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{{About|the song by the Byrds|other uses}}
"'''Eight Miles High'''" is a [[Single (music)|single]] from [[The Byrds]]' 1966 [[Album (music)|album]] ''[[Fifth Dimension (album)|Fifth Dimension]]''. Written by [[Gene Clark]], [[Roger McGuinn]], and [[David Crosby]], it is one of the earliest pieces of [[psychedelic rock]] music. The obscure lyrics were written by Clark, and describe the group's plane trip to [[England]] in 1965. The song was banned by some radio stations because of its alleged reference to [[Recreational drug use |drugs]].
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{good article}}


{{Infobox song
McGuinn's [[twelve string guitar]] playing was heavily inspired by [[John Coltrane]]'s [[saxophone]] on "India" (1961). The plane's engine is supplied by [[Chris Hillman]]'s bass line, while the frenetic [[rhythm guitar]] work by Crosby and fast [[drum]]ming of [[Michael Clarke]] add some turbulence to the flight. In an old tape added to the 1996 re-issue of the album, Crosby said that the catastrophic ending of the song made him "feel like a plane landing".
| name = Eight Miles High
| cover = TheByrdsEightMilesHigh.jpg
| alt =
| caption = U.S. picture sleeve
| type = single
| artist = [[the Byrds]]
| album = [[Fifth Dimension (album)|Fifth Dimension]]
| B-side = [[Why (The Byrds song)|Why]]
| released = March 14, 1966
| recorded = January 24–25, 1966
| studio = [[CBS Columbia Square|Columbia]], Hollywood
| venue =
| genre =
*[[Psychedelic rock]]
*[[raga rock]]
*[[psychedelic pop]]
| length = 3:33
| label = [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]
| writer =
*[[Gene Clark]]
*[[Roger McGuinn|Jim McGuinn]]
*[[David Crosby]]
| producer = [[Allen Stanton]]
| prev_title = [[Set You Free This Time]]" / "[[It Won't Be Wrong]]
| prev_year = 1966
| next_title = [[5D (Fifth Dimension)]]
| next_year = 1966
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|NxyOhFBoxSY|"Eight Miles High" (audio)}}}}
}}
<!--N.B. Citations DO NOT belong in the lede unless they are there to support a controversial statement. Put them in the appropriate place in the BODY of the article instead.--->
"'''Eight Miles High'''" is a song by the American [[Rock music|rock]] band [[the Byrds]], written by [[Gene Clark]], [[Roger McGuinn|Jim McGuinn]] (later known as Roger McGuinn), and [[David Crosby]]. It was first released as a [[Single (music)|single]] on March 14, 1966. Musically influenced by [[sitar]] player [[Ravi Shankar]] and [[jazz]] saxophonist [[John Coltrane]], the song was influential in developing the musical styles of [[psychedelic music|psychedelia]] and [[raga rock]]. Accordingly, critics often cite "Eight Miles High" as being the first bona fide [[psychedelic rock]] song, as well as a classic of the [[counterculture of the 1960s|counterculture era]].


The song was subject to a U.S. [[Radio broadcasting|radio]] ban shortly after its release, following allegations published in the broadcasting [[trade journal]] the ''[[Gavin Report]]'' regarding perceived [[Psychoactive drug#Recreational use|drug]] connotations in its [[lyrics]]. The band strenuously denied these allegations at the time, but in later years both Clark and Crosby admitted that the song was at least partly inspired by their drug use. The failure of "Eight Miles High" to reach the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' Top 10 is usually attributed to the broadcasting ban, but some commentators have suggested the song's complexity and uncommercial nature were greater factors.
An earlier version of this song had been recorded in RCA Studios in late 1965. It was later covered by [[Leo Kottke]], [[Roxy Music]], and [[Husker Du]].


"Eight Miles High" reached number 14 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart and number 24 on the [[UK Singles Chart]]. The song was also included on the band's third album, ''[[Fifth Dimension (album)|Fifth Dimension]]'', which was released on July 18, 1966. "Eight Miles High" became the Byrds' third and final U.S. Top 20 hit, and was their last release before the departure of Clark, who was the band's principal songwriter at the time.
==Sources==
*[http://ebni.com/byrds/lp5d.html ''ByrdWatcher: A Field Guide to the Byrds of Los Angeles'']


== History ==
[[Category:1965 songs]]
=== Composition ===
[[Category:1966 singles]]
The song's lyrics are, for the most part, about the group's flight to London in August 1965 and their accompanying English tour, as hinted at by the opening [[couplet]]: "Eight miles high and when you touch down, you'll find that it's stranger than known."<!--See talk page for discussion of this lyric--><ref name="timeless2"/> Although commercial airliners fly at an [[altitude]] of six to seven miles, it was felt that "eight miles high" sounded more poetic than six and also alluded to the title of [[the Beatles]]' song "[[Eight Days a Week (song)|Eight Days a Week]]".<ref name="timeless2"/>


According to Clark, the lyrics were primarily his creation, with a minor contribution being Crosby's line, "Rain grey town, known for its sound"—a reference to London as home to the [[British Invasion]], which was then dominating the U.S. music charts.<ref name="timeless2"/><ref name="einarson"/><ref name="mcguinn">{{cite web|author=McGuinn, Camilla|title=Eight Miles High|date=February 14, 2009 |publisher=[[Roger McGuinn]]'s Official Blog|url=http://rogermcguinn.blogspot.com/2009/02/roadie-report-45-eight-miles-high-by.html|access-date=November 8, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708062024/http://rogermcguinn.blogspot.com/2009/02/roadie-report-45-eight-miles-high-by.html|archive-date=July 8, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> Other lyrics in the song that explicitly refer to the Byrds' stay in England include the couplet: "Nowhere is there warmth to be found/Among those afraid of losing their ground", which is a reference to the hostile reaction of the UK music press and to the English group [[The Birds (band)|the Birds]] serving the band with a [[writ]] of [[copyright infringement]] because of the similarities in their names.<ref name="mcguinn"/><ref>{{cite web|author=Fitzsimmons, Mick|title=Sold on Song: Eight Miles High|publisher=[[BBC]]|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/eightmileshigh.shtml|access-date=November 12, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513234259/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/eightmileshigh.shtml|archive-date=May 13, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Rogan, Johnny.|page=95|year=1998|title=The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited|edition=2nd|publisher=Rogan House|isbn=0-9529540-1-X}}</ref> In addition, "Round the squares, huddled in storms/Some laughing, some just shapeless forms" describes fans waiting for the band outside hotels, while the line "Sidewalk scenes and black limousines" refers to the excited crowds that jostled the band as they exited their chauffeur-driven cars.<ref name="mcguinn"/>


