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FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH:
THE STORY OF BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD
by John Einarson with Richie Furay
There's somethin' happening here,
What it is ain't exactly clear.
There's a man with a gun over there,
Tellin' me I gotta beware.
I think it's time we stop,
Hey, what's that sound,
Everybody look what's going down.
- For What It's Worth, Stephen Stills, 1966
An updated, expanded edition of "For What It's Worth: The Story of Buffalo Springfield" was published
in early 2004 and can be ordered at Amazon.com.
Used versions of the first edition are also available.
John Einarson's latest book, Desperados - The Roots of Country Rock chronicles the history of Southern California country rock from its rise from an unknown form, to a genre that spawned the best selling
album of all time: The Eagles Greatest Hits.
And keep an eye out for John's next effort, a biography of The Byrd's Gene Clark, entitled Gene Clark: Tambourine Man, to be published by Backbeat Books in the spring of 2005.
The lyrics from the Buffalo Springfield's 1967 hit For
What It's Worth have come to symbolize the turbulent decade of
the 1960s. Employed in virtually every documentary, television special,
and feature film (including Forrest Gump and Oliver Stone's
Born On The Fourth Of July) chronicling that era in America,
For What It's Worth has transcended the pop charts to become an
anthem, a touchstone for an entire generation. In 1967, the Buffalo Springfield
captured the restless, confrontational mood of that generation railing
against the establishment and went on to be revered as one of rock music's
most influential groups. The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock 'N'
Roll cites the band among a handful of seminal rock pioneers. A glance
at rock's greatest movers and shakers of the 1970 and 80s reveals just
how significant the Buffalo Springfield legacy has been: Crosby, Stills,
Nash, & Young, Poco, Loggins and Messina, Souther, Hillman & Furay,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse. All arose from the ashes of the Springfield.
Hailed as the quintessential sixties California pop group, the Buffalo
Springfield - Richie Furay, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Bruce Palmer, Dewey
Martin, and Jimmy Messina - spawned several rock music genres including
folk rock and country rock, with no lesser talents than the Byrds, Flying
Burrito Brothers, Jackson Browne, and the Eagles all acknowledge their
Springfield influences. Though together a mere two years, the Buffalo Springfield
managed in that short space of time to achieve a major impact on the rock
scene. Their unique California country-folk-rock sound was like nothing
heard before or since and their demise in 1968 was greatly lamented in
the music world. Their prominent place in the rock music fraternity was
formally recognized in 1997 with their long overdue induction into the
Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
Original Cover Photo
Revised Cover Photo
The event that served as catalyst to the formation of the Buffalo Springfield
was a serendipitous encounter. In a traffic jam on Sunset Boulevard in
Los Angeles in early April of 1966, Richie Furay and Stephen Stills, two
refugees from the early sixties East Coast folk boom chanced to pull up
behind a battered black 1953 Pontiac hearse bearing Ontario, Canada license
plates. Stalled in rush hour traffic ahead of them sat Neil Young and Bruce
Palmer, tired, broke and on their way out of town following a manic cross
country journey in search of their musical dreams. That fortuitous meeting
would ultimately change the face of rock music forever. Within weeks they
were setting the Sunset Strip music scene on its ears and challenging all
rivals.
The roots of the Buffalo Springfield went far beyond that fateful 1966
traffic jam. Their unique musical vision was forged from a number of seminal
music scenes and influences: Greenwich Village folk clubs, the rhythm and
blues of Toronto bars, Yorkville coffeehouses, The Beatles, Latin American
rhythms, and Nashville country music. Each member brought to the band his
own particular style and tastes to create a wholly mature, distinctive
and fresh sound. With so much energy and potential at the outset, expectations
were high enough that observers rated the band with few peers outside of
The Beatles and Rolling Stones. No other band at that time boasted as much
writing and instrumental talent. These five headstrong young musicians
and writers determined from the outset to chart their own musical course,
compromising for no one. In doing so they succeeded in creating a timeless
body of work.
For What It's Worth: The Story of Buffalo Springfield
is a revealing insiders look at an influential and groundbreaking rock
group whose tremendous talents have gone on to achieve legendary status
in the annals of rock music history. Besides chronicling the band's roots
and career, the book offers rare and personal glimpses into several seminal
music scenes, notably the Greenwich Village folk movement, the embryonic
San Francisco scene, and LA's Sunset Strip along with a lesson in the pitfalls
of the music industry. Written with founding member Richie Furay and including
the insights, recollections and reflections of band members, managers,
close friends, associates, and contemporaries, the book paints a unique
portrait of one of rock music's most beloved groups. In addition, the book
features over 50 photographs and memorabilia drawn from Richie Furay's
personal archives as well as a variety of private collections.
John Einarson is a respected music history writer with several
titles published worldwide including the best-selling biography Neil
Young: Don't Be Denied (Quarry Press, Omnibus Press), A Journey
Through The Past (Sonnentanz-Verlag, Germany), Magic Carpet Ride
with John Kay on heavy rock pioneers Steppenwolf, and American Woman,
charting the career of North American pop hitmakers The Guess Who (both
for Quarry Press-Canada, distributed by InBook-USA). An acknowledged expert
on Neil Young and the Buffalo Springfield, he has consulted on several
related books and is one of only a handful of writers to interview the
reclusive Young in depth on his early career. John has written for both
radio and television and hosted his own series on Canadian rock music history
for CBC. In addition, he has published over seventy articles in such noted
music magazines as Goldmine, Record Collector, Mojo, and Rock Express.
As a founding member of the Buffalo Springfield, Richie Furay
lived its ups and downs. Frequently at the center of the storm between
warring factions and striving to hold things together through his easy-going
personality and calming manner, Richie offers a unique glimpse into a phenomenally
talented group. His thoughtful and honest insights into the various members
presents a colorful behind the scenes look at several of rock music's key
personalities. As the focal point of the thriving LA music scene of the
latter sixties, the Buffalo Springfield was in a unique position, with
Richie as a keen observer of the era and all its trappings. Richie remains
a well-respected member of the rock music fraternity. His pivotal role
in the Buffalo Springfield and the esteem in which he is held by his former
band mates lends further credibility to this official story.
For What It's Worth: The Story of Buffalo Springfield
by John Einarson with Richie Furay - ISBN # 1-55082-184-9; published by
Quarry Press, May 1997, distributed in the USA by InBook; 310 pages, over
50 rare photographs and memorabilia, with a foreword by Richie Furay.
Revised edition - ISBN # 0-8154-1281-9; published by Copper Square Publishers, July 2004; 328 pages.
Books by John Einarson in association with Amazon.com
