To alleviate the boredom of traveling from show to show during the tour, Crosby had brought along cassette recordings of Ravi Shankar's music and the John Coltrane albums Impressions and Africa/Brass, which were on constant rotation on the tour bus. Īlthough the basic idea for the song had been discussed during the band's flight to England, it did not begin to take shape until the Byrds' November 1965 tour of the U.S. In addition, "Round the squares, huddled in storms/Some laughing, some just shapeless forms" describes fans waiting for the band outside hotels, while the line "Sidewalk scenes and black limousines" refers to the excited crowds that jostled the band as they exited their chauffeur-driven cars. Other lyrics in the song that explicitly refer to the Byrds' stay in England include the couplet: "Nowhere is there warmth to be found/Among those afraid of losing their ground", which is a reference to the hostile reaction of the UK music press and to the English group the Birds serving the band with a writ of copyright infringement because of the similarities in their names. Īccording to Clark, the lyrics were primarily his creation, with a minor contribution being Crosby's line, "Rain grey town, known for its sound"-a reference to London as home to the British Invasion, which was then dominating the U.S. The song's lyrics are, for the most part, about the group's flight to London in August 1965 and their accompanying English tour, as hinted at by the opening couplet: "Eight miles high and when you touch down, you'll find that it's stranger than known." Although commercial airliners fly at an altitude of six to seven miles, it was felt that "eight miles high" sounded more poetic than six and also alluded to the title of the Beatles' song " Eight Days a Week". Top 20 hit, and was their last release before the departure of Clark, who was the band's principal songwriter at the time. "Eight Miles High" became the Byrds' third and final U.S. The song was also included on the band's third album, Fifth Dimension, which was released on July 18, 1966. "Eight Miles High" reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 24 in the UK Singles Chart. The failure of "Eight Miles High" to reach the Billboard Top 10 is usually attributed to the broadcasting ban, but some commentators have suggested the song's complexity and uncommercial nature were greater factors. The band strenuously denied these allegations at the time, but in later years both Clark and Crosby admitted that the song was at least partly inspired by their own drug use. radio ban shortly after its release, following allegations published in the broadcasting trade journal the Gavin Report regarding perceived drug connotations in its lyrics. Accordingly, critics often cite "Eight Miles High" as being the first bona fide psychedelic rock song, as well as a classic of the counterculture era. Musically influenced by sitar player Ravi Shankar and jazz saxophonist John Coltrane, the song was influential in developing the musical styles of psychedelia and raga rock. It was first released as a single on March 14, 1966. Subscribe via iTunes or Stitcher to get the KUTX Song Of The Day delivered to you daily." Eight Miles High" is a song by the American rock band the Byrds, written by Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn (a.k.a. Listen to the song below and grab a copy of All ATX exclusively at Waterloo Records. The band is perfectly suited to the song, especially the pedal steel accents added to the mix. In Israel Nash’s hands, “Eight Miles High” sounds like it was recorded in the clouds.
#EIGHT MILES HIGH FREE#
Roger McGuinn’s noisy 12-string guitar solos also owe a debt to John Coltrane’s free jazz experiments at the time. Tempering their folk sound, the Byrds opted for something a little harsher and drone-heavy as a nod to sitar player Ravi Shankar. This week, we’re highlighting some more cuts from All ATX to remind you the album would make a great holiday gift (wink wink, nudge nudge).Ĭritics often call the Byrds’ 1966 hit “Eight Miles High” the first psychedelic rock song, and for good reason. But more importantly, the album’s proceeds benefit HAAM, the Health Alliance For Austin Musicians, as well as the future non-profit All ATX Music Factory. Earlier this year, dozens of Austin musicians came together for All ATX: All Along The Moontower, a compilation album celebrating psychedelic rock in all its glory.
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