Although the basic idea for the song had been discussed during the band's flight to England, it did not begin to take shape until the Byrds' November 1965 tour of the U.S.<ref name="einarson"/> To alleviate the boredom of traveling from show to show during the tour, Crosby had brought along [[Compact Cassette|cassette]] recordings of [[Ravi Shankar]]'s music and the [[John Coltrane]] albums ''[[Impressions (John Coltrane album)|Impressions]]'' and ''[[Africa/Brass]]'', which were on constant rotation on the tour bus.<ref name="timeless5">{{cite book|author=Rogan, Johnny.|page=141|year=1998|title=The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited|edition=2nd|publisher=Rogan House|isbn=0-9529540-1-X}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Hjort, Christopher.|page=75|year=2008|title=So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965–1973)|publisher=Jawbone Press|isbn=978-1-906002-15-2}}</ref> The impact of these recordings on the band would manifest itself in the music of "Eight Miles High" and its [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] "[[Why (The Byrds song)|Why]]"—both of which were influential in the development of the musical styles of [[psychedelic rock]], [[raga rock]], and [[psychedelic pop]].<ref name="timeless2"/><ref name="timeless5"/><ref name=pc35>{{cite web|title=Pop Chronicles: Show 35 – The Rubberization of Soul: The Great Pop Renaissance|publisher=[[University of North Texas]]|url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19794/m1/|access-date=March 25, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403171732/http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19794/m1/|archive-date=April 3, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="timeless"/><ref name="bellman">{{cite book|author=Bellman, Jonathan.|page=351|year=1997|title=The Exotic In Western Music|publisher=Northeastern Publishing|isbn=1-55553-319-1}}</ref>
{{song-stub}}

Clark began writing the song's lyrics on November 24, 1965, when he scribbled down some rough ideas for later development, after a discussion with guitarist [[Brian Jones]], before the Byrds made a concert appearance supporting [[the Rolling Stones]].<ref name="einarson"/><ref>{{cite book|author=Hjort, Christopher.|page=72|year=2008|title=So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965–1973)|publisher=Jawbone Press|isbn=978-1-906002-15-2}}</ref> Over the following days, Clark expanded this fragment into a full poem, eventually setting the words to music and giving them a [[melody]].<ref name="einarson"/> Clark then showed the song to McGuinn and Crosby. McGuinn suggested that the song be arranged to incorporate Coltrane's influence.<ref name="einarson"/> Since Clark's death, however, McGuinn has contended it was he who conceived the initial idea of writing a song about an airplane ride and that he and Crosby both contributed lyrics to Clark's unfinished draft.<ref name="einarson"/> In his book, ''Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark'', author John Einarson disputes this claim and ponders whether McGuinn's story would be the same if Clark was still alive.<ref name="einarson"/>

=== Recording ===
{{Listen |filename=Byrds_-_Eight_Miles_High.ogg|title=Eight Miles High|description=An excerpt from the intro of "Eight Miles High", demonstrating the [[John Coltrane]]-influenced, free form guitar playing of Roger McGuinn and the droning quality of the song's vocals.}}
The [[master recording]] of "Eight Miles High" was recorded on January 24 and 25, 1966, at Columbia Studios in Hollywood.<ref name = "Rogan 1998 620">{{cite book|author=Rogan, Johnny.|page=620|year=1998|title=The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited|edition=2nd|publisher=Rogan House|isbn=978-0-9529540-1-9}}</ref> Record producer [[Allen Stanton]] guided the band through the recording process.<ref name = "Rogan 1998 620"/> John Einarson has commented that the influence of Coltrane's [[saxophone]] playing and, in particular his song "India" from the ''Impressions'' album, can be heard clearly in "Eight Miles High"—most noticeably in McGuinn's recurring [[twelve-string guitar]] solo.<ref name="einarson"/> In addition to this striking guitar [[Motif (music)|motif]], the song is also highlighted by [[Chris Hillman]]'s driving and hypnotic bass line, Crosby's chunky [[rhythm guitar]] playing and the band's ethereal [[Vocal harmony|harmonies]].<ref name="einarson"/><ref name="timeless"/><ref name="priore">{{cite book|author=Priore, Domenic.|author-link=Domenic Priore|page=81|year=2007|title=Riot On Sunset Strip: Rock 'n' Roll's Last Stand in Hollywood|publisher=Jawbone Press|isbn=978-1-906002-04-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Eder, Bruce|title=Eight Miles High|work=[[Allmusic]]|publisher=Rovi Corporation|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/eight-miles-high-mt0004752042|access-date=November 10, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161024052711/http://www.allmusic.com/song/eight-miles-high-mt0004752042|archive-date=October 24, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

"Eight Miles High" also exhibits the influence of sitarist Ravi Shankar, particularly in the droning quality of the song's vocal melody and in McGuinn's guitar playing.<ref name="lavezzoli">{{cite book|author=Lavezzoli, Peter.|pages=155–157|year=2007|title=The Dawn of Indian music in the West|publisher=[[Continuum International Publishing Group]]|isbn=978-0-8264-2819-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Crosby, David.|page=99|year=1990|title=Long Time Gone: The Autobiography of David Crosby|publisher=[[Random House|Mandarin Paperbacks]]|isbn=0-7493-0283-6}}</ref> However, the song does not actually feature the sound of the [[sitar]], despite the Byrds having appeared brandishing the instrument at a contemporary [[News conference|press conference]] held to promote the single.<ref name="timeless"/> In a 1966 promotional interview, which was added to the expanded [[Compact Disc|CD]] reissue of the ''Fifth Dimension'' album, Crosby said that the song's ending made him "feel like a plane landing."

An earlier version of "Eight Miles High" was recorded with [[Al Schmitt]] at [[RCA Records|RCA]] Studios in Los Angeles on December 22, 1965, but [[Columbia Records]] refused to release that recording because it had not been produced at a Columbia-owned studio.<ref name="timeless"/><ref name= "Rogan 1998 620"/><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/sep/16/how-we-made-eight-miles-high-the-byrds The Byrds: how we made Eight Miles High] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114040959/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/sep/16/how-we-made-eight-miles-high-the-byrds |date=November 14, 2017 }} [[The Guardian]], September 16, 2014</ref> McGuinn has since said he believes this original version of the song to be more spontaneous sounding than the better known Columbia release.<ref name="timeless"/> That opinion was echoed by Crosby, who commented, "It was a stunner, it was better, it was stronger. It had more flow to it. It was the way we wanted it to be."<ref name="timeless"/> This original version of "Eight Miles High" was eventually released on the 1987 archival album ''[[Never Before (The Byrds album)|Never Before]]'' and was also included as a [[bonus track]] on the 1996 [[Legacy Recordings|Columbia/Legacy]] CD reissue of ''Fifth Dimension''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Connors, Tim|title=Fifth Dimension|work=Byrdwatcher: A Field Guide to the Byrds of Los Angeles|publisher=Euclid Business Network|url=http://ebni.com/byrds/lp5d.html|access-date=November 10, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090504212934/http://ebni.com/byrds/lp5d.html|archive-date=May 4, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Rogan, Johnny.|year=1996|title=Fifth Dimension (1996 CD liner notes)}}</ref>

== Release and legacy ==

===U.S. radio ban===
"Eight Miles High" was released on March 14, 1966, in the U.S.<ref name="timeless4">{{cite book|author=Rogan, Johnny.|pages=541–544|year=1998|title=The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited|edition=2nd|publisher=Rogan House|isbn=0-9529540-1-X}}</ref> and May 29, 1966, in the UK, reaching number 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and number 24 on the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref name="timeless4"/><ref name="whitburn">{{cite book|author=Whitburn, Joel.|page=130|year=2008|title=Top Pop Singles 1955–2006|publisher=Record Research Inc|isbn=978-0-89820-172-7}}</ref><ref name="brown">{{cite book|author=Brown, Tony.|page=130|year=2000|title=The Complete Book of the British Charts|publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]|isbn=0-7119-7670-8}}</ref><ref name="hjort"/> The song was also included on the band's third album, ''[[Fifth Dimension (album)|Fifth Dimension]]'', which was released on July 18, 1966.<ref name="unterberger">{{cite web|author=Unterberger, Richie|author-link=Richie Unterberger|title=Fifth Dimension album review|work=[[Allmusic]]|publisher=Rovi Corporation|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r3062|pure_url=yes}}|access-date=November 9, 2009}}</ref>

