Never Before (album)
Encyclopedia
Never Before is a compilation album
by the American rock
band
The Byrds
, consisting of previously unreleased outtake
s, alternate versions, and rarities. It was initially released by Re-Flyte Records in December 1987 and was subsequently reissue
d on CD
in 1989, with an additional seven bonus tracks. Never Before consists of material recorded between 1965 and 1967 by the original line-up of The Byrds, featuring Roger McGuinn
, Gene Clark
, David Crosby
, Chris Hillman
, and Michael Clarke
(although Gene Clark had left the group by early 1966). The songs on the album were all originally recorded for Columbia Records
during the sessions
for The Byrds' first five studio album
s: Mr. Tambourine Man
, Turn! Turn! Turn!
, Fifth Dimension
, Younger Than Yesterday
, and The Notorious Byrd Brothers
. The album represented the first time that previously unreleased outtakes from The Byrds' tenure with Columbia Records had been officially released.
and friend of Gene Clark, Tom Slocum, stumbled across a cache of forgotten Byrds' recordings in the tape library at Wally Heider Studios
in Los Angeles. According to Slocum, these tapes included early versions of "Eight Miles High
" and "Why
" that had been recorded at RCA
Studios in late 1965, along with the outtakes "Triad
" and "The Day Walk (Never Before)". Slocum immediately notified The Byrds' former manager
, Jim Dickson, of his discovery and before long, Dickson had involved Bob Hyde of Murray Hill Records, with an eye to producing an archival compilation album.
Although The Byrds had disbanded in 1973, Hyde felt sure that there was a market for a collection like Never Before, due to the renewed interest in the band that had been generated by their influence on the likes of R.E.M.
, The Smiths
, and The Bangles
during the 1980s. Hyde retained Dickson's help in the project as a way of ensuring that the album would have the blessing of the ex-members of The Byrds and, in some cases, their active participation in enhancing the material. Following the initial discovery at Wally Heider Studios, a thorough search of the Columbia Records' tape vaults ensued and additional unreleased material dating from the mid-1960s was unearthed. Dickson and Hyde then set about compiling a ten track running order comprising the best of the available tapes. Dickson also elected to remix
the chosen songs with the help of Lawrence Wendelken, in an attempt to improve the fidelity
of the recordings.
Two of Crosby's compositions on the album benefitted from the addition of newly recorded overdubs
, performed by ex-members of The Byrds in an attempt to further polish the material. "It Happens Each Day", an outtake from the Younger Than Yesterday sessions, had been abandoned in an incomplete state during the 1960s and as a result, it required further instrumental embellishment to prepare it for release. The new enhancements to "It Happens Each Day" included a striking acoustic guitar
solo, played by The Byrds' bassist
, Chris Hillman. Crosby's controversial ode to a potential ménage à trois
, "Triad", also required additional work after a problem with the lead vocal
track was discovered. The problem was solved by having Crosby re-sing one line but according to Dickson, the substitution was so precise that it is virtually undetectable.
form on the Preflyte
album, while "Never Before" was a Dylanesque
song that had been discarded during the recording of the band's second album. The title of this latter song was coined by Clark in 1987, due to his inability to recall its original title. Ultimately, the song provided the album with its name but in the years following the release of Never Before, studio documentation was discovered that revealed that the song's original title had, in fact, been "The Day Walk". As a result, all subsequent appearances of the song on Byrds' compilation albums have borne the title "The Day Walk (Never Before)".
Early versions of "Eight Miles High" and "Why" also made their debut on the album. These two tracks had both been recorded at RCA Studios in Los Angeles on December 22, 1965, for release as part of The Byrds' third album. However, the band ran into trouble with Columbia Records, who refused to release the recordings, due to them having been produced at another company's studios. As a result, The Byrds were forced to re-record both songs at Columbia Studios in Los Angeles on January 24 and 25, 1966, and it was these re-recorded versions that were released as a single
and, in the case of "Eight Miles High", included on the Fifth Dimension album. In later years, both McGuinn and Crosby expressed a preference towards the original RCA version of "Eight Miles High" over the more famous Columbia recording, with both band members feeling that it was more spontaneous sounding. The album also included a rough sounding cover
of Bob Dylan
's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
" that had initially been recorded as a potential third single for the band, during sessions for the Turn! Turn! Turn! album.
