Fake Byrds

 

From the mid-nineties on, a series of 13 grey zone / illegal CDs started to appear in European CDs stores and mailing orders lists, credited to The Byrds, with many new titles unknown to the band’s followers.

No reason to jump for joy though, as these CDs were not by The Byrds but originated from 3 various sources:

1)      poor re-recordings of Byrds songs by a band of “fake” Byrds, led by Danny McCulloch and Gerry Chapman, with McCulloch being an ex-member of Eric Burdon’s revamped New Animals. He had already done the same with recordings released under the Animals and Mott The Hoople names (read details here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_McCulloch). He was sued by Mott The Hoople for unlawfully using the band’s name. Next to the Byrds songs re-recordings, they went as far as writing new songs and sometimes crediting them to McGuinn or McQuinn. They even wrote two new songs titled “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” and “It Won’t Be Wrong” and credited them to Dylan and McGuinn, both songs having nothing to do with the Byrds tracks of the same name.

2)      recordings credited to The Byrds but actually produced by Pat Robinson in the mid-eighties and performed by the band known as “CRY” comprising Gene Clark, Pat Robinson and John York (sometimes helped by Nicky Hopkins, Carla Olson, Rick Danko, Billy Darnell, Le Roy P. Marinell and Greg Thomas). For those who don’t know Pat Robinson, he was the one who co-wrote and produced the songs released on Gene Clark’s single and double CDs titled “Under The Silvery Moon”. He was a prolific singer, songwriter, engineer, producer, musician and more (see his impressive pedigree here: https://secondhandsongs.com/artist/18688 and here: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/pat-robinson-mn0000181362/credits)

3)      recordings credited to The Byrds but actually written, produced and performed by Pat Robinson during the same era and later.

 

For completeness sake, I will post all these CDs (in alphabetic order of the CD title), although the only contribution by Byrds is that Gene Clark and John York appear on a few tracks from source #2.

Many songs are repeated on many releases, sometimes mistitled or in alternate versions.

Enjoy! (probably not)