Back in the 80s I bought some compilation Byrds tape with this song on it. I had never heard it before but I liked it right away. It does borrow from 50’s rock and roll just a little bit just enough to give it flavor.
Tiffany Queen was written and recorded live in the studio and it is a fun song. The song was on the album Farther Along and was released in 1971. The album peaked at #152 in the Billboard Al bum Charts and #41 in Canada.
Farther Along was not their best album…their next album would be the reunion of the original members in 1973. That album was called Byrds and it peaked at #20 in the Billboard Album Charts, #19 in Canada, and #31 in the UK.
Roger McGuinn: “We wouldn’t really write at a session, because studio time was so expensive. Usually the writing would take place at someone’s house, either my house or the other guy’s house. We’d sit down at a table and chairs with a legal pad and start working on it. And you know, it definitely is work, it’s a lot more perspiration than inspiration! Once in a while you get a tune that’s pretty fully formed, like you wake up having heard it in a dream or something, but that’s only happened once in a while to me. An example of that would be the song Tiffany Queen: I dreamed that song and went in and recorded it the next day. I can’t think of any others.”
Tiffany Queen
Happiness hit me on the first day that we met
She was sitting in my kitchen with a face I can’t forget
She was looking in my direction and calling with her eyes
I was trying to do and interview and telling them all lies
Last year in the summer with a tiffany lamp over her head
They asked me what I thought about the 50’s rock n roll
Then they got into a limousine and fell into a hole
I moved into the kitchen and I quickly fell in love
The warden came along and asked me what I was thinking of
Last year in the summer with a tiffany lamp over her head
Well I grabbed her by the hand and with a few things I could
The warden said your leaving you better leave for good
I made it to Tasmania to buy a devil dog
We met a handsome prince who turned into a frog
Last year in the summer with a tiffany lamp over her head
Now we’re living out in Malibu the ocean by our side
Laying in the sunshine drifting with the tide
Happiness hit me on the first day that we met
She was sitting in my kitchen with a face I can’t forget
Last year in the summer with a tiffany lamp over her head
Over her head
Great song, thanks Max!
eden
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Thanks Eden!
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I love this song, both music and lyrics. The lyrics sound like Dylan, but the music is definitely Byrds.
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This was a later version of them but good…the lyrics are out there…and they stuck with me.
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I think even the vocals remind me a bit of Dylan!
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Yes they do
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Sounds pretty good… that gave me an idea – I need a Byrds compilation. I like ’em, many of my favorite bands love them but I really only “know” maybe five songs of theirs.
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They really have some good songs. Try to get one that covers their career…although the last part isn’t as well known…there are some good ones.
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A musician’s dream, literally! Cool song, there’s a Kinks feel to it.
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It’s something about it I’ve always liked.
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McGuinn was such a puritan in that era and always liked learning more. I remember seeing him in an interview and he was just so dedicated to improving from others. I can’t help but admire that guy.
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He is one “rock star” I would like to meet. I saw him live once solo with just a 12 string acoustic…it was great.
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He’s really smart. How lucky you are to have seen McGuinn live!
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Yes and I want to see him again…I saw him at a festival in Nashville in 1989. His guitar playing is just incredible.
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Oh man you made me envious. haha He is one smart cookie that’s for sure.
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I was a huge fan then but even more now….yes he was/is. One of my good friends went to school with his son.
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I’ve just noticed I missed some of your messages Max. Like this one! Wouldn’t you like to have heard his son say a line or two at school about his ol’ man!?
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Yes I would have…and the thing is I heard he didn’t talk about him much because…in the 80s this music was probably at it’s lowest ebb…I’m sure he did some though.
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I have always loved this song. So many people want to dismiss those later Byrds albums and they shouldn’t.
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I have also Mike…this version of the band were fantastic musically. When you have Clarence White…it doesn’t get much better than that.
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My taste for Byrds music is narrow and doesn’t stray far from the ‘My Back Pages’ sound. So this is a way-different listen for me, but it’s a fun listen.
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That was good – I like the bass.
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Skip Battin… his bass playing is great.
Jumping Jack Flash came to mind just a tad bit.
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I didn’t know this tune. I like it. Not bad at all for a song that apparently Roger McGuinn in a dream!
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Christian….I knew this song when I was about 16-18 and I thought I saw a post on it in the past year….the more I thought about it… I thought it was you who wrote the post. I was going to ask you the other day… but I don’t guess you did!
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Well, that would truly be scary, though admittedly, there have been a few occasions where I completely had forgotten about a previous post I had done – only to find it after searching my own blog! 🙂
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Oh I have done that before! I have post a couple of songs twice by mistake…forgetting that I did them before. That is why I built an index lol.
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Goodness! Quite different from Tambourine Man & Turn! Turn! Turn! I love the bass work on this.
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Skip Battin… I have a buddy that plays bass just like he did…I love the playing.
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Sounds more like Tom Petty precursor to me,
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It does have that sound. You probably know this but when Mcguinn heard American Girl for the first time he thought it was himself with an old outtake.
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