"Eight Miles High" is a song by the American rock band the Byrds, written by Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn, and David Crosby. It was first released as a single on March 14, 1966. Musically influenced by sitar player Ravi Shankar and jazz saxophonist John Coltrane, the song was influential in developing the musical styles of psychedelia and raga rock. Accordingly, critics often cite "Eight Miles High" as being the first bona fide psychedelic rock song, as well as a classic of the counterculture era.
U.S. picture sleeve
The Byrds were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member. Although their time as one of the most popular groups in the world only lasted for a short period in the mid-1960s, the Byrds are considered by critics to be among the most influential rock acts of their era. Their signature blend of clear harmony singing and McGuinn's jangly 12-string Rickenbacker guitar was "absorbed into the vocabulary of rock" and has continued to be influential.
The Byrds in 1965 From left to right: David Crosby, Gene Clark, Michael Clarke, Chris Hillman, and Jim McGuinn
A Rickenbacker 360 12-string guitar similar to the one used by Jim McGuinn in 1964 and 1965. By 1966, McGuinn had transitioned to playing the three pickup 370/12 model.
Producer Terry Melcher (left) in the recording studio with Gene Clark (center) and David Crosby (right). Melcher brought in session musicians to play on the "Mr. Tambourine Man" single because he felt that the Byrds hadn't yet gelled musically.
The Byrds' psychedelic mosaic logo