Following its release, the band faced allegations of advocating the use of [[Psychoactive drug#Recreational use|recreational drugs]] in ''[[Gavin Report|Bill Gavin's Record Report]]'', a weekly newsletter circulated to U.S. radio stations.<ref name="einarson">{{cite book|author=Einarson, John.|pages=82–86|year=2005|title=Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark|publisher=[[Backbeat Books]]|isbn=0-87930-793-5}}</ref><ref name="timeless2">{{cite book|author=Rogan, Johnny.|pages=158–163|year=1998|title=The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited|edition=2nd|publisher=Rogan House|isbn=0-9529540-1-X}}</ref> This resulted in "Eight Miles High" being banned in a number of states within a week of the report being published, a factor which contributed to the single's failure to break into the ''Billboard'' Top 10.<ref name="timeless2"/> The Byrds and their [[publicist]], [[Derek Taylor]], countered by strenuously denying that the song was drug-related. Taylor issued an indignant press release stating unequivocally that the song was about the band's trip to England and not drug use.<ref name="timeless"/> However, by the early 1980s, both Crosby and Clark admitted that the song was not entirely as innocent as they had originally declared. Crosby said: "Of course it was a drug song! We were stoned when we wrote it."<ref name="timeless"/> Clark was less blunt, explaining in an interview that "it was about a lot of things. It was about the airplane trip to England, it was about drugs, it was about all that. A piece of poetry of that nature is not limited to having it have to be just about airplanes or having it have to be just about drugs. It was inclusive because during those days the new experimenting with all the drugs was a very vogue thing to do."<ref name="einarson"/><ref name="timeless">{{cite book|author=Rogan, Johnny.|pages=152–157|year=1998|title=The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited|edition=2nd|publisher=Rogan House|isbn=0-9529540-1-X}}</ref>

Research analyst Mark Teehan, writing for Popular Musicology Online, has challenged the widely held view among critics, music historians and the Byrds themselves that the U.S. radio ban hurt sales of "Eight Miles High".<ref name="hjort2">{{cite book|author=Hjort, Christopher.|pages=91–92|year=2008|title=So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965–1973)|publisher=Jawbone Press|isbn=978-1-906002-15-2}}</ref><ref name="pmo"/> He points out that although the ''Gavin Report'' recommended that radio stations withdraw the single from airplay, many stations did not comply with this suggestion.<ref name="pmo"/> In addition, he notes that the radio ban was not suggested by the ''Gavin Report'' until April 29, 1966, almost seven weeks after the single had been released—ample time for it to have made its mark on the charts.<ref name="pmo"/> Teehan has uncovered evidence showing "Eight Miles High" was already decelerating on the national charts before the end of April 1966.<ref name="pmo"/> Having examined the local music surveys and the ''Billboard'' regional retail sales charts as they relate to the national charting of "Eight Miles High", Teehan found that the progressive, complex and uncommercial nature of the song was a much bigger factor in its failure to reach the ''Billboard'' Top 10.<ref name="einarson"/><ref name="pmo">{{cite web|author=Teehan, Mark|title=The Byrds, "Eight Miles High", the Gavin Report, and Media Censorship of Alleged 'Drug Songs' in 1966: An Assessment|publisher=Popular Musicology Online|url=http://www.popular-musicology-online.com/issues/04/teehan.html|access-date=March 28, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120411043553/http://www.popular-musicology-online.com/issues/04/teehan.html|archive-date=April 11, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Commercial radio stations were reluctant to play songs that were over two-and-a-half minutes long during the mid-1960s, and the song suffered from uncoordinated and inefficient promotion by Columbia Records.<ref name="pmo"/> Teehan's research revealed that "Eight Miles High" failed to reach the Top Five in any of his 23 sample regional markets, and most telling, among the thirty radio stations included within this sample, it reached the Top 10 on only seven of them (23%).<ref name="pmo"/>

===Influence and reception===
[[File:The Byrds Raga Rock.png|220px|thumb|right|The Byrds at the "Eight Miles High" press conference in March 1966, posing with a sitar in order to illustrate the Indian influences present in the song.]]
The song's use of Indian and [[Free jazz|free-form jazz]] influences, along with its impressionistic lyrics, were immediately influential on the emerging genre of psychedelic rock.<ref name="hjort"/><ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|title=Psychedelic/Garage Overview|work=[[Allmusic]]|publisher=Rovi Corporation|url=http://www.allmusic.com/style/psychedelic-garage-ma0000002800|access-date=May 30, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531005708/http://www.allmusic.com/style/psychedelic-garage-ma0000002800|archive-date=May 31, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Accordingly, some authors and music historians, including Eric V. D. Luft, [[Domenic Priore]], and Dwight Rounds, have described "Eight Miles High" as being the first bona fide psychedelic rock song.<ref>{{cite book|author=Luft, Eric V. D.|page=155|year=2009|title=Die at the Right Time!: A Subjective Cultural History of the American Sixties|publisher=Gegenstaz Press|isbn=978-0-9655179-2-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Priore, Domenic|author-link=Domenic Priore|page=38|year=200|title=SMiLE: The Story of Brian Wilson's Lost Masterpiece|publisher=Sanctuary|isbn=978-1-86074-627-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Rounds, Dwight|page=59|year=2007|title=The Year the Music Died: 1964-1972: A Commentary on the Best Era of Pop|publisher=Bridgeway Books|isbn=978-1-933538-69-3}}</ref> In his book ''Riot On Sunset Strip: Rock 'n' Roll's Last Stand in Hollywood'', Priore cites the song as the one that kicked off the psychedelic craze, explaining "prior to 'Eight Miles High,' there were no pop records with incessant, hypnotic basslines juxtaposed by droning, trance-induced improvisational guitar."<ref name="priore"/>

The song was responsible for the naming of the musical subgenre raga rock, when journalist Sally Kempton, in her review of the single for ''[[The Village Voice]]'', used the term to describe the record's experimental fusion of eastern and western music.<ref>{{cite book|author=Hjort, Christopher.|page=88|year=2008|title=So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965–1973)|publisher=Jawbone Press|isbn=978-1-906002-15-2}}</ref> However, although Kempton was the first person to use the term raga rock in print, she actually borrowed the phrase from the promotional material the Byrds' press office had supplied to accompany the "Eight Miles High" single release.<ref name="bellman"/> In a 1968 interview for the ''[[Pop Chronicles]]'' [[radio documentary]], McGuinn denied that the song was an example of raga rock,<ref name="pc35"/> while Crosby, speaking in 1998, dismissed the term entirely, saying "they kept trying to label us; every time we turned around, they came up with a new one ... it's a bunch of bullshit."<ref>{{cite web|author=Connors, Tim|title=The Byrdwatcher Interview with David Crosby: Part Five|publisher=Euclid Business Network Incorporated|url=http://ebni.com/byrds/newsbwidc5.html|access-date=June 21, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730153904/http://ebni.com/byrds/newsbwidc5.html|archive-date=July 30, 2013}}</ref> Nonetheless, the experimental nature of the song placed the Byrds firmly at the forefront of the burgeoning psychedelic movement, along with [[the Yardbirds]], the Beatles, [[Donovan]] and the Rolling Stones, who were all exploring similar musical territory concurrently.<ref name="allmusic"/>

