Mr. Spaceman
Encyclopedia
"Mr. Spaceman" is a song by the American rock
band
The Byrds
and was the third track on their 1966 album Fifth Dimension
. The song was initially written by band member Jim McGuinn
as a "melodramatic
screenplay
" but it soon evolved into a whimsical meditation on the existence of extraterrestrial life
. After its appearance on Fifth Dimension, "Mr. Spaceman" was released as the third single
taken from that album in September 1966 (see 1966 in music
). The single reached #36 on the Billboard Hot 100
but failed to chart in the United Kingdom.
Written in early 1966 by McGuinn, the song was—along with "5D (Fifth Dimension)
"—one of two science fiction
-themed songs on the Fifth Dimension album. Upon its release as a single, the music press
coined the term "space-rock" to describe the song, although since then, the term has come to refer to a genre of rock music
originating from 1970s progressive
and psychedelic
music. Musically, "Mr. Spaceman" has a country
-style backing, albeit with touches of psychedelia
, and can clearly be seen as a precursor to the band's later exploration of country music
on Sweetheart of the Rodeo
. As such, the song is often cited as being one of the earliest examples of the country rock
genre. The title also recalled that of The Byrds' earlier worldwide smash hit and debut single, "Mr. Tambourine Man
".
The single release of the song was accompanied by a spoof press announcement
from The Byrds' co-manager, Eddie Tickner, stating that he had taken out a $1,000,000 insurance policy with Lloyd's of London
against his clients being kidnapped by extraterrestrial visitors. Despite Tickner's statement being an obvious publicity stunt and the deliberately tongue-in-cheek nature of the song's lyrics, both McGuinn and fellow band member David Crosby
felt hopeful about communicating with alien life forms through the medium of AM radio broadcast
. In a later interview with Pete Frame
for ZigZag
magazine, McGuinn explained how he believed that this would have been possible: "I was interested in astronomy and the possibility of connecting with extraterrestrial life and I thought that it might work the other way round, if we tried to contact them. I thought that the song being played on the air might be a way of getting through to them. But even if there had been anybody up there listening, they wouldn't have heard because I found out later that AM airwaves diffuse in space too rapidly."
During the 1960s and early 1970s, the band performed the song on the television program
s The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
, Where the Girls Are
and The David Frost Show
. Additionally, the song would go on to become a staple of The Byrds' live concert
repertoire, until their final disbandment in 1973. The song was also performed live by a reformed line-up of The Byrds featuring Roger McGuinn
, David Crosby and Chris Hillman
in January 1989.
In addition to its appearance on the Fifth Dimension album, "Mr. Spaceman" also appears on several Byrds' compilations
, including The Byrds' Greatest Hits
, History of The Byrds
, The Original Singles: 1965–1967, Volume 1
, The Byrds, The Very Best of The Byrds
, The Essential Byrds
and There Is a Season
. Live performances of the song are included on the live portion of The Byrds' (Untitled) album as well as on Live at Royal Albert Hall 1971
.
The song "Mr. Spaceman" written by Jim McGuinn (aka Roger McGuinn) should not be confused with the Steve Weber song "Mister Spaceman", found on The Holy Modal Rounders' self-titled debut album.
and Gonzo
, on The Muppets
' album Kermit Unpigged
, and Alvin and the Chipmunks
on the album The A-Files: Alien Songs
. The song has also been covered by The Flying Burrito Brothers
on their 1985 live album
, Cabin Fever
, and by Miracle Legion
on The Byrds' tribute album
, Time Between – A Tribute to The Byrds. In addition, Velvet Crush
covered the song and their version is included on the band's 2001 compilation album, A Single Odessey. Limbeck
also released a version of the song on their 2006 Tour EP.
"Mr. Spaceman" is one of the songs featured in the Jukebox musical
, Return to the Forbidden Planet
.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
and was the third track on their 1966 album Fifth Dimension
Fifth Dimension (album)
Fifth Dimension is the third album by the American rock band The Byrds and was released in July 1966 on Columbia Records . Most of the album was recorded following the February 1966 departure of the band's principal songwriter Gene Clark...
. The song was initially written by band member Jim McGuinn
Roger McGuinn
James Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
as a "melodramatic
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
" but it soon evolved into a whimsical meditation on the existence of extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
. After its appearance on Fifth Dimension, "Mr. Spaceman" was released as the third single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
taken from that album in September 1966 (see 1966 in music
1966 in music
-Events:*January 3 – Hullabaloo shows promotional videos of The Beatles songs "Day Tripper" and "We Can Work it Out".*January 8 – Shindig! airs for the last time on ABC, with musical guests the Kinks and the Who...
). The single reached #36 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
but failed to chart in the United Kingdom.
