View source for Sweetheart of the Rodeo

{{About|the album by The Byrds|the country music duo|Sweethearts of the Rodeo}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name         = Sweetheart of the Rodeo
| type         = studio
| artist       = [[the Byrds]]
| cover        = TheByrdsSweetheartoftheRodeo.jpg
| alt          = 
| released     = {{Start date|1968|08}}
| recorded     = *March 9–15, 1968
*April 4 – May 27, 1968
| studio       = *[[Bradley Studios#Columbia Studios|Columbia]] (Nashville, Tennessee)
*[[CBS Columbia Square|Columbia]] (Hollywood, California)
| genre        = * [[Country rock]]<ref name="smith"/>
* [[Country music|country]]
* [[progressive country]]<ref name=Tunis>{{cite web |url=https://www.kentucky.com/entertainment/music-news-reviews/article220248025.html |title= Marty Stuart thankful opening for Chris Stapleton, ‘the man carrying the flag for country music’|last=Tunis|first=Walter |date=October 22, 2018|work=Lexington Herald-Leader |access-date=2023-07-23}}</ref>
* [[roots rock]]<ref>{{cite magazine |last= Blender Staff |first= |date= May 2003 |title= 500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die! |url= https://archive.org/details/blender-2003-04-15-eminem-c/page/n59/mode/2up |magazine= [[Blender (magazine)|Blender]] |location= New York |publisher= [[Dennis Publishing Ltd]] |access-date= April 1, 2023}}</ref>
* [[Americana music|Americana]]<ref name= "Pitchfork Staff 2017">{{cite web|last= Pitchfork Staff |title= The 200 Best Albums of the 1960s |website= [[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date= August 22, 2017 |url= https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-200-best-albums-of-the-1960s/|quote= Sweetheart of the Rodeo may not have made country cool, but it showed the volatility of two competing visions of Americana coexisting in the same space.|accessdate= April 15, 2023}}</ref>
| length       = {{Duration|m=32|s=35}}
| label        = [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]
| producer     = [[Gary Usher]]
| prev_title   = [[The Notorious Byrd Brothers]]
| prev_year    = 1968
| next_title   = [[Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde]]
| next_year    = 1969
| misc         = {{Singles
 | name        = Sweetheart of the Rodeo
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [[You Ain't Goin' Nowhere#The Byrds' version|You Ain't Goin' Nowhere]]
 | single1date = April 2, 1968
 | single2     = [[I Am a Pilgrim]]
 | single2date = September 2, 1968
}}
}}

'''''Sweetheart of the Rodeo''''' is the sixth studio album by the American [[Rock music|rock]] band [[the Byrds]], released in August 1968 by [[Columbia Records]].<ref name="timeless1">{{cite book|author=Rogan, Johnny.|pages=544–546|year=1998|title=The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited|edition=2nd|publisher=Rogan House|isbn=0-9529540-1-X}}</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Later writers cite the US release date as August{{nbsp}}30, 1968,{{sfn|Rogan|1998|pp=544–546}}{{sfn|Hjort|2008|p=187}} but the album appeared on ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]]'' magazine's chart for the week ending August{{nbsp}}24.<ref name="cashbox">{{Cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1968/CB-1968-08-24.pdf|title=Cash Box Top 100 Albums|date=August 24, 1968|via=worldradiohistory.com|magazine=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]]|page=47}}</ref> Advertisements in August{{nbsp}}9 newspapers indicate that the album was already for sale.<ref>{{cite newspaper|title=Burdine's Everyday Low Prices|newspaper=Fort Lauderdale News|date=August 9, 1968|page=3A|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-lauderdale-news-burdines-everyday/182683195/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Super Session|newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer]]|date=August 9, 1968|page=29|url=https://newspapers.com/article/the-plain-dealer-super-session/148241202/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>}} Recorded with the addition of [[country rock]] pioneer [[Gram Parsons]], it became the first album widely recognized as country rock<ref name="smith">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G4mP7u6mPdkC&pg=PA63|author=Chris Smith|page=63|year=2009|title=101 Albums That Changed Popular Music|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-537371-4}}</ref> as well as a seminal [[progressive country]] album,<ref name=Tunis/> and represented a stylistic move away from the [[psychedelic rock]] of the band's previous [[LP album|LP]], ''[[The Notorious Byrd Brothers]]''.<ref name="hjort3">{{cite book|author=Hjort, Christopher.|pages=187–188|year=2008|title=So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965–1973)|publisher=Jawbone Press|isbn=978-1-906002-15-2}}</ref> The Byrds had occasionally experimented with [[country music]] on their four previous albums, but ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' represented their fullest immersion into the [[Music genre|genre]] up to that point in time.<ref name="fricke">{{cite book|author=Fricke, David.|year=1997|title=Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1997 CD liner notes)}}</ref><ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|title=Sweetheart of the Rodeo review|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r3066|pure_url=yes}}|access-date=2009-09-27}}</ref><ref name="sputnik">{{cite web|title=Sweetheart of the Rodeo review|publisher=Sputnikmusic|url=http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?albumid=1868|access-date=2009-10-09}}</ref> The album was responsible for bringing Parsons, who had joined the Byrds in February 1968 prior to the start of recording, to the attention of a mainstream rock audience for the first time.<ref name="sputnik"/><ref name="griffin">{{cite book|author=Griffin, Sid.|year=1985|title=Safe at Home (1991 CD liner notes)}}</ref>  Thus, the album is an important chapter in Parsons' crusade to make country music fashionable for a young audience.<ref name="byrdwatcher">{{cite web|title=Sweetheart of the Rodeo|publisher=ByrdWatcher: A Field Guide to the Byrds of Los Angeles|url=http://ebni.com/byrds/lpsotr.html|access-date=2009-09-06|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028082530/http://ebni.com/byrds/lpsotr.html|archive-date=2010-10-28}}</ref>

The album was conceived as a history of 20th-century [[American popular music]], encompassing examples of country music, [[jazz]] and [[rhythm and blues]], among other genres.<ref name="fricke"/> However, steered by the passion of the little-known Parsons, this concept was abandoned early on and the album instead became purely a country record.<ref name="fricke"/><ref name="legacy">{{Cite AV media notes|title=Sweatheart of the Rodeo: Legacy Edition|others=The Byrds|year=2003|last=Fricke|first=David|author-link=David Fricke|pages=19–21|type=CD booklet|publisher=[[Columbia Records|Columbia]]/[[Legacy Recordings|Legacy]]|location=New York City}}</ref> The recording of the album was divided between [[Studio recording|sessions]] in Nashville and Los Angeles, with contributions from [[session musician]]s including [[Lloyd Green]], [[John Hartford]], [[JayDee Maness]]<!--not "Jay Dee"-->, and [[Clarence White]].<ref name="timeless3">{{cite book|author=Rogan, Johnny.|pages=624–625|year=1998|title=The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited|edition=2nd|publisher=Rogan House|isbn=0-9529540-1-X}}</ref> Tension developed between Parsons and the rest of the band, [[guitarist]] [[Roger McGuinn]] especially, and some of Parsons' vocals were re-recorded, partly due to legal issues.<ref name="timeless2">{{cite book|author=Rogan, Johnny.|pages=250–261|year=1998|title=The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited|edition=2nd|publisher=Rogan House|isbn=0-9529540-1-X}}</ref><ref name="hjort">{{cite book|author=Hjort, Christopher.|pages=162–176|year=2008|title=So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965-1973)|publisher=Jawbone Press|isbn=978-1-906002-15-2}}</ref> By the time the album was released, Parsons had left the band.<ref name="hjort2">{{cite book|author=Hjort, Christopher.|pages=177–187|year=2008|title=So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965-1973)|publisher=Jawbone Press|isbn=978-1-906002-15-2}}</ref> The Byrds' move away from [[Rock music|rock]] and [[Pop music|pop]] towards country music elicited a great deal of resistance and hostility from the ultra-conservative Nashville country music establishment, who viewed the Byrds as a group of [[hippie]]s attempting to subvert country music.<ref name="legacy"/>

