RAMBLIN ROUND: Buffalo Springfield: Beginning enduring musical careers

Apr. 18—One of my all-time favorite bands had broken up before I ever had a chance to hear them — but I later liked them so much, I've listened to three of the band members ever since, both with other groups and as solo artists.

They only released three albums in their short two-year span as a group, but since then, various members have released beaucoups of songs and remain active today.

A compilation album featuring tracks from all three albums wasn't even called a greatest hits collection, because the band only had a couple of hits to speak of during its brief two-year existence with the original lineup.

Instead, the album bore the title "Retrospective: The Best of Buffalo Springfield."

Today, Buffalo Springfield would be called a supergroup, but when the band members played their first gig in a room off the main stage at The Troubadour nightclub in Los Angeles in 1966, they were little-known to the public.

At the time, not many people knew of Stephen Stills, Neil Young and Richie Furay. That would soon change, especially for Stills and Young. Rounding out Buffalo Springfield were the rock-solid rhythm section of bassist Bruce Palmer and drummer Dewey Martin.

I don't think I'd even heard a song by the band when I first purchased their "Retrospective" album — but I'd heard plenty of songs former band members had recorded, both with other groups and as solo artists. I felt curious as to what kinds of sounds this early band created.

Even song titles were intriguing: "For What It's Worth," "Mr. Soul," "Kind Woman," "Bluebird," "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing" and "Broken Arrow."

The songs did not disappoint. I felt immediately blown away by this band that had all the elements I liked: Multiple lead singers who also contributed harmonies; songs with introspective, poetic lyrics; guitarists who could flat-pick acoustic guitars or rip out fiery electric leads, as needed.

"For What It's Worth" remains relevant today. Known for its chorus of "Stop! Hey! What's that sound? Everybody look what's goin' down," Stills' song about the youth riots along the Sunset Strip remain strangely prescient today:

"There's something happening here; What it is ain't exactly clear; There's a man with a gun over there, telling me I've got to beware."

Another verse lays out the scene: "What a field day for the heat: A thousand people in the street; Singing songs and a-carrying signs; Mostly say "Hurrah for our side."

That 's followed with Young's "Mr Soul," which nicked the riff from the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" to produce a darker, but still rocking song. It also introduced many listene's to Young's haunting tenor voice.

On "Kind Woman," Furary takes the lead vocals, with one of the best love songs ever written, featuring country accents from a beguiling solo by guest steel guitarist Rusty Young.

And so it went. I still consider "Broken Arrow," "I Am a Child, " "Expecting to Fly" and "On the Way Home" among the best Neil Young recordings ever — even if the band's producers insisted that Furay handle lead vocals on the later song.

Stills takes flight on "Bluebird. Stills plays inventive electric guitar licks on his rocking ode to a love that's flown away, before the song winds down and segues into a banjo-driven coda. His "Rock 'n' Roll Woman" features inventive background harmonies, previewing the sound later perfected by Crosby, Stills and Nash.

Like another great 1960s group, The Band, Buffalo Springfield consisted of both American and Canadian members, with Stills and Furay from the states, joined by Young, Palmer and Martin from Canada.

Amazingly, group members knew each other prior to Buffalo Springfield although they were from two different nations. Stills and Furay had performed together as members of the Au Go Go singers, founded in New York's Greenwich Village during the so-called folk music boom. Stills later toured Canada with an offshoot of that group, becoming acquainted with Young, who was performing with his band, The Squires, at a Canadian nightclub.

When the Au Go Go singers disbanded, Stills and Furay headed for the West Coast. Back in Canada, bass player Martin recruited Young to join him a group called the Mynah Birds, which included Rick James — yes, that Rick James! Just as the Mynah Birds were ready to record an album for Motown, the U.S. Navy found James and reminded him he was absent without leave.

With the Motown record deal suddenly gone, Young bought a 1950s Hearse, refitted it to carry amplifiers, and he and Palmer drove to LA.

In what must be one of the most serendipitous moments in rock music, Stills and Furay were stopped at an intersection on Sunset Boulevard when they spotted Young and Palmer headed in the other direction. Of course, a Hearse driven by somebody like Young would be hard to miss!

Stills and Furary managed to catch up with Young and Palmer. Soon after they pulled over, they decided to form a new band, bringing in Dewey Martin to play drums.

Members of Buffalo Springfield each took different paths following the group's breakup, although those paths sometimes converged to create more musical magic.

Stephen Stills went on to co-found Crosby, Stills and Nash, followed by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and a solo career that included his band Manassas.

Co-lead guitarist and vocalist Neil Young went on to his brilliant solo career before joining Stills again in CSN&Y. Stills and Young even recorded a duo album together and embarked on a short-lived tour that ended when Young abruptly checked out.

Richie Furay, yet another strong singer, writer and guitarist, co-founded Poco, the band that pioneered the sort of country-rock hybrid sound that would become synonymous with the Southern California of the era.

Jim Messina was not one of the original members, but he replaced Palmer as the group's bass guitarist. Mesiina formed Poco with Furay, and later partnered with Kenny Loggins for the duo Loggins and Messina, known for hits such as "Your Mama Can't Dance," "House on Pooh Corner" and "Danny's Song."

I've been thinking about Buffalo Springfield recently for several reasons, including a new post by Neil Young reminiscing about how great Stills' song "For What It's Worth" is and how the young band never reached its full potential,

The passing of steel guitarist Rusty Young, who had joined Fury and Messina in Poco, reminded me of the Springfield's offshoots. Rusty Young passed away at his home in Missouri on April 14.

Another thing that has me thinking of Buffalo Springfield happened last night, when I finally got to see a video of a live performance I'd read about many times — Buffalo Springfield's performance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. Known as the first major rock festival, it predated Woodstock by a couple of years.

It's legendary because Neil Young did not join the band onstage that night. Stills invited a member of another group — David Crosby of the Byrds— to sit in with the Springfield at Monterey. I'd often wondered what that sounded like. Wow! What an amazing performance, with Crosby adding harmonies and Stills and the rest of the group kicking into overdrive on the final chorus.

I bet that's when Stills and Crosby discovered they sounded pretty good together and maybe they ought to get together in the future.

I wonder how that worked out for them?

Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.