From the "Bell Telephone Hour". We get to see early James Joseph McGuinn lll rip it up on Banjo, and Spanish Guitar. Absolutely so cool. :-) Join us at the Byrds Yahoo! group: launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/... Enjoy.
That finger picking style that Jim McGuinn played on banjo at 19 years old is very difficult to master. No wonder he brought magic to the 12 string Rickenbacher guitar with the Byrds.
Musicians of Roger McGuinn's calibre often play several different instruments. McGuinn is in the same category of musician as Vince Gill and Marty Stuart, can play pretty much anything with strings.
Is anyone else amazed by the camera work? The music itself is extraordinary and, to me, the camera work enhances it. I've watched this many times over the years and always enjoy it.
We used to sing this song at summer camp. Virtually forgotten today, the CMT was one fantastic group--maybe the best of the lot, though the KIngston Trio and the Limeliters were also excellent folk bands.
If you've ever tried to play an instrument AND sing, you know that doing both is more difficult than if you can just focus on singing. That was the advantage that the Mitchell group had that neither the KT or Limeliters had.
Great video -- Jim (Roger) McGuinn in a suit and tie with short hair! Takes me back in a very pleasant way to a time when our culture was about to be turned on its head. And the Princess phone commercial at the end is icing on the cake. Thanks for posting.
I watched a BEHIND THE GUITAR episode 2 nights ago that featured Roger McGuinn. He said that he was not allowed to sing while with The Chad Mitchell Trio, because, if he did, they would have had to become The Chad Mitchell Quartet! Not sure that I like the idea of "folk singers" in suits and ties!
Sent here by the ever-dashing Mr. McGuinn himself, who mentioned this video and its existence on RU-vid during his concert in Mobile, AL the other night. Thanks for posting - what a treat!
As a Brit never heard this music...but i like it...nice to see Mcguinn...3 years later it was Eight Miles High... but thats another story............................... Jim
He went on to have something of a solo career. Left the trio to do so. Never really caught fire, though. His first solo album was well produced and got some good reviews. Copies show up on eBay. Worth a listen.
When we went to hear them play, as we did for others, the Limeliters, the symphony, the KT, most of audience wore coat and tie. it was the same in a concert hall or at the Hungry i. Ties for the men. Back then you needed a tie too be seated at a good restaurant and people dressed up to take a plane. I sort of miss some of that, though not ties so much as recognition that there were standards in a public place.
McGuinns banjo picking seen early here is going to help him tame the 12 string Rickenbacker within tow years. He finger picks the twelve too. Thanks and in a twisted way I even liked the commercials.
@chandramaofficial That's where he got his unique sound on the Ric...he used the "Hammer & Claw" banjo technique when he played. Of course that Ric 360/12 has a sound all it's own.
Wow, I didn't now McGuinn was such a great banjoist. I remember seeing him holding a Rickenbacker banjoline in a pic somewhere of the Byrds in about the Sweetheart of the Rodeo era. I would have loved to hear him play it.
It was great growing up in the 60's. The Chad Mitcell Trio The Kingston Trio The Brothers Peter Paul and Mary Folk singing was very harmonic and went from beautiful melodies to Protest Songs, Life on the Sea and some eventually morphed in to Rock and Roll, and as Paul Stookie said OH Uncrupulous Modifiers, lol The Banjo and guitar player, Roger McGuinn wrote music for other groups like the Mama's and the Papa's. I believe he became part of the Byrds
Itoo was in college then. I was playing a gig with a folk trio one night at a Catholic girls college. One of the songs we did was Ain't no more cane on the Brazos, covering the Chad Mitchell Trios version. Later in the evening, the girls voted us off in favor of a new Beatles lp. Oh well. Those guys were pretty good.
also check out on you tube a pre Byrds Gene Clark and the New Christie Minstrals. It was Clark who wrote Eight Miles High. Cool stuff all the way around.
While I am not their age, I was part of the audience then. I found an album from this group in an auction lot. I had never heard of them. I bought the lot for the Kingston Trio album and another group. This was a nice surprize.
This is great, thank you! I've seen McGuinn solo with acoustic & electric 123 string, just amazing. Thank you for this. Michelle 333999's comments about the rest of the Byrds (especially Crosby) was good comic relief, but you can' t.deny their talent. Thoroughly amazing post, thank you!
Did you ever notice that (except for the Limeliters) those old folk groups would never feature or show the bass player on camera, even though the bass was essential to their overall sound? I always thought that was really odd. Ever see the Kingston Trio's or Peter, Paul, and Mary's bass player? Me either. They usually made the bass player stand somewhere off to the side and out of the spotlight where they wouldn't be noticed. It was almost as though bass players were to be ignored or hidden in folk music. Go figure.
That is a good point, Vanessa. About a year or two ago, there were news stories that Peter Paul and Mary's long-time bass player had passed away, at a ripe old age. And I never even knew they had a regular bass player who toured with them, because I never saw the bass player in any videos or TV performances.
I saw several live performances of the Mitchell trio, in a couple of accompanist configurations. Never saw them with a bass player. Nor do I hear one in many of their recordings. I believe they did without.
What an amazing group. Both with Chad Mitchell and then John Denver. I was fortunate to see them live right after they added John Denver to replace Chad.
