Byrds Songs Written or Co-written by Gene Clark

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I forget where I read this (maybe in the liner notes to one of the reissues?), but didn't Gene write something like 75 songs for The Byrds that were never recorded, partly because the other band members vetoed a lot of his compositions and partly because he quit the band so soon? I'm pretty sure the 27 songs here are all the ones that are on record. ("She's the Kind of Girl" and "One in a Hundred" were recorded by the original Byrds line-up but credited to Gene alone)

Poll Results

OptionVotes
I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better 16
Eight Miles High 11
Here Without You 6
Set You Free This Time 5
The World Turns All Around Her 5
She Don't Care About Time 5
If You're Gone 3
Full Circle 2
Get to You 1
She's A Kind Of Girl 1
One In A Hundred 1
You Won't Have to Cry 1
The Day Walk (Never Before) 1
Think I'm Gonna Feel Better 0
You Showed Me 0
You and Me 0
The Reason Why 0
For Me Again 0
Boston 0
You Movin' 0
Tomorrow Is a Long Ways Away 0
Please Let Me Love You 0
The Only Girl I Adore 0
I Knew I'd Want You 0
It's No Use 0
She Has a Way 0
Changing Heart 0


first geir, it's alright (hongro hongro go faster faster) (unregistered), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 00:19 (twelve years ago)

(the option should read "She's the Kind Of Girl", but you know what I mean)

first geir, it's alright (hongro hongro go faster faster) (unregistered), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 00:21 (twelve years ago)

how can i choose!

i guess i'd just rather listen to canned heat? (ian), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 00:33 (twelve years ago)

Feel a Whole Lot Better (I don't know any others except 8mileshigh though!)

Iago Galdston, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 00:35 (twelve years ago)

i know all of them i think but "Feel a Whole Lot Better" is my favourite

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GwjfUFyY6M (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 01:32 (twelve years ago)

going by the preflyte track listing gene pretty much was the byrds until they recorded tamborine man. and that early stuff was really good. gonna have to do some listening to decide here.

sleepingsignal, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 01:41 (twelve years ago)

To highlight the wistful melancholy of "If You're Gone", McGuinn and Melcher devised a droning, Gregorian harmony part that sounds uncannily like another instrument and foreshadowed the raga rock experimentation that the band would undertake on their next album.

listening to the track w/o the main vocals just the droning is so spooky and gorgeous

buzza, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 01:47 (twelve years ago)

It's highly likely that in '64/5, Clark was the best American songwriter working within a band context whose name wasn't Brian Wilson.

Vol. 3: The Life & Times of E. "Boom" Carter (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 01:49 (twelve years ago)

My absolute favourite Byrds songs are all here: "She Don't Care About Time," "You Showed Me," "Here Without You," and "Eight Miles High." (You could add "Wasn't Born to Follow" to that list.) I'll vote for the first, but those four are pretty much dead even.

clemenza, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 01:52 (twelve years ago)

listening to the track w/o the main vocals just the droning is so spooky and gorgeous

huh, how can you listen to it without the lead vocals? was an alternate version ever released?

first geir, it's alright (hongro hongro go faster faster) (unregistered), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 01:57 (twelve years ago)

heard it on bob brainen's wfmu show ages ago, maybe from a bootleg??

buzza, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 01:58 (twelve years ago)

I searched Bob Brainen's playlists on wfmu.org but didn't turn up anything, shame. maybe it was a fan-made remix?

it's easy to miss because it's sort of buried in the mix, but the Byrds used the same droning vocal trick on "Draft Morning" a few years later.

first geir, it's alright (hongro hongro go faster faster) (unregistered), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 02:14 (twelve years ago)

these are the best byrds songs imo <3 gene

Roberto Spiralli, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 02:22 (twelve years ago)

The most difficult selection I've made in an ILX poll -- so many top-notch songs. Too much of what makes 'Eight Miles High' is in the instrumental break, which is mostly McGuinn, so I have to go with 'Feel a Whole Lot Better', but I hope 'Here Without You' and 'Set You Free This Time' get some votes.

Clark fans are reminded to not miss the Dillard and Clark records -- I might have gone for 'Out on the Side' if it had been included here.

Jeff Wright, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 03:34 (twelve years ago)

I think Christgau once called "Waterloo Sunset" "the most beautiful song in the English language." (Odd--he's usually not a big Kinks fan.) I'd feel comfortable making that claim for "She Don't Care About Time."

clemenza, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 04:02 (twelve years ago)

that's my vote. really nice performance and production in addition to being a great song.

remarkably consistent level of quality across most of these tracks.

fit and working again, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 04:43 (twelve years ago)

some of these are co-writes...?

four Marxes plus four Obamas plus four Bin Ladens (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 04:54 (twelve years ago)

my 45 of You Showed Me is credited to James Mcguinn/Gene Clark for ex

four Marxes plus four Obamas plus four Bin Ladens (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 04:55 (twelve years ago)

the threat title makes a point of including co-writes!