As well as featuring previously unreleased material, Never Before also included some of the band's more familiar songs presented in newly prepared stereo
mixes
. The band's debut single, "Mr. Tambourine Man
", and its B-side
, "I Knew I'd Want You", both received a new stereo remix, as did Crosby's song "Lady Friend
". However, this latter track also received the addition of newly overdubbed
drums
, courtesy of an unnamed session musician
. Having only ever been released in mono
, both Hyde and Dickson wanted to take the opportunity to issue "Lady Friend" in stereo for the first time on Never Before. However, Michael Clarke's drumming on the track was not deemed strong enough to stand being exposed by the new stereo mix and so, a session drummer was brought in to give the track a more powerful drum sound. This newly overdubbed drum part proved to be controversial amongst fans of the band, however, with many feeling that the addition of modern sounding drums (by 1980's standards) was completely inappropriate and incongruous. As a result, this doctored version of "Lady Friend" has not been included on any subsequent release by The Byrds and remains unique to Never Before.
LP
and a cassette tape
. Upon release it was generally well received, garnering far more attention in the music press
than contemporary solo releases by the individual ex-members of The Byrds. The album was later reissued on CD by Murray Hill on May 1, 1989 with the addition of seven bonus tracks dating from the same 1965–1967 period. Like the original album, the bonus tracks were all newly remixed but this time the remixing was undertaken by Ken Robertson and Roger McGuinn, rather than Dickson and Wendelken. Included among the bonus tracks were the previously unreleased outtakes "I Know My Rider (I Know You Rider)
", "Psychodrama City", "Flight 713", and "Moog Raga". In addition, new stereo remixes of the non-album B-sides "Why", "She Don't Care About Time", and "Don't Make Waves" were included. Two Chris Hillman penned songs were dropped from the track listing of the expanded CD reissue just prior to its release. The first of these was a new stereo remix of "Have You Seen Her Face
", which eventually appeared on The Byrds box set in 1990, and the second was a version of "Old John Robertson" featuring newly recorded Mandolin
overdubs. As of 20, this augmented version of "Old John Robertson" remains unavailable.
In the years since its release, many of the tracks that first appeared on Never Before have been included on subsequent Byrds' releases, most notably on the expanded Columbia/Legacy
album reissues and the box sets The Byrds and There Is a Season
. Two tracks that have not appeared on any other release, however, are the stereo remix of "Lady Friend", featuring newly recorded drumming, and The Notorious Byrd Brothers outtake "Flight 713". Never Before is currently out of print but remains sought after by Byrds collectors due to the presence of these two tracks.
The Byrds
Additional personnel
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
by the American rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
, consisting of previously unreleased outtake
Outtake
An outtake is a portion of a work that is removed in the editing process and not included in the work's final, publicly released version. In the digital era, significant outtakes have been appended to CD and DVD reissues of many albums and films as bonus tracks or features, in film often, but not...
s, alternate versions, and rarities. It was initially released by Re-Flyte Records in December 1987 and was subsequently reissue
Reissue
A reissue is the repeated issue of a published work. In common usage, it refers to an album which has been released at least once before and is released again, sometimes with alterations or additions....
d on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
in 1989, with an additional seven bonus tracks. Never Before consists of material recorded between 1965 and 1967 by the original line-up of The Byrds, featuring Roger McGuinn
Roger McGuinn
James Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
, Gene Clark
Gene Clark
Gene Clark, born Harold Eugene Clark was an American singer-songwriter, and one of the founding members of the folk-rock group The Byrds....
, David Crosby
David Crosby
David Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
, Chris Hillman
Chris Hillman
Christopher Hillman was one of the original members of The Byrds which in 1965 included Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby, and Michael Clarke....
, and Michael Clarke
Michael Clarke (musician)
Michael Clarke , was an American musician, best known as the drummer for the 1960s rock group The Byrds from 1964 to 1967. He died in 1993, at age 47, from liver failure, a direct result of more than three decades of heavy alcohol consumption.-Biography:Clarke was born Michael James Dick in...
(although Gene Clark had left the group by early 1966). The songs on the album were all originally recorded for Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
during the sessions
Studio recording
The term studio recording means any recording made in a studio, as opposed to a live recording, which is usually made in a concert venue or a theatre, with an audience attending the performance.-Studio cast recordings:...
for The Byrds' first five studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
s: Mr. Tambourine Man
Mr. Tambourine Man (album)
Mr. Tambourine Man is the debut album by the American folk rock band The Byrds and was released in June 1965 on Columbia Records . The album, along with the single of the same name, established the band as an internationally successful rock act and was also influential in originating the musical...
