The passing of David Crosby days after Jeff Beck reminds us that we are losing our heroes at increasing pace. SUPPORT Pop Goes the 60s on PATREON: rb.gy/nhcy3
I met David Crosby in a hotel lobby in DC. I said "Hello David Crosby!" and he happily replied back Hello, asked my name and we spoke for about a minute. He could not have been a kinder, more genuine (and funny) person; I had just gotten married a few months earlier and he offered good advice.
@@jg6698 He too commented on his "life experiences" with marriage and his significant other walked up when we were discussing this and we all had a laugh. He advised I give her all the love and support in the world and she would give it back. He was right 💞 22 years later
This was inevitable, and David made no secret of it. But it still is sobering; it's hard to lose a voice that has accompanied you through life. As a human, he was flawed as we all are. But he never stopped trying to better himself. He kicked his habit, he mended fences with family and friends (but, being Dave, he opened new rifts with others), he became productive again, he passed along wisdom to younger generations. His musical renaissance in the last ten years was the most striking of any deceased rock star; five strong albums with a sixth on the way. He got his documentary out. He left us with a lot to celebrate. Despite his many misadventures, the world was a better place for his being in it.
He had an incredible voice. He filled out the harmony of CSNY while his voice is almost undetectable. If you listen closely, you hear how he fills out and completes the harmony without being flashy. That's really difficult to do. But he did it better than anyone else I've ever heard. The world is a worse place without him.
He gets a lot of respect from me…all the way back to the Byrds. That voice for harmony was peerless . Like you mentioned while back, we are gonna start losing a lot of these greats in the next few years, many are approaching or over 80… it’s bound to happen but the legacy of music they are leaving won’t die. His work is timeless.
It´s really sad being a 20-something-year-old guy and discovering, over the past year, so much great music from the 60s and 70s and now, just as you discover it, it starts fading away; first, McVie, then Beck, and now Crosby. May they rest in peace and may their music live on.
Growing up with the music, we thought it would never die. Meaning we believed the music makers would live forever , and in our hearts, they will. Keep on listening and you will keep them alive.
@Miguel Riscado Thanks Miguel , There is solace in music which keeps it alive in all of us in ways special to every different person who listens. Music has always been a window to the world for me. Like watching a movie about a foreign land when we may never venture beyond our hometown or neighborhood in our lifetime. Every artist who contributes to music has created a new window. It's up to us as listeners to look out those windows. It's up to us as listeners to explore and find new music outside of our preferred comfort zone , beyond our favorite genres. Some of which may be years ahead of our preferred tastes. I try to listen to a new artist every day, how about you?
@@malcolmharing3744 i am slowly discovering albums i had never heard. I choose a band and listen to all their albuns. It takes some time but i've been travelling through the 60s like this
Nice tribute Matt. Whether one liked him or not, he was a pivotal figure in music. A lot of people don't understand how important and influential the Byrds were. And then CSN, His partnership with Nash. Great singer. Rest in peace David Crosby
My kids call it "old man music" and my wife says "I live in the past." They are both right and wrong. This music, their voices, are part of my DNA and my Soul. Listen to Turn,Turn,Turn and tell me it doesnt give you chills to hear those harmonies.
No auto tunes for David. He had a beautiful voice. I love all his work with the Byrds. Those first 5 albums are incredible but my fav song by him is “Guinevere” on the first CSN album. Such a beautiful song. What a legend. ✌️
What an incredible voice. Absolutely loved his songwriting style and what he did with open tunings on the guitar. The Byrds version of Triad is one of my favorite songs ever. RIP Croz.
Oh my Goodness. RIP David Crosby. If he only knew how important his music was to me and so many back in the day. Maybe he did. I am long time sober Matt, but I don’t want you to run out of bourbon either. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and stories.
David Crosby was a true musical icon, his contributions to music history will be remembered forever. His voice, songwriting, and harmonies were truly unique and timeless. His work with The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young had a huge impact on music, and his solo work was equally impressive. He will be greatly missed. Rest in peace, David Crosby.