Contemporary reviews for the single were mostly positive, with [[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']] magazine describing the song as a "Big beat rhythm rocker with soft lyric ballad vocal and off-beat instrumental backing."<ref name="hjort"/><ref name=bb>{{cite news|newspaper=Billboard|access-date=2021-03-04|date=April 2, 1966|page=18|title=Spotlight Singles|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/60s/1966/Billboard%201966-04-02.pdf}}</ref> ''[[Cash Box]]'' described the single as a "rhythmic, shufflin’ [[blues]]-soaked affair with some real inventive riffs."<ref name=cb>{{cite magazine |title=CashBox Record Reviews |date=March 26, 1966 |page=18 |access-date=2022-01-12 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-03-26.pdf |magazine=Cash Box}}</ref> ''[[Record World]]'' magazine also praised the song, commenting "It's an eerie tune with lyrics bound to hypnotize. Will climb heights."<ref name="hjort"/> In the UK, ''Music Echo'' described the song as "wild and oriental but still beaty". The publication also suggested that with the release of "Eight Miles High" the Byrds had jumped ahead of the Beatles in terms of creativity, saying "[By] getting their single out now they've beaten the Beatles to the punch, for Paul [McCartney] admitted recently that the Liverpool foursome are working on a similar sound for their new album and single."<ref name="hjort2"/> In recent years, [[Richie Unterberger]], writing for the [[Allmusic]] website, has described "Eight Miles High" as "one of the greatest singles of the '60s."<ref name="unterberger"/> Critics often cite "Eight Miles High" as being the first bona fide psychedelic rock song, as well as a classic of the [[counterculture of the 1960s|counterculture era]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Perrone|first=James E.|pages=113–114|year=2004|title=Music of the Counterculture Era|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]|isbn=0-313326-89-4}}</ref>

In 1999, the song was inducted into the [[Grammy Hall of Fame Award|Grammy Hall of Fame]], an honor reserved for "recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance that are at least 25 years old."<ref>{{cite web|title=GRAMMY Hall of Fame: Past Recipients |work=GRAMMY.org |publisher=[[The Recording Academy]] |url=http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/awards/hall-of-fame |access-date=June 22, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122042616/http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/awards/hall-of-fame |archive-date=January 22, 2011 }}</ref> In 2004, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine ranked "Eight Miles High" at number 151 on their list of ''[[The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]''<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|publisher=Wenner Media|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/the-byrds-eight-miles-high-19691231|access-date=May 30, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120529164829/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/the-byrds-eight-miles-high-19691231|archive-date=May 29, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> and in March 2005, [[Q magazine|''Q'' magazine]] placed the song at number 50 on their list of the ''100 Greatest Guitar Tracks''.<ref>{{cite web|title=100 Greatest Guitar Tracks|publisher=Rockandrollreport.com|url=http://rockandrollreport.com/the-q-magazine-100-greatest-guitar-tracks-ever/|access-date=November 8, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090916180211/http://rockandrollreport.com/the-q-magazine-100-greatest-guitar-tracks-ever/|archive-date=September 16, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Post-release ==
During the same month that "Eight Miles High" was released as a single, the Byrds' primary songwriter, Gene Clark, left the band.<ref name="hjort">{{cite book|author=Hjort, Christopher.|pages=84–87|year=2008|title=So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965–1973)|publisher=Jawbone Press|isbn=978-1-906002-15-2}}</ref> His fear of flying was given as the official reason for his departure, but other factors, including his tendency toward anxiety and paranoia, as well as his increasing isolation within the group, were also at work.<ref name="hjort"/><ref>{{cite book|author=Einarson, John.|pages=87–88|year=2005|title=Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark|publisher=[[Backbeat Books]]|isbn=0-87930-793-5}}</ref> Following the release of "Eight Miles High" and Clark's departure, the Byrds never again managed to place a single in the ''Billboard'' Top 20.<ref name="whitburn"/>

The Byrds performed "Eight Miles High" on a number of [[television program]]s during the 1960s and 1970s, including ''Popside'', ''Drop In'', ''Midweek'', and ''[[Beat-Club]]''.<ref name="timeless6">{{cite book|author=Rogan, Johnny.|pages=591–617|year=1998|title=The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited|edition=2nd|publisher=Rogan House|isbn=0-9529540-1-X}}</ref> The song became a staple of the band's [[Rock concert|live concert]] repertoire until their final disbandment in 1973.<ref name="timeless6"/> A sixteen-minute live version of "Eight Miles High" was included on the Byrds' ''[[Untitled (The Byrds album)|(Untitled)]]'' album in 1970,<ref>{{cite web|author=Eder, Bruce|title=(Untitled) album review|work=[[Allmusic]]|publisher=Rovi Corporation|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r738051|pure_url=yes}}|access-date=November 10, 2009}}</ref> and another live version was released as part of the 2008 album, ''[[Live at Royal Albert Hall 1971]]''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Leggett, Steve|title=Live at Royal Albert Hall 1971 album review|work=[[Allmusic]]|publisher=Rovi Corporation|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1364393|pure_url=yes}}|access-date=November 10, 2009}}</ref> The song was performed by a reformed lineup of the Byrds featuring [[Roger McGuinn]], David Crosby, and Chris Hillman in January 1989.<ref name="timeless6"/>

The song remained a favorite of Clark's during his post-Byrds solo career and he often performed it at his concert appearances until his death, in 1991.<ref name="einarson"/> McGuinn also continues to perform an intricate acoustic guitar rendition of the song at his concerts.<ref>{{cite web|author=Landers, Rick|title=Roger McGuinn Interview|work=Modern Guitars Magazine|publisher=Rick Landers|url=http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/001633.html|access-date=November 24, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091016015557/http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/001633.html|archive-date=October 16, 2009}}</ref> Crosby has revisited "Eight Miles High" infrequently during his post-Byrds career, but it was performed during [[Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young]]'s reunion tour of 2000, with [[Neil Young]] handling McGuinn's guitar solo, while the other three members sang the song's three-part harmonies.<ref name="lavezzoli"/> The Byrds' [[Bassist|bass player]], Chris Hillman, also recorded an acoustic version of "Eight Miles High" as part of his 2005 album, ''[[The Other Side (Chris Hillman album)|The Other Side]]''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Deming, Mark|title=The Other Side album review|work=[[Allmusic]]|publisher=Rovi Corporation|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r777964|pure_url=yes}}|access-date=May 18, 2010}}</ref>

