The Buffalo Springfield
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1966-67)
- Ritchie Furay -- vocals, guitar vocals, drums
line up 2 (1967) - Ritchie Furay -- vocals, guitar vocals, drums
line up 3 (1967) NEW
- Jim Fielder --
bass (replaced Kevin Koblin) - bass vocals, drums
line up 4 (1967)
- Ritchie Furay -- vocals, guitar vocals, drums
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- The Au Go Go Singers (Stephen Stills)
- Crosby, Stills and Nash (Stephen Stills) - The
Daily Flash (Doug Hastings) - The Mynah Birds
(Neil Young) - Rhinoceros
(Doug Hastins) - The Squires - Stephen Stills
and Neil Young
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Genre: rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Buffalo Springfield Company: ATCO Catalog: SD 33-200 Year: 1966 Country/State: US/Canada Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: slight ring wear Available: SOLD Catalog ID: SOLD Price: SOLD $8.00 |
While their recording career proved
exceptionally short, barely lasting two years, the Buffalo Springfield had a
disproportionate effect on rock, influencing countless musicians over the
ensuing three decades. The group's roots can be traced back to the
early-'60s when singers/guitarists Stephen Still and Ritchie Furay were
members of The Au Go Go Singers. Touring Canada they shared a date with Neil
Young and The Squires (see separate entries). Two years later Stills and
Young crossed paths on Sunset Boulevard (legend has it that Stills
recognized Young's Hearse while sitting in a traffic jam). The unexpected
reunion saw the pair decide to collaborate in starting a band. The lineup
was quickly filled by recruiting bass player Robert Palmer (who had
previously played with Young in The Mynah Birds), Stills old friend Ritchie
Furay and ex-Dillards drummer Dewey Martin. 1.) Don't Scold Me 5.) Hot Dusty Roads (side 2) 1.) Flying On the Ground
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Genre: rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Stampede Company: ATCO Catalog: SD 33-200 Year: 1966 Country/State: US/Canada Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: slight ring wear Available: SOLD Catalog ID: SOLD Price: SOLD $8.00
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ts. 1.) 2.) 3.) We'll See () -
For
What it’s Worth
2. Mr.
Soul
3. We’ll
See
4. Pretty
Girl Why
5. Down
To The Wire
6. Everydays
Side B:
7. Sell
Out
8. My
Kind of Love
9. No
Sun Today
10. Bluebird
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Genre: rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Buffalo Springfield Again Company: ATCO Catalog: SD 33-226 Year: 1967 Country/State: US/Canada Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: 2009 Price: $20.00
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Having enjoyed their first tastes of
popular success, in 1967 The Buffalo Springfield suddenly found themselves wracked by a string of
personnel problems. First on the list was Canadian bassist Bruce Palmer who was
suddenly expelled from the country for visa violations. For touring purpose
Palmer was replaced by Ken Koblun and then Jim Fielder. IN an odd episode,David Crosby
stepped in as bassist for the band's appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival. Following a
confrontation with Stills, Young temporarily left; replaced by Doug
Hastings. Working with an ad-hoc lineup, including Hastings and bassist
Felder, the band recorded a follow up (even preparing the cover art),
tentatively titled "Stampede." Ironically, in the wake of a band
wide reconciliation the album was shelved, though it's widely available in
bootleg format. 1.) Mr. Soul (Neil Young) - 2:35 rating: ***** stars Young reportedly wrote the tune after getting medical treatment for his epilepsy. The song supposedly came to him in almost completed from, only taking about five minutes to complete. It's simply one of the best mid-'70s rockers ever recorded; worth the cost of admission just for the blazing fuzz guitars and Stills seminal meltdown guitar solo. A classic tune. YouTube has a classic clip of the band lip-synching the tune on a 1967 episode of the Hollywood Palace television program. The recently deported Bruce Palmer was replaced by one of the band's roadies. Worth viewing just to see Young in his period fringe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez7P6nNPWqs No idea why it wasn't tapped as an American single, but at least the Dutch were smart enough to release it as a 45:
- 1967's 'Mr. Soul' b/w 'Expecting To Fly' (Atlantic catalog number ATL-NP 03022)
One
of the prettiest tunes Furay ever wrote and the sweet, country-tinged
harmonies (with Young quite prominent in the mix), have seldom been
equaled. James Burton on dobro.
