portrait of this blog's author - by Stephen Blackman 2008

Monday, March 19, 2018

The BYRDS - All I Really Want To Do 





From fellow blogger JoelMcCrea! 

“When [‘All I Really Want to Do’] smashed into the Top 20 the following week, the Byrds were invited to appear on Top Of The Pops. They had already featured on the show the previous month, courtesy of a filmed performance of ‘Mr Tambourine Man,’ but this was arguably even more important. They certainly looked startling that evening. McGuinn was positively otherworldly, the consummate method actor, staring deep into the camera lens over those weird rectangular glasses; Crosby smiled seductively, both innocent and mischievous in the same shot; Clark grinned, while slapping the tambourine, occasionally; Hillman barely moved, a statuesque paragon of cool furtiveness, partly hidden beneath his pulled up jacket collar; Clarke, dressed in an English tweed jacket and polo neck, just like McGuinn, affected an abstract disdain, cupping a drumstick in one hand while playing peek-a-boo beneath that long, blond hair. The performance was brilliantly captured by the Top Of The Pops crew, who studiously honed in on each individual Byrd as if they were undertaking an ornothological study of a new species.” – Johnny Rogan
"In addition to their copious drug use–they devoted their time offstage to procuring pot, speed and all manner of “crystals and coloured cubes,” in the words of Derek Taylor–three fifths of the band fell gravely ill during their 1965 British tour. Fever, bronchitis and Michael’s fondness for cough syrup curtailed key performances both in the flesh and over the airwaves, which probably helps to explain why Chris looks like he’s hurtling through another dimension". Candace at joelmccrea

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