Preflyte
Encyclopedia
Preflyte is a compilation album
by the American folk rock
band
The Byrds
and was released in July 1969 on Together Records (see 1969 in music
). The album is a collection of demos
recorded by The Byrds (then named The Jet Set) at World Pacific Studios
in Los Angeles during 1964, before the band had signed to Columbia Records
. As such, the music on the album predates the release of The Byrds' debut single
for Columbia, a cover version
of Bob Dylan
's "Mr. Tambourine Man
", which topped the charts in America and the United Kingdom during 1965. The album's title is a deliberate misspelling of pre-flight, meant to emulate the misspelling of "birds" that the band had used for their name. In 2001, Sundazed Records
released an expanded, double CD
compilation of tracks from the World Pacific era, titled The Preflyte Sessions.
Preflyte peaked at #84 on the Billboard Top LPs
chart upon its initial release and even managed to outsell The Byrds' most recent studio album, Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde
. It was less successful in the United Kingdom, however, where it failed to enter the UK Albums Chart
when it was issued there in 1973. The album was later reissued in America by Columbia Records and again managed to chart, this time reaching #183. The album is notable for including a number of previously unreleased songs that had not been recorded by The Byrds during their stint on Columbia Records. In addition, the album also includes early demo versions of the songs "Here Without You", "You Won't Have to Cry", "I Knew I'd Want You", and "Mr. Tambourine Man", all of which appeared in re-recorded form on the band's 1965 debut album.
, folk singers
Jim McGuinn
and Gene Clark
began playing as a duo in Los Angeles folk clubs in early 1964 and were soon joined by fellow folkie, David Crosby
. The trio named themselves The Jet Set, a name chosen by McGuinn and inspired by his love of aeronautics. Crosby introduced McGuinn and Clark to his associate Jim Dickson who had access to World Pacific Studios, where he had been recording demos of Crosby. Dickson was impressed enough by the trio to take on management duties for the group and to utilize World Pacific as a rehearsal studio, where he recorded the band as they honed their craft and perfected their blend of Beatles pop
and Bob Dylan
-style folk.
Dickson arranged a one-off deal with Elektra Records
' founder, Jac Holzman
, for two songs from the World Pacific sessions
, "Please Let Me Love You" and "Don't Be Long
", to be released as a single
on Elektra in October 1964. In an attempt to cash in on the British Invasion
that was then dominating the U.S. music scene, the single was issued under the suitably British sounding pseudonym of The Beefeaters but it failed to chart. Both songs on The Beefeaters' single featured McGuinn, Clark and Crosby, along with "Wrecking Crew
" session musician
s Ray Pohlman on bass
and Earl Palmer
on drums
. Soon after, The Jet Set expanded their ranks to include drummer
Michael Clarke
and bass player
Chris Hillman
. The rehearsal and recording sessions at World Pacific studios came to a close when The Jet Set (soon to be renamed The Byrds) signed a recording contract with Columbia Records on November 10, 1964.
In 1969, the manager of rock music
for RCA Records
on the West Coast
, Dick Moreland, heard about the existence of these early demo recordings by The Byrds from Jim Dickson and immediately told producer
Gary Usher
about them. Usher, who had produced The Byrds' Younger Than Yesterday
, The Notorious Byrd Brothers
and Sweetheart of the Rodeo
albums, had recently formed Together Records with colleagues Curt Boettcher
and Keith Olsen
. Prior to the formation of Together, Usher had been involved with the Columbia Records' release of Conspicuous Only in its Absence
, a collection of previously unheard live recordings by the psychedelic
band, The Great Society (featuring Grace Slick
of Jefferson Airplane
). The album had enjoyed moderate success and Usher was keen to continue issuing previously unreleased, historically significant material on his new record label. Usher met with Dickson and was able to acquire all of The Byrds' World Pacific tapes that still existed for a reasonable sum. The tapes were then edited and compiled into an eleven track running order, before being remix
ed and mastered
by Keith Olsen.
Dickson approached the five original members of The Byrds in order to have them sign a letter of permission to authorize the release of these early recordings. David Crosby was initially reluctant to sanction the release but he was eventually persuaded by his friend and singing partner, Graham Nash
, who convinced Crosby of the musical worth and historical value of the recordings. Dickson later recalled Nash's involvement during a 1977 interview: "Graham Nash said that the songs were charming baby pictures. You have to get a little older before you can tolerate seeing your baby pictures out there. We were all babies once! Graham just charmed David's socks off." With the permission of all five original members of the band secured, Together Records released the album in July 1969 with a great deal of publicity. As a collection of previously unreleased demo recordings, Preflyte can be seen as one of the earliest examples of issuing outtake
s by popular artists, a practice that is now commonplace in the reissue
market.