Written in early 1966 by McGuinn, the song was—along with "5D (Fifth Dimension)
5D (Fifth Dimension)
"5D " is a song by the American rock band The Byrds, written by band member Jim McGuinn. It was released as a single on June 13, 1966 and reached #44 on the Billboard Hot 100 but failed to chart in the United Kingdom. The song was also included on the band's third album, Fifth Dimension, released...
"—one of two science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
-themed songs on the Fifth Dimension album. Upon its release as a single, the music press
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
coined the term "space-rock" to describe the song, although since then, the term has come to refer to a genre of rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
originating from 1970s progressive
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
and psychedelic
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
music. Musically, "Mr. Spaceman" has a country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
-style backing, albeit with touches of psychedelia
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
, and can clearly be seen as a precursor to the band's later exploration of country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
on Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Sweetheart of the Rodeo is the sixth album by American rock band The Byrds and was released on August 30, 1968 on Columbia Records...
. As such, the song is often cited as being one of the earliest examples of the country rock
Country rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
genre. The title also recalled that of The Byrds' earlier worldwide smash hit and debut single, "Mr. Tambourine Man
Mr. Tambourine Man
"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...
".
The single release of the song was accompanied by a spoof press announcement
News release
A press release, news release, media release, press statement or video release is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something ostensibly newsworthy...
from The Byrds' co-manager, Eddie Tickner, stating that he had taken out a $1,000,000 insurance policy with Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's, also known as Lloyd's of London, is a British insurance and reinsurance market. It serves as a partially mutualised marketplace where multiple financial backers, underwriters, or members, whether individuals or corporations, come together to pool and spread risk...
against his clients being kidnapped by extraterrestrial visitors. Despite Tickner's statement being an obvious publicity stunt and the deliberately tongue-in-cheek nature of the song's lyrics, both McGuinn and fellow band member David Crosby
David Crosby
David Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
felt hopeful about communicating with alien life forms through the medium of AM radio broadcast
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
. In a later interview with Pete Frame
Pete Frame
Peter 'Pete' Frame is a music journalist, who produced outlines of the history of rock bands for various magazines . He founded the English Alternative rock magazine ZigZag in April 1969 and acted as its editor, from its beginning until February 1973, and again from March 1976 until July 1977...
for ZigZag
ZigZag (magazine)
ZigZag was a British rock music magazine. It was started by Pete Frame and the first edition rolled off the printing presses on 16 April 1969...
magazine, McGuinn explained how he believed that this would have been possible: "I was interested in astronomy and the possibility of connecting with extraterrestrial life and I thought that it might work the other way round, if we tried to contact them. I thought that the song being played on the air might be a way of getting through to them. But even if there had been anybody up there listening, they wouldn't have heard because I found out later that AM airwaves diffuse in space too rapidly."
During the 1960s and early 1970s, the band performed the song on the television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
s The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
Smothers Brothers
The Smothers Brothers are Thomas and Richard , American singers, musicians, comedians and folk heroes. The brothers' trademark act was performing folk songs , which usually led to arguments between the siblings...
, Where the Girls Are
Where the Girls Are (TV program)
Where the Girls Are was a music and comedy special that aired on NBC in 1968.Noel Harrison, fresh from his role in the NBC series Girl From U.N.C.L.E., hosted the hour-long special...
and The David Frost Show
David Frost
Sir David Frost is a British broadcaster.David Frost may also refer to:*David Frost , South African golfer*David Frost , classical record producer*David Frost *Dave Frost, baseball pitcher...
. Additionally, the song would go on to become a staple of The Byrds' live concert
Rock concert
The term rock concert refers to a musical performance in the style of any one of many genres inspired by "rock and roll" music. While a variety of vocal and instrumental styles can constitute a rock concert, this phenomenon is typically characterized by bands playing at least one electric guitar,...
repertoire, until their final disbandment in 1973. The song was also performed live by a reformed line-up of The Byrds featuring Roger McGuinn
Roger McGuinn
James Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
, David Crosby and Chris Hillman
Chris Hillman
Christopher Hillman was one of the original members of The Byrds which in 1965 included Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby, and Michael Clarke....
in January 1989.
In addition to its appearance on the Fifth Dimension album, "Mr. Spaceman" also appears on several Byrds' compilations
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, including The Byrds' Greatest Hits
The Byrds' Greatest Hits
The Byrds' Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits album by the American rock band The Byrds and was released in August 1967 on Columbia Records . It is the top-selling album in The Byrds' catalogue and reached #6 on the Billboard Top LPs chart but failed to break into the UK Albums Chart...
, History of The Byrds
History of The Byrds
History of The Byrds is a budget priced, double album compilation by the American rock band The Byrds and was released on May 18, 1973 by CBS Records . The compilation was released exclusively in Europe and the UK, peaking at #47 on the UK Albums Chart, but it was also available in the United...
, The Original Singles: 1965–1967, Volume 1
The Original Singles: 1965–1967, Volume 1
The Original Singles: 1965–1967, Volume 1 is a compilation album by American rock 'n' roll band The Byrds. Originally released in 1980, it offered, for the first time, all of the mono single versions of the Byrds' singles released between 1965 and early 1967...
