The Byrds Art Print | Discography Tube Map
Music Art prints | Studio albums are stations, musicians are transit lines | Discographies connected like never before | Researched & plotted for fans of real music.
- Regular price
-
£39.00 - Regular price
-
- Sale price
-
£39.00
My David Bowie map is held at the V&A.
Endorsed by Billy Bragg and the Bruce Springsteen Archives.
Couldn't load pickup availability
Why is this Byrds Music Art Print a perfect gift for Byrds fans?
Byrds fans know the harmonies but not the churn behind them. My Byrds art print runs the albums in order with each credited musician as their own line. The founding members peel away one by one, then rejoin at the very last station.
Giclée on 230gsm premium fine art paper, textured matte, archival and acid-free. Available in A3, A2 or A1, with US sizing at 16x12in, 24x18in and 36x24in. Each comes unframed or framed. Deeply researched and designed by me in East Sussex.
I plot these in CAD software. Every credited musician becomes a transit line, every album becomes a station, and anyone who appears only once gets a branch line of their own.
The stations run chronologically from Mr. Tambourine Man in 1965, through Sweetheart of the Rodeo, to the 1973 reunion record.
Eight years, twelve albums and a band that changed genre twice. Only one line runs the whole way, while the other four founders leave at different points and rejoin at the end.
The guests are a roll call of American music, from the Wrecking Crew to a South African trumpeter. It rewards every closer look.
Contributing musicians on the discography tube map
Roger McGuinn is the only musician on all 12 albums. David Crosby, Chris Hillman, Michael Clarke and Gene Clark each stop at different points, and all four reappear at the 1973 reunion, making the final station the widest reconvergence on the print.
The debut hides a well-known secret in plain sight. On two of its tracks, the band is replaced by Los Angeles session players, with Hal Blaine on drums, Larry Knechtel on bass, Jerry Cole on guitar and Leon Russell on electric piano.
Younger Than Yesterday brings in Hugh Masekela's trumpet on So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star, and Van Dyke Parks plays organ on two records.
The Notorious Byrd Brothers is the busiest album on the map, adding a string section, brass, harp, celeste, Moog synthesizer from Paul Beaver and Gary Usher, and sound effects by the Firesign Theatre on Draft Morning.
Gram Parsons arrives for Sweetheart of the Rodeo and brings Nashville with him, with John Hartford on banjo and fiddle and Lloyd Green and JayDee Maness on pedal steel. Clarence White takes the guitar line from there through to the end of the band.
Two late guests are easy to miss. Jackson Browne plays piano on Byrdmaniax, and Merry Clayton, who sang on Gimme Shelter, appears in the female choir on the same record.
Art Print Specifications:
Each one is a Giclée on 230gsm premium fine art paper with a textured matte finish, archival and acid-free, so the colours hold for years. Choose A3, A2 or A1 unframed or framed, ready to hang in a hallway, living room or studio.
| Size | UK | USA / CAN / AUS equivalent | Orientation |
|---|---|---|---|
| A3 | 420 x 297 mm (16 x 12 in) | 16 x 12 in | Landscape |
| A2 | 594 x 420 mm (23 x 16 in) | 24 x 18 in | Landscape |
| A1 | 841 x 594 mm (33 x 23 in) | 36 x 24 in | Landscape |
FAQ
Who is the only constant member?
Roger McGuinn, on all 12 albums from 1965 to the 1973 reunion.
Did session players really replace the band?
On two tracks of the debut, yes. Hal Blaine, Larry Knechtel, Jerry Cole and Leon Russell are credited on them.
Do the original members ever reunite?
Yes, on the 1973 album, where Crosby, Hillman, Clarke and Gene Clark all rejoin McGuinn. The map shows four separate lines returning at once.
Is Hugh Masekela on the map?
Yes, playing trumpet on So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star from Younger Than Yesterday.
When did the band turn to country-rock?
With Sweetheart of the Rodeo in 1968, when Gram Parsons joined, a group of Nashville session players arrived with him.
What are the framing options?
Unframed, or supplied framed and ready to hang.
Is the Byrds map a poster?
It is an art print rather than a poster: a museum-quality Giclée on 230gsm premium fine art paper, textured matte and archival acid-free. I offer it in A3, A2 or A1, unframed or in a wood frame, so it can go straight on the wall.
Explore The Byrds’ Discography for FREE
I am turning the research behind these maps into FREE interactive radar charts, where you pick a musician and follow their line around the albums. I have not charted The Byrds yet, so request it here and I will research the most requested artists first. The David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Rolling Stones, and Steely Dan charts are free to use now.
Related Music Art Print Maps
Browse the full range of music art prints and the 1960s Music Tube Maps collection at mikebellmaps.com.
Because Merry Clayton sings on both, the Rolling Stones Discography Map Art Print is a natural companion piece, alongside the Beach Boys Discography Map Art Print.
Read more about this tube map subject:
What people say about my tube map designs
“Brilliant idea... really like what you’ve done, Mike.”
Billy Bragg, on the Billy Bragg discography map
“It is truly amazing.”
Bruce Springsteen Archives, Monmouth University, on the Bruce Springsteen discography map
“Awesome!”
Warren Ellis, on the The Shining plot map
