(Credits: Far Out / Fotoburo De Boer / Noord-Hollands Archief)
Mon 5 January 2026 1:00, UK
There are some people who just get music. It’s not something learned or built upon; it’s just something that exists within them. Roger McGuinn is one of those people.
One of the best examples of McGuinn’s knack for innovation is The Byrds’ take on ‘Mr Tambourine Man’. Back then, folk rock was still finding its feet, and plenty of music fans weren’t totally sold on it. Taking a Bob Dylan tune and layering electric guitars over it felt like a bold move, but McGuinn saw the potential, and he wasn’t wrong.
He received pushback from some of his band members, but eventually they realised just how much of a genius idea it was. In fact, The Byrds may not have become the band that everyone knows and loves today had they not taken on the ambitious cover.
“Kudos to Roger McGuinn for taking on ‘Tambourine Man,’ which didn’t knock us out when we first heard it,” said Byrds bass player Chris Hillman. “Bob Dylan had written it in a very countrified groove, a straight 2/4 time signature, and Roger takes the song home and works with it, puts it in 4/4 time, so you could dance to it. Bob heard us do it and said, ‘Man, you could dance to this!’ It really knocked him over and he loved it.”
There are some people who attest that Bob Dylan would never have made the controversial move to go electric were it not for the keen ear of Roger McGuinn. When he heard what The Byrds had done to his song and how they were able to elevate it, he knew it was unlike anything he’d done before, and that made him want to try and replicate it.
“He came to hear us in the studio when we were building The Byrds,” recalled David Crosby, “After the word got out that we gonna do ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ and we were probably gonna be good, he came there and he heard us playing his song electric, and you could see the gears grinding in his head. It was plain as day. It was like watching a slow-motion lightning bolt.”
Roger McGuinn’s got a serious ear for music. He’s not just a top songwriter, he’s also brilliant at spotting real talent in the people around him. One of the musicians he once called the best he’d ever worked with was his fellow Byrds bandmate, David Crosby. And to be fair, Crosby’s talent speaks for itself – he did well in a few bands and held his own as a solo act, too. McGuinn always had a lot of time for him and genuinely loved working alongside him.
“I love David,” he said. “He’s funny, smart and very talented. He’s one of the best harmony singers on the planet. He’s a great rhythm player. He’s written some really nice songs. I have nothing against David.”
Unfortunately, The Byrds didn’t stay together, and both Crosby and McGuinn went on separate songwriting paths. Despite being a big fan of his ability, McGuinn always said he wouldn’t be interested in reuniting. While he knows they would make good music together, he also believes they would be making it for the wrong reasons, as the financial incentive would loom over them too much.
“Again, I just think it would be about money and I don’t need it,” said McGuinn, “My wife is very good at budgeting. We don’t need much.”
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