Despite the unqualified artistic success of the RCA sessions, Columbia refused to release the tracks because they had not been recorded in a Columbia-owned studio.
Though not a conscious attempt, these songs were later sited as pioneering examples of raga rock, one of several innovative sub-genres, along with folk rock and country rock that the band explored in their career. This Eastern influence also emerges on the high energy "Why" with McGuinn creating a sitar-like solo on his guitar while employing non-Western scales. The Coltrane influence is especially evident in McGuinn's electric twelve-string solo, inspired by Coltrane's free-form sax lines on "India." Shankar's sitar work is reflected in Chris Hillman's driving bass part, a hypnotic drone against which McGuinn's guitar lines shine in high relief. The band entered RCA Studios in Los Angeles on December 22, 1965, to track "Eight Miles High," along with a new Roger McGuinn/David Crosby song "Why." They had worked up an explosive arrangement for the Clark song, adding elements culled from their recent highway listening sessions. Despite Clark's increasing isolation from the group, it was obvious that "Eight Miles High" was a work of major importance and the group promptly made plans to record it. Juxtaposed against lyrical snapshots of London, like "rain grey town, known for its sound," "the modal melody created a striking contrast and summoned a surreal, flight-like feeling.
As Clark continued writing the song that would become "Eight Miles High,"- this exotic music, especially Coltrane's recordings, found their way into the composition.
Traveling from gig to gig, David Crosby's cassettes of Ravi Shankar and John Coltrane provided the tour bus soundtrack. After germinating for several weeks, he began to put his thoughts on paper during the band's U.S. " EIGHT MILES HIGH" b/w " WHY" - THE RARE RCA STUDIOS VERSIONS ORIGINAL MONO MASTERS!!! ON BLUE VINYL!ĭuring an action-packed Byrds tour of the UK in August 1965, ideas began to form in Gene Clark's mind for a new song.
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