I was commanding an M113 ACAV armored vehicle in Vietnam in 71-72 and down on the front slope ahead of my driver was painted "I'm a Drug Store TRACK Drivin' Man" as a pun and homage to this song. As my driver was black, that made it just that much sweeter.
This reminds me of basic training the day we got our heads shaved. Black guy Sewell looked at me and started singing Almost Cut My Hair by David Crosby.
A very underrated album. This was the beginning of the Clarence White period for the Byrds. Under the pedal steel you can hear Clarence and some great guitar fills. Don't know why this album was panned. Who cares what the critics say. They aren't musicians. The Byrds have given me almost 60 years of pure joy. A salute to Lloyd Green on pedal steel.
Yea, he still needed to learn the use of space in his playing. His laving the earth at 29 was terrible. It deprived him and us of the best playing in him.
Until today I only knew the Woodstock version of Joan Boaz. Today the song popped up in my mind, and I start wondering what it was about. Suddenly the whole song made sense now I know the background. And I like this version a lot. That guitar is wonderful.
I could see where Mike Nesmith, former Monkee, could have written this song...he has that kind of humor...and hear Mike and Mickey Dolenze singing it...that would have been hysterical
@@lizzyfan1986 I mean the Beatles did a couple country tunes before the Byrds as well but I still count the Byrds as first true country rock. Just my opinion tho
That pedal steel never fails to put my soul in the right company even as I learn to play all of my favorites on pedal steel it's just not the same listening to your hero's.
RIP Walter Ralph Emery, country music disc jockey and tv host from Nashville, Tennessee, who played this song once on his show, which stirred some controbersy (88) ;-(
@@eightinches6094 he didn't , the song in question i think was You ain;t going nowhere; and Drug Store Truck Drivin Man was written about that encounter
I remember being knocked out by this when I bought the single in 1969 (B-side to the underrated "Bad Night At The Whiskey"). As a fan from 1965, I'd feared that the imploding Byrds were finished when Hillman called it a day in late 1968 and I'd awaited this first release with baited breath. But I was 17 and I was ready and willing to accept the new Byrds with open arms. Still think the "Dr. Byrds" album is far too overlooked in the Byrds canon. Okay, I could do without the closing medley but the album stands up well, especially in its remastered/expanded format from the late 1990's....
I've heard the Byrds say that they thought producer Bob Johnston messed the album's sound up. Too muddy, too many things buried in the mix. I agree. Differently produced, it would sound a whole lot better.
@@georgefelton2975 Agree. Too thick with background C. White. Yes, I said that. White was a player and a half, but he needed to get older and appreciate space. BTW, I was the same age as Max when this album came out, and younger still for Sweetheart of the Rodeo. That album was a shock to the system if you already loved the Byrds, but a pleasant shock!
Ridiculous...the Monkees never set out to be influential to begin with. They were a TV show. Comparing apples to oranges. What they did do that was influential was standup to the record industry BS.
In case you’re interested who this song was about, ii was Ralph Emery, who later went on to host a country music TV show, ‘Nashville Now.’ It seems Ralph and Gram had themselves a little feud.
The folks in Nashville didn't think the Byrds could play country. Now compare this to "today's country". Ole Ralph would have a seizure as Shotgun Red bursts into flames!
@@tia2all501 He was an ass to everyone because he was a powerful DJ, and every artist in Nashville had to suck up to him to get their records played on his show. When he hosted Nashville Now on TNN, I never liked his manner or attitude, which was always paternalistic and condescending.
@ I saw him do an interview with Townes Van Zant and was such an ass, I felt bad for poor old Towns. But it is a great song.Did you ever see Return To Sin City?
Yep, and Ralph wouldn't play it or anything else the band had just recorded. They reportedly didn't go over well in Nashville at the time either. Well, how does that look now? Some high-minded critics panned Beethoven's 9th symphony when it was fresh out, too. They're all knuckleheads.
Love it. REAL country, not like today's saccharine or "LET'S DRINK SOME MORE" (Toby Keith) "country pop" which is a poor imitation of true country music.
@@stepheneinbinder2604 As i said i love the outro on Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man ......and if you know Early Morning Riser by the Pure Prairie League that's a cool outro too. I have no strong views on fade outs in general , i just happen to find the one you object to rather wonderful . sorry about that !
Written by Gram and Roger after an unpleasant interview with Nashville DJ Ralph Emery, who welcomed them to Nashville with hostility, refusing to play the song they brought and asking Gram about his draft status. His show was sponsored by a trucking company, but they figured he knew nothing about the subject, making him a trucking version of a drugstore cowboy. Joan Baez was referencing pomposity, probably political, when she sang it at Woodstock.
