The band The Byrds were “kindred” with, according to Jim McGuinn
The Byrds aren’t given the credit that they deserve, as they were not only a band, but a band to which a great deal of modern music can be attributed. When we look back at musical outfits who influenced the charts and managed to really change the way people made and perceived music, The Byrds are certainly up there with the biggest.
The 1960s were an exciting time for music. When Elvis Presley originally became famous a decade earlier, his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, felt as though rock ‘n’ roll was just a phase. It was this reason why Elvis was then cast in so many movies, as Parker felt that the best way to remain relevant was to move away from music and start working in film. The ‘60s was the decade when people realised how wrong this mindset was, and that a career in music was very much something with longevity.
The result was that you had a lot of bands rise to fame and push different kinds of music. One of the most influential was The Beatles, as after they performed on the Ed Sullivan Show, they managed to convince every teenager in America to pick up an instrument and start a band with their friends.
Of course, it wasn’t just The Beatles who found success in the ’60s; Bob Dylan did as well, as his style of folk music and ability as a songwriter completely took America by storm. In fact, Steve Van Zandt once credited Bob Dylan with being the artist who ended the British invasion. However, he wouldn’t have been able to do this were it not for The Byrds.
The Byrds were a great example of how, while folk music had a very specific sound, this sound could be adapted so that it appealed to a wider audience. The way they did this was by taking one of Bob Dylan’s songs and making it electric. This led to the development of a brand new form of music, and some even report that it was their cover of ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ that encouraged Dylan to start playing electric guitar.
The Byrds’ exciting approach to music was a sign of the times, as every band seemed to be trying something new. However, it was also likely a reflection of the company that they kept. While the majority of musical outfits seemed to hang out with one another during this period, there was one band that Jim McGuinn of The Byrds particularly loved being around: The Beach Boys.
“We were a kindred group,” he said, “I love The Beach Boys and I’m glad they made the wonderful music they did”. While the band never collaborated, they certainly must have swapped ideas in the time that they spent together. There were so many ideas floating around the musical stratosphere during this period that just by affiliating yourself with other bands, it could give rise to even more.
While it’s hard to see how The Byrds and The Beach Boys might have specifically learned from one another, their association will have encouraged creativity in general. The two’s kindred nature was undoubtedly a huge help for both musical outfits, with McGuinn being especially close with Dennis Wilson, whom he called a “drinking buddy”.
