re-hearing this what struck me (:-) was the six? rapid drum beat unit used by the drummer. I don't have the formal vocabulary to describe it any better.
At the time it was the guitaring that impressed me..
My favorite Byrds song - a psychedelic classic.
Great song..... You'll love this one......“Time Has Come Today“- The Chambers Brothers Long version, then Live. PLEASE and Thank You
This song is absolute brilliance. Now, one of the heavy influences, according to the band was John Coltrane. If one listens to Coltrane, especially when he really lets it go in his Tokyo concert, you can certainly hear it. Brilliance can spurn more brilliance. And, here we are.
I'm 70 years old so I was in junior high when this song came out. I loved it then & I love it now. The guitar playing is pure magic.
Thank you! Highly recommend "So you wanna be a Rock-n-Roll Star" by the Byrds. Its a gem.
Both Tom Petty and Patti Smith did great covers of this.
Roger MacCguin (leader and guitarrist) inspired in the music AFRICA of John Coltrane! Simulated in his acords de style of Coltrane play's in his Rickembaker 12 strings the similar ( or approximately)this acords.🙂🤏👍
Say hey Harri, Thanks for your typically thoughtful reaction to one of my favorite records. You used the word 'avant-garde' and that is exactly the term that was often applied this song when it was released.
I sat and had a beer with Gene Clark shortly before he died. He was lovely to speak with. No pretensions.
1966/1967 saw an increasing number of mainstream commercial releases which featured tape tricks, rythmic variations and experiemental use of electronic effects - some examples (the Beatles "Tomorrow Never Knows") made heavy use of such effects, as did "Eight Miles High" - The Supremes hit "Reflections" is another example from 1967, the phasing (flanging) on the Small Faces (coincidentally mentioned in this song) 1967 hit "Itchycoo Park" is another example - but there are many others.
The lyrics of "Eight Miles High" are based on The Byrds' reactions to their first visit to London - thus "When you touch down, you'll find that it's stranger than known", "Known for it's sound" , "In places Small Faces are known", and "Nowhere is there warmth to be found" and so on. It has been said that The Rolling Stones ill-fated Brian Jones had an uncredited hand in writing the song.
The composer and lead guitarist, Roger McGuinn plays a 12-string guitar. He is one of the few guitarists who consistently did, though I think occasionally George Harrison did. To give you an idea of some of your demographic I have been a fan of The Byrds since 1965 As the band continued on they moved more into the country-rock genre. Try their song Gunga Din you will see what I mean. All the best.
I first heard this on the radio in '67 i think. Anway i'm still struck by this music and the way we felt in those days!
The oriental aspect that you're hearing is Indian raga music, which is one of The Byrds' influences that they incorporated into this song. The song was also influenced by John Coltrane.
Thanx,yourethe first to address this.Everyvody else was talking bout the 12string
Roger Mcguin was influence by jazz on this song and was playing a Rickenbacker 12 string. A song way ahead of it's time. Came out in the mid 60's.
The Byrds were famous for their jangly guitar. It was a 12 stringer that produced that effect. 8 miles high was one of their biggest songs, though not the biggest hit. They always HAD to play it at live gigs, once they didn't, and the fans almost pulled the place apart. The song gets a reference in Don MacLean' s American Pie too. On the double Untitled album there is a 20 minute live version of this, including a bass solo. Rely worth a listen!
The song is about the band touring, and flying into yet another unknown anonymous town to perform. It's not a drug referance, the title is about the passenger planes flying at 40,000 ft.
I love this song but all the live versions I’ve found on here are terrible (in my opinion) they go off on a long tangent and the jangle isn’t there. Golden Earring does an almost ridiculously long drawn out cover of Eight Miles High and it’s great. “Itialian” sounding guitars instead of the hammer on notes. Much better than any live Byrds performance of this song that I’ve found so far
There’s almost nothing better than the studio version
@@thomasmiller5057 I tend to agree about the live versions of the song by the later Byrds iteration. It's difficult to match the complex mix of elements in the recorded version with a live performance, no matter what. But I think I have seen one video on here in which The Byrds are playing it live, possibly with a partial pre-recorded instrumental track as well. I just don't know where I saw that. I'm more than satisfied with the official recorded version of the song, which is an absolute classic. It's sad that many younger audiences don't know of The Byrds but do know The Beatles. Both bands are deserving of attention, with music that is timeless.
I have both the mono and stereo versions of their first 5 albums. The mono mixes come through cleaner than the stereo remixes because those songs were recorded in mono originally. Love their early albums with David Crosby(CSN&Y). If you like the harmonies you would like their cover of the David Crosby song Laughing off their last album Byrds with all he original members. The guitar used is a Rickenbacker 360 it has that twang sound. If you want to hear something interesting there is a band that used middle eastern guitars and instruments with the writing of rock music....here is a suggestion....The Kaliedoscope - "Egyptian Gardens" (1967). There is a band from the UK that used the same name at the same time that were just as brilliant. Love your reactions! Keep them coming! Thanks!
