Buffalo Springfield (music group)
Buffalo Springfield was an influential American folk-rock band active from 1966 to 1968, known for its significant role in shaping the country rock genre popularized in the 1970s. The band consisted of notable members including Neil Young, Stephen Stills, and Richie Furay, who all later achieved great success as solo artists. Despite releasing only three albums during its brief existence, Buffalo Springfield left a lasting impact, particularly with the classic protest song "For What It's Worth," which resonated with the social upheavals of the 1960s.
The band's formation in Los Angeles stemmed from a convergence of talent among musicians who initially played in different groups. Their self-titled debut album, released in 1966, garnered critical acclaim and laid the groundwork for their second album, which explored a more psychedelic sound. However, internal tensions, particularly between Young and Stills regarding creative direction, led to the band's eventual breakup in 1968, shortly before the release of their final album, "Last Time Around."
After disbanding, the members pursued various successful musical careers, with Young forming relationships with other prominent artists like Crosby, Stills & Nash. Buffalo Springfield was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, and although the band temporarily reunited for live performances in the early 2010s, further collaborations have been deemed unlikely.
Buffalo Springfield (music group)
Buffalo Springfield was an American folk-rock band active from 1966 to 1968. Despite producing only three albums over its short career, the band was enormously influential in establishing the musical genre of country rock that became popular in the 1970s. Buffalo Springfield also reflected the American counterculture of the 1960s with songs such as its popular hit "For What It's Worth." Although the group disbanded soon after it formed, most of its members, principally singers and guitarists Neil Young and Stephen Stills, went on to great fame as solo artists.
Formation of the Band
The five original members of Buffalo Springfield encountered one another by chance. American guitarists Stephen Stills and Richie Furay met each other in the 1960s, when they were both members of the New York–based folk-rock group the Au Go-Go Singers. The band released an album in 1964 and then supported it with a concert tour of the United States and some locations in Canada.
In the Canadian city of Winnipeg, the Au Go-Go Singers played with the folk-rock band Neil Young and the Squires, featuring Canadian singer and guitarist Neil Young. Young later left the Squires and relocated to Detroit. There he joined a band called the Mynah Birds, which featured Canadian bass player Bruce Palmer. Young and Palmer eventually broke away from the group and sought greater musical success in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, Stills and Furay had also settled in Los Angeles. The pair reconnected with Young and Palmer after Stills recognized Young driving his hearse throughout the city. In 1966, these four musicians then determined to shed their purely folk roots and form a folk-rock band. They completed their original lineup with Canadian drummer Dewey Martin, who had gained significant musical experience playing with the bluegrass group the Dillards in Memphis.
Initially calling the band Herd, the members rehearsed together for only a week before landing their first show, a performance at Los Angeles's famed Whisky a Go-Go nightclub. The band's short, lively songs quickly attracted a devoted audience, and the group was granted a six-week show residency at the Whisky a Go-Go.
Later in 1966, based on the success of these early concerts, Atlantic Records offered the band a record deal. At this time, the group changed its name to Buffalo Springfield, naming itself after a steamroller company.
Mainstream Success
Buffalo Springfield began recording songs for its first album in the summer of 1966. In August, the band released its first single, "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing," written by Young. The song was well received and became an especially popular hit in the Los Angeles area.
The group's first album, Buffalo Springfield, was released in December 1966. It performed well with critics and audiences, who recognized the band as an important new voice in the American folk-rock and country-rock scenes. However, it was Buffalo Springfield's next single that brought the band great national success.
The song "For What It's Worth" was released in January 1967. Its lyrics spoke of violence and civil unrest, both issues that were greatly affecting the United States in the late 1960s. "For What It's Worth" would ultimately become the most popular hit of Buffalo Springfield's career.
For its second album, 1967's Buffalo Springfield Again, the band expanded its folk-rock sound into the edgier psychedelic style of rock that was popular at the time. The album was powered mostly by two strong songs written by Stills, "Bluebird" and "Rock & Roll Woman." Buffalo Springfield Again was another successful album.
Tensions and Breakup
Around this time, tensions between the band's two primary talents, Stills and Young, began driving Buffalo Springfield apart. Both singers highly regarded their own creative skills and wanted to take the band in their own preferred directions. Their squabbling led to Young continually leaving and rejoining the group.
Meanwhile, a drug bust resulted in Palmer being deported to Canada. He was replaced on bass by country and folk guitarist Jim Messina. Buffalo Springfield then began planning a third album, but relations between Stills and Young remained strained. The musicians recorded the next set of songs in fragments and officially disbanded in May 1968.
Buffalo Springfield's final album, Last Time Around, was released that July, when the five musicians had already separated. To the public, the band's infighting during the recording period was evident, as the album produced no major hits.
Post-Breakup
The end of Buffalo Springfield, however, marked the beginning of what would become fertile solo careers for many of the band's former members. Young soon established a name for himself with his own solo albums. He also occasionally joined Stills's new band, Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN), to become Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Aside from CSN, Stills also recorded his own solo albums and played with the band Manassas.
Meanwhile, Furay and Messina, who had remained friendly, formed the country-rock band Poco. The group recorded several albums before Messina left to form the rock duo Loggins and Messina with singer Kenny Loggins.
Buffalo Springfield was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, but Young did not attend the induction. Nothing more was heard of Buffalo Springfield until 2000, when Young released the song "Buffalo Springfield Again" on his album Silver & Gold. The song led audiences to believe the band would soon reunite, but no such reunion was immediately forthcoming.
Palmer died in 2004, followed by Martin in 2009. In 2010, the remaining original members of Buffalo Springfield—Young, Stills, and Furay—reunited to play a benefit show in California. In 2011, the band played twelve more shows in several California cities. The new Buffalo Springfield split in 2012, announcing that any further reunions were unlikely.
Bibliography
"Buffalo Springfield Biography." Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. Web. 23 Feb. 2016. http://rockhall.com/inductees/buffalo-springfield/bio/
"Buffalo Springfield—Biography." Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. Web. 23 Feb. 2016. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/buffalo-springfield/biography
"Buffalo Springfield: Discography." AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Web. 23 Feb. 2016. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/buffalo-springfield-mn0000939567/discography
Unterberger, Richie. "Buffalo Springfield: Biography." AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Web. 23 Feb. 2016. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/buffalo-springfield-mn0000939567/biography