You Showed Me
Encyclopedia
"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 Lightning Seeds, Salt-n-Pepa
, and Lutricia McNeal
. Like many of the songs that Gene Clark had a hand in writing during the 1960s, "You Showed Me" contains a mix of major
and minor chord
s, arranged in unexpected progressions
. Lyrically, the song recounts the tale of a lover who is being tutored in the ways of love by a more experienced partner.
and other folk clubs in and around Los Angeles. McGuinn and Clark soon formed a trio with David Crosby
and named themselves The Jet Set. The trio began rehearsing at World Pacific Studios
under the guidance of their manager Jim Dickson, with Michael Clarke
and Chris Hillman
joining the group soon afterward. Dickson recorded many of The Jet Set's rehearsal sessions at World Pacific and it was during this time that demo
s of "You Showed Me" were recorded by the band. The song was soon abandoned by the group, who had now changed their name to The Byrds, and was not included on their debut album for Columbia Records
, Mr. Tambourine Man
. However, recordings of "You Showed Me" by the band, dating from 1964, were eventually released on the archival albums Preflyte
and In the Beginning
.
In 1968 the song was recorded by The Turtles
as part of their album The Turtles Present the Battle of the Bands and was also released as a single in 1969, reaching #6 on the Billboard Hot 100
. "You Showed Me" had been introduced to The Turtles by their producer
and former bass player
, Chip Douglas
, who had first become acquainted with the song after hearing Clark, McGuinn and Crosby perform it at The Troubadour in 1964. Douglas had also performed the song with Clark during 1966, while he was a member of The Gene Clark Group.
Although the song had originally been an uptempo number, Douglas first demonstrated it for The Turtles' vocalists Howard Kaylan
and Mark Volman
on a harmonium
with a broken bellow, requiring him to play the song slowly. The slower tempo impressed Kaylan and Volman and consequently, The Turtles' recording of the song utilizes this slower arrangement
.
, which was sampled
by U2
in 1997 for their song "The Playboy Mansion" on their album Pop. The American hip hop
group De La Soul
also sampled The Turtles' recording of "You Showed Me" for their song "Transmitting Live From Mars (Interlude)" on their 1989 album, 3 Feet High and Rising
.
the song as a single and it reached #8 on the UK Singles Chart
. The Lightning Seeds' version was also included on the Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery
soundtrack. Salt-n-Pepa
covered the song on their 1990 album, Blacks' Magic
, with the track reaching #15 in the UK charts when it was released as a single in 1991. The song has also been covered by Lutricia McNeal
on her 2002 album, Metroplex. In addition, Kanye West
based his song "Gorgeous", from his 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, on elements derived from "You Showed Me". In 2011, the alternative country
duo The Watson Twins
offered a free download of their cover of "You Showed Me" on their website.
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....
of 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...
in 1964. It was recorded by 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...
and 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...
in 1969, becoming the group's last big hit
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...
in the U.S. The song has also been covered
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...
by a number of other bands and artists over the years, including The Lightning Seeds, Salt-n-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa is an American hip hop trio from Queens and Brooklyn, New York, that was formed in 1985. The group, consisting of Cheryl "Salt" Renee James, Sandra "Pepa" Denton, and Deidra "DJ Spinderella" Roper, was one of the first all-female rap crews....
, and Lutricia McNeal
Lutricia McNeal
Lutricia McNeal is an American R&B/pop singer. She achieved worldwide success with her singles "Ain't That Just the Way" which sold two million copies worldwide, "Stranded" and "Someone Loves You Honey" .-Biography:McNeal is the seventh of nine children...
. Like many of the songs that Gene Clark had a hand in writing during the 1960s, "You Showed Me" contains a mix of major
Major chord
In music theory, a major chord is a chord having a root, a major third, and a perfect fifth. When a chord has these three notes alone, it is called a major triad...
and minor chord
Minor chord
In music theory, a minor chord is a chord having a root, a minor third, and a perfect fifth.When a chord has these three notes alone, it is called a minor triad....
s, arranged in unexpected progressions
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
. Lyrically, the song recounts the tale of a lover who is being tutored in the ways of love by a more experienced partner.
History
The song was composed by McGuinn and Clark in early 1964 at a time when the pair were performing as a duo at The TroubadourThe Troubadour
The Troubadour is a nightclub located in West Hollywood, California, USA, at 9081 Santa Monica Boulevard just east of Doheny Drive and the border of Beverly Hills.The club was founded in 1957 by Doug Weston...
and other folk clubs in and around Los Angeles. McGuinn and Clark soon formed a trio with 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...
and named themselves The Jet Set. The trio began rehearsing 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....
under the guidance of their manager Jim Dickson, with 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 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....
joining the group soon afterward. Dickson recorded many of The Jet Set's rehearsal sessions at World Pacific and it was during this time that demo
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...
s of "You Showed Me" were recorded by the band. The song was soon abandoned by the group, who had now changed their name to The Byrds, and was not included on their debut album for 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...