Upon its release, the album reached number 77 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' Top LPs]] chart, but failed to reach the charts in the United Kingdom.<ref name="whitburn">{{cite book|author=Whitburn, Joel.|page=121|year=2002|title=Top Pop Albums 1955–2001|publisher=Hal Leonard Corp|isbn=0-634-03948-2}}</ref><ref name="brown">{{cite book|author=Brown, Tony.|page=130|year=2000|title=The Complete Book of the British Charts|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=0-7119-7670-8}}</ref> Two attendant singles were released during 1968, "[[You Ain't Goin' Nowhere]]", which achieved modest success, and "[[I Am a Pilgrim]]", which failed to chart.<ref name="brown"/><ref name="whitburn2">{{cite book|author=Whitburn, Joel.|page=130|year=2008|title=Top Pop Singles 1955–2006|publisher=Record Research Inc|isbn=978-0-89820-172-7}}</ref> The album received mostly positive reviews in the [[Music journalism|music press]], but the band's shift away from [[psychedelic music]] alienated much of its pop audience.<ref name="timeless7">{{cite book|author=Rogan, Johnny.|page=269|year=1998|title=The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited|edition=2nd|publisher=Rogan House|isbn=0-9529540-1-X}}</ref> Despite being the least commercially successful Byrds' album to date upon release, ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' is today considered to be a seminal and highly influential country rock album.<ref name="fricke"/>

==Background (January–March 1968)==
The initial concept by [[Roger McGuinn]] for the album that would become ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' was to expand upon the genre-spanning approach of the Byrds' previous LP, ''The Notorious Byrd Brothers'',  by recording a [[double album]] overview of the history of [[American popular music]].<ref name="legacy"/> The planned album would begin with [[Bluegrass music|bluegrass]] and [[Appalachian Mountains|Appalachian]] music, then move through [[Country music|country and western]], jazz, rhythm and blues, and [[rock music]], before culminating with futuristic proto-[[electronica]] featuring the [[Moog synthesizer|Moog modular synthesizer]].<ref name="legacy"/>

But with a U.S. college tour to promote ''The Notorious Byrd Brothers'' looming, a more immediate concern was the recruitment of new band members.<ref name="timeless2"/> [[David Crosby]] and [[Michael Clarke (musician)|Michael Clarke]] had been dismissed from the band in late 1967, leaving [[Roger McGuinn]] as ''de facto'' leader of the Byrds, along with [[Chris Hillman]], the only other remaining member of the band.<ref name="byrdwatcher"/><ref>{{cite book|author=Hjort, Christopher.|pages=146–153|year=2008|title=So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965–1973)|publisher=Jawbone Press|isbn=978-1-906002-15-2}}</ref> To address this problem, McGuinn hired Hillman's cousin, [[Kevin Kelley (musician)|Kevin Kelley]] (formerly a member of the [[Rising Sons]]), as the band's new drummer,<ref name="fricke"/> and it was this three-piece line-up, with McGuinn on [[guitar]] and Hillman on [[Bass guitar|bass]], that embarked on the early 1968 college tour.<ref name="byrdwatcher2">{{cite web|title=Gram Parsons and The Byrds: 1968|publisher=ByrdWatcher: A Field Guide to the Byrds of Los Angeles|url=http://ebni.com/byrds/memgrp3.html|access-date=2009-09-06|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028025309/http://ebni.com/byrds/memgrp3.html|archive-date=2010-10-28}}</ref> It soon became apparent, however, that the Byrds were having difficulty performing their studio material live as a [[Trio (music)|trio]], and so it was decided that a fourth member was required.<ref name="byrdwatcher2"/> McGuinn, with an eye still on his envisaged American music concept album, felt that a pianist with a jazz background would be ideal for the group.<ref name="byrdwatcher"/>

A candidate was found by Larry Spector, the band's business manager, in the shape of 21-year-old [[Gram Parsons]].<ref name="timeless2"/> Parsons, a marginal figure in the L.A. music scene, had been acquainted with Hillman since 1967 and he auditioned for the band as a piano player in February 1968.<ref name="legacy"/> His faux-jazz piano playing<ref name="byrdwatcher2"/> and genial personality at audition was enough to impress both McGuinn and Hillman; so Parsons was recruited as the fourth member of the band, although he quickly switched to playing guitar instead of piano.<ref name="byrdwatcher"/> Although Parsons and Kelley were full members of the Byrds, they received a salary from McGuinn and Hillman and did not sign with Columbia Records when the Byrds' recording contract was renewed on February 29, 1968.<ref name="timeless2"/>

[[File:RogerMcGuinnKralingen1970.jpg|thumb|[[Roger McGuinn]] originally intended the album to be an overview of 20th-century American popular music.]]
Unbeknownst to McGuinn or Hillman, Parsons had his own musical agenda in which he planned to marry his love of traditional country music (which he saw as the purest form of American music) with youth culture's passion for rock.<ref>{{cite book|author=Brant, Marley.|year=1990|title=GP/Grievous Angel (1990 CD liner notes)}}</ref> He had already successfully attempted this fusion as a member of the little-known [[International Submarine Band]], on the album ''[[Safe at Home]]'', but Parsons' new status as a Byrd offered him an international stage from which to launch his bid to reclaim country music for his generation.<ref name="griffin"/><ref name="byrdwatcher"/>

Following his recruitment, Parsons began to lure Hillman away from McGuinn's concept album idea and towards a blend of what Parsons would later term "Cosmic American Music".<ref name="legacy"/>  In essence, this was a hybrid of various [[Americana (music)|roots music]] forms, primarily oriented towards [[honky tonk]] [[country music]] but also encompassing [[folk music|American folk]], [[soul music|soul]], rhythm and blues, [[Rock and roll|rock ’n’ roll]] and contemporary rock.<ref name="byrdwatcher"/>  Hillman, who had come from a musical background firmly rooted in bluegrass, had successfully persuaded the Byrds to incorporate country influences into their music in the past, beginning with the song "[[A Satisfied Mind|Satisfied Mind]]" on their 1965 album, ''[[Turn! Turn! Turn! (album)|Turn! Turn! Turn!]]''<ref name="byrdwatcher"/>  Many of Hillman's songs on the ''[[Younger Than Yesterday]]'' and ''The Notorious Byrd Brothers'' albums also had a pronounced country feel, with several featuring [[Clarence White]] (a renowned bluegrass guitar player and session musician) on [[lead guitar]], rather than McGuinn.<ref>{{cite web|title=Younger Than Yesterday|publisher=ByrdWatcher: A Field Guide to the Byrds of Los Angeles|url=http://ebni.com/byrds/lpyty.html|access-date=2009-09-06|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226115315/http://ebni.com/byrds/lpyty.html|archive-date=2014-12-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Notorious Byrd Brothers|publisher=ByrdWatcher: A Field Guide to the Byrds of Los Angeles|url=http://ebni.com/byrds/lpnbb.html|access-date=2009-09-06|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090506052249/http://ebni.com/byrds/lpnbb.html|archive-date=2009-05-06}}</ref> During time spent singing old country songs with Parsons, Hillman became convinced that Parsons' concept of a country-oriented version of the Byrds could work.<ref name="timeless2"/>

Parsons' passion for his country rock vision was so contagious that he convinced McGuinn to abandon plans for the Byrds' next album and follow Parsons' lead in recording a country rock album.<ref name="byrdwatcher2"/>  Parsons also persuaded McGuinn and Hillman to record the album in the country music capital of [[Nashville, Tennessee]],<ref name="timeless2"/> as [[Bob Dylan]] had done for his ''[[Blonde On Blonde]]'' and ''[[John Wesley Harding]]'' albums.<ref>{{cite book|author=Heylin, Clinton.|pages=507–508|year=1991|title=Dylan: Behind The Shades – The Biography|publisher=Viking Penguin|isbn=0-670-83602-8}}</ref>  Although McGuinn had reservations about the band's new direction, he decided that such a move could expand the already declining audience of the group.<ref name="legacy"/>  After long-time Byrds' [[Record producer|producer]] [[Gary Usher]], who had little interest in producing McGuinn's concept album, indicated a preference for the country concept, McGuinn acquiesced.<ref name="byrdwatcher"/> On March 9, 1968, the band decamped to Columbia's recording facility in Nashville to begin recording sessions for ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo''.<ref name="legacy"/>

==Recording (March–May 1968)==
Between March 9 and March 15, 1968, the band, accompanied by several prominent session musicians, recorded multiple [[take]]s of eight songs at [[Bradley Studios#Columbia Studios|Columbia's Studio A]] in the [[Music Row]] area of Nashville.<ref name="timeless3"/><ref name="Followed">{{cite web|title=Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City - Part 4: Artists That Followed|url=https://countrymusichalloffame.org/exhibit/dylan-cash-and-the-nashville-cats-a-new-music-city/beyond-the-nashville-skyline/|website=Country Music Hall of Fame|access-date=27 September 2024}}</ref> Recording sessions for the album continued from April 4 through May 27, 1968, at Columbia Studios in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|Hollywood]], with a further seven songs recorded during these sessions and finishing touches applied to many of the tracks recorded in Nashville.<ref name="legacy"/><ref name="timeless3"/>