. However, this Columbia recording of the song was discarded at the eleventh hour and remained unreleased until its appearance on The Byrds' archival album, Never Before
, in 1987. "The Reason Why", a brooding, Beatles and Everly Brothers
influenced ballad, and the melancholy "For Me Again", would both be jettisoned from the band's repertoire by early 1965 to make way for higher quality material. The uptempo "Boston" and "You Movin'" were never seriously intended for release by the band and had been written purely to give fans something to dance to during The Byrds' early concert
performances. A further two Clark compositions included on Preflyte, "Here Without You" and "I Knew I'd Want You", had appeared in re-recorded versions on the band's debut album, with the latter also appearing on the B-side
of the "Mr. Tambourine Man" single. In total, there were nine songs included on Preflyte that were either written or co-written by Gene Clark, highlighting his early songwriting dominance over the group.
The album also featured the Crosby and McGuinn penned "The Airport Song", a hauntingly romantic composition with subtle jazz
overtones, highlighted by Crosby's crystal-clear lead vocal
and Gene Clark's wistful harmonica
playing. The song was inspired by the time that Crosby and McGuinn had spent hanging out at Los Angeles International Airport
, watching the planes come in to land. The album also included two McGuinn and Clark compositions, "You Showed Me
" and "You Won't Have to Cry", the latter of which had already appeared in a different version on the band's debut album. "You Showed Me" had not been released by The Byrds but a cover
of it had been a hit single
for The Turtles
in early 1969 and had peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100
.
The embryonic version of "Mr. Tambourine Man" included on Preflyte illustrated how the song sounded prior to its recording as the band's debut single for Columbia Records. McGuinn's distinctive Bach
-inspired guitar intro
is already present but Crosby's harmony singing
displays signs of uncertainty. Perhaps the most striking difference between the version of the song found on Preflyte and the more famous Columbia recording is Michael Clarke's use of a militaristic drumming style throughout the song. This military band
style of drumming was abandoned when the song was recorded for the Columbia single on January 20, 1965, with session drummer Hal Blaine
adopting a standard rock beat instead.
's Bumble record label (catalogue item GEXP 8001). It was then reissued later in 1973 in the U.S. by Columbia Records (catalogue item C 32183). The 1973 Columbia reissue of the album features alternative cover artwork by British comic book artist
Barry Windsor-Smith
, depicting the five original members of The Byrds as futuristic astronaut
s. Upon initial release, sales of Preflyte were fairly good in the U.S., resulting in the album outperforming The Byrds' most recent studio offering, Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde
. The album managed to climb to #84 on the Billboard Top LPs chart in 1969 and again charted at #183 when it was reissued by Columbia Records in 1973.
The album was met with mixed reviews upon release, with Lester Bangs
in Rolling Stone
magazine criticizing the sub-standard sound quality of the recordings but also noting that the songs on the album "still overflow with that unique unschmaltzy beauty and lyricism that has been The Byrds' trademark." Lenny Kaye
, writing in Jazz & Pop magazine, praised the album, noting that "One of the more interesting things about Preflyte is the consistency of The Byrds sound, especially when compared with their later post-Tambourine Man days." In more recent years, Andrew Lynch, writing for the entertainment.ie
website, has described the album as "a fascinating slice of pop history and a pretty good album in its own right too."
In 1988 Rhino Records
released another compilation of recordings from The Byrds' 1964 World Pacific sessions, entitled In the Beginning
, which consisted largely of previously unreleased recordings. The first CD
release of Preflyte came in 2001 from Alan McGee
's Poptones
record label. Later that year Sundazed Records
released a 2 CD
compilation of tracks from the World Pacific era titled The Preflyte Sessions. This double CD compilation included all of the tracks originally released on Preflyte, along with other tracks that had first appeared on In the Beginning and fourteen previously unreleased recordings. The Preflyte Sessions included four David Crosby recordings made at World Pacific studios in 1963 and 1964, before the formation of The Jet Set. In tandem with the release of The Preflyte Sessions, Sundazed also issued a 7" single featuring previously unreleased 1964 recordings of "You Movin'" and "Boston", neither of which were included on The Preflyte Sessions album. As of 2010, the two World Pacific recordings of "You Movin'" and "Boston" found on this single have not been released on CD. In 2006, Sundazed Records reissued the original Preflyte album in a remaster
ed edition.
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
by the American folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
and was released in July 1969 on Together Records (see 1969 in music
1969 in music
-Events:Perhaps the two most famous musical events of 1969 were concerts. At a Rolling Stones concert in Altamont, California, a fan was stabbed to death by Hells Angels, a biker gang that had been hired to provide security for the event...