voted "she don't care about time" but really there are a good half-dozen at least i could vote for on a different day.

i guess i'd just rather listen to canned heat? (ian), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 05:01 (twelve years ago)

perhaps a stupid question: when did the byrds record "Think I'm Gonna Feel Better"?

fit and working again, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 05:03 (twelve years ago)

ah ok: it was recorded by the byrdmaniax band.

fit and working again, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 05:07 (twelve years ago)

Outtake from the last Clarence white era album, showed up as bonus on remastered version
I think Clarence played in the original recording

buzza, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 05:08 (twelve years ago)

Or second to last
Nice gesture by white but his vocals were weak

buzza, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 05:17 (twelve years ago)

aside from turn turn turn, what would top a poll of non-clark/dylan byrds songs?

fit and working again, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 05:19 (twelve years ago)

wasn't born to follow or lady friend for me prob

buzza, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 05:20 (twelve years ago)

"What's your favorite Skip Battin tune?"

buzza, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 05:22 (twelve years ago)

haha

fit and working again, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 05:23 (twelve years ago)

There are a ton of excellent non-Clark/Dylan tunes. Check, for instance, the whole of Notorious Byrd Brothers and most of Younger Than Yesterday--both albums were Chris Hillman's moment in the spotlight.

sctttnnnt (pgwp), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 05:35 (twelve years ago)

She Don't Care About Time.

Trans-Europe Stopping Train (ithappens), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 09:08 (twelve years ago)

Looks like I'm the only vote for "The world turns all around her".

Rob M Revisited, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 12:42 (twelve years ago)

Can't not vote for "Eight Miles High", "She Don't Care About Time" a more than honourable 2nd.

Step not on a loose unforgiving stone on a pyramid to paradise (Tom D.), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 12:44 (twelve years ago)

yeah, I voted "Eight Miles High", but #2 would be "Here Without You" & #3 "She Don't Care About Time"

Euler, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 14:03 (twelve years ago)

Set you free this time.
At least, this morning.

Trip Maker, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 14:21 (twelve years ago)

Skip Battin's solo record is not that bad, imo.

i guess i'd just rather listen to canned heat? (ian), Tuesday, 9 April 2013 15:34 (twelve years ago)

"Eight Miles High" for sure.

I always forget how talented he was.

The Great Forgiver (dandydonweiner), Wednesday, 10 April 2013 01:53 (twelve years ago)

The most difficult selection I've made in an ILX poll -- so many top-notch songs. Too much of what makes 'Eight Miles High' is in the instrumental break, which is mostly McGuinn, so I have to go with 'Feel a Whole Lot Better', but I hope 'Here Without You' and 'Set You Free This Time' get some votes.

Your wish is my command: despite being utterly in love with "One in a Hundred," I can't help but go for "Here Without You."

Which, btw, I first heard on Gene Clark's Echoes comp.

Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 10 April 2013 02:19 (twelve years ago)

I'll give Full Circle Song a vote, even though I've never heard the Byrds version, I'm only familiar with it from Roadmaster.

I'm delighted that Gene Clark gets so much love on ILM. It's one of my favorite things about this site.

kornrulez6969, Wednesday, 10 April 2013 02:23 (twelve years ago)

> Looks like I'm the only vote for "The world turns all around her"

Will be at least another vote for it, unless one of the few tracks I haven't yet heard surpass it.

Lee626, Wednesday, 10 April 2013 04:09 (twelve years ago)

Which part of "Eight Miles High" is Clark's contribution? I've always thought it was McGuinn who really knocked that song out.

sctttnnnt (pgwp), Wednesday, 10 April 2013 04:14 (twelve years ago)

I think he wrote some of the lyrics, and iirc changed the title from "Six Miles High".

Vol. 3: The Life & Times of E. "Boom" Carter (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 10 April 2013 04:21 (twelve years ago)

clark and mcguinn together wrote most of the lyrics. crosby contributed "rain grey town" and "in places small faces unbound". and, yes, gene thought "eight" sounded better than "six".

fit and working again, Wednesday, 10 April 2013 04:44 (twelve years ago)

(checking my new copy of rogan's bio)

fit and working again, Wednesday, 10 April 2013 04:45 (twelve years ago)

i'm glad they didn't compromise on "Seven Miles High"

Lee626, Wednesday, 10 April 2013 04:50 (twelve years ago)

But musically it's kinda McGuinn's baby, isn't it? That's McGuinn doing the gnarly solo, and it was McGuinn who decided to cop the Coltrane/raga sound, right?

sctttnnnt (pgwp), Wednesday, 10 April 2013 05:03 (twelve years ago)

contradicting rogan, from wikipedia:

