As a core member of Buffalo Springfield, Richie Furay helped create a blueprint for music that knows no bounds. Today's bands do it all the time, mixing sounds and styles until there's really no longer a name for the resulting brew. The Springfield hit upon the notion back in the late '60s as they threw in every combination of rock, folk, country, and psychedelic pop. As one of the band's principal songwriters along with Neil Young and Stephen Stills, Richie Furay helped define the swirling sound that emerged from LA's Sunset Strip to become a lasting influence on generations of musicians.
Noted during the Springfield's beginnings for his vocal contributions (he sang lead on several of Neil Young's compositions), Furay contributed an increasing number of songs to the band's repertoire. By the time of the Springfield's third and final album, Last Time Around, it was clear that he was writing some of their best material. After bridging the rock-country gap with Poco and recording a handful of solo releases, Furay today lives in Colorado, where he pastors a church and continues to make music. We had a chance to speak about the Springfield's humble beginnings, not-so-humble legacy, and their brand new Box Set.
Was it an emotional experience, going though and compiling the tracks for the boxed set?
Most of the compilation was certainly done by Neil [Young]. I heard most of it after the fact, listening to what he had done, but yeah, it was an emotional experience when I heard it. You live your life, and so many years down the road you reflect upon what you did 30 years ago, and it was touching. This was about three years ago when I went out to Neil's ranch to take a listen. I thought it was mostly a courtesy call at the time, but it didn't turn out to be that way. He was very much interested in what kind of input I would have. I think Neil did just a fantastic job. I mean, I would not have had the time or the energy or the resources to do what he did.
There are quite a few tracks on the first part of the collection that didn't make it onto the first album. Why was that?
Some would just get developed a little faster than others. Steve [Stills] and Neil were very prolific at the time. What hit us all at the same time would be what we recorded. As you listen, you can maybe hearÊ I can hear why this one was completed and worked on and why this one wasn't. One of the things that got me when I listened to this for the first time was that when we were making these demos we were singing so well together. We didn't go in to fix things up digitally like they do today. We were singing on pitch. We had our harmonies all worked out. And we would record the demo like that. Songs were just happening so fast. How one song got picked over another, I can't tell you.
How would you characterize the roles of the three main songwriters as related to the whole?
In the beginning, certainly Steve and Neil were the major songwriters. I had been working with Steve for a while before Neil even got involved. Steve and I developed a vocal sound which I think is really unique to what we were doing back when we first got started. We would sing a lot of songs in unison. We would sing a lot of songs in duet harmony. Steve and Neil were basically the songwriters. I think Neil was a little inhibited in the beginning about his voice -- I don't know why. I mean, he has a unique voice, and obviously it's been accepted over the years, but maybe it was another opportunity to allow me to use what I brought to the band best, which was my voice. Steve and Neil, they were both excellent guitar players as well as songwriters. We just had a niche between the three of us, and then adding Bruce [Palmer] and Dewey [Martin] just really brought the whole thing together. When I look back on this whole experience, if you would have tried to plan the Buffalo Springfield, it couldn't have been done. It had to happen the way that it happened. Steve and I met in New York. Steve met Neil going through Canada. I met Neil when he came down to New York. Then we all get together in California. How could you have ever planned what was to take place. It was destined, and it was pretty cool.
How receptive were the others to recording a certain member's song?
When we were starting to record, we pretty much had our first set of music that we were playing live, and that's what we went in to record. There were a few other songs, a couple songs that I'd written, maybe 'My Kind Of Love.' I don't think there was any sorting out. Maybe there was between Steve and Neil -- you know, what songs were going on. But we just laid down the songs we were playing live, and that became the album. After the first album, the band took on a little bit different complexion -- we would bring in other people. But the first album was really just the five of us.
What issues did you care most about when you were in the studio? What was your focus?