). The album is a collection of demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
recorded by The Byrds (then named The Jet Set) at World Pacific Studios
Pacific Jazz Records
Pacific Jazz Records was a Los Angeles-based record label best known for releasing cool jazz or West coast jazz. It was founded by Richard Bock and drummer Roy Harte in 1952....
in Los Angeles during 1964, before the band had signed to Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. As such, the music on the album predates the release of The Byrds' debut single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
for Columbia, a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's "Mr. Tambourine Man
Mr. Tambourine Man
"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...
", which topped the charts in America and the United Kingdom during 1965. The album's title is a deliberate misspelling of pre-flight, meant to emulate the misspelling of "birds" that the band had used for their name. In 2001, Sundazed Records
Sundazed Records
Sundazed Records is a record label based in Coxsackie, in the Catskills of New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s.Label founders Bob Irwin and his wife Mary started the label in 1989...
released an expanded, double CD
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
compilation of tracks from the World Pacific era, titled The Preflyte Sessions.
Preflyte peaked at #84 on the Billboard Top LPs
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart upon its initial release and even managed to outsell The Byrds' most recent studio album, Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde
Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde
Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde is the seventh album by the American rock band The Byrds and was released in March 1969 on Columbia Records . The album saw the band juxtaposing simple country rock material with harder-edged psychedelia, giving the album a stylistic split-personality that was alluded to in...
. It was less successful in the United Kingdom, however, where it failed to enter the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
when it was issued there in 1973. The album was later reissued in America by Columbia Records and again managed to chart, this time reaching #183. The album is notable for including a number of previously unreleased songs that had not been recorded by The Byrds during their stint on Columbia Records. In addition, the album also includes early demo versions of the songs "Here Without You", "You Won't Have to Cry", "I Knew I'd Want You", and "Mr. Tambourine Man", all of which appeared in re-recorded form on the band's 1965 debut album.
History
Initially inspired by the success of The BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, folk singers
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
Jim McGuinn
Roger McGuinn
James Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
and Gene Clark
Gene Clark
Gene Clark, born Harold Eugene Clark was an American singer-songwriter, and one of the founding members of the folk-rock group The Byrds....
began playing as a duo in Los Angeles folk clubs in early 1964 and were soon joined by fellow folkie, David Crosby
David Crosby
David Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
. The trio named themselves The Jet Set, a name chosen by McGuinn and inspired by his love of aeronautics. Crosby introduced McGuinn and Clark to his associate Jim Dickson who had access to World Pacific Studios, where he had been recording demos of Crosby. Dickson was impressed enough by the trio to take on management duties for the group and to utilize World Pacific as a rehearsal studio, where he recorded the band as they honed their craft and perfected their blend of Beatles pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
-style folk.
Dickson arranged a one-off deal with Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
' founder, Jac Holzman
Jac Holzman
Jac Holzman was the founder, chief executive officer and head of both Elektra Records and Nonesuch Records.-Biography:He founded Elektra Records in his St. John's College dorm room in 1950 and Nonesuch Records in 1964...
, for two songs from the World Pacific sessions
Studio recording
The term studio recording means any recording made in a studio, as opposed to a live recording, which is usually made in a concert venue or a theatre, with an audience attending the performance.-Studio cast recordings:...
, "Please Let Me Love You" and "Don't Be Long
It Won't Be Wrong
"It Won't Be Wrong" is a song by the American folk rock band The Byrds, which appeared as the second track on their 1965 album, Turn! Turn! Turn! It was written in 1964 by band member Jim McGuinn and his friend, Harvey Gerst, an acquaintance from McGuinn's days as a folk singer at The Troubadour...
", to be released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
on Elektra in October 1964. In an attempt to cash in on the British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
that was then dominating the U.S. music scene, the single was issued under the suitably British sounding pseudonym of The Beefeaters but it failed to chart. Both songs on The Beefeaters' single featured McGuinn, Clark and Crosby, along with "Wrecking Crew
The Wrecking Crew (music)
The Wrecking Crew was a nickname coined by the drummer Hal Blaine after the fact for a group of session musicians in Los Angeles, California, who earned wide acclaim in the 1960s. They backed dozens of popular singers, and were one of the most successful "groups" of studio musicians in music history...
" session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
s Ray Pohlman on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and Earl Palmer
Earl Palmer
Earl Cyril Palmer was an American rock & roll and rhythm and blues drummer, and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame....
on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. Soon after, The Jet Set expanded their ranks to include drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Michael Clarke
Michael Clarke (musician)
Michael Clarke , was an American musician, best known as the drummer for the 1960s rock group The Byrds from 1964 to 1967. He died in 1993, at age 47, from liver failure, a direct result of more than three decades of heavy alcohol consumption.-Biography:Clarke was born Michael James Dick in...
and bass player
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Chris Hillman
Chris Hillman
Christopher Hillman was one of the original members of The Byrds which in 1965 included Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby, and Michael Clarke....
