JET SET

In 1964 Jim McGuinn went to Los Angeles, where he played regularly at the Troubadour. When the BEATLES' film "A Hard Days's Night" was running at the cinemas, Jim McGuinn decided to form a group to play this new kind of music. But he still had to do some more concerts at the Troubadour. After the first few concerts a young man came backstage. It was Gene Clark, who had just left the NEW CHRISTY MINSTRELS. Gene Clark told Jim McGuinn that he liked the music and he made the proposal to write some songs together. For the next concerts Jim McGuinn was joined by Gene Clark. They didn't stay a duo for a long time though. David Crosby, who had also been a folk-musician, came to listen to the concerts of McGuinn and Clark and it didn't take long that they teamed up, to play music together.

Now they were close to a real group. The only things missing were a name and a rhythm section. Jim McGuinn came up with the name JET SET. Even though the other two members of this group thought the name was too futuristic, they accepted it. In the end everybody remembers this trio as JET SET. Out of all the recordings they made during this time, two songs ("You Movin'" and "The Only Girl") have been released on the sampler "Early L.A" on Together records. Other recordings from this time were included the retrospective BYRDS records "Preflyte" and "In The Beginning".

JET SET 1964
Jim McGuinn gtr/vcl	Gene Clark gtr/vcl	David Crosby gtr/vcl

JET SET - recordings
	1964: JET SET - You Movin' (Gene Clark) / The Only Girl (Jim McGuinn / David Crosby) (released on the album "v.a. - Early L.A."; Together Records)

While they were looking for additional musicians Jim McGuinn, David Crosby and Gene Clark started to write and record some songs together. Jim Dickson got a recording contract for them with Elektra Records. The only thing they didn't have was a rhythm section. They recruited Michael Clarke as the drummer. David Crosby tried to play the bass, but he didn't feel comfortable with that instrument.

JET SET 2 1964
Jim McGuinn gtr/vcl	Gene Clark gtr/vcl	David Crosby gtr/vcl	Michael Clarke dr/pcs

Jim Dickson, their manager, knew that they had to have a unique style. Therefore he decided that the group had to practice day in day out. From all the recordings they had already made the two songs "Please Let Me Love You" and "Don't Be Long" were selected as tracks for the single release, but Dickson insisted that those songs should be rerecorded with the help of session musicians. Ray Pohlman played the bass and Earl Palmer was hired for the drums. Jim McGuinn played his twelve string guitar and Gene Clark the rhythm guitar. The vocals were provided by McGuinn, Clark and Crosby. Jac Holzman, head of Electra Records, did not like the group's name JET SET, therefore he named them BEEFEATERS. This is the reason, why the first single release has got this unusual name.

BEEFEATERS - single
	1964: BEEFEATERS - Please Let Me Love You (Gene Clark / Jim McGuinn / Harvey Gerst) b/w Don't Be Long (Jim McGuinn / Harvey Gerst) (Pye 7 N 25277)

The group itself could not identify themselves with such a name and so they looked for a new name. Even though their first single release was no hit the group could use the studio whenever they wanted to.

At the same time as their first single was released - even if under the wrong name of the BEEFEATERS - the JET SET found the bass player they were looking for. He was Chris Hillman who was a mandolin player and who had never played a bass before. It didn't take him long to play the instrument and so the group only needed to decide on the final name.