A very sad day David Crosby was such a unique singer, guitarist and writer. His 60’s demos (voice and guitar ) are stunning and ahead of the times (everybody has been burned, lady friend etc ) For me his voice was the sound of California, a beautiful golden soaring sound that has influenced me greatly. Thank you This video is a lovely tribute RIP David Crosby 😢
A very sad day that we kind of expected but were never prepared for. I saw CSN in Vancouver in 2005. What struck me was what I can only describe as the sweet power of David's voice. NOBODY else sings like he did. A great great loss to the music world.
If I Could Only Remember My Name is highly underrated in my opinion. Mellow, melancholy, melodic and at times darting through the soul. Thank you David. Ps, I almost cut my hair I feel like.letting.my Freak Flag.fly.
@J G It's not my idea of soft rock for that or any era. Not close. Soft rock or pop then was different from the rock that was just beginning to incorporate a blend of country and folk, not to mention incredible harmony, and all cohesive . But you're right it was underrated but it opened many doors for groups looking for their niche. ( referring to the CSN debut) But David's first solo was different as well. In a good way , for my ears and my taste.
@@malcolmharing3744 glad you like it. It was slammed unmercifully by the press when it came out and that was the verdict for many a year. I happen to agree with them. Then with the resurrection of Crosbys career a new group of fans felt obligated to say its good. That's cool. It's a sure cure for insomnia in my opinion.
RIP Mr. Crosby. I learned that while The Byrds were touring the UK in the Autumn of 1965, David taught John Lennon the open E5 chord (open 1st 2nd and 6th strings 7th fret -5th string 9th fret - 3rd and 4th strings) John then played the E5 chord on the songs If You've Got Troubles and Day Tripper. Rough week RNB
Thanks, Matt! When the love of his life died, David really went off the deep end. He had a long crawl back to some sort of respectability, but I love him for it. I will forever be grateful for his singular voice. Godspeed, Crosby.
So hard to conjure up words but what a voice of an angel.... So talented beyond words and truly never forgotten. Really challenging to get through my work day after hearing the news. Thanks Matt for posting this.
Thanks for putting this together Matt. I always got the impression that he carried his notoriously 'difficult' label not with pride, but as a seemingly unshiftable burden. He has left both a big hole and a hell of a musical legacy. I'm glad he was here.
I bought my first byrds albums in '67, and continued over the decades following David. Met him twice. His style of writing and playing continues to influence my guitar playing to this day. Very sad to lose Croz.
It’s been a tough few weeks… First Christine McVie, then Jeff Beck, now David Crosby… Irreplaceable talents. But what a legacy of great music they left behind! You will all be missed💔☮️🎶
RIP David! He had an amazing career-his harmonies add so much to The Byrds & CSN. His voice remained strong until the end. I really enjoyed his recent albums (Sky Trails, Here if You Listen, For Free) which had a Court&Spark/Steely Dan vibe to them. His interest in sitar music rubbed off on George Harrison during the Beatles ‘65 tour. He definitely was a challenging personality with many issues, but he recognized that and became everyone’s favorite hippie uncle in the end!
I’ve been to hundreds of concerts since 1963, in folk, rock, blues, jazz and progressive music. In 1996, Crosby and Nash played the Lobrero Theatre in Santa Barbara. Just the two of them. They had the whole audience weeping at the profoundly moving energy in their performance. A show that sits at the pinnacle of my experience, just below Return to Forever at the Paramount in Seattle during their last tour. I literally couldn’t speak for easily four hours after that show. Even though most of my lifespan is behind me, I’m so thankful I got to experience so many truly talented people. It’s a shame that most of the current younger audience haven’t a clue how diverse and great music used to be.
The amount of great music from the mid-sixties until the mid-seventies was an explosion of incredible music. Thankful that I grew up in that era. A great voice. I’m sorry that I never saw them live. RIP David. 🎆☮️
David gets a ton of respect from me. A truly inspired musical artist and I also highly admired his unrepentant individuality, honesty and rebellion. And he was an easy default punching bag in the public eye for all the problems, but the other three were no saints either.... all of them said or did less than kind and respectful things to each other etc..... and none of that matters now. His creative gifts and his influence are immeasurable.