. The rehearsal and recording sessions at World Pacific studios came to a close when The Jet Set (soon to be renamed The Byrds) signed a recording contract with Columbia Records on November 10, 1964.
In 1969, the manager of rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
for RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
on the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
, Dick Moreland, heard about the existence of these early demo recordings by The Byrds from Jim Dickson and immediately told producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Gary Usher
Gary Usher
Gary Usher was an American surf rock musician, songwriter, and record producer.-Biography:Usher's early life was spent in Grafton, Massachusetts. He attended Norcross Grammar School with his sister, Sandra, who was in the same class and was likely his twin. Gary was kiddingly called "Chicken Feed"...
about them. Usher, who had produced The Byrds' Younger Than Yesterday
Younger Than Yesterday
Younger Than Yesterday is the fourth album by the American rock band The Byrds and was released in February 1967 on Columbia Records . The album saw the band continuing to integrate elements of psychedelic rock into their music, a process they had begun on their previous LP...
, The Notorious Byrd Brothers
The Notorious Byrd Brothers
The Notorious Byrd Brothers is the fifth album by the American rock band The Byrds and was released in January 1968 on Columbia Records . Musically, the album represents the pinnacle of The Byrds' psychedelic experimentation, with the band blending together elements of folk rock, psychedelic rock,...
and Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Sweetheart of the Rodeo is the sixth album by American rock band The Byrds and was released on August 30, 1968 on Columbia Records...
albums, had recently formed Together Records with colleagues Curt Boettcher
Curt Boettcher
Curt Boettcher was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer from Wisconsin. His career spanned 1964 to 1983...
and Keith Olsen
Keith Olsen
Keith Olsen is one of the most prolific and successful music producers in the industry.-Career:With over 120 albums produced netting a 1 in 4 Gold or better ratio, of which more than 24 are Platinum or better, and more than 14 are multi-Platinum, sales from Keith Olsen’s work exceeds 110 million...
. Prior to the formation of Together, Usher had been involved with the Columbia Records' release of Conspicuous Only in its Absence
Conspicuous Only in its Absence
Conspicuous Only in Its Absence is an album by the American psychedelic rock band The Great Society and was released in 1968 by Columbia Records. The album consists of recordings made during a live concert performance by the band at The Matrix club in San Francisco in 1966. Additional recordings...
, a collection of previously unheard live recordings by the psychedelic
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
band, The Great Society (featuring Grace Slick
Grace Slick
Grace Slick is an American singer and songwriter, who was one of the lead singers of the rock groups The Great Society, Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, and Starship, and was a solo artist, for nearly three decades, from the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s...
of Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
). The album had enjoyed moderate success and Usher was keen to continue issuing previously unreleased, historically significant material on his new record label. Usher met with Dickson and was able to acquire all of The Byrds' World Pacific tapes that still existed for a reasonable sum. The tapes were then edited and compiled into an eleven track running order, before being remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed and mastered
Audio mastering
Mastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
by Keith Olsen.
Dickson approached the five original members of The Byrds in order to have them sign a letter of permission to authorize the release of these early recordings. David Crosby was initially reluctant to sanction the release but he was eventually persuaded by his friend and singing partner, Graham Nash
Graham Nash
Graham William Nash, OBE is an English singer-songwriter known for his light tenor vocals and for his songwriting contributions with the British pop group The Hollies, and with the folk-rock band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Nash is a photography collector and a published photographer...
, who convinced Crosby of the musical worth and historical value of the recordings. Dickson later recalled Nash's involvement during a 1977 interview: "Graham Nash said that the songs were charming baby pictures. You have to get a little older before you can tolerate seeing your baby pictures out there. We were all babies once! Graham just charmed David's socks off." With the permission of all five original members of the band secured, Together Records released the album in July 1969 with a great deal of publicity. As a collection of previously unreleased demo recordings, Preflyte can be seen as one of the earliest examples of issuing outtake
Outtake
An outtake is a portion of a work that is removed in the editing process and not included in the work's final, publicly released version. In the digital era, significant outtakes have been appended to CD and DVD reissues of many albums and films as bonus tracks or features, in film often, but not...
s by popular artists, a practice that is now commonplace in the reissue
Reissue
A reissue is the repeated issue of a published work. In common usage, it refers to an album which has been released at least once before and is released again, sometimes with alterations or additions....
market.