, Turn! Turn! Turn!
Turn! Turn! Turn! (album)
Turn! Turn! Turn! is the second album by the folk rock band The Byrds and was released in December 1965 on Columbia Records . Like its predecessor, Mr. Tambourine Man, the album epitomized the folk rock genre and continued the band's successful mix of vocal harmony and jangly twelve-string...
, Fifth Dimension
Fifth Dimension (album)
Fifth Dimension is the third album by the American rock band The Byrds and was released in July 1966 on Columbia Records . Most of the album was recorded following the February 1966 departure of the band's principal songwriter Gene Clark...
, Younger Than Yesterday
Younger Than Yesterday
Younger Than Yesterday is the fourth album by the American rock band The Byrds and was released in February 1967 on Columbia Records . The album saw the band continuing to integrate elements of psychedelic rock into their music, a process they had begun on their previous LP...
, and The Notorious Byrd Brothers
The Notorious Byrd Brothers
The Notorious Byrd Brothers is the fifth album by the American rock band The Byrds and was released in January 1968 on Columbia Records . Musically, the album represents the pinnacle of The Byrds' psychedelic experimentation, with the band blending together elements of folk rock, psychedelic rock,...
. The album represented the first time that previously unreleased outtakes from The Byrds' tenure with Columbia Records had been officially released.
Conception and production
The album's genesis can be traced back to the early 1980s, when folk singerFolk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and friend of Gene Clark, Tom Slocum, stumbled across a cache of forgotten Byrds' recordings in the tape library at Wally Heider Studios
Wally Heider Studios
Wally Heider Studios was a recording studio in San Francisco, California between 1969 and 1980, started by recording engineer and studio owner Wally Heider.-History:...
in Los Angeles. According to Slocum, these tapes included early versions of "Eight Miles High
Eight Miles High
"Eight Miles High" is a song by the American rock band The Byrds, written by Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn, and David Crosby and first released as a single on March 14, 1966 . The single managed to reach the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 and the Top 30 of the UK Singles Chart...
" and "Why
Why (The Byrds song)
"Why" is a song by the American rock band The Byrds, written by Jim McGuinn and David Crosby and first released as the B-side of the band's "Eight Miles High" single in March 1966. The song was re-recorded in December 1966 and released for a second time as part of the band's Younger Than Yesterday...
" that had been recorded at RCA
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
Studios in late 1965, along with the outtakes "Triad
Triad (David Crosby song)
"Triad" is a song written by David Crosby in 1967 about a ménage à trois, a subject perfectly in keeping with the "free love" hippie philosophies of the day. The song was written while Crosby was a member of the rock band The Byrds, who were at that time recording their fifth studio album, The...
" and "The Day Walk (Never Before)". Slocum immediately notified The Byrds' former manager
Talent manager
A talent manager, also known as an artist manager or band manager, is an individual or company who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry...
, Jim Dickson, of his discovery and before long, Dickson had involved Bob Hyde of Murray Hill Records, with an eye to producing an archival compilation album.
Although The Byrds had disbanded in 1973, Hyde felt sure that there was a market for a collection like Never Before, due to the renewed interest in the band that had been generated by their influence on the likes of R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
, The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
, and The Bangles
The Bangles
The Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...
during the 1980s. Hyde retained Dickson's help in the project as a way of ensuring that the album would have the blessing of the ex-members of The Byrds and, in some cases, their active participation in enhancing the material. Following the initial discovery at Wally Heider Studios, a thorough search of the Columbia Records' tape vaults ensued and additional unreleased material dating from the mid-1960s was unearthed. Dickson and Hyde then set about compiling a ten track running order comprising the best of the available tapes. Dickson also elected to remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
the chosen songs with the help of Lawrence Wendelken, in an attempt to improve the fidelity
High fidelity
High fidelity—or hi-fi—reproduction is a term used by home stereo listeners and home audio enthusiasts to refer to high-quality reproduction of sound or images, to distinguish it from the poorer quality sound produced by inexpensive audio equipment...
of the recordings.
Two of Crosby's compositions on the album benefitted from the addition of newly recorded overdubs
Overdubbing
Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously recorded performance....