As always, nice Matt… I am thinking of that Beatle interview when David keeps popping his head out from behind the curtain. Thanks for keeping the 60s alive!
So nice to see all the praise for David. That beautiful voice never left him, it was there right to the end. We have a large body of work to continue to enjoy, and his voice and music will fill the rooms of my home for many years to come. The music remains. As Graham Nash so rightly pointed out - "that is all that really matters".
One of my favorite pop songs of all time is Lady Friend (1967), of which there are several versions floating around on RU-vid. Arguably never properly produced and mixed, but still one of the greatest by any singer/songwriter. Anyway, that's how I will remember David Crosby most.
Fantastic retrospective of David. In London CrosbyNash played The Royal Festival Hall and Nash told everyone how to play piano (put your fingers on the black notes) 😂 A very intimate show I’ll never forget. Then many moons later Crosby discovered he had a son. His band played a small London gig and David sang played with his son throughout the show and afterwards David signed autographs and spoke with the fans who stayed after the gig. Never forget that night too. Loved all David’s music especially The Lee Shore. 😢 RIP.
You know David's voice when you hear it very essential to the Byrds and Crosby Stills Nash and Young plus he contributed greatly in terms of his compositions and under-rated rhythm guitar playing . Another well learned wise legend gone
Wonderful video on David Crosby. He was an American original for sure. The Byrds were my favorite group back then and CSN. He left a great mark on music for sure. He may have been a bit cranky, but a pretty cool guy. My wife enjoyed the video too. Said you were one person I listen to with a brain. You're the best Matt.
Rest in peace to David Crosby and Jeff Beck,Robbie Bachman-,and Lisa Marie as well as the bassist for the screaming trees. This is getting crazy in first part of year..
Brother Matt! It was truly a privilege to share David’s music growing up in the 60’s. Eight Miles High, Wooden Ships, and Long Time were my anthems in my teenage years. We’re all standing in line Brother and to quote a line from David’s Wooden Ships; “We are leaving, You don’t need us “. RIP David. Thank you for posting this, Matt. God bless.
All the old ones are leaving us now, time ticks on as they slip through the back door. All the songs are silenced now, they won't be sung like that anymore. All the old ones are leaving us now, and with them a part of ourselves dissolves onto the cosmic floor. All the old ones are leaving us now, the harsh push of time withers them away, each passing day, slowly taking them all away.
For me, the central figure of the Byrds' history, along the harmonies and instrumental, with wonderful creations like "Everybody's Been Burned"; "It Happens Each Day"; "Lady Friend"; "Tribal Gathering". Also in instrumentals like "Strange In A Stranger's Land" or jams like "Psychodrama City". All these great compositions showing his talent. After Byrds; it came CSN. What a great musical legacy! Rest in peace, David Crosby!
Interesting that you included "Tribal Gathering" off The Byrds Notorious Byrd Bros., because he was officially not a Byrd by that time and not pictured on the cover. However, those in the know are aware that he does appear on 2 or 3 tracks. Maybe more (?) 😻✌
@@jeffclement2468 Crosby appears on "Old John Robertson”, "Change is Now", "Tribal Gathering", "Dolphin's Smile", "Goin' Back" (alt. version); rhythm guitar on "Draft Morning” as well as bonus tracks “Triad" & "Bound to Fall”.
@@MrPhilfridge Liner notes in the lp and cd version of Never Before, released in 1987 & 1989. It gives extensive sessions notes including instrumentation and recording dates.
Thanks for honouring David. My take on David's most memorable contribution was his contribution to two - four part harmonies where often he sang the mid to high notes adding a unique quality to the harmony.