In addition to its appearance on the ''Fifth Dimension'' album, "Eight Miles High" also appears on several Byrds' [[Compilation album|compilations]], including: ''[[The Byrds' Greatest Hits]]'', ''[[History of The Byrds]]'', ''[[The Original Singles: 1965–1967, Volume 1]]'', ''[[The Byrds (box set)|The Byrds]]'', ''[[The Very Best of The Byrds]]'', ''[[The Essential Byrds]]'' and ''[[There Is a Season]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Eight Miles High album appearances|work=[[Allmusic]]|publisher=[[Rovi Corporation]]|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/eight-miles-high-mt0004752042|access-date=November 27, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161024052711/http://www.allmusic.com/song/eight-miles-high-mt0004752042|archive-date=October 24, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Cover versions and media references ==
"Eight Miles High" has been [[Cover version|covered]] by many different bands and artists including: [[the Ventures]], [[Leathercoated Minds]], [[East of Eden (band)|East of Eden]], [[Lighthouse (band)|Lighthouse]], [[Leo Kottke]], [[Roxy Music]], [[Ride (band)|Ride]], [[Dave Stewart (musician, born 1950)|Stewart]]/[[Barbara Gaskin|Gaskin]], [[Robyn Hitchcock]], [[Rockfour]], [[Les Fradkin]], [[The Kennedys (band)|The Kennedys]], [[the Postmarks]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Eight Miles High cover versions|work=[[Allmusic]]|publisher=Rovi Corporation|url=http://www.allmusic.com/search/albums/Eight+Miles+High|access-date=May 30, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331031932/http://www.allmusic.com/search/albums/Eight+Miles+High|archive-date=March 31, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Steve Hunter]]. [[Hüsker Dü]] released the song as a single prior to the release of their ''[[Zen Arcade]]'' [[LP album|LP]] in 1984.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hüsker Dü – Commercial Releases|publisher=Hüsker Dü Annotated Discography|url=http://www.thirdav.com/hd_discog/01_commercial.html|access-date=May 18, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922022536/http://www.thirdav.com/hd_discog/01_commercial.html|archive-date=September 22, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The song was covered in 1969 by [[Golden Earring]], who included a nineteen-minute version on their ''[[Eight Miles High (album)|Eight Miles High]]'' album.<ref>{{cite web|title=Golden Earring – Eight Miles High album review|work=[[Allmusic]]|publisher=Rovi Corporation|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r8356|pure_url=yes}}|access-date=May 18, 2010}}</ref> The [[Emerson, Lake & Palmer]] spinoff group [[3 (1980s band)|3]] recorded the song with revised lyrics on their 1988 album, ''[[To the Power of Three]]''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Ankeny, Jason|title=To the Power of Three album review|work=[[Allmusic]]|publisher=Rovi Corporation|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r53380|pure_url=yes}}|access-date=May 18, 2010}}</ref> [[Crowded House]] with Roger McGuinn covered the song on their ''[[I Feel Possessed]]'' [[Extended play|EP]].<ref>{{cite web|author=All Music Guide|title=I Feel Possessed EP review|work=[[Allmusic]]|publisher=Rovi Corporation|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r4868|pure_url=yes}}|access-date=May 18, 2010}}</ref>

[[Don McLean]]'s song "[[American Pie (song)|American Pie]]" makes reference to "Eight Miles High" with the lines "The Birds {{sic}} flew off with a fall-out shelter / Eight miles high and falling fast."<ref>{{cite web|title=Don McLean's American Pie – Official Lyrics |publisher=Don McLean Online |url=http://www.don-mclean.com/viewsong.asp?id=89 |access-date=July 23, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129095635/http://www.don-mclean.com/viewsong.asp?id=89 |archive-date=November 29, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Fontenot, Robert|title=American Pie: What's the meaning of Verse 4|publisher=[[About.com]]|url=http://oldies.about.com/od/70spopandsoul/f/ampieverse4.htm|access-date=May 18, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105041443/http://oldies.about.com/od/70spopandsoul/f/ampieverse4.htm|archive-date=January 5, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> [[The First Edition (band)|The First Edition]]'s 1968 hit, "[[Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)]]", contains a reference to the song with the line "I tripped on a cloud and fell a-eight miles high." The independent rock band [[Okkervil River (band)|Okkervil River]] references "Eight Miles High" in its song "Plus Ones", on the 2007 album ''[[The Stage Names]]''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Monger, James Christopher|title=The Stage Names album review|work=[[Allmusic]]|publisher=Rovi Corporation|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1110678|pure_url=yes}}|access-date=May 18, 2010}}</ref> [[Bruce Springsteen]]'s song "Life Itself", from his 2009 album ''[[Working on a Dream]]'', features guitar playing and production techniques reminiscent of "Eight Miles High" by the Byrds.<ref>{{cite web|author=Stephen, M. Deusner|title=Working on a Dream album review|publisher=[[Pitchfork Media]]|url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12614-working-on-a-dream|access-date=May 18, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100522120235/http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12614-working-on-a-dream/|archive-date=May 22, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Working on a Dream album review|work=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]|publisher=IPC Media|url=http://www.uncut.co.uk/bruce-springsteen/bruce-springsteens-new-album-reviewed-interview|access-date=May 30, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129050309/http://www.uncut.co.uk/bruce-springsteen/bruce-springsteens-new-album-reviewed-interview|archive-date=November 29, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Byrds' version of "Eight Miles High" is featured in the 1983 film ''[[Purple Haze (film)|Purple Haze]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Purple Haze: Soundtrack|work=[[Internet Movie Database]]|publisher=[[Amazon.com]]|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084553/soundtrack|access-date=November 10, 2009}}</ref> It appears in both the "Le Voyage dans la Lune" and "The Original Wives Club" episodes of the television miniseries ''[[From the Earth to the Moon (miniseries)|From the Earth to the Moon]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=From the Earth to the Moon – Le Voyage dans la Lune soundtrack|work=[[Internet Movie Database]]|publisher=[[Amazon.com]]|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1380407/soundtrack|access-date=May 18, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110912001322/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1380407/soundtrack|archive-date=September 12, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=From the Earth to the Moon – The Original Wives Club soundtrack|work=[[Internet Movie Database]]|publisher=[[Amazon.com]]|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1380409/soundtrack|access-date=May 18, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310141752/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1380409/soundtrack|archive-date=March 10, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Personnel ==
* [[Roger McGuinn]]{{snd}} vocals, 12-string guitar
* [[Gene Clark]]{{snd}} vocals
* [[David Crosby]]{{snd}} vocals, guitar
* [[Chris Hillman]]{{snd}} bass guitar
* [[Michael Clarke (musician)|Michael Clarke]]{{snd}} drums

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/eightmileshigh.shtml BBC – Radio 2 Sold on Song]
*[http://www.geneclark.com/songarchive/eightmilestab.html "Eight Miles High" tablature] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716192331/http://www.geneclark.com/songarchive/eightmilestab.html |date=July 16, 2012 }}

{{The Byrds}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:1965 songs]]
[[Category:1966 singles]]
[[Category:The Byrds songs]]
[[Category:American psychedelic rock songs]]
[[Category:Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients]]
[[Category:Songs written by Roger McGuinn]]
[[Category:Songs written by David Crosby]]
[[Category:Songs written by Gene Clark]]
[[Category:Columbia Records singles]]
[[Category:Censorship of broadcasting in the United States]]
[[Category:Censorship of music]]
[[Category:Raga rock songs]]
[[Category:Songs based on actual events]]
[[Category:Psychedelic pop songs]]
[[Category:Songs about drugs]]
[[Category:Roxy Music songs]]

Latest revision as of 18:05, 1 October 2024

This article is about the song by the Byrds. For other uses, see Eight Miles High (disambiguation).

