by Robert Wilkinson
Yes, the guitar maestro had a birthday on January 3, as did the Fifth Beatle!
Stephen Stills (January 3, 1945) is a legend. Founding member of the Buffalo Springfield, then moving on to found Crosby, Stills, and Nash, with some side trips into Super Sessions with Al Kooper, inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on the same night, Mister Stephen Stills is truly one of the best of the best, and still cranking it out!
A legend was created when Neil Young was driving his hearse down Sunset Boulevard, got stuck in traffic, and Steven Stills and Richie Furay did their famous u-turn leading to the creation of the Buffalo Springfield, one of the pioneering groups of folk/country rock. After that volatile group split, Stephen went on to a stellar solo career, while also touring with David Crosby and Graham Nash these past 46 years in one of the all-time "super groups" in rock history.
I had the pleasure of seeing CSN in Albuquerque in August 2012, and they were awesome! Though they are now old men compared to how young they were at Woodstock, they still put on one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen, and the thousands there with us roared over and over and over. The 60s may have left the building a long time ago, but the flame still burns in the hearts of millions, if that night was any indication.
Time to celebrate! Today we’ll focus on Stephen’s work with the Buffalo Springfield, and all the songs you hear tonight were written by our guitar maestro! (We’ll dive deep into CSN&Y at Graham Nash’s birthday in a few weeks.) We’ll begin with one of his best, an obscurity off of the Buffalo Springfield’s third and final album, Last Time Around, with a perfect attitude. Here’s the very danceable “Uno Mundo”
Here’s a very rare live clip from California in 1968 where they rock! “Uno Mundo”
No tribute to Stephen would be complete without his signature tune! From the Monterey Pop Festival in the legendary “Summer of Love” in June 1967. Introduced by Peter Tork, here are the Buffalo Springfield live performing “For What It’s Worth.”
From that same year, the Buffalo Springfield live on television performing Stephen’s “For What It’s Worth.”
In April 1967, they opened at the Hollywood Bowl and did a 4 song set. For your enjoyment, Buffalo Springfield Live at the Hollywood Bowl (Set list: “Pay the Price, ” "Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing," "For What It’s Worth," and "Mr. Soul.")
From the first album Buffalo Springfield, “Go and Say Goodbye”
Live in 2010, the front 3 giving us “Go and Say Goodbye”
Here are the album cuts!
From the second album Buffalo Springfield Again, “Rock and Roll Woman” I found it again! Here’s live television footage in 1968 introduced by Flip Wilson of a great performance of “Rock and Roll Woman”
Here’s the original album version of “Bluebird” and live at the 2011 Bonneroo Festival, CSN&Y giving us the groove on “Bluebird.” And here’s an extended 9 minute version of "Bluebird"
Album cuts!
And from their third and final album Last Time Around,
Live Shows!
This year I found their entire 17 minute set at the June 1967 Monterey Pop Fest in the Summer of Love!
“For What It's Worth,” “Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing,” “Rock and Roll Woman,” “Bluebird,” and “A Child's Claim To Fame” (Neil was absent during this period, and was replaced by David Crosby at Monterey.)
From August 1967 at the Salty Cellar in Huntington Beach, CA, a full 2 hours and 25 of 4 of the original lineup at their best! (Despite what the album cover says, this was one of the periods when Neil was off doing other things. Also, there is no "Teen And Twenty Club" in HB, but a researcher found out due to the concert schedule it had to be the Salty Cellar, which was also a teen club.) The Buffalo Springfield Live in Huntington Beach - 1967 (Set list: "Pay The Price," "Nobody’s Fool," "Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing," "Rock And Roll Woman," "My Kind Of Love," "For What It’s Worth," "Bluebird," "Mr. Soul," "Go And Say Goodbye," "Hung Upside Down," "Midnight Hour," "Do I Have To Come Right Out And Say It," and "Leave")
Here's one of the reasons it was very hip to live in LA in the mid to late 60s! I found a 31+ minute set of the Buffalo Springfield live at Whittier High School – Jan 1968 that captures some of the excitement they were said to generate. Not the greatest recording but it’s not bad. The set list includes ”On the Way Home,” “Good Time Boy,” "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing," “Mister Soul,” “A Child’s Claim To Fame,” “For What It’s Worth” and “Bluebird.” "Rock & Roll Woman" opened but was not recorded.
