McGuinn reflected on the audience, “The Grand Old Opry was cold – we were interlopers and they were leery of us. On March 15 the Byrds stepped onto sacred country music ground as they took to the Ryman Auditorium of the Grand Ole Opry, becoming the first rock band to perform there and be broadcast.
Byrds & Mr Hyde, the album after Sweetheart of the Rodeo. McGuinn and Parsons responded by penning “Drug Store Truck Drivin’ Man” which was released on Dr. While in Nashville the Byrds went on Ralph Emery’s radio program, where Emery initially refused to play a rough cut of “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” he eventually aired it, but voiced his distain for the song and the band. McGuinn also laid down lead vocals for some of the same songs, and Hillman performed lead vocals on a few as well. A third Parsons original “Lazy Days” was recorded, but not included in the original pressing. During recording sessions, Parsons sang lead vocal on most of the tracks, an odd move, for a man who had only been in the band a couple of months. With the two Dylan songs, they also added other country classics like Merle Haggard’s “Life in Prison,” and Woody Guthrie’s “Pretty Boy Floyd,” along with two Parsons originals “One Hundred Years From Now,” and “Hickory Wind” which he co-wrote with Bob Buchanan. In March of 1968 the Byrds headed to Nashville to record, Byrds roadie Jimmi Seiter states “We were the first rock band to record in Nashville.” To add credit to their move into country music, the band cut their hair, and hired some Nashville musicians to play on the album.
It was totally their trip.” Hillman also acknowledged Parsons’ love of country music, “Gram understood too, and he knew how to sing it…Gram came in with such a strong love of country music that that’s when we made the decision to go to Nashville and cut Sweetheart of the Rodeo.” That wasn’t my idea, but I went along with it because it sounded fun. Parsons and Hillman bonded over a love of county music, and Parsons admitted the two “formed an alliance and persuaded the others that the Byrds should start playing country.” McGuinn later said “Gram and Chris took over…They brought it into the country thing. Do the evolution of that music, and go into futuristic music.” McGuinn though had written no new songs, but did bring two unreleased Bob Dylan songs to the table, “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” and “Nothing was Delivered.”
Then get into the advanced 1930s version of string music, and move it up to the more modern country, the forties and fifties, with pedal-steel guitar. McGuinn shared, “My original idea of Sweetheart of the Rodeo was to do a double album, a chronological album, starting out with old-timey music – not bluegrass, but pre-bluegrass, dulcimers and Appalachian stuff. Originally Sweetheart of the Rodeo was to be a look back on the history of music in the 20th century and where music was headed. Good God! It’s George Jones in a sequin suit!” He exploded out of that sheep’s clothing.
He turned out to be a monster in sheep’s clothing. Roger McGuinn reflected hiring Parsons, “I thought I hired a piano player. So, just how did a rock ‘n roll band known for their Rickenbacker guitars end up at the Grand Ole Opry? After David Crosby was fired from the Byrds, the band was in need of a new member, and Chris Hillman remembered a fella he met at the bank, Gram Parsons, and invited him to audition. And what I wouldn’t do for an original poster! You can check it out here. The funny thing about the cover art is that it is just a small portion of a much larger poster by Jo Mora, which illustrates various aspects and equipment of rodeos. Sadly after snapping photos of the outside of the theater, and standing in line, we were told we couldn’t bring in the camera, so you just get my outfit and the history of the album.įor the evening I went with an outfit inspired by the album’s cover art, as well as my jacket featuring the artwork, and a Grand Ole Opry charm bracelet, as the album resulted in the Byrds’ infamous appearance at the Grand Old Opry. They opened in LA last week, and I was overjoyed to snag tickets to the second LA show, as the first one sold out. This year one of my favorite albums turns 50, The Byrds’ Sweetheart of the Rodeo, and to commemorate the milestone, co-founders of The Byrds, Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman decided to embark on a tour, along with Marty Stuart.