Buffalo Springfield (Again?) Reunion!

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 13 Sep 2010 2:36 pm

Talk about your Eagles "Hell Freezes Over"...

I was just reading that the lineup has been announced for the annual Bridge School Benefit that Neil Young puts on every October at The Shoreline Ampitheater in the Bay Area town of Mountain View.

And one of the acts is lo and behold - Buffalo Springfield. There have been a few "idle threats" over the years that this would happen, but as far as I know it has never come to fruition in any form.

The information on the web is pretty sketchy at this point, but from what little I have read it appears that all the living former "regular" members will be involved:

Neil, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay, and Jimmy Messina.

Rick Barnhart · Post by **Rick Barnhart** » 13 Sep 2010 3:53 pm

That's great news! Buffalo Springfield tunes on the radio are rare, and always cause a bump in the volume knob.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 13 Sep 2010 6:45 pm

HOLY MOLY! THAT HAS GOT TO BE THE BEST NEWS I'VE HEARD IN YEARS! I might have to fly out there for that, if I can even get tickets...

Where did you read this info? Where can I buy tix?

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 13 Sep 2010 7:55 pm

Here is a link to one article from the San Jose Mercury:

http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci ... ck_check=1

This article doesn't mention Messina, the writer John Orr is generally pretty knowledgeable, but this is all very early in the game as far as public knowledge of the whole deal.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 13 Sep 2010 8:08 pm

And this, from today's edition of Rolling Stone Online:

Two weeks ago, Buffalo Springfield guitarist Richie Furay got a text message from Neil Young that simply said, “Call me.” “I called and he asked me if I’d be up for a reunion at the Bridge School Benefit,” Furay says. “He said, ‘If you’re into it, I think Stephen [Stills] will be into it.’ The three of us then arranged a conference call, chit-chatted for a few minutes, and planned it all out. The last time I was onstage with them was the last Buffalo Springfield show at the Long Beach Arena back in 1968. Our lives have gone in different directions and I wouldn’t say that we’re close friends, but we’re friends and its an opportunity for us to get together again for a good cause. I’m very excited.”

Furay says that Neil Young’s longtime bassist Rick Rosas will sit in for the late Bruce Palmer, while Crosby, Stills and Nash drummer Joe Vitale will substitute for the late Dewey Martin. “We’re going to play for 35-40 minutes,” Furay says. “The setlist will probably be composed of the three albums, though probably more of the first album with a few of the second album and maybe ‘On The Way Home’ from the last one. I really have no idea, though. I’m just going to show up and have a good time.” He says it will be bittersweet, however, to be up there without Martin and Palmer. “Those guys made the sound,” Furay says. “For as many people as were in and out of the Springfield, it was the five of us that really created a sound that people really remember the most.”

In the 1980s the original five members attempted to reform on three separate occasions. “All three times were at Stephen’s house,” says Furay. “The first time was pretty amazing. The second time was a little lackluster, then the third time never really happened. The rest of us were shooting for a tour, but there just wasn’t a flow.” Furay, who continues to tour in his solo career and serves as the senior pastor at the Calvary Chapel in Broomfield Colorado, said he never imagined a reunion would happen at this late date. “I didn’t give it much of a chance at all,” he says. “Whether anything happens after this, I certainly don’t know. Generally speaking, it’s Neil that gets these things set up and happening. We’re not really saying ‘Hey New York and Chicago and Miami and Denver, we’re coming to your city.’ This is two shows for charity. Everybody who gets a chance to come out and hear it will be like ‘Wow, I heard a little bit of history here.’”

Larry Tracy · Post by **Larry Tracy** » 13 Sep 2010 9:34 pm

Wow, Yeah!!! One the all time greatest bands. Mark, you going? I think we are going to shoot for sunday. I am playing sat.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 13 Sep 2010 10:08 pm

Larry, I'm not sure at this point. The following Tuesday we have tickets for Vince Gill here in Santa Rosa, and then on Thursday I'm flying to Nashville for Resosummit IV.

Might be too much too pull off, and perhaps this is just a start - maybe they'll play some other dates.

Larry Tracy · Post by **Larry Tracy** » 13 Sep 2010 11:10 pm

That sounds like a lot on your plate. If we get tickets(never know, could sell out fast) and go, will let you know how it was.

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 13 Sep 2010 11:24 pm

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Larry Miller · Post by **Larry Miller** » 14 Sep 2010 4:00 am

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 14 Sep 2010 5:26 am

Bruce Palmer was very disapointed, when the eighties reuninon didn't happen, and he felt let down by Neil Young's sudden lack of interest. Although he was once on a tour with him. I don't know if this was before or after this incident.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 14 Sep 2010 5:28 am

double post

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 14 Sep 2010 7:03 am

Larry Miller wrote:

Richie was careful to give kudos to both Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin in the article I quoted above.

So Larry, are you saying that if they decide to put together a tour, and one of the stops was Tennessee, you would decline to attend because Bruce Palmer is no longer with us?

It's only people that really know their Springfield that have the knowledge of Bruce Palmer's contribution, which was very significant, no question about it.

But if any one of the three original living members of the band were not involved, it would really stick out like a sore thumb. I think Richie Furay went out of his way to provide kudos for Bruce and Dewey for just that reason - the average Joe Blow, though they might still be able to sing the lyrics to "For What It's Worth," couldn't supply you with the names Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin.

