Byrds-wise, Sundazed has done an outstanding job to date — not only restoring to print vinyl editions of the ’60s folk-rock group’s Columbia albums but also releasing a number of rarities collections (vinyl only as well) containing tracks that weren’t included as bonus material on the Sony/Legacy CD reissues. With Preflyte, the label now fills in one of the last remaining gaps in the group’s back catalog.
The Preflyte sessions were conducted at LA’s World Pacific Studios in 1964, predating by a year the jingle-jangle morning that would dawn when “Mr. Tambourine Man” stormed the airwaves. Included, in fact, is an intriguing, embryonic take of “MTM” that isn’t nearly as lush with 12-string and vocal harmonies as the familiar version. Another treat is the kaftan-and-incense acoustic folk of “You Showed Me,” later turned into a hit by the Turtles. And even at this early stage of the game, Gene Clark’s mournful, moving “Here Without You” is unveiled as timeless. There are 11 songs in all, modest of intent but profound of execution.
This is actually Sundazed’s second trip to the Preflyte well; 2002 saw the two-CD Preflyte Sessions pairing the original LP with material from an ’80s archival set, In The Beginning. But fans unwilling to shell out 25 bucks for the double disc were left on the hook unless they could track down an elusive, single-disc import of Preflyte. And those fans undoubtedly have long memories of both the 1969 Together Records version and Columbia’s 1973 budget-line reissue. Sundazed’s new remaster of Preflyte restores the Together sleeve artwork along with the original liners. When notesman Billy James wrote of the era that spawned the Byrds, “It was really magic time — like high school for the couple of months you really loved it.” He wasn’t kidding. And Preflyte captures much of that innocence, magic and mystery.
This article appears in Apr 5-11, 2006.