{{Listen |filename=The_Byrds_-_You_Ain't_Goin'_Nowhere.ogg|title=You Ain't Goin' Nowhere|description=A sample of The Byrds' cover of Bob Dylan's "[[You Ain't Goin' Nowhere]]". The inclusion of two Dylan songs on ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' helped to forge a link with the band's earlier folk-rock incarnation.}}
The songs that the Byrds recorded for the album included "[[You Ain't Goin' Nowhere]]" and "[[Nothing Was Delivered]]", two country-influenced Dylan [[Cover version|covers]] from his then-unreleased ''[[The Basement Tapes|Basement Tapes]]'' sessions.<ref name="rogan">{{cite book|author=Rogan, Johnny.|year=1997|title=Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1997 CD liner notes)}}</ref> Despite the change in musical style that the ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' album represented, the inclusion of two Dylan covers provided a link with their previous [[folk-rock]] incarnation, when Dylan's material had been a mainstay of their repertoire.<ref name="rogan"/> The Byrds also recorded a trio of classic country songs for the album: the traditional "[[I Am a Pilgrim]]", which [[Merle Travis]] popularized in the late-1940s;<ref>{{cite web|title=Artists Covered By The Byrds: R-Z|publisher=ByrdWatcher: A Field Guide to the Byrds of Los Angeles|url=http://ebni.com/byrds/relcovers6.html|access-date=2009-10-20|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090726043836/http://ebni.com/byrds/relcovers6.html|archive-date=2009-07-26}}</ref> the [[Cindy Walker]]-penned "Blue Canadian Rockies", which had been sung by [[Gene Autry]] in the 1952 film of the same name;<ref name="byrdwatcher"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Soundtrack For Blue Canadian Rockies|publisher=[[Internet Movie Database]]|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044432/soundtrack|access-date=2009-10-20}}</ref> and "The Christian Life", written by [[the Louvin Brothers]], which was the antithesis of a traditional rock song with its gentle [[lyrics]] extolling the simple pleasures of [[Christianity]] as a lifestyle.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Christian Life review|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|url={{AllMusic|class=song|id=t1559968|pure_url=yes}}|access-date=2009-09-06}}</ref>

The band supplemented these older country [[Standard (music)|standards]] and Dylan covers with two contemporary country songs: [[Merle Haggard]]'s maudlin convict's lament, "Life in Prison"; and [[Luke McDaniel]]'s "You're Still On My Mind", a sorrowful tale of a heartbroken drunkard failing to find solace at the bottom of a bottle.<ref name="timeless6">{{cite book|author=Rogan, Johnny.|pages=270–274|year=1998|title=The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited|edition=2nd|publisher=Rogan House|isbn=0-9529540-1-X}}</ref> Additionally, the Byrds gave [[William Bell (singer)|William Bell's]] [[Stax Records|Stax]] hit, "[[You Don't Miss Your Water]]", a country flavored make-over, highlighted by the band's trademark crystal clear [[Vocal harmony|harmonies]] and contributions from [[JayDee Maness]]<!--not "Jay Dee"--> and Earl P. Ball, on [[pedal steel guitar]] and [[Honky-tonk piano#Music|honky-tonk piano]] respectively.<ref name="timeless6"/> With its fusion of country and soul, "You Don't Miss Your Water" was a perfect example of what Parsons would later define, with his self-coined phrase, as "Cosmic American Music".<ref name="timeless6"/>
{{Listen |filename=Byrds_-_Hickory_Wind.ogg |title=Hickory Wind |description=An excerpt from "[[Hickory Wind]]" featuring Gram Parsons harmonizing with Chris Hillman. The contributions of Lloyd Green and John Hartford, on [[pedal steel guitar]] and [[fiddle]] respectively, are clearly audible. Written by Parsons and Bob Buchanan, "Hickory Wind" was one of three songs on ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' to feature Parsons as lead vocalist.}}

Lacking any country songs of his own, McGuinn delved into his pre-Byrds folk song repertoire instead, contributing [[Woody Guthrie]]'s "[[Pretty Boy Floyd#In music|Pretty Boy Floyd]]", a romanticized portrayal of the real-life [[folk hero]] and [[outlaw]].<ref name="timeless6"/> The March 12, 1968 recording session that produced "Pretty Boy Floyd" saw McGuinn attempting to play the song's [[banjo]] accompaniment, but feeling dissatisfied with his efforts, he ceded the part to session player [[John Hartford]].<ref name="legacy"/> The Byrds also recorded a Kelley original, "All I Have Are Memories",<ref name="legacy"/> [[Tim Hardin]]'s "You Got a Reputation", and the [[Traditional music|traditional]] song, "[[Pretty Polly (ballad)|Pretty Polly]]", but none of these songs were selected for the final ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' album.<ref name="rogan"/>

Parsons brought three of his songs to the recording sessions: "Lazy Days", "One Hundred Years from Now" and "[[Hickory Wind]]", the latter of which had been written by Parsons and former International Submarine Band member, Bob Buchanan, during an early 1968 train ride from Florida to Los Angeles.<ref name="rogan"/> "One Hundred Years from Now" has a quicker [[tempo]] than most of the material on ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' and functions as a speculation on current human vanities and how they might be viewed by successive generations.<ref name="timeless6"/> The [[Chuck Berry]]-influenced "Lazy Days" was not included in the final album, but was re-recorded by Parsons and Hillman's later band, [[the Flying Burrito Brothers]], for their 1970 album, ''[[Burrito Deluxe]]''.<ref>{{cite book|author=Rogan, Johnny.|page=442|year=1998|title=The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited|edition=2nd|publisher=Rogan House|isbn=0-9529540-1-X}}</ref>

==Nashville reaction and touring==
[[File:Rymanauditorium1.jpg|thumb|[[Ryman Auditorium]], where the Byrds made their appearance at the ''[[Grand Ole Opry]]'' on March 15, 1968.]]
Upon completion of the Music Row recording sessions, the band ended their stay in Nashville with an appearance at the [[Grand Ole Opry]] at [[Ryman Auditorium]] (introduced by future "outlaw" country star [[Tompall Glaser]]), on March 15, 1968.<ref name="timeless2"/> The band was greeted with derision by the conservative audience because they were the first group of [[hippie]] "longhairs" to play at the venerable country music establishment.<ref name="legacy"/> In fact, the Byrds had all had their hair cut shorter than they normally wore it, specifically for their appearance at the ''Grand Ole Opry'', but this did nothing to appease their detractors in the audience.<ref name="legacy"/> The Byrds opened with a rendition of Merle Haggard's "[[Sing Me Back Home (song)|Sing Me Back Home]]", which was met with derisive heckling, booing, and mocking calls of "tweet, tweet" from the hostile ''Opry'' audience.<ref name="legacy"/> Any hope of salvaging the performance was immediately destroyed when Parsons, rather than singing a song announced by Glaser, launched into a rendition of "Hickory Wind" dedicated to his grandmother.<ref name="legacy"/> This deviation from protocol stunned ''Opry'' regulars such as [[Roy Acuff]], and embarrassed Glaser, ensuring that the Byrds would never be invited back to play on the show.<ref name="timeless2"/>

Nearly as disastrous was the group's appearance on the [[WSM (AM)|WSM]] program of legendary Nashville [[Disc jockey|DJ]], [[Ralph Emery]], who mocked his guests throughout the interview and initially refused to play an [[Acetate disc|acetate]] of "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere".<ref name="drbyrds">{{cite web|title=Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde|publisher=ByrdWatcher: A Field Guide to the Byrds of Los Angeles|url=http://ebni.com/byrds/lpdbmh.html|access-date=2009-09-06|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090819212941/http://www.ebni.com/byrds/lpdbmh.html|archive-date=2009-08-19}}</ref> Eventually playing the record, he dismissed it over the air and in the presence of the band as being mediocre.<ref name="drbyrds"/> Clearly upset by their treatment, Parsons and McGuinn would make Emery the subject of their song, "Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man", which was written by the pair in London in May 1968.<ref name="timeless4">{{cite book|author=Rogan, Johnny.|page=281|year=1998|title=The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited|edition=2nd|publisher=Rogan House|isbn=0-9529540-1-X}}</ref> The song appeared on the Byrds' next album, ''[[Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde]]'', although this recording did not feature Parsons because he had left the band by this time.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde review|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r32043|pure_url=yes}}|access-date=2009-09-06}}</ref>

