Buffalo Springfield
USA | Folk Rock | 1966 - 1968
Buffalo Springfield was a short-lived but influential folk rock group that served as a springboard for the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Jim Messina and is most famous for the song "For What It's Worth". After its formation in April 1966, a series of disruptions, including internal bickering, as well as the pressure of working in the music industry, resulted in constant changes in the group's lineup — and ultimately culminated in the group's disbanding after roughly 25 months. Buffalo Springfield released a total of three albums but also left a legacy that includes many demo recordings, studio outtakes, and live recordings.
Origins
Although Buffalo Springfield was formed in early 1966, the group’s genesis might very well be attributed to a chance meeting nearly a year earlier when Neil Young and Stephen Stills first crossed paths at a folk club in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Young was there with The Squires, a group he had been leading since February 1963, and Stephen Stills was on tour with The Company, a spin off from the Au Go Go Singers. Although the two would not see each other again for almost a year, the encounter left both with a strong desire to work together.
Some time later, when The Company broke up at the end of that tour, Stills made the move to the West Coast where he worked as a studio musician and auditioned unsuccessfully for, among other things, The Monkees. Told by record producer Barry Friedman that there would be work available if he could assemble a band, Stills invited fellow Au Go Go Singers alumnus Richie Furay and former Squires bassman Ken Koblun to come join him in California. Both agreed although Koblun chose to leave before very long and rejoined 3's a Crowd.
In early 1966 in Toronto, Young met Bruce Palmer, who was then playing bass for a group called the Mynah Birds. In need of a lead guitarist, Palmer invited Young to join the group and the offer was accepted. The Mynah Birds were set to record an album for Motown Records when Rick James, their singer, was arrested for draft evasion. With their record deal cancelled, Young and Palmer decided to head for Los Angeles where they hoped to hook up with Stills.
Roughly a week later, discouraged at having been unable to locate Stills and ready to depart for San Francisco, they were stuck in traffic on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles when Stills, Furay, and Friedman sitting in their white van recognized Young’s black 1953 Pontiac hearse, which just happened to be passing by in the opposite direction. After an illegal u-turn by Furay, some shouting, hand-waving, and much excitement, the four musicians realized that they were united in their determination to put together a band. Less than a week later, drummer Dewey Martin, who had played with country artists such as Patsy Cline and The Dillards, was added to the roster after contacting the group at the suggestion of the Byrds' manager, Jim Dickson.
Taking their name from the side of a steamroller -- made by the Buffalo-Springfield Roller Company -- that was parked on the street outside Friedman’s house (where Stills and Furay were staying), the new group debuted on April 11, 1966 at The Troubadour in Hollywood. A few days later, they began a short tour of California as the opening act on a bill featuring the Dillards and the Byrds.
Legacy
Although the Buffalo Springfield was never a major commercial success, "For What It’s Worth" was a legitimate hit, and the group’s reputation would only grow stronger with the later successes of its members.
Stills went on to form a band with David Crosby of The Byrds and Graham Nash of The Hollies in 1968. Young launched a solo career, but in 1969 also reunited with Stills in Crosby, Stills & Nash, which saw the beginning of his sporadic relationship with that trio. Furay and Messina both became founding members of Poco before going on to other endeavors. Eventually, Furay becoming one third of the Souther, Hillman, and Furay band, and Messina was one half of the Loggins & Messina duo.
Palmer was CSNY's first choice to play bass, but due to various personal problems was replaced by Motown prodigy Greg Reeves. After recording a jam-oriented solo album in 1970 that was a commercial failure, Palmer faded into obscurity although he did briefly play with Toronto blues band, Luke & The Apostles in eary 1970. In the early 1980s, he appeared on Young's Trans album and then played with Martin in the "Buffalo Springfield Revisited" tribute band in the mid-1980s.