#Roger mcguinn ballad of easy rider movie
#Roger mcguinn ballad of easy rider license

Although the single was issued in most international territories, it was not released in the United Kingdom. It also became a number 21 hit in the FIMI National Charts in Italy. The single was issued in America on October 1, 1969, and reached number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, this idea was discarded and ultimately the song 'Ballad of Easy Rider' gave the new Byrds' album its title. Īs recording sessions for the Byrds' eighth studio album continued, interest in the band mounted as a result of their involvement with the Easy Rider film, leading McGuinn to announce in interviews that the band's next album would be titled Captain America, in honor of Peter Fonda's character in the film. In addition, Melcher added an orchestral overdub to the track in an attempt to emulate recent hit singles like Glen Campbell's ' Gentle on My Mind' and Harry Nilsson's ' Everybody's Talkin''. The song was also lengthened by producer Terry Melcher by editing a copy of the first verse onto the end of the second, effectively creating a third verse. The Byrds' version of the song was recorded on June 18, 1969, and is performed at a quicker tempo than the soundtrack version. The Byrds' version 'Ballad of Easy Rider' In the 21st century, McGuinn continues to perform the song during his solo concerts and consequently a recording of it appears on his 2007 live album, Live from Spain. This McGuinn solo version is a completely different take from the version that McGuinn's band the Byrds would later release as a single and include on their Ballad of Easy Rider album. The version of 'Ballad of Easy Rider' used in the film and included on the Easy Rider soundtrack album is listed as a solo performance by McGuinn and features the singer accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, with fellow Byrd Gene Parsons playing harmonica. He didn't seem to understand Peter Fonda's anti-hero concept.' Other critics have speculated that Dylan's reason for insisting his co-writing credit be removed was the belief that his name was being exploited to boost the film's street credibility. He wanted to see the truck blow up in order to get poetic justice.

#Roger mcguinn ballad of easy rider movie

McGuinn has theorised in interviews that Dylan disowned the song because 'he didn't like the movie that much.

When Dylan saw a private screening of Easy Rider and realised that he had been credited as co-writer of the film's theme song, he telephoned McGuinn and demanded that his name be removed from both the film's closing credits and all subsequent releases of the song. He'll know what to do with it.' The lyric fragment was dutifully passed on to McGuinn, who took the lines and expanded upon them with his own lyrical and musical contributions to produce the finished song. Fonda also wanted Dylan to write the film's theme song, but Dylan declined, quickly scribbling the lines - 'The river flows, it flows to the sea/Wherever that river goes, that's where I want to be/Flow, river, flow' - on to a napkin, before telling Fonda to 'give this to McGuinn.

#Roger mcguinn ballad of easy rider license

The star and script writer of Easy Rider, Peter Fonda, had initially intended to use Bob Dylan's song ' It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)' in the film, but after failing to license the track, Fonda asked Roger McGuinn of the Byrds to record a cover version of the song instead.