After returning from Nashville, the band played a handful of [[concert]]s throughout the Los Angeles area with the addition of [[pedal steel guitar]]ist JayDee<!--not "Jay Dee"--> Maness, who had played on several tracks on the album and Parsons' earlier ''Safe at Home''.<ref name="timeless2"/> Throughout April 1968, McGuinn came under considerable pressure from Parsons to recruit Maness as a full member of the Byrds, so that the band's new country material would sound authentic in concert, but McGuinn resisted, although Maness has stated in interview that he declined the invitation anyway.<ref name="legacy"/><ref name="timeless2"/><ref name="einarson">{{cite book|author=Einarson, John with Hillman, Chris.|page=[https://archive.org/details/hotburritostrues0000eina/page/67 67]|year=2008|title=Hot Burritos: The True Story Of The Flying Burrito Brothers|publisher=Jawbone Press|isbn=978-1-906002-16-9|url=https://archive.org/details/hotburritostrues0000eina/page/67}}</ref> Having failed to recruit Maness as a permanent member of the band, Parsons next recommended another pedal steel guitar player, [[Sneaky Pete Kleinow]], but once again, McGuinn held firm.<ref name="timeless2"/> Parsons' attempts to recruit new members and dictate the band's musical direction caused a power struggle within the band, with McGuinn finding his position as band leader challenged by Parsons, who was also pushing for a higher salary.<ref name="timeless2"/> At one point Parsons even demanded that the album be billed as "Gram Parsons and the Byrds", a demand that was ignored by McGuinn and Hillman.<ref name="timeless2"/>

In May 1968 the band embarked on a short European tour and while in England for concerts at the [[Middle Earth Club]] and Blaises, the Byrds met with [[Mick Jagger]] and [[Keith Richards]] who both expressed concern over the Byrds' intention to tour South Africa during the summer.<ref name="timeless2"/> McGuinn remained undaunted regarding these concerns over the country's [[South Africa under apartheid|apartheid]] policies, having already received the blessing of South African singer [[Miriam Makeba]].<ref name="timeless2"/> He convinced the rest of the Byrds that a trip to South Africa would be an interesting experience.<ref>{{cite book|author=Rogan, Johnny.|page=263|year=1998|title=The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited|edition=2nd|publisher=Rogan House|isbn=0-9529540-1-X}}</ref> This meeting between the Byrds and the two [[The Rolling Stones|Rolling Stones]] would play an important part in Parsons' departure from the band two months later.<ref name="byrdwatcher2"/>

==Post-production==
Upon the group's return to [[California]], post-production work on the ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' album was disrupted when Parsons' appearance on the album was contested by [[Lee Hazlewood]], who contended that the singer was still under contract to his [[LHI Records|LHI record label]].<ref name="fricke"/> While the legal problems were being resolved, McGuinn replaced three of Parsons' lead vocals with his own singing, a move that still infuriated Parsons as late as 1973, when he told [[Cameron Crowe]] in an interview that McGuinn "erased it and did the vocals himself and fucked it up."<ref>{{cite book|author=Fong-Torres, Ben.|page=94|year=1991|title=Hickory Wind: The Life and Times of Gram Parsons|publisher=Pocket Books|isbn=0-671-70514-8}}</ref> However, Parsons was still featured singing lead vocals on the songs "Hickory Wind", "You're Still on My Mind", and "Life in Prison".<ref name="rogan"/> There has been speculation that McGuinn's decision to re-record Parsons' lead vocals himself was not entirely motivated by the threat of legal action, but by a desire to decrease Parsons' presence on the album. According to producer Gary Usher:

{{cquote|McGuinn was a little bit edgy that Parsons was getting a little bit too much out of this whole thing...He didn't want the album to turn into a Gram Parsons album. We wanted to keep Gram's voice in there, but we also wanted the recognition to come from Hillman and McGuinn, obviously. You just don't take a hit group and interject a new singer for no reason...There were legal problems but they were resolved and the album had just the exact amount of Gram Parsons that McGuinn, Hillman and I wanted.<ref name="hjort"/><ref>{{cite book|author=Rogan, Johnny.|page=260|year=1998|title=The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited|edition=2nd|publisher=Rogan House|isbn=0-9529540-1-X}}</ref>}}

{{Listen |filename=The_Byrds_-_You_Don't_Miss_Your_Water.ogg |title=You Don't Miss Your Water |description=With its mix of country and soul music, "[[You Don't Miss Your Water]]" provides an example of Gram Parsons' concept of "Cosmic American Music". The song is also one of three on the album to have had its original Parsons' vocal replaced by Roger McGuinn prior to release. }}
The three songs that had their lead vocals replaced by McGuinn were "The Christian Life", "You Don't Miss Your Water", and "One Hundred Years from Now", with the last featuring McGuinn and Hillman sharing vocals on the final album version.<ref name="hjort"/><ref name="einarson"/> However, Parsons' lead vocals weren't completely eradicated from these songs and can still be faintly heard, despite having either McGuinn or Hillman's voice [[Overdubbing|overdubbed]] on them.<ref name="byrdwatcher"/><ref name="hjort"/> The master recordings of these three songs, with their original Parsons' vocals restored to full prominence, were finally issued as part of ''[[The Byrds (box set)|The Byrds]]'' [[box set]] in 1990.<ref>{{cite book|author=Fricke, David.|year=1990|title=The Byrds (1990 CD box set liner notes)}}</ref> These same master recordings, featuring Parsons' lead vocals, were also included as bonus tracks on disc one of the 2003 Legacy Edition of ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo''.<ref name="legacy"/>

With the legal problems surrounding Parsons' appearance on the album resolved, the Byrds returned to England for an appearance at the [[Royal Albert Hall]] on July 7, 1968.<ref name="hjort2"/> Following the concert, Parsons announced that he would not be accompanying the band on their imminent tour of South Africa in protest over the country's policies of apartheid (a policy that did not cease until 1994).<ref name="legacy"/> Both McGuinn and Hillman doubted the sincerity of Parsons' protest, believing instead that Parsons had used the apartheid issue as a convenient excuse to leave the band and stay in England to hang out with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.<ref name="byrdwatcher2"/> Consequently, by the time ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' was released in August 1968, Parsons had been an ex-member of the Byrds for almost eight weeks.<ref name="hjort2"/> Following the South African tour, McGuinn and Hillman replaced Parsons with longtime Byrd-in-waiting Clarence White,<ref>{{cite web|title=Clarence White: With the Byrds and After, 1968–1973|publisher=ByrdWatcher: A Field Guide to the Byrds of Los Angeles|url=http://ebni.com/byrds/memcw3.html|access-date=2009-09-06|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090413173313/http://ebni.com/byrds/memcw3.html|archive-date=2009-04-13}}</ref> and Kevin Kelley was dismissed from the band soon after.<ref name="fricke"/> In total, the McGuinn, Hillman, Parsons, and Kelley line-up of the Byrds had lasted a mere five months.<ref name="legacy"/>

==Release and reception==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="allmusic"/>
| rev2 = ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]''
|rev2Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite web|title=The Byrds – Sweetheart of the Rodeo review |publisher=[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]] |url=http://www.blender.com/guide/back-catalogue/55312/sweetheart-rodeo.html |access-date=2010-03-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090420081019/http://www.blender.com/guide/back-catalogue/55312/sweetheart-rodeo.html |archive-date=April 20, 2009 }}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]''
| rev3Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin|title=Encyclopedia of Popular Music|year=2007|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|edition=4th|isbn=978-0195313734|title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music}}</ref>
| rev4 = [[Pitchfork Media]]
|rev4Score = 9.0/10 {{small|(1997)}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/b/byrds/sweetheart-of-the-rodeo.shtml |title=The Byrds: Sweetheart of the Rodeo: Pitchfork Review |accessdate=2024-10-15 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040416212656/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/b/byrds/sweetheart-of-the-rodeo.shtml |archivedate=16 April 2004 }}</ref><br />9.7/10 {{small|(2003)}}<ref name="pitchfork">{{cite web|title=Sweetheart of the Rodeo (Legacy Edition) review|publisher=[[Pitchfork Media]]|url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/1059-sweetheart-of-the-rodeo-expanded-edition|access-date=2009-09-27|archive-date=2016-02-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160223044758/http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/1059-sweetheart-of-the-rodeo-expanded-edition/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev5Score = (mixed)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/sweetheart-of-the-rodeo-19680814/ |title=Records |author=Gifford, Barry |date=14 September 1968 |publisher=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=25 December 2013}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[Stylus Magazine|Stylus]]''
|rev6Score = A−<ref name="stylus">{{cite web|title=Sweetheart of the Rodeo (Legacy Edition) review|publisher=[[Stylus Magazine]]|url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/the-byrds/sweetheart-of-the-rodeo-legacy-edition.htm|access-date=2009-09-27|archive-date=2010-02-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100201052525/http://stylusmagazine.com/reviews/the-byrds/sweetheart-of-the-rodeo-legacy-edition.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]''
|rev7Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite web|title=The Byrds – Sweetheart of the Rodeo review|publisher=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]|url=http://www.uncut.co.uk/music/the_byrds/reviews/6677|access-date=2010-03-03|archive-date=2008-07-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080726175536/http://uncut.co.uk/music/the_byrds/reviews/6677|url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}
''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' was released on August 30, 1968, in the United States (catalogue item CS 9670) and September 27, 1968, in the UK (catalogue item 63353).<ref name="timeless1"/> However, there is some doubt about the American release date, as the album was first listed on the U.S. charts in the August 24 issue of ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]'' magazine and therefore must have been on sale a few weeks earlier than August 30.<ref name="cashbox"/>