Music
Of the eleven songs included on the album, seven had never before been released by The Byrds. These previously unreleased songs included five written solely by Gene Clark: "The Reason Why", "She Has a Way", "For Me Again", "Boston", and "You Movin'". Of these, "She Has a Way" had been re-recorded by The Byrds during sessions for their debut album, Mr. Tambourine ManMr. Tambourine Man (album)
Mr. Tambourine Man is the debut album by the American folk rock band The Byrds and was released in June 1965 on Columbia Records . The album, along with the single of the same name, established the band as an internationally successful rock act and was also influential in originating the musical...
. However, this Columbia recording of the song was discarded at the eleventh hour and remained unreleased until its appearance on The Byrds' archival album, Never Before
Never Before (album)
Never Before is a compilation album by the American rock band The Byrds, consisting of previously unreleased outtakes, alternate versions, and rarities. It was initially released by Re-Flyte Records in December 1987 and was subsequently reissued on CD in 1989, with an additional seven bonus tracks...
, in 1987. "The Reason Why", a brooding, Beatles and Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...
influenced ballad, and the melancholy "For Me Again", would both be jettisoned from the band's repertoire by early 1965 to make way for higher quality material. The uptempo "Boston" and "You Movin'" were never seriously intended for release by the band and had been written purely to give fans something to dance to during The Byrds' early concert
Rock concert
The term rock concert refers to a musical performance in the style of any one of many genres inspired by "rock and roll" music. While a variety of vocal and instrumental styles can constitute a rock concert, this phenomenon is typically characterized by bands playing at least one electric guitar,...
performances. A further two Clark compositions included on Preflyte, "Here Without You" and "I Knew I'd Want You", had appeared in re-recorded versions on the band's debut album, with the latter also appearing on the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of the "Mr. Tambourine Man" single. In total, there were nine songs included on Preflyte that were either written or co-written by Gene Clark, highlighting his early songwriting dominance over the group.
The album also featured the Crosby and McGuinn penned "The Airport Song", a hauntingly romantic composition with subtle jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
overtones, highlighted by Crosby's crystal-clear lead vocal
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
and Gene Clark's wistful harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
playing. The song was inspired by the time that Crosby and McGuinn had spent hanging out at Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
, watching the planes come in to land. The album also included two McGuinn and Clark compositions, "You Showed Me
You Showed Me
"You Showed Me" is a song written by Jim McGuinn and Gene Clark of The Byrds in 1964. It was recorded by The Turtles and released as a single in 1969, becoming the group's last big hit in the U.S. The song has also been covered by a number of other bands and artists over the years, including The...
" and "You Won't Have to Cry", the latter of which had already appeared in a different version on the band's debut album. "You Showed Me" had not been released by The Byrds but a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of it had been a hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
for The Turtles
The Turtles
The Turtles are an American rock group led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with its cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965...
in early 1969 and had peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
The embryonic version of "Mr. Tambourine Man" included on Preflyte illustrated how the song sounded prior to its recording as the band's debut single for Columbia Records. McGuinn's distinctive Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
-inspired guitar intro
Introduction (music)
In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro...
is already present but Crosby's harmony singing
Vocal harmony
Vocal harmony is a style of vocal music in which a consonant note or notes are sung at the same time as a main melody in a predominantly homophonic texture. Vocal harmonies are used in many subgenres of European art music, including Classical choral music and opera and in the popular styles from...
displays signs of uncertainty. Perhaps the most striking difference between the version of the song found on Preflyte and the more famous Columbia recording is Michael Clarke's use of a militaristic drumming style throughout the song. This military band
Military band
A military band originally was a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the title of Bandmaster or Director of Music...
style of drumming was abandoned when the song was recorded for the Columbia single on January 20, 1965, with session drummer Hal Blaine
Hal Blaine
Hal Blaine is an American drummer and session musician. He is most known for his work with the Wrecking Crew in California. Blaine played on numerous hits by popular groups, including Elvis Presley, John Denver, the Ronettes, Simon & Garfunkel, the Carpenters, the Beach Boys, Nancy Sinatra, and...
adopting a standard rock beat instead.
Release and reception
Preflyte was released on July 29, 1969 in the United States on Together Records (catalogue item ST-T-1001) but it was not issued in the United Kingdom until January 1973, when it was released by Kim FowleyKim Fowley
Kim Vincent Fowley is an American record producer, impresario, songwriter, musician, film maker, and radio actor. He is best known for his role behind a string of novelty and cult rock pop singles in the 1960s, and for managing The Runaways in the 1970s...