Glad to see someone else banging on about mono vs. stereo mixes. You are absolutely right about this one. MUCH cleaner in mono.
Great Byrds song! Check out Have You Seen Her Face, I'll feel a whole lot better (when you're gone), My Back Pages, etc.
Good call, their early songs were epic in those days!
@@glenminnick3724 They certainly were epic and memorable.
This is another one of the most influential folk rock bands from the 60's. The Byrds covered a lot of Bob Dylan's songs. They had a lot of great hits such as "Mr. Tambourine Man", "Turn! Turn! Turn!", "Eight Miles High", "All I Really Want To Do", "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better", "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere", "So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star" etc. David Crosby was originally in this band before he became part of Crosby Stills & Nash.
Such a classic 60s song. I read it was written on a plane flying into London.
The jingle jangle sound of McGuinn's 12 string Ric required a ton of studio compression in order give him both the brightness out of the speakers of that era, and any sort of sustain. So a shout out to his engineer: Ray Gerhardt.
❤ i was a kid when 8 miles debuted , its always was one of my many favorites.. miss you guys 😢
Hypnotic and beautiful and I've always felt that McGuinn's guitar licks in the beginning, middle and end always sounded to me like his fingers were getting tangled up in the strings but he comes out of it so smoothly and lovely sounding. His choice of a 12 string electric was their trademark sound and was inspired by George Harrison's 12 string playing on the A Hard Day's Night movie and singles like Eight Days A Week. McGuinn , who had previously played a fair amount of acoustic and banjo transformed his sound completely and the Byrds harmony made them one of the greatest American bands at that time.
I just saw Roger McGuinn Saturday night doing a solo. Amazing show.
I was lucky enough to see Roger and Chris Hillman several years ago backed up by Marty Stuart and the Fabulous Superlatives. Marty is now playing Clarence White's guitar!
I am telling you...
the sound those guys made was spot on perfect as a Byrds band.
"Avant Garde" was exactly what they were going for. I think Roger McGuinn was trying to get some John Coltrane influence in the solos.
It's a heavily compressed 12-string electric guitar, that's all, and some Lydian modal scales or other (ask a music major). Cool drum part too. One of the first records I ever bought ($0.50 in those days). Actually it wasn't as well received as their previous singles, because it was a bit too far out for some folks, and more importantly, some people thought it was about an LSD trip (it wasn't) which was beginning to hit the headlines. It's about flying to swinging London, England, during the era of Beatlemania.
Their next hit, "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better" was amazing, and epitomized their sound in 1966. You need to hear that.
They were among the best American bands, heavily Beatles influenced, and riding the folk music wave that had been popular in America. Remember "Hootenanny"?
While many people know about Rogers guitar playing in these Byrds hits,
few realize how much Crosby is doing behind him to set the rhythm.
Amazing. Loved them then and still love them now.
According to the lore behind The Beatles song "She Said, She Said", it was The Byrds, David Crosby in particular, who turned George Harrison onto the music of Ravi Shankar during their 1965 US tour.
First psychedelic record to make the Top 30. "Eight Miles High" was a synthesis of John Coltrane and Ravi Shankar.
Heard the Byrds in 66 or 67, stuck in my head. Totally 60s driving music. Fire up that Mustang and hit the road.
Roger McGuinn was listening to a tape with Ravi Shankar and John Coltrane "sheets of sound" on their previous tour which inspired his guitar solo and your comments Hari! One of the best singles of the Sixties and it is all about the Bytds impressions of London on their first visit to your home city ::)
As far as I am aware , Roger favoured his 12 string Rickenbacker, the sound of which becomes apparent on other songs like Mr. Tambourine Man, All I Really Wanna Do, and Turn, Turn, Turn
My older brothers were in high school when this song came out, they passed off their musical taste on to me, big fan of the Byrds. My brothers hated fat Cosby as they called him, I always thought that hilarious.
Harry...it was very Avant guard at the time...I was a sophomore in college and still have this original album that I purchased...Roger McGinn played a 12 string Rickenbacker guitar that made the unique sounds...the guitar harmonies and stereo fidelity were unbelievable at the time and still are great to listen too. T his was a great classic album then and now !
Gene clark wrote the majority of this song, with contributions from crosby and of course Rogers amazing guitar work🎸🎶🎶
The first notes of the leads were inspired by John Coltrane's 'India', and he went on from there.
I am glad you played this. It reminded me to go and see the part of Easy Rider where The Byrds sing, " I Wasn't Born To Follow", with that luscious tape flanging half way through
that song is SPOOKY... I heard it as a kid in the 70s and for some reason it really scared me
12 string electric guitar Harri thats what they were famous for! Thanks!
