Thursday, September 10, 2009

An Early Clue to the New Direction: Unfinished Business Edition

From 1965 (and the 1996 reissue of the Turn! Turn! Turn! album) please enjoy the David Crosby-penned backing track for The Byrds' uncompleted yet sci-fi themed "Stranger in a Strange Land."





The Byrds never finished this, for reasons that have never been satisfactorily explained to my knowledge, but what survives is, as they say, a hot one. Apparently there are lyrics somewhere, and some group actually covered it, with Crosby's blessing, at some point; if anybody has a clue, I'd love the details. Personally, I've always thought some smart alt-rock guy should write his own lyrics to the track and dub stuff on top of it.

In any case, as always a coveted PowerPop No-Prize will be awarded the first listener who gleans the clip's relevance to the theme of tomorrow's Weekend Listomania.
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17 comments:

  1. Unknown9/10/2009 1:56 PM

    Sounds like a session drummer. Verification word today? "Roculad."

    ReplyDelete
  2. David9/10/2009 1:57 PM

    Songs David Crosby wrote when he was high? Nah, too broad a category. Songs named after sci-fi classics?

    ReplyDelete
  3. steve simels9/10/2009 2:01 PM

    The sci-fi songs thing is a good idea, and I will steal it in the future (get it? the future! Jeez -- I'm turning into Ed Wood).

    But no, alas.

    ReplyDelete
  4. steve simels9/10/2009 2:02 PM

    No, it's Mike Clarke.

    Listen to his foot. And the breaks between the verse and chorus.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous9/10/2009 4:42 PM

    instrumentals?

    best uses of the 12-string?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous9/10/2009 5:44 PM

    Songs by guys who should have stayed in their original band. (This way we can also tweak Stills & Nash.)

    or

    Unfinished songs?

    ROTP(lumber)

    ReplyDelete
  7. steves9/10/2009 5:54 PM

    Post-Beatles Songs About Alienation?

    ReplyDelete
  8. steve simels9/10/2009 6:06 PM

    No, no and no.

    I'm trying to think of a hint...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous9/10/2009 6:23 PM

    repetititive meloies?

    ReplyDelete
  10. steve simels9/10/2009 6:39 PM

    Okay...it's something about the song, but nobody's got it yet.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Dave9/10/2009 7:04 PM

    Songs with tambourines?

    ReplyDelete
  12. steve simels9/10/2009 7:07 PM

    Good guess.

    But NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
    :-)

    ReplyDelete
  13. MJConroy9/10/2009 7:53 PM

    "Stranger in a Strange Land."
    Was covered by Blackburn and Snow
    see: http://www.answers.com/topic/blackburn-snow?cat=entertainment
    take a listen here:
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/recsradio/radio/B00000IGKH/ref=pd_krex_dp_001_001?ie=UTF8&track=001&disc=001

    ReplyDelete
  14. steve simels9/10/2009 8:01 PM

    MJC:

    Thanks for that...I've always wanted to hear that.

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  15. steve simels9/10/2009 10:12 PM

    Okay -- a hopefully helpful hint.


    It has to do with the reissue.

    ReplyDelete
  16. The Kenosha Kid9/10/2009 10:13 PM

    Best bonus track?

    ReplyDelete
  17. steve simels9/11/2009 12:02 AM

    TKK --

    We have a winner!!!

    Kudos and huzzahs, my friend -- your coveted PowerPop No-Prize is on its way to you via swineherd caravan as we speak!

    ReplyDelete