With all the expanded reissues and box sets we've had from The Byrds over the last twenty years it is easy to forget this landmark 1989 CD release that first introduced to the world all those unreleased gems that were recorded at Columbia (and RCA) during 1965-67. I mention it only because I have today reacquired a completely mint copy. One engaging instrumental entitled Flight 713 was recorded at the sessions for The Notorious Byrd Brothers. For some reason this little piece of magic has never been included on any subsequent collection.
Johnny Rogan once wrote:
No Byrds reunion album could ever hope to capture the emotional shiver accompanying those demos and rejected outtakes from the Sixties. The magical entity that was the Byrds could never be "recreated", but only rediscovered in a lost past.
Maybe Flight 713 was a nod to Gene Clark who had a problem with getting on airplanes and would often arrive at a destination on his own by flapping his arms
Haven't heard that OOP box set, but if it is anything like the "Tambourines and 12 Strings" boot compilation of demos and outtakes from the Gene Clark era, it must be fantastic.
And the sound booth chatter is priceless (something that did NOT work when they tried to record the chatter for FC--Arthur just ended up "performing" and the off-the-cuff feel was lost). There is a bit on Tambourines where one of the guys tells a Byrd (I forget who is telling who) to "go F@#K yourself!"...in a totally good natured way.
And vocal work and instrumental work is beautiful....Gene was always on the mark.
____________________________________________________________ We need Hippies, now, more than ever... -LK
'Never Before' - The Byrds' lost past
Posted - 16/09/2010 : 21:59:20