I actually consider this a jazz song due to the asymmetrical rhythms and tempo.
I’m so glad I grew up listening to this music! Love your shirt!
The instrumental "tag line" was from a work by John Coltrane called "India". That is one you should play just for S & G. The entire piece was a song written by Gene Clark about the visit to England in 1965, with the aid of Brian Jones, Roger McGuinn and David Crosby and was one of the first attempts to infuse pop music with Jazz.
considered the first psychedelic song along with another I can't remember. It is also referenced in Don Mclean's American Pie
"Helter skelter in a summer swelter, the birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
It landed foul on the grass, the players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast"
The Other song your thinking of might be The Yardbirds Shapes if Things
Mclean's doggerel is unfit to mention in the same breath as this genius recording
The song 5D from this album has a very catchy melody. It has long been a favorite of mine.
The Byrds make dreamy music, imo. Love this song. Another great song by them that gets me moving, is "Have You seen Her Face". It's a groovy [ah!, old speak, ha ha], feelgood, upbeat track. Check it out Harri, coz I think you'll dig it!
I believe Coltrane actually was the "Indian/east Asian" influence for this song.
Hey my brother man it's a 12-string Rickenbacker my brother actually had a model that was named after Rodger McGuinn but he sold it yeah this song was banned back in the 60s nobody could conceive I guess that a plane could fly up that high but I think it does and if it doesn't maybe 6 Mi High doesn't sound as good as Eight Miles High yeah man I just love The Melodies and harmonies is just such a pretty song it would have went number one if it wasn't banned by radio stations then later on they played it a lot you know because it was just such a great song that is after the whole fervor was over this was the Beatles favorite band I love it there from LA my neck of the woods and then of course David Crosby went on to join up with you know Crosby Stills and Nash and Stephen Stills was from Buffalo Springfield and Graham Nash was from the Hollies anyhow my man glad you reacted to this song it's such a trans send it song
when I was real young I remember my babysitter and her boyfriend smoking pot and listening to this I always love this music great time to be a kid aloha
Gotta do"I feel a whole lot better "by the Byrd's, you will enjoy, thanks 😎👍
Ah the classic sound of that 12-string Rickenbacker guitar. 🎸☮️💕
That's a classic.
The musical instrument you described as unusual sounding is a 12 string Richenbacher guitar
Great grey town known for its sound - London
There's a Live, it's amazing, I never knew.
Wonderful
Chestnut Mare has some great pickin' in it. One of my favorites.
It is important enough to be mentioned in "American Pie." Produced and helped to develop by Terry Melcher, Doris Day's son. Terry actually was being pursued by Charles Manson to help him be a music star. He didn't think Manson was good enough. The Byrds created great music and were a very influential band. This is a brilliant tune.
the cosmic Byrds "important enough" for a mention in that sad-Dad "rock classic"!? do us a favour
@phillip ph inevitably everyone's music era becomes someone's "sad dad" music. Fortunately, I'm not stuck in the 70s. I have three young adult children who help keep me up to date. I can appreciate music from just about every genre from every era. It is the beauty of music.
@@andythrush3341 i know what you're saying, but you must know great music that transcends time & place, do you not? i could rattle off 100 000 examples like 8 miles high, but the other side of that coin is the american pies, the meatloafs, the harry chapins , born to rot the charts and replicate like fungus all through the 70's. i blame cola commercials, the lead paint, and the mandrax
The turbulence of the guitar reflects the turbulence of the times.
that is the sound of a Rickenbacker guitar, it has that jangly type sound
As mentioned, it's Roger's guitar playing.
I think Maguinn was trying to emulate Sitar! On His Rickenbacker 12 String! Raga was happening Big at the time!
1966: This is one of the very first psychedelic songs from that era.
"Helter skelter in a summer swelter, the birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast"
Jonny Lang - STILL RAININ’
12 string electric like Georgre Harrison played- Rickenbacker. David Crosby dies the high harmonies, too.
What about the Birds as both were around the same time and law suit but the songs were a hit all over the world.
The strange music you refer to is called "psychedelic' ! The guitar is a 12 string electric guitar.
The Byrds did a great job with this song. I like the Roxy Music version of it much better. You should try it.
Your question on the "sound". The song was loosely stolen from John Coltrane and one of his tunes: India" Coltrane was influenced by modes from India music and Coltrane even developed his own music scale based various modes and India music Inc sitar.
The song was banned on many am stations. Considered a "drug song" (it was) but Mc Guin said it was about fkying.
React to The Byrds The Times They Are a-changing mr. Tambourine Man and turn turn turn
Of course Coltrane played sax but the sitar played a role in India and hence "8 miles high"