, performed by ex-members of The Byrds in an attempt to further polish the material. "It Happens Each Day", an outtake from the Younger Than Yesterday sessions, had been abandoned in an incomplete state during the 1960s and as a result, it required further instrumental embellishment to prepare it for release. The new enhancements to "It Happens Each Day" included a striking acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
solo, played by The Byrds' bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
, Chris Hillman. Crosby's controversial ode to a potential ménage à trois
Ménage à trois
Ménage à trois is a French term which originally described a domestic arrangement in which three people having sexual relations occupy the same household – the phrase literally translates as "household of three"...
, "Triad", also required additional work after a problem with the lead vocal
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
track was discovered. The problem was solved by having Crosby re-sing one line but according to Dickson, the substitution was so precise that it is virtually undetectable.
Music
Among the wealth of previously unreleased material included on the album, two songs came from the pen of Gene Clark. Of these, "She Has a Way" was an outtake from the Mr. Tambourine Man sessions that had previously appeared in demoDemo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
form on the Preflyte
Preflyte
Preflyte is a compilation album by the American folk rock band The Byrds and was released in July 1969 on Together Records . The album is a collection of demos recorded by The Byrds at World Pacific Studios in Los Angeles during 1964, before the band had signed to Columbia Records...
album, while "Never Before" was a Dylanesque
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
song that had been discarded during the recording of the band's second album. The title of this latter song was coined by Clark in 1987, due to his inability to recall its original title. Ultimately, the song provided the album with its name but in the years following the release of Never Before, studio documentation was discovered that revealed that the song's original title had, in fact, been "The Day Walk". As a result, all subsequent appearances of the song on Byrds' compilation albums have borne the title "The Day Walk (Never Before)".
Early versions of "Eight Miles High" and "Why" also made their debut on the album. These two tracks had both been recorded at RCA Studios in Los Angeles on December 22, 1965, for release as part of The Byrds' third album. However, the band ran into trouble with Columbia Records, who refused to release the recordings, due to them having been produced at another company's studios. As a result, The Byrds were forced to re-record both songs at Columbia Studios in Los Angeles on January 24 and 25, 1966, and it was these re-recorded versions that were released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
and, in the case of "Eight Miles High", included on the Fifth Dimension album. In later years, both McGuinn and Crosby expressed a preference towards the original RCA version of "Eight Miles High" over the more famous Columbia recording, with both band members feeling that it was more spontaneous sounding. The album also included a rough sounding cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
"It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan and featured on his Bringing It All Back Home album, released on March 22, 1965 by Columbia Records . The song was originally recorded on January 15, 1965 with Dylan's acoustic guitar and harmonica and William E. Lee's bass...
" that had initially been recorded as a potential third single for the band, during sessions for the Turn! Turn! Turn! album.
As well as featuring previously unreleased material, Never Before also included some of the band's more familiar songs presented in newly prepared stereo
Stereophonic sound
The term Stereophonic, commonly called stereo, sound refers to any method of sound reproduction in which an attempt is made to create an illusion of directionality and audible perspective...
mixes
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
. The band's debut single, "Mr. Tambourine Man
Mr. Tambourine Man
"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...
", and its B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
, "I Knew I'd Want You", both received a new stereo remix, as did Crosby's song "Lady Friend
Lady Friend (song)
"Lady Friend" is a song by the American rock band The Byrds, written by David Crosby and released as a single on July 13, 1967. The single reached #82 on the Billboard Hot 100 but failed to chart in the United Kingdom...
". However, this latter track also received the addition of newly overdubbed
Overdubbing
Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously recorded performance....
drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, courtesy of an unnamed session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
. Having only ever been released in mono
Monaural
Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction is single-channel. Typically there is only one microphone, one loudspeaker, or channels are fed from a common signal path...
, both Hyde and Dickson wanted to take the opportunity to issue "Lady Friend" in stereo for the first time on Never Before. However, Michael Clarke's drumming on the track was not deemed strong enough to stand being exposed by the new stereo mix and so, a session drummer was brought in to give the track a more powerful drum sound. This newly overdubbed drum part proved to be controversial amongst fans of the band, however, with many feeling that the addition of modern sounding drums (by 1980's standards) was completely inappropriate and incongruous. As a result, this doctored version of "Lady Friend" has not been included on any subsequent release by The Byrds and remains unique to Never Before.