@@margaretross9150 Margaret -- His album with Emilylou Harris is a funerial procession, AND he sings out of key at times. Maybe you dig it, but for me it is unlistenable.
@@kenhabeeb Then, obviously, don't listen. It's interesting, though, that fellow musicians are among Gram's most ardent fans; Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello, Sneaky Pete, Dwight Yoakam, Evan Dando, and Keith Richards. Bernie Leadon said he could tear your heart out even when he was singing out of key. Chris Hillman, not Gram's biggest fan, has used the word genius in reference to Gram's song selection.
If you TH-cam Otis Gibbs Meatloaf, Gram Parsons and Keith Richards. Otis will tell you about this song and it's inspiration somewhere in the 1st half of his chat.
As much as I love the guitars right up front, I also wish the vocals felt less buried. The Byrds themselves have said that the mix throughout the album was too muddy. It has always felt that way to me, from the first time I played the album. Bob Johnston, the producer, had acquired a big reputation, but for me he messed up on this one. Wouldn't a remix be wonderful to hear?
Once Gram got the offer from Mick Jagger to go on tour with The Rolling Stones in 1968 after Sweetheart of the Rodeo was released, he immediately left The Byrds.
After Notorious Byrd Bros. McGuinn should've regrouped with Gene Clark and Hillman to continue to build on their already incredible body of work. Gene could've carried the songwriting load pretty much all by himself. Would've minimized the prominence of Gram Parsons for awhile and likely cancelled The Flying Burrito Bros altogether but what The Byrds could've accomplished on an extended run through the 70's is, unfortunately, eternally left to conjecture and the legacy of American rock music is left poorer on account of it.
In the late 70s, they did a couple of albums under the name of McGuinn, Clark & Hillman (Go figure; where would they get that name?). Here was a cut from that: th-cam.com/video/frnGnf3AhLA/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for that video, Hugh. Wasn't aware of this configuration of the group. Maybe you'll disagree with me but they sound entirely like the dreaded Eagles and the far less intolerable Poco. MOR FM radio stuff. Gene is uncomfortable, McGuinn isn't "Rickenbackering", Hillman's songwriting is uh, songwriting, and how they miss their signature asset as a band, David Crosby's unparalleled harmonies. The original Byrds were such an important creative force in American rock music that anything less than the players they started with was bound to be a sorely diminished product. And because Gene Clark was clearly the widest ranging talent in the band, his musical legacy, as a Byrd and a solo artist, has been the most enduring over all these years, in my view. Have a good day. RIP Clarke and Clark.
@@rogermurray8553 interesting to note that the guitar solo is handled by the sideman, located on a riser near the drummer. McGuinn didn't handle it. Here was another song from the same album (FYI: this came out a year after i graduated from college, and I bought the album; that's how i remember it.) th-cam.com/video/-ALjAtW5lUc/w-d-xo.html
Yes, great guitarist. Herb Pederson maybe? Clearly they were the sum of their parts. McGuinn and Hillman the musicians. Chris was every bit as creative on bass as McCartney by Woodstock summer and Clark and Dylan did the heavy lifting on the lyrics and Crosby's incredible vocals. Even Michael Clarke was a really accomplished drummer, despite Crosby's criticisms, by the time they created Notorious Byrd Bros. The best was a distant memory by the late 70's and Crosby's recorded vocals all but obliterated by 10 years worth of collaborating with CSNY and the ultra-whiney Graham Nash. It seems like light years now. Sad that these videos portray three guys grooming for a Vegas stint. PS. Listen closely. You'll hear a guitar riff stolen from Stills' " Love The One You're With".
I was commanding an M113 ACAV armored vehicle in Vietnam in 71-72 and down on the front slope ahead of my driver was painted "I'm a Drug Store TRACK Drivin' Man" as a pun and homage to this song. As my driver was black, that made it just that much sweeter.
😎
Btw, Thank you for your SERVICE!!
This reminds me of basic training the day we got our heads shaved. Black guy Sewell looked at me and started singing Almost Cut My Hair by David Crosby.
11th armored calv ? Welcome home brother
@@joewilley7776 Yep, among others. Thx.
Lloyd Green and Clarence White = pure magic.
"I'm an all night musician,
in a rock and roll band...."
Fine lines from a great song.
This is one of my favorites, Happy Birthday Gram Parsons ❤
Gram Parsons is an absolute legend
The story of Crosby stealing his body to cremate it is epic!!
