1965 Byrds Song: The First Psychedelic Rock Song?

The Byrds released their song “Eight Miles High” in early 1966, and many people consider it to be the first psychedelic rock song.

Introduction

The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band is considered to have been a predecessor of the genre of psychedelic rock. The song “Eight Miles High”, released as a single in early 1966, is often cited as the first psychedelic rock song.

The band’s use of Echoplex and feedback guitar on “Eight Miles High” was based on their experience seeing the Beatles perform live. George Harrison used an Echoplex on the Beatles’ recording of “Tomorrow Never Knows”, which was released later in 1966.

What is Psychedelic Rock?

Psychedelic rock, also sometimes called garage rock, is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. Psychedelic rock is influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. Psychedelic rock often uses distorted guitars, moog synthesizers, and 1970s-style drumming.

The Byrds and Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. Associated with drug use, particularly LSD, psychedelic rock diverged from traditional pop and rock music.

Psychedelic rock is generally defined by distorted guitars, feedback, extended solos, and diatonic chords. It often makes use of studio techniques such as echo effect and sitar. Psychedelic rock developed out of the folk scene in America and Britain. In America, it was influenced by The Beatles’ experimental phase (typically 1966) and the British Invasion (1964–67).

The Byrds were an American rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band released their debut album Mr. Tambourine Man in 1965. The album included the song “Eight Miles High”, which is often cited as the first psychedelic rock song.

The Song “Eight Miles High”

“Eight Miles High” is a song by the American rock band the Byrds, and was released as a single on March 14, 1966 (see 1966 in music). The song, written by Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn, and David Crosby, was inspired by Bob Dylan’s “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)” and John Coltrane’s “India”.

The single peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart. It also reached #3 in the United Kingdom. In early 1967, it was ranked as the sixth most popular song in America by Billboard magazine. It has subsequently been included on several Byrds’ greatest hits compilations.

In 2004, it was voted #541 in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In April 2008, connoisseurs of psychedelic music rated “Eight Miles High” as one of history’s most groundbreaking and influential tracks in Mojo magazine’s PSYCHEDELIA – 50 Years Of Mind-Melting Sounds! reader poll.

The Legacy of “Eight Miles High”

It’s been more than 50 years since the Byrds released “Eight Miles High,” and the song continues to be one of the most influential in rock history. Not only is it credited with being the first psychedelic rock song, but it also helped to pioneer the use of feedback and distorted guitars in rock music.

The song was inspired by a cross-country flight the Byrds took from Los Angeles to New York in 1965. During the flight, Roger McGuinn (the band’s lead guitarist) began playing an improvised melody on his 12-string Rickenbacker guitar. The rest of the band soon joined in, and by the time they landed, they had a rough sketch of the song.

The studio version of “Eight Miles High” was recorded in just two takes, and it quickly became a hit single, reaching #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song has since been covered by many artists, including R.E.M., U2, and Arcade Fire.