I've always been delighted David Crosby was still around! I never had the actual thought but when he was dealing with everything in the eighties, if you had asked me I'd say "Yeah. He ain't gonna make it." It just seemed a foregone conclusion that he wouldn't live long. Looks like he made it to 82? I should be so lucky! Extremely talented folks are often extremely difficult to deal with. I'm very happy he was in our world and that he lived a long full life. That photo of him with his dad is hilarious. He's sitting there all hippie-ed out looking sheepish. His dad looks like a POW prisoner thinking "What have I done?" And David looks like he's thinking "Yeah. What did you do? Look at me!" Or it looks like some sort of promotional photo from a Hippie/Square peace conference. I love it!
Hi Matt. Losing David Crosby broke my heart. I brought my 45 of 'Our House' (A side) and 'Deja' Vu' (B side) to Art class in 8th grade. I have 'Hero' Crosby & Collins on my phone. Crosby has almost always been in my life. CSN&Y next to The Beatles is my favorite group. I saw loved all your Byrds videos. I love so many David Crosby songs I can't list them here mostly because I'm crying. Crosby moved me as few did. Guinnevere was my favorite CS&N song. You hear the first couple of notes and you know what's coming. Thank you Matt. Godspeed David.
Turn, Turn, Turn, Mr. Tamborine Man and Eight Miles High...AM radio. The Byrds, So wonderful to listen to, and sing with. I ran to buy the 45's. Not to mention the flip sides, and the years of great music to follow. I am so glad he shared his great talent and had some great happiness.
I saw him at Monterey Pop Festival in 67 when I was 12, my older sister was an usher there and we lived nearby. He played with the Byrds and sat in and played with Buffalo Springfield and I heard he sat in with a third band as well. (? I don't know?) I saw him again in Sun Valley, Id. around 2004 with the reunited CS&N and Lance Armstrong and Cheryl Crow were on stage dancing and members of David's family members were on stage as well. Nice video......
Thank you, Matt. As difficult as David Crosby could be, it's his music that is now the only judge. I first knew of Crosby from my elder sister's records, containing every CSN and CSNY album she could find. I was already a fan of several other groups and harmonies are one of the things that always stood out for me, even at a very young age. My mum would tell me I was singing harmony lines before I could speak. Through my sister and then my own explorations, I discovered the Byrds connection as well as other favourites in The Hollies and Buffalo Springfield. When I helped form my first band, I mostly sang a high tenor part, but always focused on harmonies. Even when I was taking lead, I would sometimes slip into a harmony line. Amongst other nicknames my bandmates gave me, I was also referred to as our stealth tenor and our David Crosby. Knowing Crosby's incredible voice, I could only hope to live up to those beautiful lines I loved to hear him sing. Rest well, Mr. Crosby. May you know the peace your soul often struggled to find.
@@popgoesthe60s52 Hahahaha! Definitely the voice 🤣and, yes, a high compliment. It still took a while to sing lead all the way through, though. Crosby was better at it ♥
yup another one bites the dust the 60s are almost all gone,thank the powers that be for the ones still standing....i am grateful,thanks for hangin in here musicians....
Aside from the music, David was a lot of fun on Twitter. Sometimes his outspokenness there (his dislike for the Doors, comments following the passing of Eddie Van Halen, etc) sparked some controversy, but he also excelled at rating people's rolled up joints and was outspoken in terms of the pittance that streaming services gave to artists. He engaged with people on Twitter a great deal, including myself, one time resulting in an especially ribald reply from him. I also saw him in concert with CSN and was so impressed with his youthful voice. I will miss him a great deal.
I was always amused by that story of when David Crosby was going in for his liver transplant, Graham Nash was there to see him off. Before Crosby was brought in for the delicate 8 hour transplant surgery, Nash looked at Crosby and said. “You better not leave me with Stills”.
Nice going. David had a beautiful voice. Those early Byrds albums were what I was into most as a teen in the mid late 70’s. Mr. Tambourine Man LP. Eight Miles High their best song. They were what I listened to most. I will check out your Byrds material.
