Number 1 With A Bullet: The Byrds’ “Turn! Turn! Turn!”
The Byrds - "Mr. Tambourine Man" (YouTube)
After gathering a Number 1 hit with their version of Bob Dylan‘s “Mr. Tambourine Man” (Number 1 With A Bullet, 9/5/11), the Byrds battled Cher for chart supremacy with their cover of Dylan’s “All I Really Want to Do.” (They lost.)
They bounced back with their third single, a version of Pete Seeger‘s “Turn! Turn! Turn!”
It was Jim McGuinn who suggested the Byrds roll their own version of the song based on the Book of Ecclesiastes. He had learned it while playing on a Judy Collins album and shared it with his band mates while on a tour bus.
Though it came together rather quickly in concept — with David Crosby adding vocal harmonies — it took more than 50 takes to produce the single. Unlike their first Number 1, this one was played entirely by the band. It spent three weeks at Number 1 in December ’65.
There’s a lot more ammo where this came from. Check out more songs that were “#1 with a Bullet” here…
Speedy
September 15, 2011 9:14 pm
I came across a tape of a live Byrds concert today that indicated it was a WNEW-FM broadcast from 1971! Does anyone know if this really was broadcast on WNEW, and if so what date and from what venue? See more details below.
THE BYRDS – WNEW Broadcast New York 1971 (FM)
WNEW Broadcast New York 1971
Track List:
1. Lover Of The Bayou
2. Chimes Of Freedom
3. Chestnut Mare
4. Positively 4th Street
5. Eight Miles High
6. Turn! Turn! Turn!
7. Ballad Of Easy Rider
8. Wasn’t Born To Follow
9. Instrumental
10. You Ain’t Going Nowhere
11. So You Want To Be A Rock’n'Roll Star
12. Mr. Tambourine Man
13. Glory Glory
14. Mr. Spaceman
Michael Verity
September 15, 2011 9:23 pm
Will look into it…
Speedy
September 16, 2011 3:15 am
Thanks! Appreciate your help