"Eight Miles High"
U.S. picture sleeve
Single by the Byrds
from the album Fifth Dimension
B-side"Why"
ReleasedMarch 14, 1966
RecordedJanuary 24–25, 1966
StudioColumbia, Hollywood
Genre
Length3:33
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Allen Stanton
The Byrds singles chronology
"Set You Free This Time" / "It Won't Be Wrong"
(1966) 		"Eight Miles High"
(1966) 		"5D (Fifth Dimension)"
(1966)
Music video
"Eight Miles High" (audio) on YouTube

"Eight Miles High" is a song by the American rock band the Byrds, written by Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn (later known as Roger McGuinn), and David Crosby. It was first released as a single on March 14, 1966. Musically influenced by sitar player Ravi Shankar and jazz saxophonist John Coltrane, the song was influential in developing the musical styles of psychedelia and raga rock. Accordingly, critics often cite "Eight Miles High" as being the first bona fide psychedelic rock song, as well as a classic of the counterculture era.

The song was subject to a U.S. radio ban shortly after its release, following allegations published in the broadcasting trade journal the Gavin Report regarding perceived drug connotations in its lyrics. The band strenuously denied these allegations at the time, but in later years both Clark and Crosby admitted that the song was at least partly inspired by their drug use. The failure of "Eight Miles High" to reach the Billboard Top 10 is usually attributed to the broadcasting ban, but some commentators have suggested the song's complexity and uncommercial nature were greater factors.

"Eight Miles High" reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 24 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was also included on the band's third album, Fifth Dimension, which was released on July 18, 1966. "Eight Miles High" became the Byrds' third and final U.S. Top 20 hit, and was their last release before the departure of Clark, who was the band's principal songwriter at the time.

History

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Composition

[edit]

The song's lyrics are, for the most part, about the group's flight to London in August 1965 and their accompanying English tour, as hinted at by the opening couplet: "Eight miles high and when you touch down, you'll find that it's stranger than known."[1] Although commercial airliners fly at an altitude of six to seven miles, it was felt that "eight miles high" sounded more poetic than six and also alluded to the title of the Beatles' song "Eight Days a Week".[1]

According to Clark, the lyrics were primarily his creation, with a minor contribution being Crosby's line, "Rain grey town, known for its sound"—a reference to London as home to the British Invasion, which was then dominating the U.S. music charts.[1][2][3] Other lyrics in the song that explicitly refer to the Byrds' stay in England include the couplet: "Nowhere is there warmth to be found/Among those afraid of losing their ground", which is a reference to the hostile reaction of the UK music press and to the English group the Birds serving the band with a writ of copyright infringement because of the similarities in their names.[3][4][5] In addition, "Round the squares, huddled in storms/Some laughing, some just shapeless forms" describes fans waiting for the band outside hotels, while the line "Sidewalk scenes and black limousines" refers to the excited crowds that jostled the band as they exited their chauffeur-driven cars.[3]

Although the basic idea for the song had been discussed during the band's flight to England, it did not begin to take shape until the Byrds' November 1965 tour of the U.S.[2] To alleviate the boredom of traveling from show to show during the tour, Crosby had brought along cassette recordings of Ravi Shankar's music and the John Coltrane albums Impressions and Africa/Brass, which were on constant rotation on the tour bus.[6][7] The impact of these recordings on the band would manifest itself in the music of "Eight Miles High" and its B-side "Why"—both of which were influential in the development of the musical styles of psychedelic rock, raga rock, and psychedelic pop.[1][6][8][9][10]

Clark began writing the song's lyrics on November 24, 1965, when he scribbled down some rough ideas for later development, after a discussion with guitarist Brian Jones, before the Byrds made a concert appearance supporting the Rolling Stones.[2][11] Over the following days, Clark expanded this fragment into a full poem, eventually setting the words to music and giving them a melody.[2] Clark then showed the song to McGuinn and Crosby. McGuinn suggested that the song be arranged to incorporate Coltrane's influence.[2] Since Clark's death, however, McGuinn has contended it was he who conceived the initial idea of writing a song about an airplane ride and that he and Crosby both contributed lyrics to Clark's unfinished draft.[2] In his book, Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark, author John Einarson disputes this claim and ponders whether McGuinn's story would be the same if Clark was still alive.[2]

Recording

[edit]
Eight Miles High
An excerpt from the intro of "Eight Miles High", demonstrating the John Coltrane-influenced, free form guitar playing of Roger McGuinn and the droning quality of the song's vocals.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The master recording of "Eight Miles High" was recorded on January 24 and 25, 1966, at Columbia Studios in Hollywood.[12] Record producer Allen Stanton guided the band through the recording process.[12] John Einarson has commented that the influence of Coltrane's saxophone playing and, in particular his song "India" from the Impressions album, can be heard clearly in "Eight Miles High"—most noticeably in McGuinn's recurring twelve-string guitar solo.[2] In addition to this striking guitar motif, the song is also highlighted by Chris Hillman's driving and hypnotic bass line, Crosby's chunky rhythm guitar playing and the band's ethereal harmonies.[2][9][13][14]

"Eight Miles High" also exhibits the influence of sitarist Ravi Shankar, particularly in the droning quality of the song's vocal melody and in McGuinn's guitar playing.[15][16] However, the song does not actually feature the sound of the sitar, despite the Byrds having appeared brandishing the instrument at a contemporary press conference held to promote the single.[9] In a 1966 promotional interview, which was added to the expanded CD reissue of the Fifth Dimension album, Crosby said that the song's ending made him "feel like a plane landing."

An earlier version of "Eight Miles High" was recorded with Al Schmitt at RCA Studios in Los Angeles on December 22, 1965, but Columbia Records refused to release that recording because it had not been produced at a Columbia-owned studio.[9][12][17] McGuinn has since said he believes this original version of the song to be more spontaneous sounding than the better known Columbia release.[9] That opinion was echoed by Crosby, who commented, "It was a stunner, it was better, it was stronger. It had more flow to it. It was the way we wanted it to be."[9] This original version of "Eight Miles High" was eventually released on the 1987 archival album Never Before and was also included as a bonus track on the 1996 Columbia/Legacy CD reissue of Fifth Dimension.[18][19]

Release and legacy

[edit]

U.S. radio ban

[edit]

"Eight Miles High" was released on March 14, 1966, in the U.S.[20] and May 29, 1966, in the UK, reaching number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 24 on the UK Singles Chart.[20][21][22][23] The song was also included on the band's third album, Fifth Dimension, which was released on July 18, 1966.[24]

Following its release, the band faced allegations of advocating the use of recreational drugs in Bill Gavin's Record Report, a weekly newsletter circulated to U.S. radio stations.[2][1] This resulted in "Eight Miles High" being banned in a number of states within a week of the report being published, a factor which contributed to the single's failure to break into the Billboard Top 10.[1] The Byrds and their publicist, Derek Taylor, countered by strenuously denying that the song was drug-related. Taylor issued an indignant press release stating unequivocally that the song was about the band's trip to England and not drug use.[9] However, by the early 1980s, both Crosby and Clark admitted that the song was not entirely as innocent as they had originally declared. Crosby said: "Of course it was a drug song! We were stoned when we wrote it."[9] Clark was less blunt, explaining in an interview that "it was about a lot of things. It was about the airplane trip to England, it was about drugs, it was about all that. A piece of poetry of that nature is not limited to having it have to be just about airplanes or having it have to be just about drugs. It was inclusive because during those days the new experimenting with all the drugs was a very vogue thing to do."[2][9]