I interviewed David back in 2003 just before his show with Nash and Stills at the Garden The project was supposed to be a part of an ad campaign for Sony. We'd already recorded the track Carry On for a TV ad. .The ad shot by legend director Jo Pytka later appeared on the Super bowl, It's on You tube called "the trip", The campaign we had in mind was aimed at the "boomer generation"-(Hate that name btw) but when we brain stormed possible names that represented that generation David was at the very top of my list. The agency music producer had a connection to Crosby, so he called him up. The first bands I played back in 72 were modeled on acoustic guitars and 3 part harmonies that CSNY pioneered so brilliantly. Although Nash was a fellow Englishman and a lovely man (I believe) it was Crosby that I followed and found a soulful middle voice that lifted the others even higher. When we found out that he was coming to play at the Garden I jumped at the chance to get an interview with the man-my musical hero as research for the campaign. He was perfect for our campaign and we researched him through interviews. We headed over to interview him in his hotel room near Central Park, I called the elevator, got in and was joined by a large guy with a hat, it was Stephen Stills and wife. 2 guitar gods in one day, Was I hallucinating? Crazy. During that 1 hour interview, David was invited by my prodding to expand on his own philosophy- of that time -that he named, Forward Momentum. It was without doubt one of the most interesting 60 minutes I have ever had with another human being. He was straight to the point and articulate and we rarely spoke about the music. Funny thing was that it was music. That voice those experiences. No bragging or showing off. Pure, honest and brilliant. Last year I was going through old video material for a music project I am working on. There were 2 tapes labelled forward momentum. David was.a cat and he lived each and one of those many lives. He knew it and his dues are the music he left behind. I am going to digitize the tapes and get his thoughts out there for all you fans. We said goodbye that day and I was invited to sit in front row seats to watch the band that influenced me all those years ago, David you live on. Thank you for those front row seats to your greatness.
Oh what a voice. As a child i would buy the byrds 45s. Then the crosby stills nash albums i liked the csn album from 1977 best . So glad they did that doc of his life a few years ago. Rip
The dog intermission was a super highlight...Clearly a music fan. We have to come to terms with the fact that we're slowly and painfully losing our "heroes'. I am struggling with that. Well done Matt, greetings from Greece.
As a tribute I cranked up “Carry on” “Wooden Ships” and “Long Time Gone.” Just astonishing songs, so timeless and modern sounding and they were done in 1969
Thanks Matt. Very sad to hear of David's passing. I grew up listening to his solo album 'If I could only Remember my Name' and still enjoy it today, esp 'Laughing' with Garcia's wonderful pedal steel guitar. I also love the production on that album.
I remember smoking pot near the airport with guys from my highschool hockey team listening to 4 Way Street on the 8 track.The version of Carry On was a HIGHlight.Pun intended. RIP DC.
On August 1965 Crosby sat with George at the house The Beatles were renting on Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles, playing some exotica raga phrases in his 12-strings guitar and discussed the music of Ravi Shankar with George. On October, back at Abbey Road Studios, George -while recording the descending melody of "Norwegian Wood"- might have had that meeting in mind (from Macdonald's "Revolution in the Head")
Once again a pleasure. You are sitting with my CSN&Y-collection there - and should do more specials on them. The solo albums as well as all the combinations. Could be good fun to exchange thoughts 'bout this huge treasure behind us. Up-winds from Copenhagen
Another great tribute Matt. Was fortunate to see Crosby Stills and Nash in Adelaide South Australia. Went alone as nobody want to go with me, their loss. Such a great night.
The best Crosby tribute I've seen so far. Can't help to mention a few of my favorites, He Was a Friend of Mine, John Riley, Rennesaince Fair, Triad, and Everybody's Been Burned. I'd also love to see your dog, Boogie(?), in all your videos.
I love what you do my friend. I know quite a bit about some grouped like beatles, dion and the Belmonts, ELVIS etc I am 68 years old ,I know I'm old but seen quite a few concerts growing up in the BRONX , and long Island. But till I found your channel I thought I knew it all , now I look forward to all your videos cause I learn a lot from you. THANK YOU FRANK FROM MONTANA.......