People have talked [about] that, in that we never really did capture what the band had live. But my main focus would always have been to sing the song -- just absolutely do the best that I could do -- and play the instrument. And I think that would be everybody's focus. When you go in to make a record, you want to make the best possible product that you can.
You hear about the wars between Stephen and Neil. Were they as bad as people say?
You'd have to ask them. I don't want to avoid that question, butÊ There was a lot of creativity in the band. And when there's a lot of creativity, you're gonna run into problems. One guy's gonna see one thing one way, and another guy's gonna see it another way. I wouldn't say it was any greater or any less than in some of the other bands that have to learn how to work together. We did it as best we could at the time, and when it came time to move on, we moved on. I've been looked upon in the role of a peacemaker, and I'm not sure if that's accurate or not. I would get as frustrated with some of the situations as the other guys. I think we all had our frustrations with certain things, and when those frustrations began to surface, one person might be a little more emotional than another, and I would be the one maybe to try to just hang in there. I was more or less thought of as the peacemaker, but I don't remember any real dogged out wars that were going on between the guys. People want to look for that, but I don't think it's there for them to find. There were differences of opinion. Some were worked out, and some weren't worked out.
How do you feel about the Last Time Around album?
I'm glad that we released it. I think it gave Jimmy [Messina] an opportunity to get a hold of what he was doing production-wise, and there's a lot of credit to be given to him for getting an album together that could be released. The songs are very eclectic. There's not a whole lot of consistency, as maybe there was with the first record and then the second record to a certain degree. I think the music is all real good. It gave me an opportunity to get a couple more songs written. Neil and I wrote a song together on that one; so that was fun -- an experiment. It certainly has its value. I mean, that was us.
What was your impression of the LA music scene in '66-'67?
It was exciting. There were so many bands that were going on, and so many different styles of music. I loved the interaction we had with The Byrds. The Grass Roots I really liked a lot, and Love. Being the house band at the Whisky A Go-Go was exciting. When the Springfield started and we got our first job there at the Whisky, no one had a clue as to who we were, and by the time we finished up about six weeks later, people were lining up around the block to come and hear us. That put a charge into us, to know that we really had something to offer people. People were experimenting. We weren't just locked into one sound, and I think that's one of the things that show up on the Springfield's music. Steve would write some rhythm & blues; I would write something that sounded country. As time went on, people said, 'We want you to be like another group that's popular.' We were innovators, and that was one of the neat things about the music scene at that time.
How do you feel about the No Depression/alt. country thing that's going on now?
Actually, I'm not familiar with [those bands], so I can't comment. I must be out of touch out here in Colorado. I need some music sent to me so I can catch up! With all the groups that I've been involved with, we didn't try to contrive. We just wrote what we were feeling. Being looked upon as one of the pioneers of 'country rock' ... I don't believe the Springfield would be considered in [that] vein, although we had a couple songs: 'I Am A Child,' 'A Child's Claim To Fame,' 'Kind Woman.' Later on, of course, when I was with Poco, that was something we wanted to do, to cross a bridge between country and rock. It's interesting how that's been bridged now.
How was the band dynamic different in Poco?
With Poco, we were more of a family. We were a little older; a couple of us were married. I think the whole of the group was a little closer together, more intimate than maybe the Springfield was.
What's your favorite music of the last couple years?
I'm a country music fan. I like Tim McGraw, Collin Raye, John Berry. That's the music that I've been listening to lately.
What do fans say to you when they meet you?
When they find out that you were a part of Buffalo Springfield and Poco, and a part of the Rock'n'Roll Hall Of Fame, people are pretty impressed with that. It's pretty incredible. I've led a pretty incredible life. I've lived my dreams. Still, I want to make more music. I've been able to pastor a church back here. A guy that was just here was a guy from New Jersey who'd been wanting to hook up with me. He's written to me, and we've communicated, but we'd never met -- just a big fan. It's kinda neat just to see these people. The music I've made over the years has touched their lives, and that makes it all worthwhile for me.
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