's Bumble record label (catalogue item GEXP 8001). It was then reissued later in 1973 in the U.S. by Columbia Records (catalogue item C 32183). The 1973 Columbia reissue of the album features alternative cover artwork by British comic book artist
Comic book creator
A comic book creator is someone who creates a comic book or graphic novel.The production of a comic book by one of the major comic book companies in the U.S...
Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith, born Barry Smith is a British comic book illustrator and painter whose best known work has been produced in the United States....
, depicting the five original members of The Byrds as futuristic astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
s. Upon initial release, sales of Preflyte were fairly good in the U.S., resulting in the album outperforming The Byrds' most recent studio offering, Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde
Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde
Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde is the seventh album by the American rock band The Byrds and was released in March 1969 on Columbia Records . The album saw the band juxtaposing simple country rock material with harder-edged psychedelia, giving the album a stylistic split-personality that was alluded to in...
. The album managed to climb to #84 on the Billboard Top LPs chart in 1969 and again charted at #183 when it was reissued by Columbia Records in 1973.
The album was met with mixed reviews upon release, with Lester Bangs
Lester Bangs
Leslie Conway "Lester" Bangs was an American music journalist, author and musician. He wrote for Creem and Rolling Stone magazines, and was known for his leading influence in rock 'n' roll criticism....
in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine criticizing the sub-standard sound quality of the recordings but also noting that the songs on the album "still overflow with that unique unschmaltzy beauty and lyricism that has been The Byrds' trademark." Lenny Kaye
Lenny Kaye
Lenny Kaye is an American guitarist, composer and writer who is best known as a member of the Patti Smith Group.- Early life :...
, writing in Jazz & Pop magazine, praised the album, noting that "One of the more interesting things about Preflyte is the consistency of The Byrds sound, especially when compared with their later post-Tambourine Man days." In more recent years, Andrew Lynch, writing for the entertainment.ie
Entertainment.ie
entertainment.ie is a Dublin-based Irish website which provides extensive cinema, TV, live music, theatre, comedy, exhibition and festival listings for free, as well as celebrity gossip, music and movie news, movie and DVD reviews, CD reviews and up-to-date lottery results.The site was developed in...
website, has described the album as "a fascinating slice of pop history and a pretty good album in its own right too."
In 1988 Rhino Records
Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes...
released another compilation of recordings from The Byrds' 1964 World Pacific sessions, entitled In the Beginning
In the Beginning (The Byrds album)
In the Beginning is a compilation album by the American folk rock band The Byrds and was released in August 1988 by Rhino Records. The album consists of demos, some of which were previously unreleased, recorded during 1964 at World Pacific Studios in Los Angeles, before the band had secured a...
, which consisted largely of previously unreleased recordings. The first CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
release of Preflyte came in 2001 from Alan McGee
Alan McGee
Alan McGee has been a record label owner, musician, manager, and music blogger for The Guardian.McGee is best-known for co-forming and running the independent Creation Records label from 1983–1999, and then Poptones from 1999-2007...
's Poptones
Poptones
Poptones is a record label launched by Alan McGee after the demise of Creation Records in 1999. Named after a Public Image Limited song, it is seen as something of a return to the staunchly independent roots of Creation...
record label. Later that year Sundazed Records
Sundazed Records
Sundazed Records is a record label based in Coxsackie, in the Catskills of New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s.Label founders Bob Irwin and his wife Mary started the label in 1989...
released a 2 CD
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
compilation of tracks from the World Pacific era titled The Preflyte Sessions. This double CD compilation included all of the tracks originally released on Preflyte, along with other tracks that had first appeared on In the Beginning and fourteen previously unreleased recordings. The Preflyte Sessions included four David Crosby recordings made at World Pacific studios in 1963 and 1964, before the formation of The Jet Set. In tandem with the release of The Preflyte Sessions, Sundazed also issued a 7" single featuring previously unreleased 1964 recordings of "You Movin'" and "Boston", neither of which were included on The Preflyte Sessions album. As of 2010, the two World Pacific recordings of "You Movin'" and "Boston" found on this single have not been released on CD. In 2006, Sundazed Records reissued the original Preflyte album in a remaster
Remaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
ed edition.
Side 1
- "You Showed MeYou Showed Me"You Showed Me" is a song written by Jim McGuinn and Gene Clark of The Byrds in 1964. It was recorded by The Turtles and released as a single in 1969, becoming the group's last big hit in the U.S. The song has also been covered by a number of other bands and artists over the years, including The...
" (Jim McGuinnRoger McGuinnJames Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
, Gene ClarkGene ClarkGene Clark, born Harold Eugene Clark was an American singer-songwriter, and one of the founding members of the folk-rock group The Byrds....
