 In 1984 , Gene Clark approached McGuinn , Crosby , and Hillman in an attempt to reform the Byrds in time for the 20th anniversary of the release of the " Mr. Tambourine Man " single in 1985 . None of these three original members were interested in the venture and so Clark instead assembled a group of musicians and friends , including Rick Roberts , Blondie Chaplin , Rick Danko , Richard Manuel , and the ex @-@ Byrds Michael Clarke and John York , under the banner of " The 20th Anniversary Tribute to The Byrds " and began performing on the lucrative nostalgia circuit in early 1985 . A number of concert promoters began to shorten the band 's name to The Byrds in advertisements and promotional material . As the band continued to tour throughout 1985 , they eventually decided to shorten their name to the Byrds themselves , prompting McGuinn , Crosby and Hillman to berate the tribute group in interviews , with McGuinn deriding the act as " a cheap show . " 