Research analyst Mark Teehan, writing for Popular Musicology Online, has challenged the widely held view among critics, music historians and the Byrds themselves that the U.S. radio ban hurt sales of "Eight Miles High".[25][26] He points out that although the Gavin Report recommended that radio stations withdraw the single from airplay, many stations did not comply with this suggestion.[26] In addition, he notes that the radio ban was not suggested by the Gavin Report until April 29, 1966, almost seven weeks after the single had been released—ample time for it to have made its mark on the charts.[26] Teehan has uncovered evidence showing "Eight Miles High" was already decelerating on the national charts before the end of April 1966.[26] Having examined the local music surveys and the Billboard regional retail sales charts as they relate to the national charting of "Eight Miles High", Teehan found that the progressive, complex and uncommercial nature of the song was a much bigger factor in its failure to reach the Billboard Top 10.[2][26] Commercial radio stations were reluctant to play songs that were over two-and-a-half minutes long during the mid-1960s, and the song suffered from uncoordinated and inefficient promotion by Columbia Records.[26] Teehan's research revealed that "Eight Miles High" failed to reach the Top Five in any of his 23 sample regional markets, and most telling, among the thirty radio stations included within this sample, it reached the Top 10 on only seven of them (23%).[26]

Influence and reception

[edit]
The Byrds at the "Eight Miles High" press conference in March 1966, posing with a sitar in order to illustrate the Indian influences present in the song.

The song's use of Indian and free-form jazz influences, along with its impressionistic lyrics, were immediately influential on the emerging genre of psychedelic rock.[23][27] Accordingly, some authors and music historians, including Eric V. D. Luft, Domenic Priore, and Dwight Rounds, have described "Eight Miles High" as being the first bona fide psychedelic rock song.[28][29][30] In his book Riot On Sunset Strip: Rock 'n' Roll's Last Stand in Hollywood, Priore cites the song as the one that kicked off the psychedelic craze, explaining "prior to 'Eight Miles High,' there were no pop records with incessant, hypnotic basslines juxtaposed by droning, trance-induced improvisational guitar."[13]

The song was responsible for the naming of the musical subgenre raga rock, when journalist Sally Kempton, in her review of the single for The Village Voice, used the term to describe the record's experimental fusion of eastern and western music.[31] However, although Kempton was the first person to use the term raga rock in print, she actually borrowed the phrase from the promotional material the Byrds' press office had supplied to accompany the "Eight Miles High" single release.[10] In a 1968 interview for the Pop Chronicles radio documentary, McGuinn denied that the song was an example of raga rock,[8] while Crosby, speaking in 1998, dismissed the term entirely, saying "they kept trying to label us; every time we turned around, they came up with a new one ... it's a bunch of bullshit."[32] Nonetheless, the experimental nature of the song placed the Byrds firmly at the forefront of the burgeoning psychedelic movement, along with the Yardbirds, the Beatles, Donovan and the Rolling Stones, who were all exploring similar musical territory concurrently.[27]

Contemporary reviews for the single were mostly positive, with Billboard magazine describing the song as a "Big beat rhythm rocker with soft lyric ballad vocal and off-beat instrumental backing."[23][33] Cash Box described the single as a "rhythmic, shufflin’ blues-soaked affair with some real inventive riffs."[34] Record World magazine also praised the song, commenting "It's an eerie tune with lyrics bound to hypnotize. Will climb heights."[23] In the UK, Music Echo described the song as "wild and oriental but still beaty". The publication also suggested that with the release of "Eight Miles High" the Byrds had jumped ahead of the Beatles in terms of creativity, saying "[By] getting their single out now they've beaten the Beatles to the punch, for Paul [McCartney] admitted recently that the Liverpool foursome are working on a similar sound for their new album and single."[25] In recent years, Richie Unterberger, writing for the Allmusic website, has described "Eight Miles High" as "one of the greatest singles of the '60s."[24] Critics often cite "Eight Miles High" as being the first bona fide psychedelic rock song, as well as a classic of the counterculture era.[35]

In 1999, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, an honor reserved for "recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance that are at least 25 years old."[36] In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked "Eight Miles High" at number 151 on their list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time[37] and in March 2005, Q magazine placed the song at number 50 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.[38]

Post-release

[edit]

During the same month that "Eight Miles High" was released as a single, the Byrds' primary songwriter, Gene Clark, left the band.[23] His fear of flying was given as the official reason for his departure, but other factors, including his tendency toward anxiety and paranoia, as well as his increasing isolation within the group, were also at work.[23][39] Following the release of "Eight Miles High" and Clark's departure, the Byrds never again managed to place a single in the Billboard Top 20.[21]

The Byrds performed "Eight Miles High" on a number of television programs during the 1960s and 1970s, including Popside, Drop In, Midweek, and Beat-Club.[40] The song became a staple of the band's live concert repertoire until their final disbandment in 1973.[40] A sixteen-minute live version of "Eight Miles High" was included on the Byrds' (Untitled) album in 1970,[41] and another live version was released as part of the 2008 album, Live at Royal Albert Hall 1971.[42] The song was performed by a reformed lineup of the Byrds featuring Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, and Chris Hillman in January 1989.[40]

The song remained a favorite of Clark's during his post-Byrds solo career and he often performed it at his concert appearances until his death, in 1991.[2] McGuinn also continues to perform an intricate acoustic guitar rendition of the song at his concerts.[43] Crosby has revisited "Eight Miles High" infrequently during his post-Byrds career, but it was performed during Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's reunion tour of 2000, with Neil Young handling McGuinn's guitar solo, while the other three members sang the song's three-part harmonies.[15] The Byrds' bass player, Chris Hillman, also recorded an acoustic version of "Eight Miles High" as part of his 2005 album, The Other Side.[44]

In addition to its appearance on the Fifth Dimension album, "Eight Miles High" also appears on several Byrds' compilations, including: The Byrds' Greatest Hits, History of The Byrds, The Original Singles: 1965–1967, Volume 1, The Byrds, The Very Best of The Byrds, The Essential Byrds and There Is a Season.[45]

Cover versions and media references

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"Eight Miles High" has been covered by many different bands and artists including: the Ventures, Leathercoated Minds, East of Eden, Lighthouse, Leo Kottke, Roxy Music, Ride, Stewart/Gaskin, Robyn Hitchcock, Rockfour, Les Fradkin, The Kennedys, the Postmarks[46] and Steve Hunter. Hüsker Dü released the song as a single prior to the release of their Zen Arcade LP in 1984.[47] The song was covered in 1969 by Golden Earring, who included a nineteen-minute version on their Eight Miles High album.[48] The Emerson, Lake & Palmer spinoff group 3 recorded the song with revised lyrics on their 1988 album, To the Power of Three.[49] Crowded House with Roger McGuinn covered the song on their I Feel Possessed EP.[50]

Don McLean's song "American Pie" makes reference to "Eight Miles High" with the lines "The Birds [sic] flew off with a fall-out shelter / Eight miles high and falling fast."[51][52] The First Edition's 1968 hit, "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)", contains a reference to the song with the line "I tripped on a cloud and fell a-eight miles high." The independent rock band Okkervil River references "Eight Miles High" in its song "Plus Ones", on the 2007 album The Stage Names.[53] Bruce Springsteen's song "Life Itself", from his 2009 album Working on a Dream, features guitar playing and production techniques reminiscent of "Eight Miles High" by the Byrds.[54][55]