With
a distinctive jazz-psych vibe and some amazing sustained fuzz guitar from
Young, 'Everydays' could easily been slotted on the first CSN&Y
album. It's probably the album's "sleeper" tune. For all intents and purposes 'Expecting To Fly' was a Young solo effort. In fact the tune was originally intended for a Young solo project with Young being the only band member on the song (backing was provided by L.A. sessions players). It was certainly one of his prettiest tunes, with a . Producer Jack Nitzsche provided the orchestral arrangement that gave the song a haunting, almost ethereal feel. supposedly inspired by his first love. ATCO tapped it as a single:
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1967's 'Expecting To Fly' b/w 'Everydays' (ATCO catalog number
45-6545) After all these years 'Bluebird' remains one of Stills' masterpieces with some of the best electric and acoustic guitar interfaces ever recorded. It was released as the album's sophomore single:
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1967's 'Bluebird' b/w 'Mr. Soul' (ATCO catalog number 45-6499) For the
truly hardcore fan, the double LP retrospective set "Buffalo
Springfield" includes an extended nine minute version of the
tune. (side 2) 1.) Hung Upside Down (Stephen Stills) - 3:24 rating: ***** stars Another
album sleeper - this one had a melody that took a little while to grow on
you, but when it did ... wow. Always loved the Furay-Stills
lead vocals and there was more than enough fuzz guitar to please the most
hardcore fan. rating:
**** stars Surrounded
by Stills and Young, Furay was all but lost in the shadows. If you
trust the liner notes, this acoustic ballad was just Furay and
Young. Very pretty ballad.
Drummer
Dewey Martin on vocals - who knew he sounded like a 70 year old soul man
... Very atypical performance for the band. One of the band's most elaborate and complex arrangements, the tune was apparently inspired by Grace Slick with David Crosby providing a helping hand writing and on harmony vocals. With the elaborate vocals and interwoven guitars, the tunes always reminded me a bit of a prototype CSN&Y tune. Easy to see why ATCO tapped it as the leadoff single:
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1967's 'Rock 'n' Roll Woman' b/w 'A Child's Claim to Fame' (ATCO catalog
number 45-6519) Neither the sound or video is all that good, but
YouTube has a black and white clip of the band performing the tune at a
November 1967 performance for ABC television's Poppendippity at the Warwick
Musical Theater. Yeah, Flip Wilson did the introduction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vRzcqVJOkU
'Broken Arrow' was another tune apparently intended for Young's aborted solo album. Young was the only band member to participate in the original recording sessions, Richie Furay's sweet supporting vocals added after the fact ... Wow, where do you even start with this tune ... The song's suite-like structure certainly bore a debt to "Sgt Pepper", but with a folk-rock feel it captured Young at his most ambitious, or pretentious. It was almost a sound collage including an opening live snippet from 'Mr. Soul', sound effects, dollops of jazzy experimentation, martial drums, and some of Young's most interesting, if puzzling lyrics. As to what it all meant? After all these years I'm still at a loss. If you want to see a song that elicits diverse opinions as to its meaning, this is it. Vietnam, JFK's assassination, Watergate, lost nuclear weapons, Indian rights ... the list of possible topics simply went on and on.
Supported by the three singles (two breaking into the top-100 charts), the parent album peaked at # 44, establishing the band as early FM favorites. In spite of a troubled history it's a great album. Perhaps the band's best overall release.
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Genre: rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Last Time Around Company: ATCO Catalog: SD 33-256 Year: 1968 Country/State: US/Canada Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: gatefold sleeve Available: 2 Catalog ID: 208 Price: $15.00
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In spite of their artistic and commercial successes,
personality conflicts continued to get in the way with Buffalo Springfield leaders
Stephen Stills and Neil Young repeatedly butting heads. Recording sessions for their next album quickly degenerated
into a series of what were essentially solo efforts with various
permutations of members refusing to participate
with others in the same room and Young all but dropping out of the band.
Underscoring his unhappiness with the band, Young'
1.) On the Way Home (Neil Young) - 2:25 rating: **** stars Neil Young's written a ton of songs, but I have to tell you that this version of 'One the Way Home' with Ritchie Furay on lead vocals is one of my favorites. One of Young's most commercial songs, this one had everything going for it; great melody, Furay's glistening vocals, nice, but understated horns, and a hook that wouldn't lead your head if you paid it. Tapped as the album's third single it peaked at # 82 on the pop charts.
