SO YOU WANNA BE A ROCK ‘N’ ROLL STAR – The Byrds

#849 – SO YOU WANNA BE A ROCK ‘N’ ROLL STAR - 10/17/2019

The Byrds have left an amazing mark on Rock & Roll. This tune, written by Roger McGuinn  & Chris Hillman was purported to be a slap at The Pre-Fab Four: The Monkees. Hillman says he came up with the idea for this fantastic bass line while at a session for African musician Hugh Masakela whose trumpet playing is featured on the songs.

This is one of the Byrds most covered songs. Artists as diverse as Nazareth, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Patti Smith, The Royal Guardsmen, R.E.M. & Crowded House have all taken a stab at it. It doesn’t matter who does it, the song is great. But you can almost never top the original.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMaJWESoZlk

1967