Mr. Tambourine Man (album)
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| Mr. Tambourine Man | ||
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| Studio album by The Byrds | ||
| Released | June 21, 1965 | |
| Recorded | January 20–April 22, 1965 | |
| Genre | Folk-rock | |
| Length | 31:35 | |
| Label | Columbia | |
| Producer(s) | Terry Melcher | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| The Byrds chronology | ||
| Mr. Tambourine Man (1965) |
Turn! Turn! Turn! (1965) |
|
Mr. Tambourine Man is the debut album by the American folk-rock band, The Byrds. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart, staying on the charts for 38 weeks; it also went to #7 in Great Britain. The single of the same name, Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man," had been released on April 12, 1965, and went to #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and in the UK; another single and Dylan cover from the album, "All I Really Want to Do," just made the Top 40, peaking at #40.
The single instantly established the band on both sides of the Atlantic, introducing the new genre of folk rock. Its most distinctive features were the vocal harmonies of Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn and David Crosby, and McGuinn's twelve-string Rickenbacker guitar playing (which complemented the lyric's "jingle jangle morning"). This combination became the band's signature sound in this early period.
Of the album tracks, most of the band originals were penned by Clark, the group's central songwriter over its first eighteen months of existence, including "Here Without You" and "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" (the latter became something of a rock and roll standard, inspiring many cover versions). There was also an abundance of Dylan material, with three songs taken from his Another Side LP, leading to accusations of the band being too reliant on his work. Other covers included an expansive arrangement of Pete Seeger's "The Bells Of Rhymney", stressing the band's folk music roots, and Vera Lynn's war years standard "We'll Meet Again," given a very sardonic reading influenced by the song's appearance in the final scene of Stanley Kubrick's movie Dr. Strangelove.
The label had replaced the band with session musicians for the single and its b-side, "I Knew I'd Want You". By the time the album was recorded, the group had polished their sound to producer Terry Melcher's satisfaction, and The Byrds themselves played on the remaining tracks.
Rolling Stone selected this album as number 232 for their List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Contents |
[edit] Personnel
- Jim McGuinn, vocals, guitars
- Gene Clark, vocals, tambourine
- David Crosby, vocals, guitars
- Chris Hillman, vocals, bass
- Michael Clarke, drums
[edit] Additional personnel
- Jerry Cole, rhythm guitar
- Larry Knechtel, bass
- Hal Blaine, drums
- Leon Russell, keyboards
[edit] Track listing
- "Mr. Tambourine Man" (Bob Dylan) – 2:29
- "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" (Gene Clark) – 2:32
- "Spanish Harlem Incident" (Dylan) – 1:57
- "You Won't Have to Cry" (Clark, Jim McGuinn) – 2:08
- "Here Without You" (Clark) – 2:36
- "The Bells of Rhymney" (Idris Davies, Pete Seeger) – 3:30
- "All I Really Want to Do" (Dylan) – 2:04
- "I Knew I'd Want You" (Clark) – 2:14
- "It's No Use" (Clark, McGuinn) – 2:23
- "Don't Doubt Yourself, Babe" (Jackie DeShannon) – 2:54
- "Chimes of Freedom" (Dylan) – 3:51
- "We'll Meet Again" (Ross Parker, Hughie Charles) – 2:07
[edit] 1996 reissue bonus tracks
- "She Has a Way" (Clark) – 2:25
- "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" (Clark) – 2:28 (alternate version)
- "It's No Use" (Clark, McGuinn) – 2:24 (alternate version)
- "You Won't Have to Cry" (Clark, McGuinn) – 2:07 (alternate version)
- "All I Really Want to Do" (Dylan) – 2:02 (single version)
- "You and Me" (McGuinn, Clark, Crosby) – 2:11 (instrumental)
[edit] Release history
| Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalog | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | June 21, 1965 | Columbia | Mono LP | CL 2372 | |
| Stereo LP | CS 9172 | ||||
| 1987 | CD | CK 9172 | |||
| April 30, 1996 | Columbia/Legacy | CD | CK 64845 | Remixed stereo plus bonus tracks. | |
| United Kingdom | 1965 | CBS | Mono LP | BPG 62571 | |
| Stereo LP | SBPG 62571 | ||||
| May 6, 1996 | Columbia/Legacy | CD | COL 483705 | Remixed stereo plus bonus tracks. |
[edit] Remix information
Mr. Tambourine Man was one of five Byrds albums that were remixed as part of their re-release on Columbia/Legacy. The reason for the remix was stated by Bob Irwin (who produced these re-issues for compact disc) during an interview:
| “ | The first four Byrds albums had sold so well, and the master tapes used so much that they were at least two, if not three generations down from the original. In most cases, a first-generation master no longer existed. They were basically played to death; they were worn out, there was nothing left of them. | ” |
He further states:
| “ | Each album is taken from the original multi-tracks, where they exist, which is in 95% of the cases. We remixed them exactly as they were, without taking any liberties, except for the occasional song appearing in stereo for the first time. | ” |
Irwin's assertions that no liberties were taken have been proven false in many instances. For one, there is a short section of "Chimes of Freedom" that exists in the stereo remix that never existed in the original mix. The song "Mr. Tambourine Man" appears in a radically different, super-wide stereo remix whereas the original stereo mix was so narrow as to almost be mono. The fades are different on almost every song as well.
Many fans enjoy the remixed album because it's very close to the original mix in most cases and offers noticeably better sound quality. However, there are also a lot of fans who dismiss the remix as revisionist history and prefer to listen to the original mix on vinyl or the 1987 CD release.
[edit] References
- Fricke, David. Liner Notes, Mr. Tambourine Man, Columbia/Legacy CK 64845 1996.
- AllMusicGuide.com
- Whitburn, Joel. "Top Pop Albums 1955-2001," ISBN 0-89820-147-0
- Bob Irwin remarks from ICE #108, March, 1996
| The Byrds |
|---|
| Roger McGuinn | Chris Hillman | David Crosby | Gene Clark | Michael Clarke Gram Parsons | Kevin Kelley | Clarence White | Gene Parsons | John York | Skip Battin |
| Discography |
| Studio albums: Mr. Tambourine Man | Turn! Turn! Turn! | Fifth Dimension | Younger Than Yesterday | The Notorious Byrd Brothers | Sweetheart of the Rodeo | Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde | Ballad of Easy Rider | (Untitled) | Byrdmaniax | Farther Along | Byrds |
| Live albums: Live at the Fillmore - February 1969 |
| Compilations: The Byrds' Greatest Hits | The Best of The Byrds: Greatest Hits, Volume II | The Original Singles: 1965-1967, Volume 1 | The Original Singles: 1967-1969, Volume 2 | Super Hits | The Byrds Play Dylan | The Essential Byrds |
| Box Sets: The Byrds | There Is a Season |
