Yahoo LAUNCHCAST Song Of The Day-Buffalo Springfield

Artist:Buffalo Springfield

Song:For What It's Worth

Album:Retrospective:Best Of The Buffalo Springfield

Considering that they were only around for a couple of years and only made three albums, Buffalo Springfield and their biggest hit For What It's Worth was very influential on much of the music that came after. Apparently the genesis of the group was when Stephen Stills (born Jan. 3, 1945 in Dallas) & Neil Young (born Nov. 12, 1945 in Toronto) met at a folk club in Thunder Bay, ON. Young was leading his group The Squires and Stills was on tour with The Company. Soon after Stills & Richie Furay (born May 9, 1944 in Yellow Springs, OH) moved to Los Angeles to make it in the music business. Meanwhile Young met Mynah Birds bassist Bruce Palmer (born Sept. 9, 1946 in Toronto). Young joined The Mynah Birds but their record contract was cancelled when lead singer Rick James was arrested for draft evasion. So they moved to Los Angeles in 1966 looking for Stills. Stills & Furay were driving on Sunset Blvd. when Stills spotted what he thought was Neil Young's hearse. They got together and hired Dillards drummer Dewey Martin (born Sept. 30, 1940 in Chesterville, ON) and Buffalo Springfield was born. The name came from the side of a steamroller. They signed with Atco Records in 1966. For What It's Worth was their second single and most memorable song. It reached #7 on the Billboard Singles Chart. Stills wrote the song in the aftermath of the 1966 Los Angeles riots and it is now considered a milestone of anti-war sentiment. For What It's Worth was revived in a major way when Public Enemy sampled it for their 1998 hit He Got Game. Buffalo Springfield didn't last long because Stills & Young constantly bickered. By the time they performed at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, Young had already left the group. They brought in Jim Messina to replace Young but Buffalo Springfield split up in May 1968. This comp is perfect. Of course Stills & Young reunited in Crosby Stills Nash & Young but they still didn't get along. Both have had significant solo careers. Richie Furay had a lot of success with his group Poco. Bruce Martin had drug problems and moved back to Canada in 1977. He died in 2004. Dewey Martin had his own group called Medicine Ball but became a car mechanic in the mid-70s. Buffalo Springfield were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1996. Here's Buffalo Springfield performing For What It's Worth on the Smothers Brothers show in 1967.