Joseph Byrd

b. Tuscon, Arizona, USA. Joseph Byrd studied ethnomusicology and composition before becoming a member of the New Music Workshop in Los Angeles, California. In 1967 he sought to blend the avant garde with rock by forming United States Of America. He also wrote the arrangement for the title track on Phil Ochs’ Pleasures Of The Harbour. His band broke up in 1968, after which Byrd formed Joe Byrd And The Field Hippies. Their debut set, The American Metaphysical Circus, took its title from a track by the United States Of America. Byrd took some time out for studying before re-emerging with Yankee Transcendoodle, a quirky set revolving around its creator’s dexterity on the synthesizer. Xmas Yet To Come followed a similar pattern, but neither release boasted much imaginative depth.