) – 2:05 - "Here Without You" (Gene Clark) – 2:30
- "She Has a Way" (Gene Clark) – 2:34
- "The Reason Why" (Gene Clark) – 2:34
- "For Me Again" (Gene Clark) – 2:32
- "Boston" (Gene Clark) – 2:07
Side 2
- "You Movin'" (Gene Clark) – 2:10
- "The Airport Song" (Jim McGuinn, David CrosbyDavid CrosbyDavid Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
) – 2:03 - "You Won't Have to Cry" (Jim McGuinn, Gene Clark) – 2:17
- "I Knew I'd Want You" (Gene Clark) – 2:19
- "Mr. Tambourine ManMr. Tambourine Man"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...
" (Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
) – 2:20
Disc one
- "The Reason Why" [Version #2] (Gene ClarkGene ClarkGene Clark, born Harold Eugene Clark was an American singer-songwriter, and one of the founding members of the folk-rock group The Byrds....
) – 2:38 - "You Won't Have to Cry" [Electric Version] (Jim McGuinnRoger McGuinnJames Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
, Gene Clark) – 2:17 - "She Has a Way" [Version #4] (Gene Clark) – 2:29
- "You Showed MeYou Showed Me"You Showed Me" is a song written by Jim McGuinn and Gene Clark of The Byrds in 1964. It was recorded by The Turtles and released as a single in 1969, becoming the group's last big hit in the U.S. The song has also been covered by a number of other bands and artists over the years, including The...
" [Electric Version] (Jim McGuinn, Gene Clark) – 1:53 - "Here Without You" [Version #2] (Gene Clark) – 2:28
- "Don't Be LongIt Won't Be Wrong"It Won't Be Wrong" is a song by the American folk rock band The Byrds, which appeared as the second track on their 1965 album, Turn! Turn! Turn! It was written in 1964 by band member Jim McGuinn and his friend, Harvey Gerst, an acquaintance from McGuinn's days as a folk singer at The Troubadour...
" (Jim McGuinn, Harvey Gerst) – 1:58 - "I Knew I'd Want You" [Electric Version #2] (Gene Clark) – 2:14
- "Boston" [Version #2] (Gene Clark) – 2:15
- "Tomorrow Is a Long Ways Away" [Electric Version] (Jim McGuinn, Gene Clark, David CrosbyDavid CrosbyDavid Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
) – 1:59 - "For Me Again" [Version #2] (Gene Clark) – 2:39
- "It's No Use" [Version #2] (Jim McGuinn, Gene Clark) – 2:20
- "You Movin'" [Version #3] (Gene Clark) – 2:08
- "Please Let Me Love You" (Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn, Harvey Gerst) – 2:25
- "The Airport Song" (Jim McGuinn, David CrosbyDavid CrosbyDavid Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
) – 2:03 - "Mr. Tambourine ManMr. Tambourine Man"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...
" [Electric Version] (Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
) – 2:25 - "She Has a Way" [Version #3] (Gene Clark) – 2:33
- "I Knew I'd Want You" [Electric Version #1] (Gene Clark) – 2:31
- "Boston" [Instrumental Track] (Gene Clark) – 2:15
- "You Showed Me" [Instrumental Track] (Jim McGuinn, Gene Clark) – 2:06
- "The Times They Are a-Changin'The Times They Are a-Changin' (song)"The Times They Are a-Changin" is a song written by Bob Dylan and released as the title track of his 1964 album, The Times They Are a-Changin. The song was ranked #59 on Rolling Stones 2004 list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time....
" [Instrumental Track] (Bob Dylan) – 2:26
Disc two
- "The Only Girl I Adore" (Jim McGuinn, Gene Clark) – 2:26
- "Tomorrow Is a Long Ways Away" [Acoustic Version] (Gene Clark) – 2:01
- "You Showed Me" [Acoustic Version] (Jim McGuinn, Gene Clark) – 2:04
- "I Knew I'd Want You" [Acoustic Version] (Gene Clark) – 2:18
- "You Won't Have to Cry" [Acoustic Version] (Jim McGuinn, Gene Clark) – 2:21
- "Mr. Tambourine Man" [Acoustic Version] (Bob Dylan) – 2:14
- "Willie Jean" (Hoyt AxtonHoyt AxtonHoyt Wayne Axton was an American country music singer-songwriter, and a film and television actor. He became prominent in the early 1960s, establishing himself on the West Coast as a folk singer with an earthy style and powerful voice. As he matured, some of his songwriting efforts became well...
) – 2:08 - "Come Back BabyCome Back Baby"Come Back Baby" is a slow blues number written and recorded by Walter Davis in 1940. Ray Charles' cover was released as the B-side to Charles' groundbreaking 1954 single, "I Got a Woman". Both later appeared on his 1956 album Ray Charles ...
