On this day in music history: August 30, 1968 - “Sweetheart Of The Rodeo”, the sixth album by The Byrds is released. Produced by Gary Usher, it is recorded at Columbia Studios in Nashville, TN from March 9 - 15, 1968, and Columbia Studios in Hollywood, CA from April 4 - May 27, 1968. Their first album following the departure of original founding members David Crosby (leaving to form Crosby, Stills & Nash) and Michael Clarke. The Byrds will move further away from their trademark electric folk-rock/pop sound, and go in a completely different musical direction. This evolution, having begun on their previous album “The Notorious Byrd Brothers”, sees them experimenting with bluegrass and Appalachian music. The album will introduce guitarist and vocalist Gram Parsons as well as guitarist Clarence White as permanent members of the band. While in Nashville, The Byrds will perform on Grand Ole Opry, where they will be met with derision from the conservative audience who sees the band as “hippie longhairs”. They will also have a similar reaction from WSM DJ Ralph Emery when he interviews the band on his show, acting in a condescending matter toward them and initially refusing to play an acetate copy of the just recorded “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” on the air. Though not a commercial success upon its release, its hybrid sound of country and rock music will be highly influential on many musicians in the years that follow including the Eagles, Poco, Emmylou Harris, and Pure Prairie League to name a few. “Sweetheart” will be reissued twice over the years. First in 1997, as a remastered CD with eight bonus tracks, and again in 2003 as 2 CD Legacy Edition featuring more rehearsal takes and alternate recordings. “Sweetheart Of The Rodeo” will peak at number seventy seven on the Billboard Top 200, and is inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 2000.
Posted on: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 18:23:05 +0000
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