![]() The influence of these recordings on the band would manifest itself in the music of "Eight Miles High" and its B-side "Why". In order to alleviate the boredom of travelling from show to show during the tour, Crosby had brought along cassette recordings of Ravi Shankar's music and the John Coltrane albums Impressions and Africa/Brass, which were on constant rotation on the tour bus. Īlthough the basic idea for the song had been discussed during the band's flight to England, it didn't actually begin to take shape until The Byrds' November 1965 tour of the U.S. In addition, "Round the squares, huddled in storms/Some laughing, some just shapeless forms" describes the fans who waited for the band outside their hotels, while the line "Sidewalk scenes and black limousines" refers to the excited crowds that jostled the band as they exited their chauffeur driven cars. Other lyrics found in the song that explicitly refer to The Byrds' stay in England include the couplet: "Nowhere is there warmth to be found/Among those afraid of losing their ground", which is a reference to the hostile reaction of the UK music press and to the English group The Birds serving the band with a copyright infringement writ, due to the similarities in name. Īccording to Clark, the lyrics were primarily his creation, with a minor contribution being David Crosby's line, "Rain grey town, known for its sound", a reference to London being home to the British Invasion that was dominating the U.S. ![]() The song's lyrics are, for the most part, about the group's flight to London in August 1965 and their accompanying English tour, as illustrated by the opening couplet: "Eight miles high and when you touch down, you'll find that it's stranger than known." Although commercial airliners fly at an altitude of six to seven miles, it was felt that "eight miles high" sounded more poetic than six and also recalled the title of The Beatles' song " Eight Days a Week". 5 Cover versions and media references.As such, the song is often cited by critics as being the first psychedelic rock song, as well as a classic of the counterculture era. Musically influenced by Ravi Shankar and John Coltrane, "Eight Miles High", along with its McGuinn and Crosby penned B-side " Why", was influential in developing the musical styles of psychedelic rock, raga rock and psychedelic pop. The failure of "Eight Miles High" to reach the Billboard Top 10 is usually attributed to the broadcasting ban, but some commentators have suggested that the song's complexity and uncommercial nature were greater factors. The band strenuously denied these allegations at the time, but in later years both Clark and Crosby admitted that the song was at least partly inspired by their own drug use. radio ban shortly after its release, following allegations published in the broadcasting trade journal the Gavin Report regarding perceived drug connotations in its lyrics. Top 20 hit, and also their last release before the departure of Gene Clark, who was the band's principal songwriter at the time. "Eight Miles High" became The Byrds' third and final U.S. ![]() ![]() The song was also included on the band's third album, Fifth Dimension, released on July 18, 1966. The single managed to reach the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 and the Top 30 of the UK Singles Chart. Roger McGuinn), and David Crosby and first released as a single on Ma( see 1966 in music). " Eight Miles High" is a song by the American rock band The Byrds, written by Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn (a.k.a.
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