ROGER MCGUINN gives an EXCLUSIVE interview with
BYRDS FLYGHT (Jan 4th, 2000)
Byrds Flyght : Your third FOLKDEN CD has just been released. Considering there are 50 songs on the Folkden, does that mean that we can expect two more volumes in the year 2000 ?
Roger McGuinn : Yes, I expect to keep releasing Folk Den CDs every six months or so, as long as the material holds out. Remember I'll be adding a song a month, so there will be at least one CD per year after that.
Byrds Flyght : Apart from 2 tracks on Live From Mars in 1996 and one track on the Arthur Alexander Tribute CD, your last studio recordings with a band are on Back From Rio in 1991. Do you have any plans to get back into the studio and work on another "electric" album ?
Roger McGuinn : No, there are no plans for a studio album at this time.
Byrds Flyght : You have a very strong attitude against taping at your shows. I can understand this position against professional bootleggers, but what about the common fan who wants to keep a recording of a show he attended, and who already bought all the LPs and all the CDs anyway ?
Roger McGuinn : I don't mind fans taping the shows, but it's hard to separate the fans from the bootleggers.
Byrds Flyght : You've been a professional musician for over 35 years.You've been the Master Byrd during 8 years (1965 to 1973) and your solo career has been going on for over 26 years. Still, people attending your shows want to hear you sing Byrds songs and play your Rickenbacker. Do you ever get tired of playing Mister Tambourine Man ?
Roger McGuinn : I still enjoy playing the songs we did in the Byrds.
Byrds Flyght : Everyone's life is filled with highs and lows. In your opinion, what were, in your professional career, your highest high and your lowest low ?
Roger McGuinn : Playing the Royal Albert Hall, and meeting the Beatles was the high point, the low came just as the Byrds were ending.
Byrds Flyght : The next 4 remastered Byrds CDs will come out in February. Would you consider giving your solo albums the same treatment, and may we expect unreleased songs from your solo career ?
Roger McGuinn : I don't have control over the solo albums, but I'd like to see them released as CDs.
Byrds Flyght : It has been stated in the past that all that's been recorded during the "reunion" sessions in 1973, had been released. After hearing all that's been found and released during recent years, even from as early as 1965, it's difficult to believe that no outtakes or unreleased songs lie in the vaults somewhere. Is there any hope that something will come to the surface in the future ?
Roger McGuinn : The outtakes from the reunion album ended up on my first solo album. I don't think there are any other tracks.
Byrds Flyght : Many songs circulate on tape, that date from the eighties, and have never appeared on any official CD (Sweet Memories, Loving You Is Not A Sin, Wayfaring Stranger, Life In A Northern Town, Sunshine Love, The Tears, Light Up The Darkness, Woman and many more). Would you ever consider releasing a compilation CD that would bring them to the public ?
Roger McGuinn : Yes, I may do such a "lost tracks" CD at some point.
Byrds Flyght : David Crosby's band CPR perform their version of Eight Miles High during their shows. Have you heard this version on their Live At The Wiltern CD and what's your opinion on this ?
Roger McGuinn : No, I've only heard that they play it.
Byrds Flyght : You are known to answer every e-mail that is sent to you. Do you think you will be able to keep on doing that, with the ever growing number of people that are connected to the Internet ?
Roger McGuinn : It will be hard to answer all the email. I can't keep up with it now, and only answer selected messages.
Byrds Flyght : Now that Chris Hillman says that you were right not willing to tour and record as the Byrds again with him and David Crosby, it seems that only David and the fans would want that to happen! How many times a day do people ask you if it will ever happen again ?
Roger McGuinn : I get requests every few days. My answer is still the same, that it's better to leave the Byrds a great memory.
Byrds Flyght : You have uploaded songs on the Folkden, that you recorded on amateur equipment when you were 17 or 18 years old. May we expect more ?
Roger McGuinn : There are still a few tracks from 1959 that I haven't released.
Byrds Flyght : Thanks a million for your time, Roger
Roger McGuinn : Happy New Year !!!
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