@@gregorysember2212 Crosby !! I think you;re a little confused
@@MrPhilfridge Bing lost a bar bet with Hope and had to go through with it.
Is Gram on this record? Another guy called Parsons.
A very underrated album. This was the beginning of the Clarence White period for the Byrds. Under the pedal steel you can hear Clarence and some great guitar fills. Don't know why this album was panned. Who cares what the critics say. They aren't musicians. The Byrds have given me almost 60 years of pure joy. A salute to Lloyd Green on pedal steel.
Clarence was from another universe with his Twangcaster playing!
His B-bender work is other-worldly!! 😉👍👍🎸(sorry, they only had a Strat, not a Tele ☹)
Yea, he still needed to learn the use of space in his playing. His laving the earth at 29 was terrible. It deprived him and us of the best playing in him.
One of my favorite Byrds albums.
Woke up with this song on my mind. How appropriate for these days and times.
Such a great song… I love the story behind its composition!
"This one's for you, Ralph"
Can never get enough of this song. The harmony is great
Yea, and this version's faster pace makes it the best, in my humble opinion. :)
This song was a shot at Ralph Emory, a Nashville DJ who dissed the Byrds appearance on the Grand Old "Opry.
Thank you Gram Parsons❤❤❤❤
drug store truck drivin' man = a brilliant tune by one of musics' all time best bands!!!
The vocal arrangement is so perfect.
Until today I only knew the Woodstock version of Joan Boaz. Today the song popped up in my mind, and I start wondering what it was about. Suddenly the whole song made sense now I know the background. And I like this version a lot. That guitar is wonderful.
I love country hippie shit.😂❤
It was the Byrds country stuff that enlightened me to country music not being all bad to a rock n roller.. .
I could see where Mike Nesmith, former Monkee, could have written this song...he has that kind of humor...and hear Mike and Mickey Dolenze singing it...that would have been hysterical
And for that we should thank the legend that is Gram Parsons!
@@paulsimons8686 the Stones were doing country on their 1st couple lp's which predates Parson's output
@@lizzyfan1986 I mean the Beatles did a couple country tunes before the Byrds as well but I still count the Byrds as first true country rock. Just my opinion tho
Adding to the bands you folks have already mentioned, I really had no idea how much country music Creedence Clearwater Revival was playing.
awesome tune! awesome version of the byrds! awesome memories! they never get old!
Grew up listening to The Bryds with my Pops. This song just brought back all those memories, thank you!!!!
What an absolutely Clever and Cool Ass Song
This song was featured on KXCI 91.3 in Tucson
Wish Gram was singing this, no matter how hard they try they just can’t do justice to this, they need Gram❤❤
That pedal steel never fails to put my soul in the right company even as I learn to play all of my favorites on pedal steel it's just not the same listening to your hero's.
That's Lloyd Green on the pedal steel.
@@chetpogostin34 Yes, they got one of the original 'Nashville Masters' to play the break machine for them on this!! 👍
RIP Walter Ralph Emery, country music disc jockey and tv host from Nashville, Tennessee, who played this song once on his show, which stirred some controbersy (88) ;-(
Not sure if he played it on his radio show, it's about him, lol!
@@eightinches6094 he didn't , the song in question i think was You ain;t going nowhere; and Drug Store Truck Drivin Man was written about that encounter
I remember being knocked out by this when I bought the single in 1969 (B-side to the underrated "Bad Night At The Whiskey"). As a fan from 1965, I'd feared that the imploding Byrds were finished when Hillman called it a day in late 1968 and I'd awaited this first release with baited breath. But I was 17 and I was ready and willing to accept the new Byrds with open arms. Still think the "Dr. Byrds" album is far too overlooked in the Byrds canon. Okay, I could do without the closing medley but the album stands up well, especially in its remastered/expanded format from the late 1990's....
Never heard Bad Night at the Whiskey, thanks man. You were lucky to be 17 then lol
I've heard the Byrds say that they thought producer Bob Johnston messed the album's sound up. Too muddy, too many things buried in the mix. I agree. Differently produced, it would sound a whole lot better.
@@georgefelton2975 Agree. Too thick with background C. White. Yes, I said that. White was a player and a half, but he needed to get older and appreciate space. BTW, I was the same age as Max when this album came out, and younger still for Sweetheart of the Rodeo. That album was a shock to the system if you already loved the Byrds, but a pleasant shock!
Saw these guys in 1969. Tulsa,backing up Three Dog Night. Kicked ass with this song. Clarence wore his crazy cape!
