I saw a post of Facebook the other day that made me laugh.
Not humorous-type laugh, but that’s-so-goofy laugh.
“Name a ’60s group that younger people wouldn’t have heard of.”
To start the discussion, the poster named an obscure, nearly unknown group called … Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Say what?
What’s next? The Beach Boys? The Beatles?
For two or three years starting in 1969, CCR was as popular an American band as there was. And with the birth of Oldies stations in the ’70s and a culture that never really goes away, neither did Creedence.
There was, however, a great band whose members went on to amazing careers that is all but forgotten today.
Buffalo Springfield.
Yes, many people remember “For What It’s Worth,” a song that became a counterculture anthem, but try to name one other song the group did. This song reached the top 10 on the Billboard charts and was in fact the only song by the group that even broke into the top 40.
But calling the Springfield a one-hit wonder is about as inaccurate or misleading as it gets. They released three memorable albums from 1966-68, and their members went on to some of the best and most successful groups of the 1970s.
Who were they? Well, two of them were guys named Neil Young and Stephen Stills. Yiou may have heard of them.
The lead singer was Richie Furay, who went on to Poco and the Souther-Hillman-Furay band.
There was also a guy named Jim Messina, who joined with Kenny Loggins to perform as Loggins & Messina.
Not bad, huh?
They had a number of other great songs — “Bluebird,” “Mr. Soul,” “Rock and Roll Woman,” “Expecting to Fly” and “On the Way Home” are just a few. Sadly, the band didn’t last. Part of it was just the ’60s and more might have just been too much talent and too many egos.
Along with another Southern California group of the time, the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield was a big part of the beginnings of both folk rock and country rock.
They were truly special.
And as a bad, they are all but forgotten.