For that matter, the lack of Jimmy Messina could also be considered a deal breaker - he was a major factor in the third album and even replaced Bruce as a full-fledged member - after all, they only made three records.

robert kramer · Post by **robert kramer** » 15 Sep 2010 12:51 pm

I saw the original Buffalo Springfield in 1968 at the Orange Bowl on the campus of the University of Florida. They were the second act on a triple bill with the Strawberry Alarm Clock (who were also great)and the Beach Boys. They walked on and Stills, Neil and Richie stood around one mic and kicked into "Rock & Roll Woman" acapella. That was only the beginning. They played hit after hit after hit. Stills did "Four Days Gone." The legendary guitar duels between Stephen and Neil were everything you've ever read about. Richie Furay: I think he IS the voice of country rock. I remember thinking at the time: this is better than the Beatles. I know that's scarilege but the Springfield really did have: "The Golden Sound." Did you know Dewey Martin had worked with Faron Young!

John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 15 Sep 2010 1:19 pm

Richie and John Einarson co-authored a book called "For What It's Worth--The Story of the Buffalo Springfield" that is a great read--still available on Amazon...

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 18 Sep 2010 1:12 pm

Duck Dunn would also be a good choice to capture some of that Bruce Palmer magic during the reunion.

Larry Tracy · Post by **Larry Tracy** » 19 Sep 2010 1:53 pm

Got my tickets for sunday. Will let you guys know how it went.

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 2 Oct 2010 4:55 pm

.. kinda ironic that Neil left off some of the Messina era Buffalo Springfield tracks when they sequenced the box set.

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 2 Oct 2010 10:50 pm

Yes, because Last Time Around is a great record. It is one of Stills' crowning achievements as a guitarist and songwriter. If anyone is not in the position to judge the sporatic nature of the band's personnel, it's Neil. He only contributed one song to that album (besides penning "On the Way Home"), and it is an open-ended throwaway. Stills was the guiding light in this band anyway. Neil continued in this fashion for CSNY, for the most part just playing on his own stuff and being absent for everything else. Stills is the man here with BS, in my opinion. This is just nostalgia for Neil, in same way that old cars and such evoke a pang of remembrance for him.

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 8 Oct 2010 4:50 pm

Awesome band. I have the boxed set with out takes. Money well spent. I read somewhere that Stephen Stills claims he and the band invented country rock before the Byrds!

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 9 Oct 2010 9:36 pm

"Go And Say Goodbye"

http://picosong.com/kQT

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 9 Oct 2010 10:47 pm

"Bluebird" performed by Bonnie Raitt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ7ERxMwBW8&NR=1

Larry Tracy · Post by **Larry Tracy** » 25 Oct 2010 12:50 am

OK, Just got back from the show. It was great. Got there just as T-bone Burnett's Speaking Clock Revue was starting. Elvis Costello was 1st and started with king of america and 3 more songs from the last album and the new one. Then Neko Case did 2 songs,Hold On Hold On and one I hadn't heard before. Then Jeff Bridges did 2 from Crazy Heart.Then Ralph Stanley did 3. There a was core band for everybody and one or sometimes 2 guys from their own bands. Russ Pahl played dobro with all the artists just mentioned. Then Elton John And Leon Russel came out with the their back up singers and burned the place down. If you didn't know, the bridge benefit is all acoustic so Russ did not play steel with Leon and Elton. He played dobro but got buried in the volume. Missed Kris Kristofferson solo( Merle Haggard had to cancel for health reasons) , Grizzly Bear and Modest Mouse. Elton and Leon did all stuff from the new album. After the revue came Pearl Jam. I have to say they were great acoustic. Great guitar interplay, had a string section on most of the songs, great dynamics. Then came Buffalo Springfield!!! Stills, Young, Furay on acoustic guitar, Joe Vitale on drums, and the guy who has been playing bass with Neil for awhile( his name is eluding me). Started out with On the Way Home, sounded great, then Rock and Roll Woman,just didn't sound cool acoustic. Then Childs Claim to Fame. Everything settled into place about a 1/4 of the way thru the song with the PA and from then on it just rocked. A killer Kind Woman with Neil on piano.A Richey Furay song ( can't think of the name), Burned, Go and Say Goodbye, incredible Nowadays Clancey Can't Even Sing, For What It's Worth with the rhythm section doing a very cool groove, Neil and Steve trading licks back and forth. Great I am a Child. Then finished it off with Bluebird and Mr Soul. Both with a lot of energy. Harmonys were great. Neil was playing a small body Martin with a single coil across the hole that just had great presence and Steve was playing various Martins. Furay's voice was so on. Just hearing those songs again was amazing and everybody (band and audience) was having a great time. It rained all the way to the show and stopped when we got there. Sprinkled on us a few times but the weather was nice to us. Oh yeah they finished with everybody on stage doing Rockin' in the Free World.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 25 Oct 2010 4:13 am

several vid's on youtube already...very kool..

t

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 26 Oct 2010 6:30 am

Thanks for the report Larry.

I checked out several of the vids on YouTube last night, and some of them were fairly decent quality. Looks like Stills has gotten that weight under control - he really had ballooned up for quite a few years. Still a great guitar player, and plays those leads on a Martin dreadnought almost like he's playing an electric.

About three years ago Richie Furay brought his band to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in SF, he was in fine voice then and he's still in fine voice. It's interesting that of the three original members he was the one positioned center stage. I think in some ways it was always a little more his band than the others, even though their most recognized hit was Stills' "For What It's Worth."

And what can you say about Neil, he keeps rolling along and has been a Bay Area "fixture" now for the majority of his life.

Yeah, you have to give the obligatory nod to no Palmer and Martin, may they rest in peace, and Messina could have certainly been up there and I don't know why he wasn't - but I can definitely see these guys taking this thing on the road. Acoustic and electric.

You read the YouTube comments below the vids, and people from presumably all over the country were excited about this reunion.