The Trouble with Buffalo Springfield, Richie Furay, Neil Young wanted to be a solo artist all along

[@michaelsmith2733]

I remember back in 1967 at the Ice Palace in Las Vegas NV. I was 14 yrs. old and Buffulo Springfield was my 1st concert. After the concert, me and a few buddies sat out in the parking lot and talked with Neil Young for about a half hour. The guy had no ego and seemed like he was justing talking to his buds, though we were younger. I really liked the guy.

[@Anglovox]

Considering that Richie must be 75+ years-old, the man just looks FABULOUS; He looks and sounds totally healthy and vital. Awesome!

[@rodwelles5110]

I love Richie’s wonderful attitude as a musician and person. They were such a great band, as was Poco......😀😀

[@harpoon_bakery162]

oh, i thought he was with Toto, hmmm, Poco hmmm, wasn't into them as much.

[@walterfechter8080]

To my mind, there were only 2 bands which were at the forefront of 1960s Folk/Country/Rock: The Byrds and The Buffalo Springfield. What a truly great amalgam of sound! Thanks Richie and the rest of The Buffalo Springfield! Thanks John and Rock History Music!

[@designstudio8013]

Don't forget. The Flying Burrito Brothers and Poco.

[@northernlight4614]

@@designstudio8013 They came later but excellent bands.

[@ziblot1235]

What about Rick Nelson Stone Canyon BAnd? Or the Burritos. You are missing a lot. No Poco were first. The Byrds were just dabbling.They were just humoring Gram. I met Chris in Richmond VA. Very nice fellow.

[@jettrink7510]

Richie... a long time Christian gentlemen. took care of his health, hardworking, sane and sober.

[@Baci302]

What a great story. Those were great times. The best music was made during this time. Richie has a great perspective on the past. He still looks and sounds great. The song Richie sang were special. He has such a beautiful and distinctive voice. He and Stephen had a great blend. Those practice sessions they had really paid off.

[@eddievibbert6740]

Richie is just simply the best! God bless you Richie, you inspire me!

[@greensombrero3641]

Expecting to Fly is one of my favorite songs ever

[@stonehobson2487]

Great. Now I have to go put in on.

[@lisadc4681]

@@stonehobson2487 Do it! Most beautiful song ever!!

[@carlweaver3243]

Expecting To Fly is one of the most heartfelt songs I've ever heard. Neil's best song. Never tire of it. The "Again" album is a Classic.

[@garytoner5719]

Thanks. Love Ritchie. Never forget seeing him at Calvary Chapel in Old Bridge, NJ in 2006 with his pal Scott on banjo. What a pioneer of American Music 🤠

[@MatthewClise]

I'm a millennial. Please forgive me. All I knew about Buffalo Springfield before this interview was that Neil Young was in the band and they influenced Rush. I'm totally digging this interview and insight. Thanks, John! You're a real ambassador. Now I'm totally interested in this band.

[@alanb287]

You will love going down this rabbit hole!

[@joeroganjosh9333]

Matthew Clise “Quadrophenia”. Just saying.

[@simplethings474]

I could listen to this guy all day.

[@2008PLS]

This is awesome, Richie is the coolest! Wish I could have seen the reunion shows. I remember waiting years for them to reunite. Such a talented band! Just getting into Poco this year. The first three albums are definitely a must!

[@jnucleo]

Poco Seven is a fantastic album.

[@northernlight4614]

Poco! My favorite country rock band.

[@frankgrumpy6193]

Nice Jacket.. Poco..the first band I ever saw in concert still love the music..

[@danolson5387]

After hearing his specific mention of "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing", recalling that Neil had previously taught it to him, and then Richie teaching it to Steve before Neil even arrived in LA, prompted a re-listen. Damn, Richie is an incredible singer. I also am so impressed that he (with Jim Messina) salvaged what they could to produce the masterpiece "Last Time Around", which fulfilled Buffalo Springfield's contractual obligations, and spawned Poco.

[@minsterhill]

Excellent interview!

[@nycdude999]

I'm a big fan of Richie Furay's work. I got to meet him about 5 years ago at a Barnes & Noble when he was promoting his very excellent Hand in Hand album.

[@christopherdavison652]

It's all good, Richie. You were, in my personal opinion, the voice of Buffalo Springfield. Love ya' brother.

[@ronnieparker4311]

I could listen all day to furay telling his musical past!!!! Cool cat !!!!