, The Byrds, The Very Best of The Byrds
The Very Best of The Byrds
The Very Best of The Byrds is a compilation album by the American rock band The Byrds, released by Columbia Records in 1997. Initially the compilation was only released in Europe but as of 2006, the album has seen some release in the U.S...
, The Essential Byrds
The Essential Byrds
-Disc one:#"Mr. Tambourine Man" – 2:31#"I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" – 2:32#"All I Really Want to Do" – 2:04#"Chimes of Freedom" – 3:51...
and There Is a Season
There Is a Season
There Is a Season is a four-CD box set by the American rock band The Byrds that was released on September 26, 2006 by Columbia/Legacy. It comprises 99 tracks and includes material from every one of the band's twelve studio albums, presented in roughly chronological order...
. Live performances of the song are included on the live portion of The Byrds' (Untitled) album as well as on Live at Royal Albert Hall 1971
Live at Royal Albert Hall 1971
Live at Royal Albert Hall is a live album by the American rock band The Byrds, released in 2008 on Sundazed Records. The album consists of recordings from the band's appearance at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England on May 13, 1971...
.
The song "Mr. Spaceman" written by Jim McGuinn (aka Roger McGuinn) should not be confused with the Steve Weber song "Mister Spaceman", found on The Holy Modal Rounders' self-titled debut album.
Cover versions
"Mr. Spaceman" has been covered by artists including Jimmy BuffettJimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
and Gonzo
Gonzo the Great
Gonzo the Great is a puppet character, one of Jim Henson's Muppets. He was developed and performed by Dave Goelz. The character made his first appearance in a 1970 Christmas special entitled "The Great Santa Claus Switch". Known as a "Whatever" , he is considered one of The Frackles...
, on The Muppets
The Muppets
The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson starting in 1954–55. Although the term is often used to refer to any puppet that resembles the distinctive style of The Muppet Show, the term is both an informal name and legal trademark owned by the Walt Disney Company in reference...
' album Kermit Unpigged
Kermit Unpigged
Kermit Unpigged is a music and comedy record released by The Jim Henson Company through BMG Kidz in 1995, and the last album released by Jim Henson Records...
, and Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
on the album The A-Files: Alien Songs
The A-Files: Alien Songs
The A-Files: Alien Songs is a 1998 music album by Alvin and the Chipmunks, released by Sony Wonder. The album's concept parodied the 1993–2002 FOX series The X-Files.-Track listing:# "Purple People Eater" – 3:35# "Men in Black Movie Theme" – 3:46...
. The song has also been covered by The Flying Burrito Brothers
The Flying Burrito Brothers
The Flying Burrito Brothers was an early country rock band, best known for its influential debut album,The Gilded Palace of Sin . Although the group is most often mentioned in connection with country rock legends Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman, the group underwent many personnel changes.-Original...
on their 1985 live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
, Cabin Fever
Cabin Fever (Flying Burrito Brothers album)
Cabin Fever is a live album by the country rock group The Flying Burrito Brothers, released in 1985.After John Beland and Gib Guilbeau brought the Burritos to a close in 1984, original member "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow took the opportunity to use the band's name in an effort to secure overseas club work...
, and by Miracle Legion
Miracle Legion
Miracle Legion was an American college rock band formed in 1983 in New Haven, Connecticut. They earned modest renown, especially in their native New England region. The original lineup consisted of singer/guitarist Mark Mulcahy, lead guitarist Mr. Ray Neal, drummer Jeff Wiederschall, and bassist...
on The Byrds' tribute album
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
, Time Between – A Tribute to The Byrds. In addition, Velvet Crush
Velvet Crush
Velvet Crush is a power pop band from Rhode Island that achieved prominence in indie-rock circles in the early- and mid-1990s. The band broke up in 1996 but re-formed in 1998 and have continued to record, releasing their most recent album in 2004...
covered the song and their version is included on the band's 2001 compilation album, A Single Odessey. Limbeck
Limbeck
Limbeck was an alternative country band, with pop-punk roots, hailing from Orange County, California.-Background:Originating in Laguna Niguel, California, Limbeck featured Robb MacLean on lead vocals and guitar, Patrick Carrie guitar and backing vocals, Justin Entsminger on bass, and Jon Phillip,...
also released a version of the song on their 2006 Tour EP.
"Mr. Spaceman" is one of the songs featured in the Jukebox musical
Jukebox musical
A jukebox musical is a stage or film musical that uses previously released popular songs as its musical score. Usually the songs have in common a connection with a particular popular musician or group — either because they were written by, or for, the artists in question, or were at least...
, Return to the Forbidden Planet
Return to the Forbidden Planet
Return to the Forbidden Planet is a Jukebox musical by playwright Bob Carlton based on Shakespeare's The Tempest and the 1950s science fiction film Forbidden Planet ....
.