Thanks Matt, very respectable video. It was 20 years ago when I had the terrible thought that. I will live long enough to watch all my music hero's pass.
Sadly, we're going to see more and more of these artists dying as many of them are entering their 80's. But as Crosby has said, 'People get old and die. It's how life works.' For David, a new adventure begins!
Thanks for sharing this Matt! Learned a lot about him and his relationships with Nash from Graham's autobiography "Wild Tales: A Rock & Roll Life". I've always loved how David's voice has been sitting right in the middle of the CSN harmonies. What a voice! Soft and tender, and so articulate.
Although I’ve been a music fan for all my life, I didn’t really get into CSNY until 4 years ago. Needless to say my life was never the same. Sadly, I never got the chance to see them, either as a group or as solo. Crosby’s death hit me strongly. But also motivated me to go watching Graham Nash in his next tour. I need to see one of those guys at least once. I’m jealous (in a good way) of all of those who got the chance to see them. Hope you all know how valuable this is
I stayed up late one night n listened to all your Byrd's reviews when he died..I was very sad that night.. just a kid when he started out ..a little girl...his voice ..so distinctive..but even with all his growing pains and darkness ..he made up for it all later in life..we don't know until we walk in someone else's shoes 👟.Thanks for all the research you do.. which I am very interested in too..love your dog Bogie🧸
Matt, thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and honoring these amazing musicians like David Crosby. I recently finished a series of vocal harmony classes where we learned several CSNY songs, the harmonies are so beautiful. I wasn't super familiar with the CSNY catalog and it was a treat to learn more about their music. I recently found your channel through my love of the Beatles and am in the process of watching all your videos starting at the beginning. Although my teen years were in the 70s, my favorite decade is the 60s, so I'm really loving your channel. Thanks again!
I appreciate you taking the time to check out my videos from the beginning - that is a big compliment! CSN do a great cover of the Beatles "Blackbird". The Beatles should have done 3-part harmony on it!
Very sad Matt another one of my all time favs glad I got to see the man perform great vocalist think David had a idea he was running out of time health he had his moments with band mates which well documented however take nothing away from the man He will be sadly missed
Excellent tribute to a truly gifted artist. The number of detailed comments below show what an impact Crosby made on the world of music. I would add only a few extras: after being fired from The Byrds, Crosby used his star power to shepherd and 'produce' Joni Mitchell's debut album. He saw his role as ensuring the record company didn't interfere with her music or try to impose any sonic compromises on the songs. You highlighted Crosby's first solo album, IF I COULD ONLY REMEMBER MY NAME which is packed with gorgeous harmonies and contributions from the cream of the West Coast scene (including the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Neil Young, etc.). Significantly, the cut "Cowboy Movie" is about an initial break-up of CSNY at the end of a major tour, told as an outlaw gang saga. His work with Graham Nash, after CSNY but before reunion, is probably his most consistent. Their voices together created the "element X" that elevated even the slightest material. By DAYLIGHT AGAIN, Crosby was barely there: his songs were parachuted in from other sessions and some of his missing harmonies were provided by other singers (Art Garfunkel, Timothy B. Schmitt). After bottoming out (and marked for a premature demise), Crosby's 'rebirth' and recovery are all the more remarkable. He finished his professional life with many solo albums and collaborations (CPR) plus several books that he co-wrote. Although he never reconciled with his CSNY brothers, he somehow managed to partially erase the damage done to his reputation during his years of addiction. Looking at his entire discography is like a primer in American pop and rock. Rest in Peace!
Brilliant. Crosby was always smiling and slightly dancing when he was on stage with the Byrds, and I remember that fans (girls mostly) were in awe of him for that. To me, he was kind of a modern troubadour, like most folk musicians in fact, but he really was fond of medieval themes. Remember "Renaissance fair", "Guinneverre", "Orleans" (french castles of the Renaissance era). In the early sixties, he'd hang out with Kantner and Freiberg, and during the PERRO era he'd play with Kantner and Garcia. They were great together, and now he's just gone to join them in eternity.