[@NAHAJI133]

I was 18 working at Peaches Records and Tapes in Denver, He did an instore. I have some wonderful photographs and memories if him

[@robertbishop5357]

I miss record stores like Peaches.

[@gerrylavelle8433]

He was a neighbor up on Sugarload Mtn. in Boulder back in the early 80's. I was an idiotic party guy and he was always a really nice guy trying to save my soul. Meanwhile, I was such a fan of the Buffalo Springfield in high school in California that I would wear fringe leather jackets, cowboy boots and hat -- there wasn't a cow within a 100 miles. Tripping on LSD and listening to Buffalo Springfield -- yeah.

[@JohnWatson-ey4bh]

He has it together. Good.

[@treymerrillmusic]

Great interview. Thanks so much!

[@Rezcat-y6r]

Brother John. Loving this interview. You and your family have a great Monday evening. God bless.

[@jimreal3840]

Would love to see another reunion...these guys had it...

[@kande6916]

Richie Furay was to me the leading member and drove this band!!

[@monkmchorning]

It all makes sense. Stephen, the collaborator and team player--you can hear it in the arrangements and harmonies in his songs, and his post-Springfield session work. Neil was usually after something more personal.

[@angelicamichel9392]

Great interview Thankyou!!

[@stephenhall11]

I was surprised to run into Ritchie on a street corner in Berkeley in 1971. It seemed like the counterculture had reached the end of the road with Nixon's law and order politics.And the hip people were not really sure what to do or what direction to take. So we all went back home to the West Coast where it all started. We did not know whether to arm ourselves and start urban guerilla warfare,overdose on heroin or what. Somehow while we were all talking trying to figure it all,we pulled out the Bible's they gave us in Sunday school.We had not read them in years,but we kept them anyways as keepsakes. We all agreed that Jesus had been a cool dude rapping about how primary Love is in living your life.The Jesus Movement was born.I found out that Ritchie and myself listened to the same radio station in Nashville at night,the same American music. It was a thrill to harmonize with Ritchie. He has a great voice. Ritchie at the time was very unsure about his musical future. I immigrated to Israel and fought in the Yom Kippur War. I will always dig Ritchie's songs

[@Quartzsite-0901]

"fought in the Yom Kippur War"...a definition of a righteous war, thank you...I wish I did.

[@sherylleenoble]

Richie was on Huckabee Sat. Jan 29th or 30th, loved the America song!!

[@Daveman712]

Great interview! Big BFS fan! Like to hear part 1 and part 2. Did a youtube search, no results. Help?

[@RockHistoryMusic]

Thanks for watching kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYiYXqB4lKx8p80 kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5PHqIV9eN6WnLs

[@normannoriega9557]

Love you guys ✌️🌻

[@matthewkoob9453]

Buffalo Springfield Again was the best work any of them ever did.

[@richardmindemann6935]

Amen, brother. What a GREAt record.

[@Dougdenslowe714]

I could listen to Richie talk about Buffalo Springfield for a month.It’s too bad the best band in history didn’t make it, or didn’t make it on the level of CSN&Y.If they had been more patient (especially Neil) the story of BS might have been different.

[@PilgrimFL]

Young always had a reputation of moving on when he felt the need, regardless of current commitments.

[@Whostolethekishka9]

Poco 1971 ...best concert ever..

[@raymondziminski8568]

I love these stuff!!

[@aum3.146]

casual tales of the time of legends

[@jnucleo]

Buffalo Springfield's' one song "For what it's worth" set the tone for the next ten years for a world in turmoil. A silver lining in every cloud. Richie is right in saying Neil needed a solo career; even though he played with these legendary groups, his contribution to the albums was not as good as his later music. It was when he went solo that he found his voice and distinctive sound. Case in point, Buffalo Springfield's frenetic "Mr. Soul" versus the bluesy early 90's Neil Young version with just his guitar and harmonica. Neil was firing on all cylinders there.

[@coasterigh2684]

I'm sure you don't mean to say Buffalo Springfield had "one song."

[@42.0fmthefever5]

I love BSF! 😍

[@joebloggs4754]

god,,,i love this stuff!!

[@Riverdeepnwide]

Richie 👍🏻

[@benmeltzer]

I think Richie misconstrued the question, which wasn't about acrimony but about how they went about song selection with three songwriters vying for album space.

[@dennis-1983]

How perfect was it that they pulled over in Ben Frank's parking lot.