It was the first Byrds [[LP album|LP]] to be issued exclusively in [[Stereophonic sound|stereo]] in the United States, although the album was released in both [[Monaural|mono]] and stereo variations in the United Kingdom.<ref name="timeless1"/> Columbia Records launched an accompanying print advertising campaign proclaiming, "This Country's for the Byrds" and featuring the tag line "Their message is all country … their sound is all Byrds."<ref name="legacy"/> In spite of this, ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' only reached number 77 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' Top LPs]] chart, during a chart stay of ten weeks,<ref name="whitburn"/> and failed to chart in the United Kingdom at all.<ref name="brown"/> The lead [[Single (music)|single]] from the album was a [[Cover version|cover]] of Bob Dylan's "[[You Ain't Goin' Nowhere]]", which was released on April 2, 1968, climbing to number 75 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]<ref name="whitburn2"/> and number 45 in the [[UK Singles Chart|UK charts]].<ref name="brown"/> A second single from the album, "[[I Am a Pilgrim]]", was released on September 2, 1968,<ref name="timeless1"/> but failed to chart.<ref name="brown"/><ref name="whitburn2"/> The album cover artwork was adapted by Geller and Butler Advertising from elements of the 1932 poster ''The American Cowboy Rodeo/Evolution of the Cowboy'' by Uruguyan artist [[Jo Mora]].<ref name="legacy"/><ref>{{cite web|last = Lane| first = Baron| title = 5 Things You May Not Know About The Byrds' 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo'| publisher = Twang Nation| date = August 29, 2018| url = http://www.twangnation.com/2018/08/29/5-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-byrds-sweetheart-of-the-rodeo/| access-date = 2018-08-30}}</ref>

Despite receiving generally favorable reviews from the critics, the country-rock style of ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' was such a radical departure from the band's previous sound that large sections of the group's [[Counterculture of the 1960s|counterculture]] following were alienated by its contents, resulting in the lowest sales of any Byrds album up to that point.<ref name="timeless7"/><ref name="timeless6"/> [[Barry Gifford]], in the August 1968 edition of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine, said of the album: "The new Byrds do not sound like Buck Owens & his Buckaroos. They aren't that good. The material they've chosen to record, or rather, the way they perform the material, is simple, relaxed and folky. It's not pretentious, it's pretty. The musician-ship is excellent."<ref name="rollingstone">{{cite web|title=Sweetheart of the Rodeo review|date=14 August 1968|publisher=[[Rolling Stone]]|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/sweetheart-of-the-rodeo-19680814|access-date=2009-09-27}}</ref> Gifford added that "The Byrds have made an interesting album. It's really very uninvolved and not a difficult record to listen to. It ought to make the 'Easy-Listening' charts. 'Bringing it all back home' has never been an easy thing to do."<ref name="rollingstone"/> ''Rolling Stone'' praised the album in a September 1968 issue, with [[Jon Landau]] writing: "The Byrds, in doing country as country, show just how powerful and relevant unadorned country music is to the music of today." Landau added that "they leave just enough rock in the drums to let you know that they can still play rock & roll."<ref>{{cite book|author=Fricke, David.|year=2006|title=There Is a Season (2006 CD box set liner notes)}}</ref> In a 1969 article for ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[Robert Christgau]] described ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' as "a bittersweet tribute to country music".<ref>{{cite web|title=The Byrds Have Flown – But Not Far|publisher=Robert Christgau: Dean of American Rock Critics|url=http://robertchristgau.com/xg/news/byrds-69.php|access-date=2009-09-27}}</ref>

Among the less favorable contemporary critiques, a ''[[Melody Maker]]'' reviewer dismissed the album as "Not typical Byrds music, which is rather a pity."<ref name="legacy"/> Writing in ''[[Crawdaddy!]]'' just before he withdrew from city life and temporarily retired from music journalism, [[Paul Williams (Crawdaddy)|Paul Williams]] dismissed both the Byrds' album and ''Music from Big Pink'' for providing "wonderful stifling inertia" that is only good for relaxation, writing: "I guess this isn't the summer to look to be rescued by music."<ref>{{cite book|first1=Ulf|last1=Lindberg|first2=Gestur|last2=Guomundsson|first3=Morten|last3=Michelsen|first4=Hans |last4=Weisethaunet|title=Rock Criticism from the Beginning: Amusers, Bruisers, and Cool-Headed Cruisers |publisher=Peter Lang|location=New York, NY|year=2005|isbn=978-0-8204-7490-8|page=113}}</ref> [[Robert Shelton (critic)|Robert Shelton]] of ''The New York Times'' similarly commented that "The latest Byrds album adheres to most of the 'rules of the game' about country sound, and yet, sad to say, to this old fan of the Byrds, the album is a distinguished bore."<ref name="hjort3"/>

In more recent years, [[AllMusic]] critic Mark Deming remarked in his review of the album that "no major band had gone so deep into the sound and feeling of classic country (without parody or condescension) as the Byrds did on Sweetheart; at a time when most rock fans viewed country as a musical "[[Li'l Abner|L'il Abner]]" routine, the Byrds dared to declare that C&W could be hip, cool, and heartfelt."<ref name="allmusic"/> Alexander Lloyd Linhardt, reviewing the album for ''[[Pitchfork Media]]'', described it as "a blindingly rusty gait through parched weariness and dusted reverie. It's not the natural sound of Death Valley or Utah, but rather, a false portrait by people who wished it was, which makes it even more melancholy and charismatic."<ref name="pitchfork"/> Journalist Matthew Weiner commented in his review for ''[[Stylus Magazine|Stylus]]'' that "Thirty-five years after it startled Byrds fans everywhere with its [[Podunk]] proclivities, Sweetheart remains a particularly fascinating example of two musical ships passing in the night, documenting both Parsons’ transformation into a visionary country-rock auteur and a pop band's remarkable sense of artistic risk."<ref name="stylus"/>

The Byrds' biographer, Johnny Rogan, has said that the album "stood alone as a work almost completely divorced from the prevailing rock culture. Its themes, mood and instrumentation looked back to another era at a time when the rest of America was still recovering from the recent assassinations of [[Martin Luther King Jr.|Martin Luther King]] and [[Robert F. Kennedy|Robert Kennedy]]."<ref name="timeless6"/> Ultimately, the Byrds' experimentation with the country genre on ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' was slightly ahead of its time, to the detriment of the band's commercial fortunes, as the international success of country rock-flavored bands like [[Eagles (band)|the Eagles]], [[America (band)|America]] and [[Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show]] during the 1970s demonstrated.<ref name="timeless6"/>

==Legacy==
Released at a time when the Byrds' surprising immersion in the world of country music coincided with their declining commercial appeal, ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' was an uncommercial proposition.<ref name="fricke"/> However, the album has proved to be a landmark, serving not only as a blueprint for Parsons' and Hillman's [[the Flying Burrito Brothers]], but also for the entire nascent 1970s Los Angeles [[country rock]] movement. The album was also influential on the [[outlaw country]] and [[Neotraditional country|new traditionalist]] movements, as well as the so-called [[alternative country]] genre of the 1990s and early 21st century.<ref name="fricke"/><ref name="byrdwatcher"/> Among fans of the Byrds, however, opinion is often sharply divided regarding the merits of the album, with some seeing it as a natural continuation of the group's innovations, and others mourning the loss of the band's trademark [[Rickenbacker]] guitar jangle and [[Psychedelic rock|psychedelic]] experimentation.<ref name="allmusic2">{{cite web|title=The Byrds Biography|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p3810/biography|pure_url=yes}}|access-date=2009-09-06}}</ref> Nonetheless, ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' is widely considered by critics to be the Byrds' last truly influential album.<ref name="byrdwatcher"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Sweetheart of the Rodeo: Legacy Edition review|publisher=[[PopMatters]]|url=http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/b/byrds-sweetheartdeluxe.shtml|access-date=2009-09-06}}</ref>

