Recorded - September 10, 1965
Released - October 29, 1965
#1 for weeks of December 4, 11 and 18, 1965.
Believe it or not, only two Byrds songs ever managed to reach #1. Despite the immeasurably massive influence they had on musicians over the years, they would never again hit the top of the singles charts after 1965's "Turn Turn Turn". It just goes to show you how you can't judge a band by how many hits they have alone. With that being said, I consider "Turn Turn Turn" to be a superior followup to their first #1, "Mr. Tambourine Man".
"Turn Turn Turn" actually holds the world record for the chronologically earliest lyrics being in a #1 hit. In this case, much of the lyrics are taken out of the bible, namely the Book of Ecclesiastes. In 1962, legendary folk musician Pete Seger took these bible verses, set them to music, and added a few lines of hit own, ("A Time For Peace, I Swear It's Not Too Late"). In keeping with The Byrds' early tradition of taking folk songs and giving them their signature 12-string folk-rock renditions, "Turn Turn Turn" was covered, and even became the title track of their second album.
One major difference between "Turn Turn Turn" and "Mr. Tambourine Man" is that the former features all of The Byrds on instrumentation as opposed to session musicians. I'm personally quite perplexed as to why Terry Melcher felt the need to initially use studio musicians as The Byrds are all more than competent at their respected instruments. Regardless, it is still Roger McGuinn's 12-string guitar that stands out the most.
Besides the fantastic instrumentation, we have the incredible harmonies of Roger, David Crosby, and Gene Clark. The Byrds' vocal harmonies almost pre-date the perfect harmonies of Crosby's future teaming up with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash. It is a lush and rich sound that still sends shivers down my spine to this very day.
1966 would see the release of some of The Byrds' finest material. The most notable being the proto-psychedelic, "Eight Miles High". By 1968, after losing just about all of the original members, Roger McGuinn would reform the group with new musicians including Gram Parsons. This lineup would go on to pioneer the country rock genre. So despite The Byrds only having two number one hits, their musical legacy and influence lives on to this very day.
Final Verdict - Combine the amazing vocal combination of McGuinn, Crosby, and Clark, with a jangly instrumental track, and you have yourself a timeless tune that still sounds fresh to this very day. If this song is brand new to you, give it a listen, and I'm sure you'll want it in your record collection.
Last up for 1965 - "Over And Over" by The Dave Clark 5.
Until Next Time - There's a time for everything, but there's always time to turn, turn, turn, your attention to Dr. Rock's reviews -
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