[@donaldcarpenter5328]

Neil was the same with CSNY. He saved most of his best work for his solo career. But, lets be honest. CSN before Neil joined was a "super group" that would go between solo work and band work. They ALL also performed as a group LIVE their solo work so I think Neil WAS honest with CSN . Neil couldn't help it he was so prolific. I LOVE ALL of Neil's CSNY work. I wish the CSN record wouldn't have ERASED Neil's work on it. It IS a GREAT record, but it always has seemed "thin" to me. Our brother Jim described it as "over produced". That's what happens when you erase line by line a 1/4 of what's supposed to be coming through. CSN was GREAT CSNY is even BETTER! The ENERGY of their concerts had to be EXPERIENCED. I saw CSN in 1978 and I thoroughly ENJOYED it. They sounded GREAT and they had that ENERGY they were famous for.

[@canarsie56]

One of the 60s greatest voices

[@deborah3912]

Can he explain why there we so many of the artists had parents deeply involved in the military and intelligence organizations? Why were so many of them dead at an early age? Dave McGowan's book about Laurel Canyon is an interesting read. and how did Tavistock Institute play into the music scene in the 60's and 70's??

[@sacluvsBM]

Richie "they don't let me out too often" Furay should have let Neil Young sing the songs he wrote while in Springfield but the prevailing notion between him and Mr. Stills was that Neil's voice was not very good and thus he really only got to sing Expecting to Fly and Mr. Soul. In retrospect while Neil does not have the greatest voice ever he has always had a plaintive and introspective quality to his voice that made it somehow compelling. I actually heard Neil sing a few bars of Nowadays Clancy can't even Sing. Back in the day Neil was Clancy.

[@nickpavona3326]

Furay always had a problem dealing with other band members and accepting the fact that others were more talented. He never accepted his own shortcomings and was a very bitter man for many years as those he played with rose to the top. Neil didn't have to be more honest. He was honest and his reason for leaving was the band was not as good or successful as they thought it would be, Furay still sounds a little bitter by saying Young could have been more honest, then rambles on and say he doesn't want to re-live it . He says people want to create stuff while for decades he has been the one creating stuff. It was nice to hear him accidentally admit it was Graham Parsons who brought him the music that was s influential to him. For years he was saying he was the one whose music influenced Parsons. Sorry Richie but once Young, Stills were gone in essence so were you.

[@stillastillsfan]

Nick Pavona You sound like the bitter one. Stills and Furay were an incredible vocal team. I love Neil for about the 6 great out of 50 albums he has done. Very prolific guy but a lot of s**t in there. Furthermore, CSN was the stronger of CSN and CSNY.

[@anthonyc1883]

Not only Expecting to Fly and Mr. Soul, but Neil also sang lead on Broken Arrow, Down to the Wire, Burned, and I Am a Child and maybe a couple others I can't recall at the moment.

[@jackfishcampbell6745]

I've always loved Neil's voice it's so unique . Even back here in Winnipeg when He was playing with the local bands , some people said that he couldn't sing . Bull shit he as a different but awsome voice .

[@cliffkeller8551]

would like you to leave the old photos up longer. too fleeting.

[@saifonlawrence2044]

Neil...best musician ever,but wouldn't want to hang with him.

[@donaldconnolly220]

I love the Buffalo Springfield....... Great music but everybody says that... I was born above sunset at the top of Laurel canyon lookout mountain Stanley hills on Appian way highest Street in LA...... I was born 1956...my dad bought the home up there because he was part of the Tommy Dorsey Frank Sinatra band he played saxophone.... I just want to say that what it was like in those days would you have to remember that capital records was on Hollywood boulevard.... And there was all these other recording studios places to perform....and if you weren't doing that you could be working for the movie studios doing soundtracks for them or acting..... Ladyland studios .... I worked for people who own studios.... I fixed their cars..... Why these rock stars came there as the same exact reason why my dad showed up there in the 1940s.... It was the center of it all..... If you had talent and faith in yourself it was the best shot you could take was to go there...... And that's why it seems so magical when that magic was spread from jazz to swing to rockabilly to rock and roll to symphony even.... With places like the palladium the Hollywood bowl. . It wasn't that this was some kind of a rock cauldron....... It was the center of entertainment... And it was home to me.

[@ralphalessandra2604]

Neil dropped the ball on them too many times

[@joeroganjosh9333]

I think Young said something about Stills being fine to work with in the studio but on the road he was not.......

