Lady Friend
"Lady Friend" | ||||
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Single by the Byrds | ||||
B-side |
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Released | July 13, 1967 | |||
Recorded | April 26, June 14 and 21, 1967 | |||
Studio | Columbia, Hollywood | |||
Genre | Rock, pop | |||
Length | 2:30 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) | David Crosby | |||
Producer(s) | Gary Usher | |||
The Byrds US singles chronology | ||||
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The Byrds UK singles chronology | ||||
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"Lady Friend" is a song by the American rock band the Byrds, written by band member David Crosby and released as a single on July 13, 1967.[1][2] The single was commercially unsuccessful, only charting at number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100 and failing to chart in the United Kingdom at all.[3][4]
Composition and recording
The song was written by Crosby in early 1967 at his home in
The Byrds' recording of the song has been described by Tim Connors as having a quick tempo and featuring a chiming guitar riff, while band biographer Johnny Rogan made note of its complex vocal harmonies and brass instrumentation.[7][5] Rogan also described it as the fastest and rockiest single the Byrds had released up to that point.[5] Crosby closely oversaw the protracted recording of the song, much to the consternation of his bandmates Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman.[8][9] Tensions in the band increased in the late stages of production when Crosby replaced Hillman and McGuinn's backing vocals with his own vocal overdubs.[9]
Release and reception
"Lady Friend" was released as a single on
In the press,
The Byrds performed the song during their appearance at the
Stereo mixes
Having initially been mixed in mono for its release as a single in 1967, "Lady Friend" wasn't released in stereo until its inclusion on the 1987 compilation album, Never Before.[14] However, this version of the song also featured the addition of overdubbed drums, played by an unnamed session musician during preparation of the album.[15][16] Rogan has described fan reaction to the new drumming as almost universally negative, with many listeners feeling that the addition of then-modern sounding drums was completely inappropriate and incongruous.[15] Subsequently, this doctored version of the song has not appeared on any other album release.
A new stereo remix of the song, without the drum overdubs, was released on The Byrds box set in 1990.[17] The song was also added as a bonus track to the 1996 Columbia/Legacy reissue of the Younger Than Yesterday album.[18] In addition to its appearance on the expanded reissue of Younger Than Yesterday, "Lady Friend" also appears on several Byrds' compilations, including History of The Byrds, The Original Singles: 1967–1969, Volume 2, The Essential Byrds, and There Is a Season.[19]
Cover versions
"Lady Friend" has been
References
- Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
- ^ ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-89820-172-7.
- ^ ISBN 0-7119-7670-8.
- ^ ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
- ^ "KPFA Grateful Dead Marathon playlist". The Grateful Dead Hour. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
- ^ a b "Younger Than Yesterday". ByrdWatcher: A Field Guide to the Byrds of Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 2009-04-28. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8264-1717-6.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-906002-15-2.
- ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. July 29, 1967. p. 18. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. July 29, 1967. p. 20. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
- ^ "Single Reviews" (PDF). Record World. July 29, 1967. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
- Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
- ^ Hyde, Bob. (1987). Never Before (1987 LP liner notes).
- ^ ISBN 0-9529540-1-X.
- Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
- ^ "The Byrds box set". ByrdWatcher: A Field Guide to the Byrds of Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 2010-10-28. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
- Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
- Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
- ^ "Bill Plummer And The Cosmic Brotherhood -[6]- Lady Friend". YouTube. 2011-12-15. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
- ^ a b "CSN contributions and cover versions". 4waysite.com. Archived from the original on 2010-05-24. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
- Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
- Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-04-28.