Although it was not the first country rock album,<ref name="allmusic"/> ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' was the first album widely labeled as country rock to be released by an internationally successful rock act,<ref name="smith"/><ref name="allmusic2"/><ref name="yahoo">{{cite web|title=The Byrds And The Birth Of Country Rock|publisher=[[Yahoo! Music]] (originally published in ICE Magazine, August 2003)|url=http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/rocksbackpages/286/sweetheart-of-the-rodeo-the-byrds-and-the-birth-of-country-rock|access-date=2009-10-09|archive-date=2008-09-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907132524/http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/rocksbackpages/286/sweetheart-of-the-rodeo-the-byrds-and-the-birth-of-country-rock|url-status=dead}}</ref> pre-dating the release of Bob Dylan's ''[[Nashville Skyline]]'' by over six months.<ref name="guide">{{cite web|title=The Complete Guide to Country Rock Part 3|publisher=Musictoob.com|url=http://www.musictoob.com/complete-guide-country-rock-part-3-bob-dylan-band-byrds-298|access-date=2009-10-09|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090324042422/http://www.musictoob.com/complete-guide-country-rock-part-3-bob-dylan-band-byrds-298|archive-date=2009-03-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Byrds Biography|publisher=[[NME]]|url=http://www.nme.com/artists/byrds|access-date=2009-10-09}}</ref> The first bona fide country rock album is often cited as being ''Safe at Home'' by Parsons' previous group, The International Submarine Band.<ref name="allmusic"/><ref name="griffin"/><ref>{{cite book|author=Unterberger, Richie.|page=[https://archive.org/details/musicusaroughgui0000unte/page/393 393]|year=1999|title=Music USA: The Rough Guide|publisher=Rough Guides|isbn=1-85828-421-X|url=https://archive.org/details/musicusaroughgui0000unte/page/393}}</ref> However, the genre's antecedents can be traced back to the [[Rockabilly]] music of the 1950s, [[the Beatles]]' covers of [[Carl Perkins]] and [[Buck Owens]]' material on ''[[Beatles For Sale]]'' and ''[[Help!]]'', as well as the stripped down [[arrangement]]s of Dylan's ''John Wesley Harding'' album and the Byrds' own forays into country music on their pre-''Sweetheart'' albums.<ref name="guide"/><ref>{{cite web|title=The Complete Guide to Country Rock Part 1|publisher=Musictoob.com|url=http://www.musictoob.com/complete-guide-country-rock-part-1-rockabilly-280|access-date=2009-11-10}}{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Complete Guide to Country Rock Part 2|publisher=Musictoob.com|url=http://www.musictoob.com/the-complete-guide-to-country-rock-part-2-the-beatles-to-buffalo-springfield-292|access-date=2009-11-10}}{{Dead link|date=August 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> [[The Band]]'s debut album, ''[[Music from Big Pink]]'', released in July 1968, was also influential on the genre, but it was ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' that saw an established rock band playing pure country music for the first time.<ref name="allmusic2"/><ref name="yahoo"/><ref name="guide"/>

The album was included in "A Basic Record Library" of 1950s and 1960s recordings, published in ''[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies]]'' (1981).<ref>{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies]]|publisher=[[Ticknor & Fields]]|isbn=0899190251|chapter=A Basic Record Library: The Fifties and Sixties|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/bk-cg70/basics.php|access-date=March 16, 2019|via=robertchristgau.com}}</ref> In 2003, the album was ranked number 117 on ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's list of [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]],<ref>{{cite web|title=The RS 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|publisher=[[Rolling Stone]]|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5938174/the_rs_500_greatest_albums_of_all_time|access-date=2009-09-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080623212750/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5938174/the_rs_500_greatest_albums_of_all_time|archive-date=2008-06-23|url-status=dead}}</ref> 120 in a 2012 revised list,<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-156826/the-byrds-sweetheart-of-the-rodeo-170863/|year=2012| title=500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time| publisher=[[Rolling Stone]]| access-date= September 19, 2019}}</ref> and 274 in a 2020 revised list.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=2020-09-22|title=The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/|access-date=2021-08-17|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US}}</ref> ''Stylus Magazine'' named it their 175th favorite album of all time also in 2003.<ref>{{cite web|title=Top 101–200 Favourite Albums Ever|publisher=[[Stylus Magazine]]|url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/weekly_article/top-101-200-favourite-albums-ever-the-stylus-magazine-list.htm|access-date=2009-09-06|archive-date=2016-12-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161228193843/http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/weekly_article/top-101-200-favourite-albums-ever-the-stylus-magazine-list.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was voted number 229 in [[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]'s ''[[All Time Top 1000 Albums]]'' 3rd Edition (2000).<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=[[All Time Top 1000 Albums]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=2000|edition=3rd|isbn=0-7535-0493-6|page=108}}</ref>

''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' went on to inspire the name of the 1980s country duo, [[Sweethearts of the Rodeo]], who paid tribute to the Byrds' album with the [[Record sleeve|sleeve]] of their 1990 album, ''[[Buffalo Zone]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sweetheart of the Rodeo Album Cover Parodies|publisher=[[Am I Right]]|url=http://www.amiright.com/album-covers/byrds-sweetheart-of-the-rodeo-parodies/|access-date=2009-09-06}}</ref>

In 2018, Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman reunited for a U.S. tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo''.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/byrds-duo-plan-sweetheart-of-the-rodeo-50th-anniversary-tour-w521044|title=Byrds Co-Founders Plan 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo' 50th Anniversary Tour|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=4 June 2018|publisher=Rolling Stone|access-date=2018-06-05}}</ref> The duo, who were backed on the tour by [[Marty Stuart|Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives]], performed all of the songs from the album and told stories about its creation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.brooklynvegan.com/byrds-members-played-sweetheart-of-the-rodeo-more-at-town-hall-pics-setlist/|title=Byrds members played 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo' & more at Town Hall (pics, setlist)|author=BrooklynVegan Staff|website=[[BrooklynVegan]]|publisher=Town Square Media|access-date=2018-09-25}}</ref>  	
A live album of recordings from the 50th Anniversary concerts was released for [[Record Store Day]] 2024.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.roughtrade.com/en-us/product/roger-mcguinn-1/sweetheart-of-the-rodeo-rsd-2024|title=Sweetheart Of The Rodeo - RSD 2024|author=<!--Not stated-->|website=[[Rough Trade (shops)|Rough Trade]]|publisher=Rough Trade|access-date=2024-02-27}}</ref>

==Track listing==
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! #
! Title
! Writer
! Lead vocals
! Guest musicians/band contributions beyond usual instruments<ref>For this album the band's usual instruments are acoustic guitar (Roger McGuinn and Gram Parsons), electric bass (Chris Hillman), drums (Kevin Kelly), and vocals (Parsons, McGuinn and Hillman)</ref>
! Time
|-
||||'''Side 1'''||||||||
|-
|1.
|"[[You Ain't Goin' Nowhere#The Byrds' version|You Ain't Goin' Nowhere]]"
|[[Bob Dylan]]
|McGuinn
|[[Lloyd Green]] (pedal steel guitar), [[Gram Parsons]] (organ)
|2:33
|-
| 2.
| "[[I Am a Pilgrim]]"
| [[traditional music|traditional]], arranged [[Roger McGuinn]], [[Chris Hillman]]
| Hillman
| [[John Hartford]] (fiddle), [[Roy Huskey Jr.|Roy "Junior" Huskey]] (double bass), Roger McGuinn (banjo), Chris Hillman (acoustic guitar)
| 3:39
|-
| 3.
| "The Christian Life"
| [[Louvin Brothers|Charles Louvin, Ira Louvin]]
| McGuinn
| [[JayDee Maness]] (pedal steel guitar), [[Clarence White]] (electric guitar)
| 2:30
|-
| 4.
| "[[You Don't Miss Your Water]]"
| [[William Bell (singer)|William Bell]]
| McGuinn
| [[Earl Poole Ball|Earl P. Ball]] (piano), JayDee Maness (pedal steel guitar)
| 3:48
|-
| 5.
| "You're Still on My Mind"
| [[Luke McDaniel]]
| Parsons
| Earl P. Ball (piano), JayDee Maness (pedal steel guitar)
| 2:25
|-
| 6.
|"[[Pretty Boy Floyd#.22The Ballad of Pretty Boy Floyd.22|Pretty Boy Floyd]]"
| [[Woody Guthrie]]
| McGuinn
| Roy "Junior" Huskey (double bass), John Hartford (acoustic guitar, banjo, fiddle), Chris Hillman (mandolin)
| 2:34
|-
||||'''Side 2'''||||||||
|-
| 1.
| "[[Hickory Wind]]"
| [[Gram Parsons]], Bob Buchanan
| Parsons
| John Hartford (fiddle), Lloyd Green (pedal steel guitar), Roger McGuinn (banjo), Gram Parsons (piano)
| 3:31
|-
| 2.
| "One Hundred Years from Now"
| Gram Parsons
| McGuinn, Hillman
| [[Barry Goldberg]] (piano), Lloyd Green (pedal steel guitar), Clarence White (electric guitar)
| 2:40
|-
| 3.
| "Blue Canadian Rockies"
| [[Cindy Walker]]
| Hillman
| Clarence White (electric guitar), Gram Parsons (piano)
| 2:02
|-
| 4.
| "Life in Prison"
| [[Merle Haggard]], Jelly Sanders
| Parsons
| Earl P. Ball (piano), JayDee Maness (pedal steel guitar)
| 2:46
|-
| 5.
| "[[Nothing Was Delivered]]"
| Bob Dylan
| McGuinn
| Lloyd Green (pedal steel guitar), Gram Parsons (piano, organ)
| 3:24
|}