[@designstudio8013]

Because Young has neurological issue

[@northernlight4614]

Neil needs a lot of space.

[@richardmindemann6935]

Neil is ego addled.

[@ziblot1235]

You knew Gram! Imagine how things could have been different. With you and him harmonizing. And just think, Pratt and Whitney! You would be collecting that 401K NOW!! Boy you messed up Rich! Haha. Im getting a piece of change from Honeywell these days. I saw you guys in Blacksburg VA in Summmer 1970. (VaTevch) My inlaws had given ma and my wife two pigs for a resent, Some shower. Justt when we were burning one, a Va state Trooper came up on our porch! Our house was far from the road in Chesterfield Co VA. "Did you guys lose some pigs?" Yes they were destroying the neighbors veg garden. They werent amused. I knew it would be an ordeal. They were getting big. (over 200lbs) But I had my heart set on the concert. But we were so high. And the pigs were so stubborn. Well the cop never figured it out. After all it was only 1970 and this was country. Well its a long ride from Chesterfield to Blacksburg. We made it! Its about 4-5 hour ride. Va is a long state. Gram started it. Imagine that. Take care. God bless. BTW I had to give the pigs to my inlaws. I could never have eaten them. Not Ham and Rudy.

[@hagbard72]

They weren't young, only Neil was Young.

[@PilgrimFL]

The text pop-ups during the video are REALLY annoying!

[@foureyedchick]

Buffalo Springfield was a BAND! Dusty Springfield was a SINGER! Lady Antebellum is a BAND! Lady Gaga is a SINGER!

[@lockedin60]

My music maturity hadn't reach the heights of BS before they broke up. A little bit of that was my musical sources. My local rock stations may have played the hit songs but didn't branch out yet. If I had had an older brother at college I think I would have been more in tune with BS earlier. Maybe Neil should have been more honest with the whole band.

[@patrickostrom2762]

Neil's living in the free World from the start! Living on the creativity of others with no regrets I got out of interview!

[@oppothumbs1]

Richie is lucky to have the great Neil Young songs to sing . Neil wrote and sang 35 great songs and Richie did 3 songs. Neil had more talent than anyone buy Stills. Not knocking Furry but Neil is king along with Dylan.

[@bobm549]

they were young once.

[@kande6916]

Neil never committed to shit, other then his crazy horse band and even then he left them high and dry for periods on end. That was Neil!!

[@artvallejos1460]

Neil is one of those rare musicians who can't fake it. He's got to be feeling it .

[@donaldcarpenter5328]

Can you imagine playing for TWO? Try 6 Rock & Roll SUPER GROUPS?? Buffalo Springfield was a SG so was the BYRDS, so was the English band the Hollies, I dare anyone to say Crazy Horse isn't a SG. CSN was a SG & of course CSN&Y

[@timkilburn687]

Buffalo Springfield was rock's first super group.

[@sbearly]

Except that the definition of a supergroup is members of other groups or of artists with solo careers coming together to form a group. You could call Cream or CSNY supergroups, but not Buffalo Springfield.

[@MichaelSSmith-hs5pw]

It’s a proven fact that Rick Nelson & the Stone Canyon Band were the FIRST Country Rock Band! 🎶

[@chevyyyyyyy]

I am surprised at just how many interviewees pick their noses. Richie and Coppola for two.

[@johnnygeejr500]

just play good music.......................stifflel the talk

[@garyt7830]

Sorry Ritchy you did not have the Max, what it takes, to be the same superStars, as Stephen and Neil .. You were good supportive back ground . Do not embellish your self..

[@gibson3798]

Neil needs to examine his feelings for Crosby. He’s been a far bigger jerk to people than Crosby.

[@gotoads3618]

Buffalo Springfield rocks. Too bad Richie joined the Trump cult. There's little chance Neil and Stephen want to reunite ever again with him. Richie's facebook posts are absolutely bonkers. So sad.

[@crisprtalk6963]

Too much was made of this band.. they were not around long and frankly their contribution to music was not that great.

[@kgjunior247]

Have to disagree. Not enough is made of how they influenced the entire Southern California sound. You can't talk CSN, CSNY, Poco, Eagles and all the solo stuff from Neil, Steve and Richie without giving a nod to the Springfield.

[@kgjunior247]

Not to mention their impact on Eric Clapton...

[@stonehobson2487]

Troll

[@jamesfitzgerald6636]

The Byrds were the best

[@halbertkuykendall3884]

Unbelievable! You are so wrong!