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May 27, 2021 8:19 am  #1


Eight Miles High

I just saw an interesting interview with Roger McQuinn yesterday talking about the meaning behind Eight Miles High. He said they were listening to a lot of John Coltrain and Ravi Shankar and trying to use their styles in their folky music. He said he was always an aviation buff, which got my attention, and they were on a flight one day when another band member asked how high he thought they were.  He said probably around 36,000' and the other member said wow, that's 7 miles high. He then decided to do a song about it but 7 wasn't a good number. He loved the way the Beatles used 8 in 8 Days A Week so he changed 7 to 8 and got 8 Miles High. He got his riffs from blending Coltrain and Shankar and there you have it. He said the song was banned awhile because of the "drug references" and though, yes, they were into drugs the song has nothing to do with it. Many here may already know this but it was new to me considering I always thought it was drugs for sure.

 

May 27, 2021 12:10 pm  #2


Re: Eight Miles High

memphis boy wrote:

I just saw an interesting interview with Roger McQuinn yesterday talking about the meaning behind Eight Miles High. He said they were listening to a lot of John Coltrain and Ravi Shankar and trying to use their styles in their folky music. He said he was always an aviation buff, which got my attention, and they were on a flight one day when another band member asked how high he thought they were.  He said probably around 36,000' and the other member said wow, that's 7 miles high. He then decided to do a song about it but 7 wasn't a good number. He loved the way the Beatles used 8 in 8 Days A Week so he changed 7 to 8 and got 8 Miles High. He got his riffs from blending Coltrain and Shankar and there you have it. He said the song was banned awhile because of the "drug references" and though, yes, they were into drugs the song has nothing to do with it. Many here may already know this but it was new to me considering I always thought it was drugs for sure.

that is indeed a version of mcguinn's story which appears to be true, based on his interest in aircraft and etc. (i.e. later, recordings such as"draggin'") as well as other related material which he has written and/or perfomed since , themeatically...
 

Last edited by gopher (May 27, 2021 12:47 pm)

 

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