=== Singles ===
#"You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" b/w "Artificial Energy" (Columbia 44499) April 2, 1968 (US #75, UK #45)
#"I Am a Pilgrim" b/w "Pretty Boy Floyd" (Columbia 44643) September 2, 1968

==Personnel==
Personnel adapted from ''The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited'', ''So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-by-Day (1965–1973)'', the Sundazed Music website, ''Hot Burritos: The True Story of the Flying Burrito Brothers'', and the 1997 CD liner notes.<ref name="fricke"/><ref name="timeless3"/><ref name="hjort"/><ref name="sundazed"/><ref>{{cite book|author=Einarson, John with Hillman, Chris.|pages=[https://archive.org/details/hotburritostrues0000eina/page/55 55–69]|year=2008|title=Hot Burritos: The True Story Of The Flying Burrito Brothers|publisher=Jawbone Press|isbn=978-1-906002-16-9|url=https://archive.org/details/hotburritostrues0000eina/page/55}}</ref>

{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
;The Byrds:
*[[Roger McGuinn]]&nbsp;- [[Singing|vocals]], [[acoustic guitar]], [[banjo]]
*[[Chris Hillman]]&nbsp;- vocals, [[Bass guitar|electric bass]], [[mandolin]], acoustic guitar
*[[Gram Parsons]]&nbsp;- vocals, acoustic guitar, [[piano]], [[Organ (music)|organ]]
*[[Kevin Kelley (musician)|Kevin Kelley]]&nbsp;- [[Drum kit|drums]]

;Additional Personnel:
*[[Lloyd Green]] – [[pedal steel guitar]]
*[[JayDee Maness]] – pedal steel guitar
*[[Clarence White]]&nbsp;- [[electric guitar]]
*[[John Hartford]]&nbsp;- banjo, [[fiddle]], acoustic guitar
*[[Roy Huskey Jr.|Roy "Junior" Huskey]]&nbsp;- [[double bass]] on "I Am A Pilgrim" and "Pretty Boy Floyd"
*[[Earl Poole Ball|Earl P. Ball]]&nbsp;- piano
*[[Barry Goldberg]]&nbsp;- piano on "One Hundred Years from Now"
The credits on the original album erroneously include drummer Jon Corneal, who plays only on the outtake "Lazy Days".
{{col-break|width=47%}}
;Production
*[[Gary Usher]]&nbsp;- [[record production|production]]
*[[Roy Halee]]&nbsp;- [[audio engineering|engineering]]
*Charlie Bragg&nbsp;- engineering
*Adam Block&nbsp;- project direction
*[[Jo Mora]]&nbsp;- [[cover art]]<ref>{{cite web
| last = Lane
| first = Baron
| title = 5 Things You May Not Know About The Byrds' 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo'
| publisher = Twang Nation
| date = August 29, 2018
| url = http://www.twangnation.com/2018/08/29/5-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-byrds-sweetheart-of-the-rodeo/
| access-date = 2018-08-30}}</ref>
{{col-end}}

==Release history==
''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' was remastered at 20-[[bit]] resolution as part of the [[Legacy Recordings|Columbia/Legacy]] Byrds series and reissued in an expanded form on March 25, 1997. The eight bonus tracks featured on this reissue include the [[outtake]]s "You Got a Reputation", "Lazy Days", and "Pretty Polly", as well as four previously unreleased rehearsal [[take]]s and an [[instrumental]] backing track for "All I Have Are Memories".<ref name="rogan"/> A [[hidden track]] on the [[CD]] features a 1968 Columbia Records radio advertisement for the album.

On September 2, 2003, a [[Double album|2 CD]] Legacy Edition of ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' was released by Columbia/Legacy. This version of the album features additional outtakes, rehearsal versions, and the master takes of the songs that had their Parsons' lead vocals replaced, presented here with their Parsons' vocals intact.<ref name="allmusic3">{{cite web|title=Sweetheart of the Rodeo: Legacy Edition review|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r646186|pure_url=yes}}|access-date=2009-09-06}}</ref> Most of the alternate versions and rehearsal takes on disc two of the Legacy Edition feature Parsons singing songs that were later released with vocals by McGuinn on the original album. Also included on the Legacy Edition is an outtake from the album sessions called "All I Have Are Memories", written and sung by drummer Kevin Kelley.<ref name="stylus"/> In addition, the Legacy Edition of ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'' includes six tracks performed by the [[International Submarine Band]] (Parsons' previous group).<ref name="allmusic3"/>

In 2007, [[Sundazed Music]] released a [[vinyl record|7"]] [[Single (music)|single]] featuring previously unreleased alternate versions of "Lazy Days" and "You Got a Reputation" (titled "Reputation" on this release) that date from the Byrds' March 1968 recording sessions in Nashville.<ref name="sundazed">{{cite web|title=The Byrds – Lazy Days/Reputation 7" single|publisher=[[Sundazed Music]]|url=http://www.sundazed.com/product_info.php?products_id=873|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130203181315/http://www.sundazed.com/product_info.php?products_id=873|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-02-03|access-date=2009-09-06}}</ref> These two alternate versions have not been issued on CD.

{|class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
!Date
!Label
!Format
!Country
!Catalog
!Notes
|-
|August 30, 1968
|[[Columbia Records|Columbia]]
|align="center"|[[LP album|LP]]
|align="center"|US
|CS 9670
|Original [[Stereophonic|stereo]] release.
|-
|rowspan="2"|September 27, 1968
|rowspan="2"|[[Columbia Records|CBS]]
|rowspan="2" align="center"|LP
|rowspan="2" align="center"|UK
|63353
|Original [[Monaural|mono]] release.
|-
|S 63353
|Original stereo release.
|-
|1973
|[[Embassy Records|Embassy]]
|align="center"|LP
|align="center"|UK
|EMB 31124
|
|-
|1976
|CBS
|align="center"|LP
|align="center"|UK
|S 22040
|Double album stereo reissue with ''[[The Notorious Byrd Brothers]]''.
|-
|1982
|Columbia
|align="center"|LP
|align="center"|US
|SBP 237803
|
|-
|1987
|[[Demon Music Group|Edsel]]
|align="center"|LP
|align="center"|UK
|ED 234
|
|-
|1987
|Edsel
|align="center"|[[Compact disc|CD]]
|align="center"|UK
|EDCD 234
|Original CD release.
|-
|1990
|Columbia
|align="center"|CD
|align="center"|US
|CK 9670
|
|-
|1993
|Columbia
|align="center"|CD
|align="center"|UK
|COL 468178
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|March 25, 1997
|rowspan="2"|[[Legacy Recordings|Columbia/Legacy]]
|rowspan="2" align="center"|CD
|align="center"|US
|CK 65150
|rowspan="2"|Reissue containing eight bonus tracks and the remastered stereo album.
|-
|align="center"|UK
|COL 486752
|-
|1999
|Simply Vinyl
|align="center"|LP
|align="center"|UK
|SVLP 057
|Reissue of the remastered stereo album.
|-
|August 2003
|[[Sony Music Entertainment|Sony]]
|align="center"|CD
|align="center"|Japan
|MHCP-70
|Reissue containing eight bonus tracks and the remastered album in a replica LP sleeve.
|-
|rowspan="2"|September 2, 2003
|rowspan="2"|Columbia/Legacy
|rowspan="2" align="center"|CD
|align="center"|US
|C2K 87189
|rowspan="2"|Double CD reissue containing twenty-eight bonus tracks and the remastered stereo album.
|-
|align="center"|UK
|COL 510921
|-
|2008
|Sundazed
|align="center"|LP
|align="center"|US
|LP 5215
|
|-
|February 10, 2009
|Sony/Columbia
|align="center"|CD
|align="center"|US
|743323
|[[Double album|2 CD]] reissue with ''[[Mr. Tambourine Man (album)|Mr. Tambourine Man]]'', containing eight bonus tracks and the remastered stereo album.
|-
|}

