My back Pages....how did the BYRDS do it?

byrddog · Post by **byrddog** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 7:01 am

When I read the thread about Tribute Bands and the song My Back Pages... It reminded me of how I've was always tried to figure out what instruments the Byrds used on the instrumental section and how they did it... the organ and guitar...and what effects were used, if any? Did Roger use the Moog on this?..or did he have it then?

dustymurphy · Post by **dustymurphy** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 5:26 pm

I'm not certain that it's a Moog, at the time they were pretty basic and sounded kind of "rooty-toot-tooty" (checkout the Neil Young((The first NY album)) version of Everbody Knows This Is Nowhere.) I have a feeling it's a Hammond organ of some manner (most likely a B3) with a fairly fast Leslie setting, and a guitar played through the Leslie as well. It seems to have a lot of chorus to me, so that's why I suspect the Leslie in both cases.

dustymurphy · Post by **dustymurphy** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 5:36 pm

I forgot to mention this before in the previous post, but George Harrison bought the second Moog ever made, and put it to use during the Abbey Road sessions. (According to George in the Anthology book.) He used it on Because, Here Comes The Sun, and the end of I Want You, among others. If I had the album in front of me, I could list them all. Those sounds are completely unlike My Back Pages, which furthers my feeling that it's Hammond with a fast Leslie.

budrocket · Post by **budrocket** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 5:43 pm

It's a Hammond with a fast Leslie setting. The Byrds didn't start using the Moog until "Notorious Byrd Brothers."

The first 60's pop band to use a Moog was...wait for it...The Monkees, on their "Pices, Aquarius..." Lp in 1967.

Buck Owens was actually the second big Moog sale in the US, buying it in '68 & installing it in the recording studio he built in Bakersfield. Not sure if he got his before or after Harrison.

bw

Don Miller · Post by **Don Miller** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 6:21 am

Back then there was concern by the musicians unions that synthesiers were going to put alot of players out of work....when Gary Paxton (Bakersfield International) first got one they had to keep it hidden so he didnt get in trouble with the unions....

I wonder who played the hammond on MBP?...Ive not seen anyone credited with it.

loverickbass · Post by **loverickbass** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 6:52 am

To my ears it sounds like a RIC 12 played thru a Leslie. Can I get a witness?

dustymurphy · Post by **dustymurphy** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:45 am

There actually IS a Ricky 12 played through a Leslie on the alternate version on the Younger Than Yesterday CD. The solo is also played through the Leslie on this version. Comparing the two gives you a definite idea of why they didn't use it. Put on the original version, the Ric isn't played through the Leslie. It'd be really interesting to find out who played it, because it has an amazing sound and adds a lot to the song. I play an acoustic version with my Epiphone Bard occasionally when I play my sets, and it always goes over well, people seem to remember it, but it's not as popular now as Mr. Tambourine Man or Turn! Turn! Turn!.

budrocket · Post by **budrocket** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 6:20 am

> when Gary Paxton (Bakersfield International)
> first got one they had to keep it hidden
> so he didnt get in trouble with the unions...

Indeed, though I think Paxton actually had a Mellotron, one of the first sample-playback keyboard instruments, as opposed to a true synthesizer, like a Moog.

bw

byrddog · Post by **byrddog** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 7:31 am

...so what about the bridge or instrumental on 5D? wow, now that's different, same set up?

budrocket · Post by **budrocket** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 7:50 am

VanDyke Parks on a Hammond organ.

bw

Don Miller · Post by **Don Miller** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 9:30 pm

I bet youre right Buudy..a Mellotron, not a Moog

dustymurphy · Post by **dustymurphy** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 3:54 pm

Buddy-

VanDyke Parks on My Back Pages or 5D? I saw a picture of Leon Russell playing a Hammond at a Byrds session a few days ago, and I wondered if it could be him.

budrocket · Post by **budrocket** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 4:35 pm

VanDyke on 5D. I don't know who played on MBP, I always assumed it was Gary Usher...it could be Leon, but I've never seen any session chits from that album.

Leon definitely plays Wurly on the first single.

bw

dustymurphy · Post by **dustymurphy** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 2:09 pm

I'm really impressed with Leon's session work lately. I'd been aware of what a fantastic writer and performer he is for some time, but I never realized how amazing his session work was. He's a fantastic player and arranger.