Buffalo Springfield's Hearse: Breakdown to Breakthrough

0:00On April 4th, on April 11th, 1966, Buffalo Springfield hit the stage for their debut gig at the Trubidor in Los Angeles. The lineup featured Richie Furey, Stephen Stills, Dewey Martin, Neil Young, and Bruce Palmer all crashing in the city by then. But Young and Palmer rolled up in style, driving a beat-up Black Pontiac curse straight from Toronto, Ontario, a grueling trip of over 2000. Earlier, Young had crossed paths with Stills at a spot called the Flamingo, up in Thunder Bay. They clicked, but Young was hustling solo gigs across Canada. He linked up with the minor birds, and R&B crew, fronted by Rick James, even snagged the Motown deal. That fell apart when James got busted for dodging the Navy Reserve, so Young and Palmer's sole gear grabbed the hers and aimed for the West Coast, promised land. Meanwhile, cruising towards San Francisco, they got spotted by Stills and Furey, who recognized the Ontario plates on that wild ride.

1:00Stills remember Young's old hers from before, pulled over, and just like that, the piece is fell into place for a new band. Everyone saw the spark right away. Not long after, that trusty hers gave out driveshaft, dropped on Sunset Boulevard, while heading back from a manager's office. No cash to fix it, end of the road. Still, the guys raved about its perks, room for the whole crew and gear, curtains for privacy, even a slide-out tray, perfect for unloading at gigs. What a launch pad for Buffalo Springfield, turning a breakdown into breakout sounds that shaped rock history. You've been listening to Music News today, AI-powered music coverage.