BMG Announces ‘The Byrds: 1964-1967’

Definitive Visual History of the Group Features Rare and Never-Seen Images, and Is Available in Numbered and Hand-Signed Limited Editions

Learn More at Rolling Stone

Today BMG announces The Byrds: 1964-1967, a new large-format 400-page collectible art book curated by the band’s three surviving founding members, and available in three versions, including a Super Deluxe Limited Edition signed by Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, and David Crosby.

The Byrds: 1964-1967 is available for preorder now at www.byrdsbook.com

When the Byrds released “Mr. Tambourine Man” in 1965, they introduced Bob Dylan’s songs to a new audience and launched a career that would see them grow to become one of the most influential rock bands of all time and eventual Rock & Roll Hall of Famers. With their unmistakable harmonies and Roger McGuinn’s innovative 12-string Rickenbacker guitar work, the Byrds never stopped experimenting. They incorporated folk, country, and jazz influences into a fresh blend that helped define an era. “And not to be too shallow,” Tom Petty once wrote, “but they also were just the best-dressed band around. They had those great clothes and hairdos.”

Now the band’s three surviving founding members — Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, and David Crosby — have come together to present The Byrds: 1964-1967, a large format tabletop book that offers a unique visual history of the group’s defining era. Featuring more than 500 images from legendary photographers such as Henry Diltz, Barry Feinstein, Curt Gunther, Jim Marshall, Linda McCartney, Tom Gundelfinger O’Neal, and Guy Webster, the book also includes restored images from the Columbia Records archives and the personal archives of the band’s original manager. Accompanied by a running commentary featuring McGuinn, Hillman, and Crosby’s memories of the group, the era, and their late compatriots Gene Clark and Michael Clarke, this carefully crafted volume is a truly unique collector’s item for Byrds fans and any collector of photography books featuring the pop culture of the 1960s. 

Says Hillman: “I loved being in The Byrds. I absolutely loved it. And as crazy as we all were at times, when we were on our game, we soared, we flew high and mighty. I think we all shared a private belief and a strong faith that this was going to work. And it worked so well.”

Adds Roger McGuinn: “Being in The Byrds was a detour to my dream of being a folk singer. It was a very special detour, and one I will always hold close to my heart.”

The Byrds: 1964-1967 is available in four editions. Each is an oversized 10.5 x 13 inch large-format presentation with more than 500 photographs across 400 pages. Printed in Italy on 200 gsm premium art paper, all versions feature quality thread-sewn binding and a luxurious quarter-bound casing. The standard edition retails for $125 and is limited to only 3000 copies worldwide. Other options include:

Deluxe Edition

* Hand signed by Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman

* Comes in a custom matching slipcase

* Limited to only 1600 copies worldwide

* Retail price of $350

Super Deluxe Edition

* Hand signed by Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, and David Crosby

* Comes in a custom clamshell case

* Features gold gilded edges

* Limited to only 800 copies worldwide

* Retail price of $475

Super Deluxe Edition with Fine Art Print

* Hand signed by Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman, and David Crosby

* Comes in a custom clamshell case

* Features gold gilded edges

* Limited to only 75 copies worldwide

* Retail price of $1700

* Includes a choice of one of three exclusive 11 x 14 inch limited edition fine art prints (Roger McGuinn photographed by Henry Diltz in 1967, Chris Hillman photographed by Barry Feinstein in 1965, or David Crosby photographed by Jim Marshall in 1965)

Slated for a September release, all versions of the book are now available for presale at www.byrdsbook.com. Given the limited quantities of each version, books are expected to sell out quickly.