Back in the U.S.A. Phil Chess and the song was released as Chess single 1729. Alan Dale issued the song in Australia on Colombia in 1959 as a single along with a version of Bo Didley's "Crackin' Up"(45-DO-4086). Ronstadt had heard the Berry original while being driven around Los Angeles by Eagles member Glenn Frey who had once been in her band, the track being on a home-made cassette Frey had playing in his tape deck. Ronstadt recalls that she'd been reminding Frey "how we used to sit around the Troubadour bar and go: 'Oh it's so horrible and I can't get a record
He Was a Friend of Mine is "Traditional/new words and arrangement McGuinn". Following its appearance on the band's second album, the song would go on to become a staple of The Byrds' live concert repertoire, until their final disbandment in 1973. The band also performed the song during their appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival on June 17, 1967, where band member David Crosby made controversial remarks alleging that Kennedy had not been killed by Lee Harvey Oswald alone, but was actually the victim of a U.S. Government conspiracy. The Byrds' performance of "He Was a Friend of Mine" at Monterey was included in the 2002