===1997 reissue bonus tracks===
The final song on the 1997 reissue ("All I Have Are Memories") ends at 2:48; at 3:48 begins the [[hidden track]] "Radio Spot: Sweetheart of the Radio Album"
{{Track listing
| headline        = 1997 CD bonus tracks
| extra_column    =
| total_length    =
| all_writing     =
| all_lyrics      =
| all_music       =
| title12          = You Got a Reputation
| note12           =
| writer12         = [[Tim Hardin]]
| extra12          =
| length12         = 3:08
| title13          = Lazy Days
| note13           =
| writer13         = [[Gram Parsons]]
| extra13          =
| length13         = 3:26
| title14          = [[Pretty Polly (ballad)|Pretty Polly]]
| note14           =
| writer14         = trad, arr. [[Roger McGuinn]], [[Chris Hillman]]
| extra14          =
| length14         = 2:53
| title15          = The Christian Life
| note15           = Rehearsal – Take #11
| writer15         = [[The Louvin Brothers|Charles Louvin, Ira Louvin]]
| extra15          =
| length15         = 2:55
| title16          = Life in Prison
| note16           = Rehearsal – Take #11
| writer16         = [[Merle Haggard]], Jelly Sanders
| extra16          =
| length16         = 2:59
| title17          = You're Still on My Mind
| note17           = Rehearsal – Take #43
| writer17         = [[Luke McDaniel]]
| extra17          =
| length17         = 2:29
| title18          = One Hundred Years from Now
| note18           = Rehearsal – Take #2
| writer18         = Gram Parsons
| extra18          =
| length18         = 3:20
| title19          = All I Have Are Memories
| note19           = Instrumental
| writer19         = [[Kevin Kelley (musician)|Kevin Kelley]]
| extra19          =
| length19         = 4:47
}}

===2003 Legacy Edition bonus tracks===
The 2003 CD reissue contains alternative versions of songs with Parsons singing lead, along with recordings by Parsons' pre-[[The Byrds|Byrds]] group, [[International Submarine Band|The International Submarine Band]] (tracks 1–6 on disc two).<ref>Personnel for these tracks, recorded prior to the sessions for ''Sweetheart of the Rodeo'', are best ascertained from pages relating to The International Submarine Band and its lone album ''[[Safe at Home]]''.</ref><ref>Jim Bessman, {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qQ8EAAAAMBAJ&q=Sweetheart+of+the+Rodeo+-+2003+Legacy+Edition&pg=PA47|title=Billboard Picks Music, Vital Reissues, September 20, 2003|date=20 September 2003|publisher=www.billboard.com|access-date=2009-11-03 }}</ref>
{{Track listing
| headline        = Disc one
| extra_column    =
| total_length    =
| all_writing     =
| all_lyrics      =
| all_music       =
| title12          = All I Have Are Memories
| note12           = Kevin Kelley Vocal
| writer12         = [[Kevin Kelley (musician)|Kevin Kelley]]
| extra12          =
| length12         = 2:48
| title13          = Reputation
| note13           =
| writer13         = [[Tim Hardin]]
| extra13          =
| length13         = 3:09
| title14          = [[Pretty Polly (ballad)|Pretty Polly]]
| note14           =
| writer14         = trad, arr. [[Roger McGuinn]], [[Chris Hillman]]
| extra14          =
| length14         = 2:55
| title15          = Lazy Days
| note15           =
| writer15         = [[Gram Parsons]]
| extra15          =
| length15         = 3:28
| title16          = The Christian Life
| note16           = Gram Parsons Vocal
| writer16         = [[The Louvin Brothers|Charles Louvin, Ira Louvin]]
| extra16          =
| length16         = 2:29
| title17          = You Don't Miss Your Water
| note17           = Gram Parsons Vocal
| writer17         = [[William Bell (singer)|William Bell]]
| extra17          =
| length17         = 3:49
| title18          = One Hundred Years from Now
| note18           = Gram Parsons Vocal
| writer18         = Gram Parsons
| extra18          =
| length18         = 3:01
| title19          = Radio Spot: Sweetheart of the Radio Album
| note19           =
| writer19         =
| extra19          =
| length19         = 0:58
}}
{{Track listing
| headline        = Disc two
| extra_column    =
| total_length    =
| all_writing     =
| all_lyrics      =
| all_music       =
| title1          = Sum Up Broke
| note1           =
| writer1         = Gram Parsons, John Nuese
| extra1          =
| length1         = 2:13
| title2          = One Day Week
| note2           =
| writer2         = Gram Parsons
| extra2          =
| length2         = 2:16
| title3          = Truck Drivin' Man
| note3           =
| writer3         = Terry Fell
| extra3          =
| length3         = 2:34
| title4          = Blue Eyes
| note4           =
| writer4         = Gram Parsons
| extra4          =
| length4         = 2:47
| title5          = Luxury Liner
| note5           =
| writer5         = Gram Parsons
| extra5          =
| length5         = 2:53
| title6          = Strong Boy
| note6           =
| writer6         = Gram Parsons
| extra6          =
| length6         = 2:01
| title7          = Lazy Days
| note7           = Alternate Version
| writer7         = Gram Parsons
| extra7          =
| length7         = 3:18
| title8          = Pretty Polly
| note8           = Alternate Version
| writer8         = trad, arr. Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman
| extra8          =
| length8         = 3:37
| title9          = Hickory Wind
| note9           = Alternate "Nashville" Version – Take #8
| writer9         = Gram Parsons, Bob Buchanan
| extra9          =
| length9         = 3:40
| title10          = The Christian Life
| note10           = Rehearsal Version – Take #7 – Gram Parsons Vocal
| writer10         = Charles Louvin, Ira Louvin
| extra10          =
| length10         = 3:26
| title11          = The Christian Life
| note11           = Rehearsal Version – Take #8 – Gram Parsons Vocal
| writer11         = Charles Louvin, Ira Louvin
| extra11          =
| length11         = 3:05
| title12          = Life in Prison
| note12           = Rehearsal Version – Takes #1 & #2 – Gram Parsons Vocal
| writer12         = [[Merle Haggard]], Jelly Sanders
| extra12          =
| length12         = 3:16
| title13          = Life in Prison
| note13           = Rehearsal Version – Takes #3 & #4 – Gram Parsons Vocal
| writer13         = Merle Haggard, Jelly Sanders
| extra13          =
| length13         = 3:16
| title14          = One Hundred Years from Now
| note14           = Rehearsal Version – Takes #12 & #13 – Gram Parsons Vocal
| writer14         = Gram Parsons
| extra14          =
| length14         = 3:58
| title15          = One Hundred Years from Now
| note15           = Rehearsal Version – Takes #14 & #15 – Gram Parsons Vocal
| writer15         = Gram Parsons
| extra15          =
| length15         = 3:59
| title16          = You're Still on My Mind
| note16           = Rehearsal Version – Take #13 – Gram Parsons Vocal
| writer16         = [[Luke McDaniel]]
| extra16          =
| length16         = 2:53
| title17          = You're Still on My Mind
| note17           = Rehearsal Version – Take #48 – Gram Parsons Vocal
| writer17         = Luke McDaniel
| extra17          =
| length17         = 2:38
| title18          = All I Have Are Memories
| note18           = Alternate Instrumental – Take #17
| writer18         = Kevin Kelley
| extra18          =
| length18         = 3:13
| title19          = All I Have Are Memories
| note19           = Alternate Instrumental – Take #21
| writer19         = Kevin Kelley
| extra19          =
| length19         = 3:07
| title20          = Blue Canadian Rockies
| note20           = Rehearsal Version – Take #14
| writer20         = [[Cindy Walker]]
| extra20          =
| length20         = 2:59
}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=nb}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin}}
*{{cite book |last=Hjort |first=Christopher |author-link=Christopher Hjort |year=2008 |title=So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-By-Day (1965-1973) |publisher=Jawbone Press |isbn=978-1-906002-15-2 }}
*{{cite book |last=Rogan |first=Johnny |author-link=Johnny Rogan |year=1998 |title=The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited |edition=2nd |publisher=Rogan House |isbn=0-9529540-1-X }}
{{Refend}}

{{The Byrds}}
{{Gram Parsons}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sweetheart Of The Rodeo}}
[[Category:The Byrds albums]]
[[Category:1968 albums]]
[[Category:Progressive country albums]]
[[Category:Columbia Records albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Gary Usher]]
[[Category:CBS Records albums]]
[[Category:Sundazed Music albums]]
[[Category:Embassy Records albums]]
[[Category:Demon Music Group albums]]
[[Category:Country albums by American artists]]
[[Category:Roots rock albums]]
[[Category:Americana albums]]