‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ gave many bands their big break. ‘The Byrds’ performed on the show delivering their hit song ‘Turn! Turn! Turn!’ The American rock band amazed the Sullivan crowd.
The band played in front of a swirled backdrop. Two guitarists, a bassist, and a drummer joined lead singer Roger McGuinn on the tambourine. They are wearing matching suits with similar haircuts in a bowl style.
Roger sings the classic lyrics, ‘To everything (turn, turn, turn). There is a season (turn, turn, turn). And a time to every purpose, under heaven.’ The lyrics comprise the first eight verses of the third chapter of the biblical Book of Ecclesiastes.
The song was written by Pete Seeger in the late 1950s and first recorded in 1959. The first release was by the folk group the ‘Limeliters.’ Then, it appeared on Seeger’s own ‘The Bitter and the Sweet.’ It wasn’t until 1965 that the song became a hit.
‘The Byrds’ single entered the U.S. chart at number 80 in October of 1965 and jumped to number 1 by December. The band’s success wasn’t a fluke, and many critics consider them to be influential to future music groups.
Their unique harmony and blend led to the genre known as folk rock. Their other huge hit was ‘‘Mr. Tambourine Man.’ The British invasion bands proved that America was willing to embrace the folk rock style.
This performance happened on Sullivan when the song was a massive hit. ‘The Byrds’ had achieved success with a number 1 hit. The folk rock genre was a proven success, leading more musicians to adopt the style throughout the following years.