Whitcomb. It was my first rock concert and I musical journey that’s lasted over 50 years. Singers broke up. All of this is more detailed in
was mesmerized by the Springfield. Several The “City” was intimidating, but we adapted my book Pickin’ Up The Pieces.
months later I met Richie backstage at a quite nicely and became a part of the scene Springfield concert in 1967. I was in 10 th grade. even though things were changing rapidly. It [WM] I’ve often thought that those “folkies”
Little did I realize that just 8 years later through was at this time I met Stephen Stills who was going electric after Dylan first did it at the 1965
my connection at church with pedal steel guitar on the same musical path, and we became Newport Folk Festival, followed by the Byrds,
virtuoso Al Perkins, I would reconnect with friends. We joined together with five others and brought such a massive force of power to rock
Richie and find myself recording on his first solo became the house band at the Café Au Go Go and roll. Possessing a unique musical arsenal
album and touring as part of the 1976 Richie and were called The Au Go Go Singers. It was of fingerpicking stylings, song crafting, vocal
Furay Band. then, we had our first taste of the “big time” harmonies, and social commentary in lyric,
folk musicians were a venerable force to be
[WM] I know that you left your Yellow Springs,
Ohio, home and Otterbein College to pursue
folk music in New York City during the early 60’s.
Although it might have been at the tail end of
the Folk Music Revival, Greenwich Village must
have held such high esteem and expectation
in your eyes during your arrival there. What are
your recollections of those days?
[Richie Furay] When I think back on it today,
it seems so out of character for me, I’m not so
adventuresome in my older age! But back then,
there was nothing that was going to stop me
from seeing this adventure through. It’s pretty
amazing as I look back on the journey. Two
of my buddies from college and I were in the
acapella choir and we had a spring concert trip
planned for the east coast the second year of
college. We were the local folk trio doing Peter,
Paul and Mary and Kingston Trio songs and had
established a bit of a reputation doing different
events and “serenading” the girl’s dorms. All
was on schedule for us to have a night off in
New York City and certainly the anticipation
was exciting. Then, I had an appendix rupture
at Christmas time, and it seemed the dream
was shattered. I dropped out of school and
went to work in a local factory in my hometown.
Somehow, I worked it out with the school to
“Buffalo Springfield.
That was a big one.
reckoned with when they plugged in. It was
during this time that you met Stephen Stills.
It a sense your song from Hand in Hand, “We
Were the Dreamers”, might predate your Poco
(the namesake of this song’s recollections
I saw them back
and references) days, because in some ways
in ’67 or 68. They it might also relate to this earlier period of life
came to Gainesville correct here?
and played with The [Richie] You are right in some respects.
Beach Boys and I
with Stephen. You were both dreamers. Am I
What was happening in the music scene
was changing rapidly with the “experiment of
never got over it. electric instruments”. Not everyone was on
It was really mind- what was happening. It was during the time I
blowing. I thought, from New York City, Gram Parsons, brought a
“That’s as good as
board and the “purists” really frowned upon
was diverted to Pratt & Whitney that my friend
record up to Connecticut for me to hear, and
it changed everything for me. That record
made me all the more determined to get back
it’s supposed to
to music. It was the Byrds’ first record, and
be, maybe better!”. hearing “Mr. Tambourine Man” electric and with
(Tom Petty, from the who had gone to California at this time. When
documentary film P&W and headed to California where because
Echo in the Canyon)
such great harmonies, I set out to find Stephen
he got back in touch with me, I quit my job at
Stephen had said that he had a band and all he
needed was another singer. That’s all it took,
let me go on the trip, so everything was back and I was on my way. Of course, when I got
on schedule. When we arrived in NYC the only there, the band was just me and him! Yes, we
thing on our mind was to go to “The Village” when we did a Rudy Vallee, “On Broadway were dreamers. I think whenever you start out
and see what doors would open. As it turned Tonight”, TV show; made a record for Roulette on a journey like this you have to dream a bit.
out, three places let us play during the audience Records, and did an “off Broadway” play (that My dream started when I saw Ricky Nelson on
turnover and we thought we had made the “big was off, off Broadway in two weeks). I was the Ozzie and Harriet Show. But the song “We
time”. I convinced Bob (Harmelink) and Nels smitten and would never look back except for Were the Dreamers” was specifically about the
(Gustafson) to go back with me that summer a short diversion at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in other group I would form a couple of years later,
and that became the beginning of this incredible East Hartford, Connecticut, after The Au Go Go Poco.
January 2020
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