 On December 22 , 1965 , the Byrds recorded a new , self @-@ penned composition titled " Eight Miles High " at RCA Studios in Hollywood . The song represented a creative leap forward for the band and is often considered the first full @-@ blown psychedelic rock recording by critics , although other contemporaneous acts , such as Donovan and the Yardbirds , were also exploring similar musical territory . The song was also pivotal in transmuting folk rock into the new musical forms of psychedelia and raga rock . However , Columbia Records refused to release the band 's first version of the song because it had been recorded at another record company 's studios . As a result , the band were forced to re @-@ record " Eight Miles High " at Columbia Studios in Los Angeles on January 24 and 25 , 1966 , and it was this re @-@ recorded version that would be released as a single and included on the group 's third album . 