- 1968's 'On the Way Home' b/w 'Four Days Gone' (ATCO catalog number 45-6615)
2.) It's So Hard To Wait (Ritchie Furray - Neil Young) - rating: ** stars One of three disappointments, 'It's So Hard To Wait' was a slow, mildly jazz-tinged number with a distinctive old-fashioned flavor. Co-written by Furay and Young, the song's MOR-stance just seemed hopelessly out of place on the collection. 3.) Pretty Girl (Stephen Stills) - 2:24 rating: *** stars Penned by Stills, 'Pretty Girl' was a beautiful ballad, but sounded very much like a solo demo, The echo percussion in background was really strange, though the effects guitar solos (Stills ?) was great ... 4.) Four Days Gone (Stephen Stills) - 2:53 rating: **** stars Apparently the tale of a a military deserter, or a draft dodger, 'Four Days Gone' was one of those wonderful, pensive, thought provoking numbers that Stills had a knack for crating. With a great backing keyboard and some fantastic jangle guitars, this was another Stills career highlight. 5.) Carefree Country Day (Jim Messina) - rating: ** stars The lone Jim Messina original, 'Carefree Country Day' was a breezy, country-tinged mid-tempo number. Pretty, enough, but simply not in the same league as the rest of this stuff and the weird scat vocals at the end have always left me scratching my head. -6.) Special Care (Stephen Stills) - 3:30 rating: **** stars Lyrically 'Special Care' offered up another slice of Stills' political commentary. Kicked along by some stabbing Stills organ and a blazing fuzz guitar solo (Buddy Miles guested on drums), this was one of the band's heaviest rock compositions. Fantastic performance and easy to see why ATCO tagged it as the second single off the LP. The album's second 45:
- 1968's 'Special Care' b/w 'Kind Woman' (ATCO catalog number 45-6602)
(side 2) 1.) In the Hour and Not Quite Rain (Ritchie Furray - Micki Callen) - 3:45 rating: *** stars Unlike anything else the band recorded, 'In the Hour and
2.) Questions (Stephen Stills) - rating: **** stars Easily the album's most commercial performance, I've always wondered why ATCO didn't release this one as a single. Stills seldom sounded as good on vocals and his fuzz guitar solo was worth the price of admission alone. (Yes, Still re-purposed the track on CSN&Y's 'Carry On'.) 3.) I Am a Child (Neil Young) - 2:15 rating: **** stars The melancholy 'I Am a Child' was one of Young's best performances (not just on the album, but across his whole career). You'll be hard pressed to find such a simple, stripped down song that packs such a wallop.. A rock classic that every fan should hear, if not have on their iPod (or record collection, depending on your age). Only complaint - the song was too short. 4.) Merry-Go-Round (Ritchie Furay rating: *** stars Complete with harpsichord and carousel sound effects, 'Merry-Go-Round' was one of Furay's prettiest compositions. 5.) Uno Mundo (Stephen Stills) - 2:00 rating: ***** stars The Latin-flavored rocker served as a precursor to what Stills would try to accomplish with the band Manassas. Shame he never managed to capture this tracks sense of fun and energy again. I even like the horns. This was the first of three singles off the LP:
- 1968's 'Uno Mundo' b/w 'Merry Go Round' (ATCO catalog number 45-6572).
