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| Inspired by Bob Dylan as well as the Beatles, the Byrds became pioneers of the
folk-rock genre. They combined songs with lyrics by Dylan and
sometimes Pete Seeger with electric instruments to create a sound that was
totally unique. It was centered around the 12-string Rickenbacker guitar
that Roger McGuinn played after being inspired by George Harrison's use of
the same instrument in the Beatles film, A Hard Day's Night. The band
began with a partnership between McGuinn and Gene Clark, two musicians with
a folk music background who met in Los Angeles in 1964. Members
of the Byrds were Gene Clark (who wrote many of their songs), Michael
Clarke, Chris Hillman, David Crosby, and Roger Mcguinn. Hillman went on to found The Flying Burrito Brothers (a seminal
country-rock band) and Crosby became a member of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. The
Byrds' influence can be heard in the music of numerous other groups of the 1960s
who imitated their sound.
Some of their best songs include "Mr. Tambourine Man",
"Turn,
Turn, Turn", "Eight Miles High", and "So You Want To Be A Rock And Roll
Star." Listen to the guitar solo in "Eight Miles High" to get a sense
for how different the 12-string guitar sounds than a conventional
instrumnet.
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