| "Lady Friend" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 West German picture sleeve | ||||
| Single bythe Byrds | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | July 13, 1967 | |||
| Recorded | April 26, June 14 and 21, 1967 | |||
| Studio | Columbia, Hollywood | |||
| Genre | Rock,pop | |||
| Length | 2:30 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | David Crosby | |||
| Producer(s) | Gary Usher | |||
| The Byrds US singles chronology | ||||
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| The Byrds UK singles chronology | ||||
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"Lady Friend" is a song by the Americanrockbandthe Byrds, written by band memberDavid Crosby and released as asingle on July 13, 1967.[1][2] Thesingle was commercially unsuccessful, only charting at number 82 on theBillboard Hot 100 and failing to chart in the United Kingdom at all.[3][4]
The song was written by Crosby in early 1967 at his home inBeverly Glen in Los Angeles.[5] Ademo of the song dating from this period, featuring Crosby accompanying himself onacoustic guitar, was included in theKPFA programThe Crosby Connection, during the radio station's February 3, 2001Grateful Dead marathon.[6]
The Byrds' recording of the song has been described by Tim Connors as having a quick tempo and featuring a chiming guitarriff, while band biographerJohnny Rogan made note of its complex vocal harmonies andbrass instrumentation.[7][5] Rogan also described it as the fastest androckiest single the Byrds had released up to that point.[5] Crosby closely oversaw the protracted recording of the song, much to the consternation of his bandmatesRoger McGuinn andChris Hillman.[8][9] Tensions in the band increased in the late stages of production when Crosby replaced Hillman and McGuinn'sbacking vocals with his own vocaloverdubs.[9]
"Lady Friend" was released as a single onColumbia Records on July 13, 1967.[2] Crosby was hopeful that the single would return the Byrds to the upper reaches of the chart, but the record received insufficientairplay and media exposure, despite the band appearing onThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson to perform it.[5] Ultimately, the single failed commercially, reaching number 82 on theBillboard charts and failing to reach the charts in the United Kingdom.[3][4] Crosby was bitterly disappointed by the single's lack of success and citedproducerGary Usher'smixing of the song as a contributing factor, stating in a contemporary interview withdisc jockeyB. Mitchel Reed, "The final mix of 'Lady Friend' sounds like mush."[5] "Lady Friend" is the only song penned solely by Crosby to appear on theA-side of a Byrds' single.[5]
In the press,Billboard magazine described "Lady Friend" as an "infectious wild rocker" with a "strong dance beat" and predicted that it would climb theBillboard Hot 100 "in short order".[10]Cash Box said that it "crams exciting instrumental work with snappy vocals."[11]Record World said that the Byrds "play their instruments with effect and their song builds into quite an experience."[12]
The Byrds performed the song during their appearance at theMonterey Pop Festival and a recording of this performance can be found on the 1992The Monterey International Pop FestivalCDbox set.[13] The song was omitted from the Byrds' next album,The Notorious Byrd Brothers, partly due to its lack of commercial success as a single and partly due to Crosby having been fired from the band by McGuinn and Hillman midway through the recording of the album.[7][8]
Having initially been mixed inmono for its release as a single in 1967, "Lady Friend" wasn't released instereo until its inclusion on the 1987 compilation album,Never Before.[14] However, this version of the song also featured the addition of overdubbed drums, played by an unnamedsession musician during preparation of the album.[15][16] Rogan has described fan reaction to the new drumming as almost universally negative, with many listeners feeling that the addition of then-modern sounding drums was completely inappropriate and incongruous.[15] Subsequently, this doctored version of the song has not appeared on any other album release.
A new stereoremix of the song, without the drum overdubs, was released onThe Byrdsbox set in 1990.[17] The song was also added as a bonus track to the 1996Columbia/Legacy reissue of theYounger Than Yesterday album.[18] In addition to its appearance on the expanded reissue ofYounger Than Yesterday, "Lady Friend" also appears on several Byrds'compilations, includingHistory of The Byrds,The Original Singles: 1967–1969, Volume 2,The Essential Byrds, andThere Is a Season.[19]
"Lady Friend" has beencovered by a number of bands and artists, including Bill Plummer and the Cosmic Brotherhood on their 1968 self-titled album,[20] Little John on their self-titled 1971 album, theFlamin' Groovies on their 1979 albumJumpin' in the Night,[21] andthe Posies on theirNice Cheekbones and a Ph.DEP in 2001.[21] The song was also covered by Static on the 1989 Byrds'tribute album,Time Between – A Tribute to The Byrds.[22] In addition,Kenny Howes has also recorded a version of the song as the title track of his 2004 album,Lady Friend.[23]