Release
Never Before was released on December 1, 1987 by Re-Flyte Records (a specially created imprint of Murray Hill) as a vinylGramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
and a cassette tape
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
. Upon release it was generally well received, garnering far more attention in the music press
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
than contemporary solo releases by the individual ex-members of The Byrds. The album was later reissued on CD by Murray Hill on May 1, 1989 with the addition of seven bonus tracks dating from the same 1965–1967 period. Like the original album, the bonus tracks were all newly remixed but this time the remixing was undertaken by Ken Robertson and Roger McGuinn, rather than Dickson and Wendelken. Included among the bonus tracks were the previously unreleased outtakes "I Know My Rider (I Know You Rider)
I Know You Rider
"I Know You Rider" is a traditional woman's blues song that has been adapted by numerous artists. Modern versions can be traced back to the song's appearance in the 1934 book, American Ballads and Folk Songs, by the noted father and son musicologists and folklorists, John Lomax and Alan Lomax...
", "Psychodrama City", "Flight 713", and "Moog Raga". In addition, new stereo remixes of the non-album B-sides "Why", "She Don't Care About Time", and "Don't Make Waves" were included. Two Chris Hillman penned songs were dropped from the track listing of the expanded CD reissue just prior to its release. The first of these was a new stereo remix of "Have You Seen Her Face
Have You Seen Her Face
"Have You Seen Her Face" is a song by the American rock band The Byrds, written by the group's bass player Chris Hillman and included on their 1967 album, Younger Than Yesterday. The song was released as the third single to be taken from that album on May 22, 1967 and reached #74 on the Billboard...
", which eventually appeared on The Byrds box set in 1990, and the second was a version of "Old John Robertson" featuring newly recorded Mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
overdubs. As of 20, this augmented version of "Old John Robertson" remains unavailable.
In the years since its release, many of the tracks that first appeared on Never Before have been included on subsequent Byrds' releases, most notably on the expanded Columbia/Legacy
Legacy Recordings
Legacy Recordings is Sony Music Entertainment's catalog division. It was founded in 1990 by CBS Records under the leadership of Jerry Shulman, Richard Bauer, Gary Pacheco and Amy Herot to handle reissues of recordings from the vast catalogues of Columbia Records, Epic Records and associated...
album reissues and the box sets The Byrds and There Is a Season
There Is a Season
There Is a Season is a four-CD box set by the American rock band The Byrds that was released on September 26, 2006 by Columbia/Legacy. It comprises 99 tracks and includes material from every one of the band's twelve studio albums, presented in roughly chronological order...
. Two tracks that have not appeared on any other release, however, are the stereo remix of "Lady Friend", featuring newly recorded drumming, and The Notorious Byrd Brothers outtake "Flight 713". Never Before is currently out of print but remains sought after by Byrds collectors due to the presence of these two tracks.
Side 1
- "Mr. Tambourine ManMr. Tambourine Man"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...
" [previously unreleased stereo mix] (Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
) – 2:19 - "I Knew I'd Want You" [new stereo mix] (Gene ClarkGene ClarkGene Clark, born Harold Eugene Clark was an American singer-songwriter, and one of the founding members of the folk-rock group The Byrds....
) – 2:18 - "She Has a Way" [previously unreleased] (Gene Clark) – 2:32
- "It's All Over Now, Baby BlueIt's All Over Now, Baby Blue"It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan and featured on his Bringing It All Back Home album, released on March 22, 1965 by Columbia Records . The song was originally recorded on January 15, 1965 with Dylan's acoustic guitar and harmonica and William E. Lee's bass...
" [previously unreleased] (Bob Dylan) – 2:59 - "Never Before" [previously unreleased] (Gene Clark) – 3:03
Side 2
- "Eight Miles HighEight Miles High"Eight Miles High" is a song by the American rock band The Byrds, written by Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn, and David Crosby and first released as a single on March 14, 1966 . The single managed to reach the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 and the Top 30 of the UK Singles Chart...
" [previously unreleased alternate take] (Gene Clark, Roger McGuinnRoger McGuinnJames Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
, David CrosbyDavid CrosbyDavid Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
) – 3:22 - "WhyWhy (The Byrds song)"Why" is a song by the American rock band The Byrds, written by Jim McGuinn and David Crosby and first released as the B-side of the band's "Eight Miles High" single in March 1966. The song was re-recorded in December 1966 and released for a second time as part of the band's Younger Than Yesterday...