6.) Kind Woman (Ritchie Furay) - 4:10 rating: ***** stars Furay's closer 'Kind Woman' served as a near perfect transition to his country-rock career with Poco (future Poco member Rusty Young provided the pedal steel guitar). One of his prettiest compositions, it would have made a wonderful single. A bittersweet way for the band to call it quits
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Genre: rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Retrospective Company: ATCO Catalog: SD 33-283 Year: 1968 Country/State: US/Canada Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: Available: 1 Catalog ID: not yet listed Price: $6.00
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The following year Atlantic released an a
passable "best of" collection entitled "Retrospective
- The Best of Buffalo Springfield". Pulling
together the band's lone top-40 hit; several near hits and a couple of
interesting album tracks, the compilation's biggest flaws were it's
abbreviated track listing and the absence of detailed liner notes. Hitting #
42, the album sold respectably, further benefiting ATCO's original
investment. 1.) For What It's Worth (Stephen Stills) - 3:00 Young reportedly wrote the tune after getting medical treatment for his epilepsy. The song supposedly came to him in almost completed from, only taking about five minutes to complete. It's simply one of the best mid-'70s rockers ever recorded; worth the cost of admission just for the blazing fuzz guitars and Stills seminal meltdown guitar solo. A classic tune. YouTube has a classic clip of the band lip-synching the tune on a 1967 episode of the Hollywood Palace television program. The recently deported Bruce Palmer was replaced by one of the band's roadies. Worth viewing just to see Young in his period fringe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez7P6nNPWqs No idea why it wasn't tapped as an American single, but at least the Dutch were smart enough to release it as a 45:
- 1967's 'Mr. Soul / Expecting To Fly' (Atlantic catalog number ATL-NP 03022) rating: ***** stars
3.) Sit Down I Think I Love You (Stephen Stills) - 2:30 fter all these years 'Bluebird' remains one of Stills' masterpieces with some of the best electric and acoustic guitar interfaces ever recorded. It was released as the album's sophomore single:
-
1967's 'Bluebird' b/w 'Mr. Soul' (ATCO catalog number 45-6499) For the
truly hardcore fan, the double LP retrospective set "Buffalo
Springfield" includes an extended nine minute version of the
tune.
rating: **** stars Neil Yong's
written a ton of songs, but I have to tell you that this version of 'One the
Way Home' with Ritchie Furay on lead vocals is one of my favorites.
One of Young's most commercial songs, this one had everything going for it;
great melody, Furay's glistening vocals, nice, but understated horns, and a
hook that wouldn't lead your head if you paid it. Tapped as the
album's third single it peaked at # 82 on the pop charts.
rating: **** stars (side 2) 1.) Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing (Neil Young) - 3:26
The melancholy 'I Am a Child' was one of Young's best performances (not just
on the album, but across his whole career). You'll be hard pressed to
find such a simple, stripped down song that packs such a wallop.. A
rock classic that every fan should hear, if not have on their iPod (or
record collection, depending on your age). Only complaint - the
song was too short.
rating: ***** stars
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Genre: rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Buffalo Springfield Company: ATCO Catalog: SD 2-806 Country/State: US/Canada Year: 1973 Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: double LP; gatefold sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: 3170 Price: $30.00
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More than willing to capitalize on the outside
successes former Buffalo Springfield members were experiencing in the wake
of the band's break-up, in 1973 Atlantic released a fairly comprehensive 23 track,
double album retrospective set entitled "Buffalo Springfield".
Pulling together the cream of the band's studio catalog, the set included the hits, near hits,
misses and a couple of oddities. Notable examples in the latter
category included Neil Young's 'Broken Arrow', Ritchie Furay's radio promotion 'In the Hour of Not Quite
Rain' and an extended nine minute version of 'Bluebird.' While there were
a number of notable absences including the Stills-penned "B" side
"Go and Say Goodbye', Furay's 'Merry-Go Round', the 'Everydays' "B" side, let alone anything from the
aborted "Stampede" project, the set was admirable in that it
covered more material than the earlier "Retrospective" compilation and
served as the best band overview until the release the 2001 Neil Young
compiled four CD "Box Set". Unfortunately the
album proved a mediocre commercial success, peaking at # 104.
1.) For What It's Worth (Stephen Stills) - 3:00
(side 2) Young reportedly wrote the tune after getting medical treatment for his epilepsy. The song supposedly came to him in almost completed from, only taking about five minutes to complete. It's simply one of the best mid-'70s rockers ever recorded; worth the cost of admission just for the blazing fuzz guitars and Stills seminal meltdown guitar solo. A classic tune. YouTube has a classic clip of the band lip-synching the tune on a 1967 episode of the Hollywood Palace television program. The recently deported Bruce Palmer was replaced by one of the band's roadies. Worth viewing just to see Young in his period fringe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez7P6nNPWqs No idea why it wasn't tapped as an American single, but at least the Dutch were smart enough to release it as a 45:
- 1967's 'Mr. Soul / Expecting To Fly' (Atlantic catalog number ATL-NP 03022)
2.) Bluebird (Stephen Stills) - 9:00 rating: **** stars fter all these years 'Bluebird' remains one of Stills' masterpieces with some of the best electric and acoustic guitar interfaces ever recorded. It was released as the album's sophomore single:
-
1967's 'Bluebird' b/w 'Mr. Soul' (ATCO catalog number 45-6499) For the
truly hardcore fan, the double LP retrospective set "Buffalo
Springfield" includes an extended nine minute version of the
tune.
