For a band that was united for so little time, Buffalo Springfield achieved the accolades of a band that had been together forever - defining sounds on the musical landscape, bringing a generation together and producing high profile members who went on to even bigger projects.
Buffalo Springfield, like so many bands in the '60s, was formed on the Los Angeles boulevard. Unlike most bands, it was actually formed on a Los Angeles boulevard. Two friends from New York City, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay, spotted a peculiar thing while stuck in traffic in Los Angeles a hearse with Canadian license plates and knew it could be none other than their old acquaintance, Neil Young. The two stopped Young on the street and set the wheels in motion. The three men recruited Dewey Martin and Bruce Palmer and christened themselves Buffalo Springfield, a name taken from a steamroller they spotted on the street.
Buffalo Springfield made a name for themselves on the Sunset Strip, performing legendary sets at the infamous Whiskey a Go Go. Before long, they had created an industry buzz and were signed to Atlantic Records' Atco label.
The band released their first album in 1966, which contained their biggest hit, "For What It's Worth," penned by Stills. The single, an anthem detailing the tension between young people and police on the Sunset Strip, didn't actually appear on the original release. Atco released it as a single in 1969 and due to its success, the album was pulled and re-released with the hit song included. The album made Buffalo Springfield one of the top folk-rock bands of its time.
From the beginning, Buffalo Springfield weathered internal disagreements, especially between Stills, who favored an edgier rock sound, and Young, who favored a more melancholy vibe. However, many agree that these conflicts also helped the band create their distinctive sound a blend of folk-rock, psychedelic orchestration and country.
This sound became even more defined on the group's second album, Buffalo Springfield Again, considered the group's masterpiece. The band was allowed to produce the album on their own in the studio without supervision from their label almost unheard of at that time.
After the release of Buffalo Springfield Again, the band's internal problems became too much to bear. Young flip-flopped in and out of the group, while their bassist, Bruce Palmer, was deported back to Canada. Buffalo Springfield officially called it quits after only eighteen months of performing together. Their third and final album, Last Time Around, was pieced together by band member Jim Messina after the group's breakup.
The members of Buffalo Springfield continued their musical legacies after their breakup - Neil Young embarked on an eclectic but successful solo career, in addition to joining Stephen Stills on his Crosby, Stills, & Nash project, while Jim Messina and Richie Furay went on to form the country rock-group Poco.
Despite their short time together, Buffalo Springfield brought a unique twist to the folk-music scene that left a lasting impression on popular music as we know it. The burgeoning talent of Buffalo Springfield's members allowed them to become a lasting force, both as a group and in their own realms.
Source: http://www.elektra.com/elektra/buffalospringfield/artistbio.jhtml