Clark began writing the song's lyrics on November 24, 1965, when he scribbled down some rough ideas for later development, following a discussion with guitarist Brian Jones, prior to The Byrds making a concert appearance supporting The Rolling Stones.[5][18] Over the following days, Clark expanded this fragment into a full poem, eventually setting the words to music and giving them a melody.[5] Clark then showed the song to McGuinn and Crosby, with the former suggesting that the song be arranged to incorporate the influence of Coltrane.[5] Since Clark's death, however, McGuinn has contended that it was he who conceived the initial idea of writing a song about an airplane ride and that he and Crosby both contributed lyrics to Clark's unfinished draft.[5] In his book, Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of The Byrds' Gene Clark, author John Einarson disputes this claim and ponders whether McGuinn's story would be the same were Clark still alive.[5]

fit and working again, Wednesday, 10 April 2013 05:49 (twelve years ago)

i'll feel a whole lot better

The description of my page is: Gargoyles Swimsuit Special (Matt P), Wednesday, 10 April 2013 06:22 (twelve years ago)

i mean 'she's the kind of girl'

The description of my page is: Gargoyles Swimsuit Special (Matt P), Wednesday, 10 April 2013 06:23 (twelve years ago)

I'm a huge fan of both Eight Miles High and I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better but listening to all these songs the one that grabbed me was Set You Free This Time so that's getting my vote.

treefell, Wednesday, 10 April 2013 10:35 (twelve years ago)

Never understood why the full band recordings of "She's the Kind of Girl"/"One in a Hundred" weren't used for the Asylum S/T record in '73.

Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 10 April 2013 11:50 (twelve years ago)

Wow, I'd never picked up on how good 'She Don't Care About Time' was before - I'd clearly slept on the bonus tracks on the Turn! Turn! Turn! CD. I think I'm going to go with 'Here Without You' though.

Gavin, Leeds, Wednesday, 10 April 2013 12:54 (twelve years ago)

crosby contributed "rain grey town"

I always heard it as "lame grey town," and loved how Hüsker Dü changed the next line to "not known for its sound."

Pope Frank is the messenger of your doom (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 10 April 2013 13:37 (twelve years ago)

about 15 songs i'd consider voting for here, but i think i'll throw some love to "here without you."

tylerw, Wednesday, 10 April 2013 14:51 (twelve years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Tuesday, 23 April 2013 00:01 (twelve years ago)

Going with "You Won't Have To Cry."

What About The Half That's Never Been POLLed (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 23 April 2013 00:11 (twelve years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR5EKsRiNsE

buzza, Tuesday, 23 April 2013 06:11 (twelve years ago)

If Ur Gone

yuoowemeone, Tuesday, 23 April 2013 08:31 (twelve years ago)

I've always liked "The Day Walk" too, but with so many even better gems in his Byrds-era catalog (and out of it) voted for "The World Turns All Around Her". Besides being a great tune, i like how it's not at all the straightforward love song the title implies.

Lee626, Tuesday, 23 April 2013 18:33 (twelve years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Wednesday, 24 April 2013 00:01 (twelve years ago)

I Knew I'd Want You wuz robbed.

What About The Half That's Never Been POLLed (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 24 April 2013 00:31 (twelve years ago)

great turnout

fit and working again, Wednesday, 24 April 2013 01:26 (twelve years ago)

The blank that surprises me is "You Showed Me." I think it's brilliant--love the Turtles' cover, too. (Don't remember Salt-n-Pepa's.)

clemenza, Wednesday, 24 April 2013 01:33 (twelve years ago)

"You Showed Me" easily makes my top 5. I slightly prefer the early acoustic take over the more polished electrified version on the strength of those wonderfully dispersed and descending vocals on the "we're in love, we two" break. I like the slowed-down Turtles' cover too, though the orchestral swoops are a bit much. That filigree was added by the Turtles' producers, and decades later was sampled by U2 for Pop, which bizarrely resulted in songwriters Clark and McGuinn earning royalties from sales of U2 albums, even though neither of them had anything to do with writing, arranging, or producing the bowed strings that were lifted from the Turtles' rendition.

Where's "It Won't Be Wrong"?

Lee626, Saturday, 27 April 2013 12:00 (twelve years ago)

"The Playboy Mansion" is actually a pretty good song by U2. I wasn't expecting that.

Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, 27 April 2013 12:39 (twelve years ago)

"It Won't Be Wrong" was written by Jim McGuinn and Harvey Gerst. It does sound like a Gene Clark composition.

second geir, lean right (little hongro hongro go faster faster) (unregistered), Saturday, 27 April 2013 13:16 (twelve years ago)

... and Harvey Gerst

Who he?

Bees Against Racism (Tom D.), Saturday, 27 April 2013 13:22 (twelve years ago)

no idea!

second geir, lean right (little hongro hongro go faster faster) (unregistered), Saturday, 27 April 2013 13:23 (twelve years ago)

McGuinn has a lot of really random co-write partners across the entire Byrds discography.

sctttnnnt (pgwp), Saturday, 27 April 2013 23:14 (twelve years ago)


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