“Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)” was written by Pete Seeger in the late 1950s. The lyrics, except for the title which is repeated throughout the song, and the final verse of the song, are adapted word-for-word from Chapter 3 of the Book of Ecclesiastes, set to music and recorded in 1962. The song was originally released as “To Everything There Is a Season” on The Limeliters’ album Folk Matinee and then some months later on Seeger’s own The Bitter and the Sweet. The song became an international hit in late 1965 when it was covered by the American folk rock band The Byrds, bowing at #80 on October 23, 1965, before reaching #1 on the Hot 100 chart on December 4, 1965, #3 in Canada (Nov. 29, 1965), and also peaking at #26 on the UK Singles Chart. In the U.S., the song holds distinction as the #1 hit with the oldest lyrics (Book of Ecclesiastes), theoretically authored by King Solomon.
“Mr. Tambourine Man” was the debut single by The Byrds and was released on April 12, 1965 and was influential in originating the musical style known as folk rock, with the single becoming the first folk rock smash hit. Indeed, the term “folk rock” was first coined by the U.S music press to describe the band’s sound at around the same time as “Mr. Tambourine Man” peaked at number 1 on the Billboard chart. The single initiated the folk rock boom of 1965 and 1966, with many acts imitating the band’s hybrid of a rock beat, jangly guitar playing and poetic or socially conscious lyrics. You can hit a bit of the music before the isolated vocals come in.
