The band that connects Buffalo Springfield and the Eagles
The development of country rock in the early 1970s was a radical evolution. Even though artists like The Rolling Stones and The Byrds had experimented with country leanings in the 1960s, a whole new wave of bands began to take up the mantle during the 1970s. Groups like The Flying Burrito Brothers and The New Riders of the Purple Sage were playing country music to hippie crowds, revolutionising the way country music was being looked at.
For a host of musicians, the roots of the country rock boom actually started in other genres. When the original lineup of Buffalo Springfield, the psychedelic folk outfit that broke through to the mainstream with songs like ‘For What It’s Worth’ and ‘Mr. Soul’, hit the skids in 1968, and the members scattered to new projects, it was a seismic change in musical culture.
Neil Young, who helped facilitate the band’s break up, initially wanted to focus on his solo career. However, after Stephen Stills found success in the supergroup Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Young was recruited to make the trio an even more powerful quartet. Original bassist Bruce Palmer had been deported back to Canada on drug charges, causing new bassist Jim Messina to step into the band for a short time before they disbanded.
Drummer Dewey Martin attempted to form a new version of the band, with the band name of “The New Buffalo Springfield”, but Stills and Young quickly shot that down. That left Messina and guitarist Richie Furay, both of whom were looking for a more country direction with their next project. Together, the pair formed the first lineup of Poco.
Furay and Messina were joined by drummer George Grantham and steel guitarist Rusty Young, but they also needed a high tenor voice to complete their harmony blend. Enter bassist Randy Meisner. Meisner was set to be a co-lead singer with the band, but when Furay and Messina excluded him from the post-production of their debut album Pickin’ Up the Pieces, Meisner quit. His lead vocals were replaced by Grantham, and his picture in the album’s cover painting was replaced by a dog.
Meisner’s replacement was Timothy B. Schmidt, a similarly high-voiced bass player. Meisner didn’t have to wait long to find another job. After a brief stint with Ricky Nelson, Meisner was hired as a bass player and backup singer for Linda Ronstadt. There, he met Don Henley and Glenn Frey. The two were eager to start their own band and managed to convince Meisner to join them as a bass player and vocalist. Along with former Flying Burrito Brothers guitarist Bernie Leadon, the quartet formed the first lineup of the Eagles.
Schmidt continued to play with Poco for nearly a decade until he received a familiar call. Meisner was out of the Eagles, and Schmidt was called upon to replace him. Poco would prove to be a pivotal band in the evolution of the country rock genre, but for many, they’re the farm team for the Eagles.