Due to drug busts in early 1968, the band decided to break up. Last year I had clips are from their last two shows on May 3, 1968 at San Diego State University. The first part of the clip features 2 songs by the Electric Flag, led by Buddy Miles. The last half of the clip features the last lineup of the Buffalo Springfield, and includes Neil, Stephen, Richie, Dewey, and Jim Messina on bass. They are "A Child's Claim to Fame" and "Rock and Roll Woman." Better luck next year.
This year I found this 31 minute gem from April 1968 in Dallas! Buffalo Springfield – Dallas – April 1968 (Last year I had “Uno Mundo” from this show but it’s disappeared.)
Last year I had the 22+ minute live performance of “Bluebird,” the final song of the final concert of the original Buffalo Springfield in Long Beach, May 5, 1968. The good news is that this year I found the entire Long Beach show! It’s the final show the Buffalo Springfield ever did, so for the closer, enjoy the end of one era and the beginning of a new one! For your enjoyment, Buffalo Springfield – The Final Concert: Long Beach – May 1968
Here's a late addition! In April 1968 Stephen did a demo tape with songs he later incorporated into tunes for CSN&Y and Manassas. As the friend of the site who tipped me off to it said, it's like having him play in your living room. For your enjoyment, Just Roll Tape - April 26, 1968
In a brief nod to CSN&Y, Just a few weeks after Woodstock, they were invited to perform on This is Tom Jones, a high rated UK show with Tom as the host. He WAILS on this tune, and I think it took CSN&Y by surprise. For your amazement, Tom Jones backed by the band belts out "Long Time Gone."
From Dec 1969, a live performance at the Big Sur Music Festival by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young doing "Down By The River"
We’ll finish this brief segment with 2 hours and 47 of CSN&Y live on video in Wembley in 1974! This was the band at their peak, for better and for worse!
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young at Wembley Stadium - Sept 1974
Before we go, I'll give you a rarity. Last year I had an amazing 8 minute audio-only clip from a session featuring a jam of Stephen Stills, Dallas Taylor, Jimi, Johnny Winter, and possibly Buddy Miles and Billy Cox doing “Earth Blues Jam” but this year it’s gone. But, I did find this gem as well! This is an entire 36 minute clip from that Record Plant session, featuring Stephen Stills, Jimi, Johnny, and the others cranking it up in what sure sounds like a jam!
Here’s 37 minutes of Jimi Hendrix, Stephen Stills, and Johnny Winter Live in the Studio - 1969
For our first encore, we momentarily cut away from the Springfield, and move into one of my favorite cuts off his 1970 Super Session album he did with Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield. Some serious guitar work here with Al's organ wailing! “Season of the Witch”
For our second encore, we have Stephen and Manassas live at the Beat Club in 1972, with Chris Hillman, Al Perkins, Byron Berline, Dallas Taylor, Fuzzy Samuels, and other great musicians! Here’s 8 minutes and 20 of Manassas Live - 1972
For our last encore, we have Stephen and Manassas live at Winterland in October 1973! Here’s an hour and 19 of Manassas Live at Winterland - 1973
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January 3 was also the birthday of one of the greatest record producers in history, Sir George Martin (3 January 1926- 8 March 2016). He had 30 number one hit singles in the United Kingdom and 23 number one hits in the United States, mainly with one band. That would be the Beatles, of course. While I can't do a full spread of his music, I'll give you four songs that exemplify his talent for orchestration and production. There’s major studio expertise and pioneering recording techniques in these songs. Yes, they’re all from a “certain era.” For your enjoyment, "A Day in the Life" and my personal favorite "I Am the Walrus," which we’ll follow with two more Lennon compositions, "Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Baby You’re A Rich Man” (While there may have been tension between Lennon and McCartney, these tunes show what George Martin and John Lennon could do together. These songs have some seriously complex orchestration and recording techniques!)
For our closer, a real treat! This is a 22 song masterpiece! It’s the entire soundtrack album as it originally was given to us, with the Beatles singing tunes on side A, and George doing a re-recording of the film's orchestral soundtrack on the B side. Wow. This link scrambles the song order, but this album is worth your time. Truly the Summer of Love! Yellow Submarine - The Album
Thanks for being the Fifth Beatle, Sir George. They couldn't have done it without you, and that's the truth. Glad I met you in Vegas all those years ago. Elegant, gracious, and a true gentleman. The world was blessed and a much better place for your talent.
Copyright © 2025 Robert Wilkinson
"Just Roll Tape" - demo album from 1968 released in 2007, is like having Stills playing in your living room.
Posted by: Denise | January 13, 2025 at 04:41 PM