" [previously unreleased alternate take] (Roger McGuinn, David Crosby) – 2:43 - "TriadTriad (David Crosby song)"Triad" is a song written by David Crosby in 1967 about a ménage à trois, a subject perfectly in keeping with the "free love" hippie philosophies of the day. The song was written while Crosby was a member of the rock band The Byrds, who were at that time recording their fifth studio album, The...
" [previously unreleased] (David Crosby) – 3:32 - "It Happens Each Day" [previously unreleased] (David Crosby) – 2:37
- "Lady FriendLady Friend (song)"Lady Friend" is a song by the American rock band The Byrds, written by David Crosby and released as a single on July 13, 1967. The single reached #82 on the Billboard Hot 100 but failed to chart in the United Kingdom...
" (David Crosby) – 2:33
1989 CD reissue bonus tracks
- "I Know My Rider (I Know You Rider)I Know You Rider"I Know You Rider" is a traditional woman's blues song that has been adapted by numerous artists. Modern versions can be traced back to the song's appearance in the 1934 book, American Ballads and Folk Songs, by the noted father and son musicologists and folklorists, John Lomax and Alan Lomax...
" [previously unreleased] (traditionalTraditional musicTraditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
, arranged Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby) – 2:49 - "Why" (Single Version) [previously unreleased stereo mix] (Roger McGuinn, David Crosby) – 3:03
- "She Don't Care About Time" [previously unreleased stereo mix] (Gene Clark) – 2:31
- "Flight 713" (Instrumental) [previously unreleased] (Roger McGuinn, Chris HillmanChris HillmanChristopher Hillman was one of the original members of The Byrds which in 1965 included Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby, and Michael Clarke....
) – 2:36 - "Psychodrama City" [previously unreleased] (David Crosby) – 2:22
- "Don't Make Waves" (Single Version) [previously unreleased stereo mix] (Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman) – 1:37
- "Moog Raga" (Instrumental) [previously unreleased] (Roger McGuinn) – 2:55
Personnel
NOTE: Sources for this section are as follows:The Byrds
- Roger McGuinnRoger McGuinnJames Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
- lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, Moog synthesizerMoog modular synthesizerMoog modular synthesizer refers to any of a number of monophonic analog modular synthesizers designed by the late electronic instrument pioneer Dr. Robert Moog and manufactured by R.A Moog Co...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Gene ClarkGene ClarkGene Clark, born Harold Eugene Clark was an American singer-songwriter, and one of the founding members of the folk-rock group The Byrds....
- tambourineTambourineThe tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
, vocals - David CrosbyDavid CrosbyDavid Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
- rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, vocals - Chris HillmanChris HillmanChristopher Hillman was one of the original members of The Byrds which in 1965 included Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby, and Michael Clarke....
- electric bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, vocals - Michael ClarkeMichael Clarke (musician)Michael Clarke , was an American musician, best known as the drummer for the 1960s rock group The Byrds from 1964 to 1967. He died in 1993, at age 47, from liver failure, a direct result of more than three decades of heavy alcohol consumption.-Biography:Clarke was born Michael James Dick in...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Additional personnel
- Bill Pittman and Jerry ColeJerry ColeJerry Cole born Jerald Kolbrack was an American guitarist who recorded under his own name, under various budget album pseudonyms and as an uncredited session musician.-Biography:...
- rhythm guitar (tracks 1–2) - Larry KnechtelLarry KnechtelLawrence William "Larry" Knechtel was an American keyboard player and bassist, best known for his work as a session musician with such artists as Simon & Garfunkel, Duane Eddy, The Beach Boys, The Mamas & the Papas, The Partridge Family, The Doors, and Elvis Presley, and as a member of the 1970s...
- electric bass (tracks 1–2) - Leon RussellLeon RussellClaude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
- electric pianoElectric pianoAn electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented...
(tracks 1–2) - Hal BlaineHal BlaineHal Blaine is an American drummer and session musician. He is most known for his work with the Wrecking Crew in California. Blaine played on numerous hits by popular groups, including Elvis Presley, John Denver, the Ronettes, Simon & Garfunkel, the Carpenters, the Beach Boys, Nancy Sinatra, and...
- drums (tracks 1, 2, 14) - Hugh MasekelaHugh MasekelaHugh Ramopolo Masekela is a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, and singer.-Early life:Masekela was born in Kwa-Guqa Township, Witbank, South Africa. He began singing and playing piano as a child...
– trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
(track 10) - unknown musician - drums (track 10)