Ridiculous...the Monkees never set out to be influential to begin with. They were a TV show. Comparing apples to oranges. What they did do that was influential was standup to the record industry BS.
What a song, huh!
In case you’re interested who this song was about, ii was Ralph Emery, who later went on to host
a country music TV show, ‘Nashville Now.’ It seems Ralph and Gram had themselves a little feud.
He asked Gram about his draft status. How rude! (He was 4F).
Thanks gram and Roger for telling it like it was!
Don't you hate it when a dj you've worshipped all these centuries turns out to be a bloody deutsche bag!🤣👽
At least it wasn't about Bill Mack❤
Thanks for posting this! 500 pounds and he sleeps on the floor.
Yep, a great line.
RIP Ralph Emery. This one's for you, Ralph.
He did finally accept Roger and Gram as 'legitimate' songwriter, performers and talents before his death, correct?
Hah! Ralph was a total d**k. Search for the CMT interview he did with Roger years later.
Maybe; don't know for sure. At least Roger now has the last laugh. @@Fordworldrallyfan
The folks in Nashville didn't think the Byrds could play country. Now compare this to "today's country". Ole Ralph would have a seizure as Shotgun Red bursts into flames!
@@sirslice7531😂😂 True that!
This song is referring to Nashville's DJ Ralph Emery after a stiff interview Ralph had with the Byrds on their visit to Nashville in the 70s.😂
Yes he was a real ass to them
@@tia2all501 He was an ass to everyone because he was a powerful DJ, and every artist in Nashville had to suck up to him to get their records played on his show. When he hosted Nashville Now on TNN, I never liked his manner or attitude, which was always paternalistic and condescending.
@ I saw him do an interview with Townes Van Zant and was such an ass, I felt bad for poor old Towns. But it is a great song.Did you ever see Return To Sin City?
A very good album.
lovely song 😃❤
He is now a world celebrity, even if he never heard this song.
one of my mos'fav country'western songs ever!
Yep, and Ralph wouldn't play it or anything else the band had just recorded. They reportedly didn't go over well in Nashville at the time either. Well, how does that look now?
Some high-minded critics panned Beethoven's 9th symphony when it was fresh out, too. They're all knuckleheads.
RIP Ralph Emery!
From Cleveland Ohio currently listening in Rio Brazil
Heard the Byrds play this song in Tulsa in the summer of '69. They got an oncore. Backing up Three Dog Night. Go figure.
You’re lucky lol, wish I could see that
What a awesome song I love it
When summer rolls around if j👍🍺🫳🤘🎋👉🤏🧱😎🙋🎖️🌆
Love it. REAL country, not like today's saccharine or "LET'S DRINK SOME MORE" (Toby Keith) "country pop" which is a poor imitation of true country music.
Byrds rule
Love this !
Santa Fe, New Mexico
this one's for you, Ralph Emery😜
This one is for you Ralph
Great recording, but I hate false endings! 3:15
The ending in this instant though is wonderful !
@@MrPhilfridge Do you like fade-outs? I don't.
@@stepheneinbinder2604 As i said i love the outro on Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man ......and if you know Early Morning Riser by the Pure Prairie League that's a cool outro too. I have no strong views on fade outs in general , i just happen to find the one you object to rather wonderful . sorry about that !
I'm a Country Rock Thumbs Downin' Man on this video.
ℹ don't understand ? He's a truck driver who contracts for a Pharmaceutical Firm .?. 🚛💨
Supposed to be Ronald Reagan. Democratic governor of California.
@@buttkid3548 ℹ know Elvis once drove a tractor 🚜 Mr.Reagan drove a truck ? 🚚
@@lazyrrr2411 Reagan was mentioned at Woodstock before Joan played this.
@@buttkid3548 Joan who ?
Written by Gram and Roger after an unpleasant interview with Nashville DJ Ralph Emery, who welcomed them to Nashville with hostility, refusing to play the song they brought and asking Gram about his draft status. His show was sponsored by a trucking company, but they figured he knew nothing about the subject, making him a trucking version of a drugstore cowboy. Joan Baez was referencing pomposity, probably political, when she sang it at Woodstock.
A song about Ralph Emory.
Assolutamente geniali...
You ono😢
Shame Grams not mentioned in the comments much as he & Roger wrote this.
real ones know
@@tylersidney2212 And real ones have heard Gram's own lame version.
@@kenhabeeb Gram never did anything "lame" in his entire recording career. Something special in everything he sang and wrote.