'Broken
Arrow' was another tune apparently
intended for Young's aborted solo album. Young was the only band
member to participate in the original recording sessions, Richie
Furay's sweet supporting vocals added after the fact ... Wow, where do
you even start with this tune ... The song's suite-like structure certainly
bore a debt to "Sgt Pepper", but with a folk-rock feel it captured
Young at his most ambitious, or pretentious. It was almost a
sound collage including an opening live snippet from 'Mr. Soul', sound
effects, dollops of jazzy experimentation, martial drums, and some of
Young's most interesting, if puzzling lyrics. As to what it all meant?
After all these years I'm still at a loss. If you want to see a
song that elicits diverse opinions as to its meaning, this is
it. Vietnam, JFK's assassination, Watergate, lost nuclear
weapons, Indian rights ... the list of possible topics simply
went on and on.
One of the band's most elaborate and complex arrangements, the tune was apparently inspired by Grace Slick with David Crosby providing a helping hand writing and on harmony vocals. With the elaborate vocals and interwoven guitars, the tunes always reminded me a bit of a prototype CSN&Y tune. Easy to see why ATCO tapped it as the leadoff single:
- 1967's 'Rock 'n' Roll Woman' b/w 'A Child's Claim to Fame' (ATCO catalog number 45-6519) Neither the sound or video is all that good, but YouTube has a black and white clip of the band performing the tune at a November 1967 performance for ABC television's Poppendippity at the Warwick Musical Theater. Yeah, Flip Wilson did the introduction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vRzcqVJOkU
(side 3) For all intents and purposes 'Expecting To Fly' was a Young solo effort. In fact the tune was originally intended for a Young solo project with Young being the only band member on the song (backing was provided by L.A. sessions players). It was certainly one of his prettiest tunes, with a . Producer Jack Nitzsche provided the orchestral arrangement that gave the song a haunting, almost ethereal feel. supposedly inspired by his first love. ATCO tapped it as a single:
- 1967's 'Expecting To Fly' b/w 'Everydays' (ATCO catalog number 45-6545) 2.) Hung Upside Down (Stephen Stills) - 3:24 rating: **** stars
Another
album sleeper - this one had a melody that took a little while to grow on
you, but when it did ... wow. Always loved the Furay-Stills
lead vocals and there was more than enough fuzz guitar to please the most
hardcore fan.
One
of the prettiest tunes Furay ever wrote and the sweet, country-tinged
harmonies (with Young quite prominent in the mix), have seldom been
equaled. James Burton on dobro.
Furay's closer 'Kind
Woman' served as a near perfect transition to his
country-rock career with Poco (future Poco member Rusty Young provided the
pedal steel guitar). One of his prettiest compositions, it would have
made a wonderful single. A bittersweet way for the band to call it
quits
Neil Yong's
written a ton of songs, but I have to tell you that this version of 'On the
Way Home' with Ritchie Furay on lead vocals is one of my favorites.
One of Young's most commercial songs, this one had everything going for it;
great melody, Furay's glistening vocals, nice, but understated horns, and a
hook that wouldn't lead your head if you paid it. Tapped as the
album's third single it peaked at # 82 on the pop charts. The melancholy 'I Am a Child' was one of Young's best performances (not just on the album, but across his whole career). You'll be hard pressed to find such a simple, stripped down song that packs such a wallop.. A rock classic that every fan should hear, if not have on their iPod (or record collection, depending on your age). Only complaint - the song was too short.
(side
4)
Penned by Stills, 'Pretty Girl' was a beautiful ballad, but sounded very
much like a solo demo, The echo percussion in background was really
strange, though the effects guitar solos (Stills ?) was great ...