While you are technically correct, and he was introduced as such, I meant for my comment to bring to mind the person of John Denver, as most people had never heard John's birth name. I do the same thing when I refer to Mohammed Ali. I saw him while in high school in Louisville, KY at basketball sectional time when I walked right past him. Many people only know the name Mohammad Ali and not his birth name of Cassius Clay.
Yes! It's interesting how him AND Pete Townshend started on the banjo....and both using Rickenbackers...helped shape 60's rock with their unique styles. Never really thought about it....until i looked at your comment and it kind of came to mind.
The opening riff of “Whop Jamboree” would later be transmuted into the intro from the Byrds’ (rare) version of “Pretty Polly”. That was recorded during the *Sweetheart of the Rodeo* sessions, but it was unreleased until 1990, probably because of the Rickenbacker. That 12 string was completely missing from *Rodeo.*
The Chad Mitchell Trio comes to the attention of at least thousands of new listeners whenever "John Sebastian's Folk Rewind" airs on public television.. Some of the material from that era reminds me of the kind of folksong that Steven Bishop played when Belushi smashed his guitar in "Animal House." Most of this is rousing stuff, though.
Wow! Never heard these guys - great songs- and depth musically. Looks like they could have influenced the Beatles. Don’t see a Dylan connection - melodic
John Lennon's band, The Quarrymen, were playing skiffle when the Mitchell trio was first up and running. So it's possible. Though much of the Michell Trio's material does not tightly fit the skiffle mode.
The pitch perfect harmonies on “Dona, Dona, Dona” demonstrate how good this group were. I recommend checking out another clip where John Denver has replaced Chad Mitchell and they do a beautifully poignant version of The Beatles “She Loves You”.
He was (un)known as "Jim McGuinn" back then, and never got any billing as you see here. "Roger" came about because some hippie convinced him to make the change during his drug-fueled rock years. No real reason, just seemed like the thing to do! Chad Mitchell had a beautiful, powerful voice, but tossed it all away to embark on an unsuccessful solo career, then was arrested in Texas for dealing marijuana, back when such things carried long jail times. He eventually appealed the conviction and won, but then disappeared from the music scene entirely. Pity!
Yes, very much a pity. I discovered music because of Chad Mitchell and I thank him for that. I watched a Hootenany program one night with my Dad, I was probably 13 or 14 and heard and saw him sing and that was that !!!!! I have every vinyl album they ever produced and several cd's. Still love that powerful but tender voice.
@@terrichristenson432 John Denver replaced Mitchell when Chad left. That's how Denver got his start to fame and glory. Denver conceded that he was nowhere as good as Mitchell, which was true. Chad had a magnificent tenor voice and could belt it out unlike Denver. Further, Mitchell and his two companions were great ACTORS while they sang, something that Denver never got the hang of.
Wonderful video! I just found it. On a trivial note, it would be interesting to know the name of the other unseen guitarist who played during the transition from one song to another, and at the very end (assuming it wasn't Segovia). Like other posters, I also enjoyed the Princess Phone commercial. I remember what a big deal it was, when Bell Telephone started selling phones in colors other than black.
Jim actually changed his name due to a stint with Subud, then later in life embraced the Christian faith but kept the name roger. He was on the road and making money at 17, moved to LA and the rest is history.
What a great show this was, all about the music. All different types. Why don't we have anything like this today? Don't want to sound cynical, but today's tv fare is crap compared to this.
JD was with them as the Michelle Trio ( he also single handed paid off the debt ...$40,000 I believe). After Frazier left it became Denver, Boise and Johnson. Later JD went solo and helped co-write Country Rds for his 3rd solo album ( with Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert).
You're rite. I've watched the old NBC Groucho Marx quiz show last day and I've thought that we have nothing of that quality nowdays: just idiots on TV... and outside.
this was available for years on VHS you could watch over and over for free. It's relative but you miss the point. It's the factor of this being produced in then current time frame that is what they are speaking on - but it does miss alot of perspective too like there was total garbage being droned on radios alway. But today is purely dispicable since the 1996 FCC take overs. Like a nightmare.
Beautiful music - I wonder what the reaction would have been if they had done any of their more political numbers like Barry's Boys or The I Am Not A Nazi Polka
The producers of the show had to ok their songs. At that time, blatant political satire would not have been considered appropriate on family entertainment.
Not to spoil anyone's fun ... but I'm pretty sure this performance is lip synched and finger synched from the recordings. The guitar music starts before McGuinn gets the guitar in his hands. The ending didn't synch either. But you can rest easy with the knowledge that, in a recording studio, somewhere, those four guys made all that music. If I'm not mistaken, this was the era of 4-track tape decks. But I wouldn't be surprised if this was done around one microphone, with one take. They were incredibly well-rehearsed.
I disagree. Sure seems to be live. The NBC Network studio would have used one or more overhead boom mics. Everyone on the opening credits was a seasoned pro who could give a good live performance.
@@chasbodaniels1744 I agree completely that the performers are that capable. And that, If NBC wanted to get the performance live, they are equipped and able to do so. Yet, if there is guitar music, with none of the musicians playing a guitar... Watch the end of the video. McGuinn stops playing. After which, the end chords from the recording can clearly be heard ...
No, they were always a trio. McGuinn was their accompanist. When he left, two other instrumentalists joined them: Paul Prestopino (banjo, mandolin, guitar) andJacob Ander (guitar). But they were still a trio.
too bad they wouldn't let the bass player at least stand up with them and maybe get in the picture sometimes. Amazing though, to do 3 live songs consecutively. great performance!!