The Byrds' version of "Eight Miles High" is featured in the 1983 film Purple Haze.[56] It appears in both the "Le Voyage dans la Lune" and "The Original Wives Club" episodes of the television miniseries From the Earth to the Moon.[57][58]

Personnel

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Rogan, Johnny. (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. pp. 158–163. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Einarson, John. (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. Backbeat Books. pp. 82–86. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  3. ^ a b c McGuinn, Camilla (February 14, 2009). "Eight Miles High". Roger McGuinn's Official Blog. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2009.
  4. ^ Fitzsimmons, Mick. "Sold on Song: Eight Miles High". BBC. Archived from the original on May 13, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2009.
  5. ^ Rogan, Johnny. (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. p. 95. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
  6. ^ a b Rogan, Johnny. (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. p. 141. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
  7. ^ Hjort, Christopher. (2008). So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965–1973). Jawbone Press. p. 75. ISBN 978-1-906002-15-2.
  8. ^ a b "Pop Chronicles: Show 35 – The Rubberization of Soul: The Great Pop Renaissance". University of North Texas. Archived from the original on April 3, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rogan, Johnny. (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. pp. 152–157. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
  10. ^ a b Bellman, Jonathan. (1997). The Exotic In Western Music. Northeastern Publishing. p. 351. ISBN 1-55553-319-1.
  11. ^ Hjort, Christopher. (2008). So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965–1973). Jawbone Press. p. 72. ISBN 978-1-906002-15-2.
  12. ^ a b c Rogan, Johnny. (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. p. 620. ISBN 978-0-9529540-1-9.
  13. ^ a b Priore, Domenic. (2007). Riot On Sunset Strip: Rock 'n' Roll's Last Stand in Hollywood. Jawbone Press. p. 81. ISBN 978-1-906002-04-6.
  14. ^ Eder, Bruce. "Eight Miles High". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on October 24, 2016. Retrieved November 10, 2009.
  15. ^ a b Lavezzoli, Peter. (2007). The Dawn of Indian music in the West. Continuum International Publishing Group. pp. 155–157. ISBN 978-0-8264-2819-6.
  16. ^ Crosby, David. (1990). Long Time Gone: The Autobiography of David Crosby. Mandarin Paperbacks. p. 99. ISBN 0-7493-0283-6.
  17. ^ The Byrds: how we made Eight Miles High Archived November 14, 2017, at the Wayback Machine The Guardian, September 16, 2014
  18. ^ Connors, Tim. "Fifth Dimension". Byrdwatcher: A Field Guide to the Byrds of Los Angeles. Euclid Business Network. Archived from the original on May 4, 2009. Retrieved November 10, 2009.
  19. ^ Rogan, Johnny. (1996). Fifth Dimension (1996 CD liner notes).
  20. ^ a b Rogan, Johnny. (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. pp. 541–544. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
  21. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel. (2008). Top Pop Singles 1955–2006. Record Research Inc. p. 130. ISBN 978-0-89820-172-7.
  22. ^ Brown, Tony. (2000). The Complete Book of the British Charts. Omnibus Press. p. 130. ISBN 0-7119-7670-8.
  23. ^ a b c d e f Hjort, Christopher. (2008). So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965–1973). Jawbone Press. pp. 84–87. ISBN 978-1-906002-15-2.
  24. ^ a b Unterberger, Richie. "Fifth Dimension album review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 9, 2009.
  25. ^ a b Hjort, Christopher. (2008). So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965–1973). Jawbone Press. pp. 91–92. ISBN 978-1-906002-15-2.
  26. ^ a b c d e f g Teehan, Mark. "The Byrds, "Eight Miles High", the Gavin Report, and Media Censorship of Alleged 'Drug Songs' in 1966: An Assessment". Popular Musicology Online. Archived from the original on April 11, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  27. ^ a b "Psychedelic/Garage Overview". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on May 31, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  28. ^ Luft, Eric V. D. (2009). Die at the Right Time!: A Subjective Cultural History of the American Sixties. Gegenstaz Press. p. 155. ISBN 978-0-9655179-2-8.
  29. ^ Priore, Domenic (200). SMiLE: The Story of Brian Wilson's Lost Masterpiece. Sanctuary. p. 38. ISBN 978-1-86074-627-7.
  30. ^ Rounds, Dwight (2007). The Year the Music Died: 1964-1972: A Commentary on the Best Era of Pop. Bridgeway Books. p. 59. ISBN 978-1-933538-69-3.
  31. ^ Hjort, Christopher. (2008). So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965–1973). Jawbone Press. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-906002-15-2.
  32. ^ Connors, Tim. "The Byrdwatcher Interview with David Crosby: Part Five". Euclid Business Network Incorporated. Archived from the original on July 30, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  33. ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. April 2, 1966. p. 18. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  34. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. March 26, 1966. p. 18. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  35. ^ Perrone, James E. (2004). Music of the Counterculture Era. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 113–114. ISBN 0-313326-89-4.
  36. ^ "GRAMMY Hall of Fame: Past Recipients". GRAMMY.org. The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on January 22, 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  37. ^ "The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Archived from the original on May 29, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
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  39. ^ Einarson, John. (2005). Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark. Backbeat Books. pp. 87–88. ISBN 0-87930-793-5.
  40. ^ a b c Rogan, Johnny. (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. pp. 591–617. ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
  41. ^ Eder, Bruce. "(Untitled) album review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2009.
  42. ^ Leggett, Steve. "Live at Royal Albert Hall 1971 album review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2009.
  43. ^ Landers, Rick. "Roger McGuinn Interview". Modern Guitars Magazine. Rick Landers. Archived from the original on October 16, 2009. Retrieved November 24, 2009.
  44. ^ Deming, Mark. "The Other Side album review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
  45. ^ "Eight Miles High album appearances". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on October 24, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
  46. ^ "Eight Miles High cover versions". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on March 31, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  47. ^ "Hüsker Dü – Commercial Releases". Hüsker Dü Annotated Discography. Archived from the original on September 22, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
  48. ^ "Golden Earring – Eight Miles High album review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
  49. ^ Ankeny, Jason. "To the Power of Three album review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
  50. ^ All Music Guide. "I Feel Possessed EP review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
  51. ^ "Don McLean's American Pie – Official Lyrics". Don McLean Online. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
  52. ^ Fontenot, Robert. "American Pie: What's the meaning of Verse 4". About.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
  53. ^ Monger, James Christopher. "The Stage Names album review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
  54. ^ Stephen, M. Deusner. "Working on a Dream album review". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on May 22, 2010. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
  55. ^ "Working on a Dream album review". Uncut. IPC Media. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  56. ^ "Purple Haze: Soundtrack". Internet Movie Database. Amazon.com. Retrieved November 10, 2009.
  57. ^ "From the Earth to the Moon – Le Voyage dans la Lune soundtrack". Internet Movie Database. Amazon.com. Archived from the original on September 12, 2011. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
  58. ^ "From the Earth to the Moon – The Original Wives Club soundtrack". Internet Movie Database. Amazon.com. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
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