, Mr. Tambourine Man
Mr. 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, recordings of "You Showed Me" by the band, dating from 1964, were eventually released on the archival albums Preflyte
Preflyte
Preflyte is a compilation album by the American folk rock band The Byrds and was released in July 1969 on Together Records . The album is a collection of demos recorded by The Byrds at World Pacific Studios in Los Angeles during 1964, before the band had signed to Columbia Records...
and 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...
.
In 1968 the song was recorded by 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...
as part of their album The Turtles Present the Battle of the Bands and was also released as a single in 1969, reaching #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...
. "You Showed Me" had been introduced to The Turtles by their 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...
and former 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...
, Chip Douglas
Chip Douglas
Douglas Farthing Walter Hatlelid, better known as Chip Douglas, is a songwriter, musician , and record producer, whose most famous work was during the 1960s...
, who had first become acquainted with the song after hearing Clark, McGuinn and Crosby perform it at The Troubadour in 1964. Douglas had also performed the song with Clark during 1966, while he was a member of The Gene Clark Group.
Although the song had originally been an uptempo number, Douglas first demonstrated it for The Turtles' vocalists Howard Kaylan
Howard Kaylan
Howard Kaylan is an American rock and roll musician, best known as a founding member and lead singer of the 1960s band, The Turtles, and "Eddie" of 1970's rock band Flo & Eddie.-Early days:...
and Mark Volman
Mark Volman
Mark Volman is an American rock and roll singer, best known as a founding member of the 1960s band The Turtles. At times during his career he has used the pseudonym "The Phlorescent Leech"...
on a harmonium
Harmonium
A harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
with a broken bellow, requiring him to play the song slowly. The slower tempo impressed Kaylan and Volman and consequently, The Turtles' recording of the song utilizes this slower arrangement
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
.
Sampling
The Turtles version also features a gently rising and falling string sectionString section
The string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
, which was sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
by U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
in 1997 for their song "The Playboy Mansion" on their album Pop. The American hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
group De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
also sampled The Turtles' recording of "You Showed Me" for their song "Transmitting Live From Mars (Interlude)" on their 1989 album, 3 Feet High and Rising
3 Feet High and Rising
3 Feet High and Rising is the debut album from American hip hop trio De La Soul, released in 1989.The album marked the first of three full-length collaborations with producer Prince Paul, which would become the critical and commercial peak of both parties. It is consistently placed on 'greatest...
.
Covers
In 1997, The Lightning Seeds released a cover versionCover 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...
the song as a single and it reached #8 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The Lightning Seeds' version was also included on the Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery is a 1997 American science fiction/action-comedy film and the first film of the Austin Powers series. It was directed by Jay Roach and written by Mike Myers who also stars in the title role. Myers also plays Dr. Evil, Austin Powers' arch-enemy...
soundtrack. Salt-n-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa is an American hip hop trio from Queens and Brooklyn, New York, that was formed in 1985. The group, consisting of Cheryl "Salt" Renee James, Sandra "Pepa" Denton, and Deidra "DJ Spinderella" Roper, was one of the first all-female rap crews....
covered the song on their 1990 album, Blacks' Magic
Blacks' Magic
Blacks' Magic is the third album by female rap group, Salt-n-Pepa, released in 1990 on London Records. The album was a critical and commercial success, making it to #38 on the Billboard 200 and #15 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop album charts and was certified Platinum...
, with the track reaching #15 in the UK charts when it was released as a single in 1991. The song has also been covered by Lutricia McNeal
Lutricia McNeal
Lutricia McNeal is an American R&B/pop singer. She achieved worldwide success with her singles "Ain't That Just the Way" which sold two million copies worldwide, "Stranded" and "Someone Loves You Honey" .-Biography:McNeal is the seventh of nine children...
on her 2002 album, Metroplex. In addition, Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
based his song "Gorgeous", from his 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, on elements derived from "You Showed Me". In 2011, the alternative country
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
duo The Watson Twins
The Watson Twins
The Watson Twins are an American musical group based in Los Angeles with alternative country and indie folk influences. They are identical twin sisters named Chandra and Leigh Watson....
offered a free download of their cover of "You Showed Me" on their website.