On this day (June 26) in 1965, the Byrds were at No. 1 on the Hot 100 with “Mr. Tambourine Man.” Written by Bob Dylan and released just a month after his original cut was released on Bringing It All Back Home, it was the band’s debut single. Their version of the song is credited with starting the folk rock boom of the late 1960s. It also inspired Dylan to go electric.
Dylan first recorded “Mr. Tambourine Man” during the sessions for his 1964 album Another Side of Bob Dylan. That version featured Ramblin’ Jack Elliott singing backing vocals. He was a little off-key during the recording, so Dylan chose to hold the song until his next album.
Jim Dickson, the Byrds’ manager, pitched the song to the band with the original recording, according to Songfacts. The majority of the group didn’t want to record it. They didn’t think it fit their style. At the same time, they didn’t believe the song had hit potential. Vocalist/guitarist Roger McGuinn heard the tune’s potential. He took it home, reworked it, and brought it back to the band. He changed the time signature and omitted some lyrics.
Dylan came to the studio to hear them record his song. He was famously blown away by their arrangement, exclaiming, “Man, you could dance to this!” Hearing his music in a new light inspired the singer/songwriter to pick up an electric guitar.
Bob Dylan and the Byrds Interpreted “Mr. Tambourine Man” Differently
The common belief is that “Mr. Tambourine Man” is about drugs. He’s the dealer, and the “song” he plays is the substance. However, that wasn’t the intention behind Bob Dylan’s original recording or the Byrds’ cover.
Guitarist Bruce Langhorne inspired Dylan to write the song. “Bruce was playing with me on a bunch of early records. One session, Tom Wilson had asked him to play tambourine,” Dylan recalled in the liner notes of Biograph. “He had this gigantic tambourine. It was, like, really big. It was as big as a wagon wheel. He was playing, and this image of him playing just stuck in my mind.” He added, “Drugs never played a part in that song… drugs were never that big a thing with me. I could take ‘em or leave ‘em. Never hung me up.”
Roger McGuinn’s interpretation of the song was much more spiritual. “Underneath the lyrics to ‘Mr. Tambourine Man,’ regardless of what Dylan meant, I was turning it into a prayer. I was singing to God, and I was saying that God was the tambourine man and I was saying to him, ‘Hey God, take me for a trip, and I’ll follow you,’” he explained. He interpreted the song’s titular character as “the eternal life force.”
Featured Image by Mark Hayward Archive/Getty Images
The post 61 Years Ago Today, the Byrds Went to No. 1 With the Song That Convinced Bob Dylan To Go Electric appeared first on American Songwriter.
Author: Clayton Edwards
« 3 Rock Songs From 1962 That Make Me Want To Travel Back in Time