" (Ray CharlesRay CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
) – 2:26 - "Jack of DiamondsJack of Diamonds (song)Jack of Diamonds is a traditional folk song. It is a Texas gambling song that was popularized by Blind Lemon Jefferson. It was sung by railroad men who had lost money playing Coon can. At least twelve white artists recorded the tune before World War II...
" (traditionalTraditional musicTraditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
, arranged David Crosby) – 1:46 - "Get Together" (Dino ValentiChet PowersChester William Powers, Jr. was an American singer-songwriter, and a member of the rock group Quicksilver Messenger Service. He was also known by the stage name "Dino Valenti" and, as a songwriter, as Jesse Oris Farrow...
) – 2:34 - "She Has a Way" [Version #1] (Gene Clark) – 2:23
- "Here Without You" [Version #1] (Gene Clark) – 2:29
- "For Me Again" [Version #1] (Gene Clark) – 2:32
- "It's No Use" [Version #1] (Jim McGuinn, Gene Clark) – 2:17
- "You Movin'" [Version #1] (Gene Clark) – 2:10
- "Boston" [Version #1] (Gene Clark) – 2:09
- "She Has a Way" [Version #2] (Gene Clark) – 2:32
- "You Movin'" [Version #2] (Gene Clark) – 2:12
- "The Reason Why" [Version #1] (Gene ClarkGene ClarkGene Clark, born Harold Eugene Clark was an American singer-songwriter, and one of the founding members of the folk-rock group The Byrds....
) – 2:31 - "It's No Use" [Version #3] (Jim McGuinn, Gene Clark) – 3:38
- NOTE: this song ends at 2:09; at 2:18 begins "Studio Chat"
- NOTE: Tracks 7-10 were recorded prior to the formation of The ByrdsThe ByrdsThe Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
and are performed by David Crosby with backing musicians Tommy TedescoTommy TedescoThomas J. Tedesco was an American master session musician and renowned jazz and bebop guitarist.Tedesco's credits include the iconic brand-burning accompaniment theme from television's Bonanza, The Twilight Zone, Vic Mizzy's iconic theme from Green Acres, M*A*S*H, Batman, and Elvis Presley's '68...
(electric guitar), Ray Pohlman (electric bass) and Earl Palmer (drums). The initial release of "The Only Girl I Adore" erroneously credited the song to Jim McGuinn and David Crosby.
- NOTE: Tracks 7-10 were recorded prior to the formation of The Byrds
- NOTE: this song ends at 2:09; at 2:18 begins "Studio Chat"
Personnel
NOTE: Sources for this section are as follows:- Jim McGuinnRoger McGuinnJames Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
- lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, vocals - Gene ClarkGene ClarkGene Clark, born Harold Eugene Clark was an American singer-songwriter, and one of the founding members of the folk-rock group The Byrds....
- percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, guitar, vocals - David CrosbyDavid CrosbyDavid Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
- guitar, vocals - Chris HillmanChris HillmanChristopher Hillman was one of the original members of The Byrds which in 1965 included Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby, and Michael Clarke....
- electric bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Michael ClarkeMichael Clarke (musician)Michael Clarke , was an American musician, best known as the drummer for the 1960s rock group The Byrds from 1964 to 1967. He died in 1993, at age 47, from liver failure, a direct result of more than three decades of heavy alcohol consumption.-Biography:Clarke was born Michael James Dick in...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussion
Release history
| Date | Label | Format | Country | Catalog # | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 29, 1969 | Together | LP LP album The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry... |
US | ST-1-1001 | original release. |
| January 1973 | Bumble | LP | UK | GEXP 8001 | |
| April 27, 1973 | Columbia Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company... |
LP | US | C 32183 | |
| 1973 | Ariola Ariola Records Ariola Records is a German record label. As of the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of BMG which in turn has since become a part of the international media conglomerate Sony Music Entertainment... |
LP | Holland | 86 468 IT | |
| July 9, 2001 | Poptones Poptones Poptones is a record label launched by Alan McGee after the demise of Creation Records in 1999. Named after a Public Image Limited song, it is seen as something of a return to the staunchly independent roots of Creation... |
CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
UK | MC5044CD | |
| December 3, 2001 | Poptones | LP | UK | MC33150441LP | |
| December 17, 2001 | Sundazed Sundazed Records Sundazed Records is a record label based in Coxsackie, in the Catskills of New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s.Label founders Bob Irwin and his wife Mary started the label in 1989... |
CD | US | SC 11116 | The Preflyte Sessions expanded release. |
| December 18, 2001 | Sundazed | LP | US | LP 5114 | The Preflyte Sessions expanded release. |
| February 21, 2006 | Sundazed | CD | US | SC 6234 | |