@@margaretross9150 Margaret -- His album with Emilylou Harris is a funerial procession, AND he sings out of key at times. Maybe you dig it, but for me it is unlistenable.
@@kenhabeeb Then, obviously, don't listen. It's interesting, though, that fellow musicians are among Gram's most ardent fans; Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello, Sneaky Pete, Dwight Yoakam, Evan Dando, and Keith Richards. Bernie Leadon said he could tear your heart out even when he was singing out of key. Chris Hillman, not Gram's biggest fan, has used the word genius in reference to Gram's song selection.
For ralph emery
Hot Aries............
ralph emery got ralphed on
If you TH-cam Otis Gibbs Meatloaf, Gram Parsons and Keith Richards. Otis will tell you about this song and it's inspiration somewhere in the 1st half of his chat.
This one's for you Ralph. Hehehehe
Just found out that Ralph Emery just passed away (15 Jan. 2022)
he is now trump's chaffeur
Probably my favorite band from the 60s however this song is not my favorite but funny
This makes me wanna steal a dirt bike and listen to it while driving recklessly!
As much as I love the guitars right up front, I also wish the vocals felt less buried. The Byrds themselves have said that the mix throughout the album was too muddy. It has always felt that way to me, from the first time I played the album. Bob Johnston, the producer, had acquired a big reputation, but for me he messed up on this one. Wouldn't a remix be wonderful to hear?
Emery deserved this.
Too bad Gram and McGuinn didn't do more work together.
Parsons was flaky. And maybe into something other than music.
@@kenhabeeb Well, yes to both probably. A complex person with a lot of talent.
Once Gram got the offer from Mick Jagger to go on tour with The Rolling Stones in 1968 after Sweetheart of the Rodeo was released, he immediately left The Byrds.
Gram Parsons is the greatest!
Funny times. Old people were so fu..ing grumpy. 😂
After Notorious Byrd Bros. McGuinn should've regrouped with Gene Clark and Hillman to continue to build on their already incredible body of work. Gene could've carried the songwriting load pretty much all by himself. Would've minimized the prominence of Gram Parsons for awhile and likely cancelled The Flying Burrito Bros altogether but what The Byrds could've accomplished on an extended run through the 70's is, unfortunately, eternally left to conjecture and the legacy of American rock music is left poorer on account of it.
In the late 70s, they did a couple of albums under the name of McGuinn, Clark & Hillman (Go figure; where would they get that name?). Here was a cut from that: th-cam.com/video/frnGnf3AhLA/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for that video, Hugh. Wasn't aware of this configuration of the group. Maybe you'll disagree with me but they sound entirely like the dreaded Eagles and the far less intolerable Poco. MOR FM radio stuff. Gene is uncomfortable, McGuinn isn't "Rickenbackering", Hillman's songwriting is uh, songwriting, and how they miss their signature asset as a band, David Crosby's unparalleled harmonies. The original Byrds were such an important creative force in American rock music that anything less than the players they started with was bound to be a sorely diminished product. And because Gene Clark was clearly the widest ranging talent in the band, his musical legacy, as a Byrd and a solo artist, has been the most enduring over all these years, in my view. Have a good day. RIP Clarke and Clark.
@@rogermurray8553 interesting to note that the guitar solo is handled by the sideman, located on a riser near the drummer. McGuinn didn't handle it.
Here was another song from the same album (FYI: this came out a year after i graduated from college, and I bought the album; that's how i remember it.) th-cam.com/video/-ALjAtW5lUc/w-d-xo.html
Yes, great guitarist. Herb Pederson maybe? Clearly they were the sum of their parts. McGuinn and Hillman the musicians. Chris was every bit as creative on bass as McCartney by Woodstock summer and Clark and Dylan did the heavy lifting on the lyrics and Crosby's incredible vocals. Even Michael Clarke was a really accomplished drummer, despite Crosby's criticisms, by the time they created Notorious Byrd Bros. The best was a distant memory by the late 70's and Crosby's recorded vocals all but obliterated by 10 years worth of collaborating with CSNY and the ultra-whiney Graham Nash. It seems like light years now. Sad that these videos portray three guys grooming for a Vegas stint. PS. Listen closely. You'll hear a guitar riff stolen from Stills' " Love The One You're With".
@@rogermurray8553 not too surprising, because Still and Hillman were playing together in Manassas when Stills recorded LTOYW
is the high part York or roger?
@@jo-er3cv I think he double tracked his voice
John York.
Damn.. Would've been sweet of this was the 45th comment. Donald "dkbreath" Trump brought me here.