Watch Tom Jones perform with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young in 1969
There is little that makes us as happy as a supercharged supergroup. And, if you’re looking for perhaps the ultimate supergroup, then David Crosby, Graham Nash, Stephen Stills and Neil Young are among the greatest. Add to that stellar line-up the buttery vocals of Sir Tom Jones, and you have one of the most incredible combinations of vocal talents we’ve ever seen. Thankfully, we can relive that moment over and over as we bring you some rare footage of the Welsh singer joining the rockers.
The truth is, one of the most famous supergroups of all time happened because of another star — Joni Mitchell. The Canadian singer had been dating The Byrds performer David Crosby when she landed him the role of producer on her next LP, and during the first day of recording, an engineer told them that Buffalo Springfield were recording next door.
Recognising her old friend, Neil Young, Mitchell made a critical introduction. “You’ve got to meet Neil Young,” says the singer, before adding: “I know him from Canada. He’s in the Springfield. He’s so funny. You’re going to love this guy.” It was the first meeting of Crosby, Stills and Young and the start of their iconic band. With the addition of The Hollies’ Graham Nash, the band were one of the most potent songwriting forces around. While the likelihood of the band reconnecting rests on the shoulder of David Crosby not being mean to the partners of Graham Nash and Neil Young, there’s enough of a canon to sink your teeth into while we wait for hell to freeze over.
The trouble is, while the group’s output is one of the best from the most celebrated outfits, it pales in comparison to the wildly brilliant collaboration they shared with the smoothest voice of the Valleys. With Sir Tom Jones in tow, the group of powerhouse vocalists deliver a spine-tingling version of ‘Long Time Gone’ and ranks among one of the best bits of television from 1969. However, while Jones was more than happy to collaborate with anyone worth their salt, it was a big jump for CSNY.
At this point, the band were near the peak of their creative powers, and the cool factor permeated everything they did. It was a bit of a leap for the band to then join forces with the somewhat square Jones, who, at this point, was way off achieving his retro cool. Young’s longtime manager and friend, Eliot Roberts, told biographer Jimmy McDonough: “Neil went, ‘The Tom Jones show! What possessed you? It’s that shit.’ He always used to say ‘that shit.’ Crosby had this weed of doom… Neil never forgave me for that. He ripped me about it for a very, very long time. Years.”
Using his television show, Jones would work alongside some of the greats of the business, including Stevie Wonder and Janis Joplin, but few would provide the ample rock backing that CSNY do.
