Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - How Have You Been (studio demo) - 1969

This is a cover of a John Sebastian song. Stephen Stills: As I Come of Age ©By Bill DeYoung There exists a recording of Crosby, Stills & Nash's performance at the Big Sur Folk Festival in 1969 that perfectly illustrates the inherent differences between the three men. Stills is tuning his guitar when a heckler begins harranguing the trio for "playing for money, man." Crosby and Nash engage the guy from the the stage, trying to gently explain that they're on his side, they're doing the show for free. Suddenly, the exchange is interrupted by loud cheers from the audience. "Stephen," Nash shouts, "if you push him in the pool, I'll never forgive you!" Stills is in the crowd, in the heckler's face. A gifted singer and songwriter and a brilliant guitarist, Stephen Stills has had a career with more ups and downs than the mountains of the moon. While he can be fiercely independent, his most lasting works have always been as a collaborator. His relentless perfectionism, confrontational spirit and mile--wide stubborn streak have caused him to be his own worst enemy at times; his talents have brought forth some of the most shimmering and beautiful music made in the rock 'n' roll arena. That's the way it is with art. For what it's worth, Stephen Arthur Stills was born in Dallas on Jan. 3, 1946. His father, William "Otie" Stills, was the kind of man who took on all kinds of work—selling, driving, building, fixing—and uprooted the family when he got bored, or went broke. So Stephen spent his young years in Louisiana and Illinois, and his high school years in Florida, and graduated from a tony prep school in Costa Rica. As part of the early '60s New York folk scene, Stills joined the Au Go Go Singers, a sort of poor man's New Christy Minstrels. They cut an album for Roulette in 1964. Eventually, several of the Village folkies, including Stills and his 12--string buddy Peter Tork, relocated to Los Angeles, hoping to find some action. Stills recalled answering a "cattle call" ad in the fall of 1965, for a new television program called The Monkees. "I didn't want to be in the TV show—even if they're trying to be hip, it's not gonna be hip," he said. "So I went to see the guy, and I'm kind of too cool for school, but I want to find out who's writing the songs. And they already had a deal with somebody. "I said well, I'm not really interested in this, but I know somebody you would like, he's very, very charming and I'll send him up. I called Peter and I said 'Peter, you ought to go check this out. It could put you on the map, and even if it only lasts a couple of seasons you'll have a career.' Little did I know." Contrary to legend, Stills wasn't "turned down" for The Monkees because he had bad teeth. He's always loved that story, though. The same year, fate had introduced him to Neil Young. "The leftovers from the Go Go's formed a group called the Company," Stills said. "We got a little tour through these coffeehouses in Canada. And the first one was in Fort William, Ontario, which is now called Thunder Bay. "On our second night, this kid comes in and wants to do a set in between our two shows. He was doing folk music on an electric guitar, a Gretch." The "kid" was writing his own songs—something Stills hadn't even tried yet—and his combination of musical intensity and off--the--wall humor convinced Stills and his fellow Company man Richie Furay they'd made an important new acquaintance. At that time, Stills said, "Neil wanted to be Bob Dylan. I went back to New York City and worked it out with the Night Owl to get Neil a visa, and hire him for a gig. "And I called Neil's mom, and she said 'He's broken up the band and he's living with some folksinger.' She was really vexed with him. She said 'I can't find him, Stephen, and I know that you've gone to all that trouble.'" Non--plussed, Stills went back to Los Angeles and started plotting. "I called up Richie and I said 'OK, we're gonna get a band.' He came out, and it was me and him. Next, the gods intervened, and Neil Young is on Sunset Boulevard right in front of me." Young and bassist Bruce Palmer had driven west in Young's black hearse, looking for Stills. They found each other in traffic. Buffalo Springfield had a turbulent but productive 18--month existence, bringing together folk, rock 'n' roll and country music. Stills and Furay's Everly--like harmonies, balanced by Young's dark tenor, drove the band into wonderfully unexplored places.