"THE BYRDS - PREFLYTE" (EARLY RECORDINGS US 1964)

A blip in "The Byrds"' discography that could easily be missed, as all of the songs from these pre-"Mr. Tambourine Man" sessions are also found on the much more widely available "In The Beginning".


Byrds' fans really need to track this down, though, because six of the 11 cuts (recorded at "World Pacific Studios" during Mid-1964 to November 1964) are actually entirely different versions than the ones that appear on "In The Beginning", and in some cases the differences are substantial.

"You Showed Me", in particular, appears here in a bare-bones, almost acoustic version with a heart-wrenching "Gene Clark" vocal; this is the sound of the Byrds' at their very birth in the nest.
It's a matter of taste, but to my ears the takes of "She Has A Way" and "Here Without You" on Preflyte are clearly superior to the ones used on "In The Beginning", though the arrangements are very similar.

Originally released on the small "Together Records" in July 1969 (ST-T1001), this was reissued on "Columbia Records" a in 1973 (KC-32183); "Columbia Records" pressing is much easier to find, can still be easily (and affordably) found in used stores, and has enough otherwise unavailable quality material to make the search worth the effort.

See also:

"Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of The Byrds' Gene Clark"