Lyrically 'Special Care' offered up another slice of Stills' political commentary. Kicked along by some stabbing Stills organ and a blazing fuzz guitar solo (Buddy Miles guested on drums), this was one of the band's heaviest rock compositions. Fantastic performance and easy to see why ATCO tagged it as the second single off the LP. 3.) Uno Mundo (Stephen Stills) - 2:00 rating: **** stars
The Latin-flavored rocker served as a precursor to what Stills would try to
accomplish with the band Manassas. Shame he never managed to capture
this tracks sense of fun and energy again. I even like the
horns.
Unlike anything else the band recorded, I believe 'In the Hour and Not Quite Rain'
had its roots in an August, 1967 radio station promotional
contest. Los Angeles station KHJ (BOSS 30) offered listeners
$1,000 to come up with lyrics for a Buffalo Springfield song. A woman
by the name of Micki Callen had her submission picked by Bruce Palmer.
Apparently unaware their management company had pulled this promotional
stunt (15,000 people submitted lyrics), the band initially refused to have
anything to do with the stunt. Always a good guy, Furay finally agreed
to write the music for Callen's lyrics.
Complete with heavy orchestration (courtesy of arranger Jeremy Stuart) and a
pseudo-psychedelic feel, for the longest time I thought
the song showcased the band at their most pretentious. I still
feel that way, but my long-standing disdain for the song has gradually faded
to a point where I can actually enjoy the song for what it is - an
interesting piece of experimentation.
Apparently the tale of a a military deserter, or a draft dodger, 'Four Days Gone'
was one of those wonderful, pensive, thought provoking numbers that Stills
had a knack for crating. With a great backing keyboard and some
fantastic jangle guitars, this was another Stills career highlight.
Easily the
album's most commercial performance, I've always wondered why ATCO didn't
release this one as a single. Stills seldom sounded as good on vocals
and his fuzz guitar solo was worth the price of admission alone. (Yes,
Still re-purposed the track on CSN&Y's 'Carry On'.)
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s
debut solo album would hit the streets a couple of months after this album
was released. With band loyalty splintered between two factions and following a May 1967
Los Angeles concert, the group simply disbanded. Furious at the loss
of one of their biggest moneymaking franchises and determined to get another
album out of their contract with the band, ATCO Records management commissioned
late-inning Springfield bassist Jim Messina to patch together a posthumous,
contractual obligation collection. Released in late 1968, "Last
Time Around" featured a mixture of previously recorded studio material
that had been intended for the band's planned third album. Several of
those tracks including
recently deported bassist Bruce Palmer. Other efforts were little
more than studio outtakes and miscellaneous odds and ends that Messina
somehow managed to salvage. Included in that category was the Messina
original 'Carefree Country Day' and the odd 'In the Hour and Not Quite Rain'
(see the story on this
one below). With Young's contributions limited to
three tracks (though two were admitted classics), that left Messina to
fill in the gaps with whatever he could get his hands on, which meant lots
of material from Furay and Stills. Ironically, in
spite of it's ragtag roots, material such as Young's sweet 'On the Way
Home', Stills' burning 'Questions' and Furay's lovely 'Kind Woman' made for a surprisingly impressive and enjoyable set.
Certainly a reflection of each member's writing skills, the album also
served as testimonial to producer Messina's skills. Fans were certainly
impressed, the album standing as the group's biggest seller, peaking at #
42. (In spite of the fact it was a collage with Young's image being pasted
on to the picture of the other four band members, the result stands as one of
my all time favorite album covers. Perhaps unintentionally the
un-credited cover photography/artist managed to nail Neil Young's typical
against-the-grain personality.
Not Quite Rain'
had its roots in an August, 1967 radio station promotional
contest. Los Angeles station KHJ (BOSS 30) offered listeners
$1,000 to come up with lyrics for a Buffalo Springfield song. A woman
by the name of Micki Callen had her submission picked by Bruce Palmer.
Apparently unaware their management company had pulled this promotional
stunt (15,000 people submitted lyrics), the band initially refused to have
anything to do with the stunt. Always a good guy, Furay finally agreed
to write the music for Callen's lyrics.
Complete with heavy orchestration (courtesy of arranger Jeremy Stuart) and a
pseudo-psychedelic feel, for the longest time I thought
the song showcased the band at their most pretentious. I still
feel that way, but my long-standing disdain for the song has gradually faded
to a point where I can actually enjoy the song for what it is - an
interesting piece of experimentation. Always wondered what
happened to the young Ms. Callen.
