Atlantic 7200
Producers: David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash & Neil Young
Track listing: Carry On / Teach Your Children /Almost Cut My Hair / Helpless / Woodstock / Déjà Vu / Our House / 4 + 20 / Country Girl (a) Whiskey Boot Hill (b) Down, Down, Down (c) Country Girl (I Think You’re Pretty) / Everybody I Love You
May 16, 1970
1 week
When Crosby, Stills & Nash joined forces in the summer of 1968, each member brought with him an impressive rock resume. David Crosby was a member of the Byrds until he was ousted, Stephen Stills was fresh from Buffalo Springfield’s breakup, and Graham Nash had quit the Hollies.
Together the trio recorded a self-titled debut album, which reached number six in late 1969. Singer/guitarist Neil Young, another former Buffalo Springfield member, joined the band onstage at Woodstock, its second live appearance. By the fall of 1969, it was decided that Young would be featured on the next album, Déjà Vu, which would be credited to the four singer-songwriters.
In the months between the recording of Crosby, Stills & Nash and Déjà Vu, there were major changes. “During the first album we were all in love with each other,” says Nash. “We were in love with the music, and we were in love with beautiful, bright, funny, unique women — Stephen with Judy Collins, myself with Joni Mitchell, and David with Christine Hinton. When we started to make Déjà Vu, I had broken up with Joni, Stephen had broken up with Judy Collins, and Christine had been killed. It was a very different feeling for us. It was a much darker album in general, but there are some bright, up things, like ‘Teach Your Children.”‘
On the same day that Crosby’s girlfriend was killed in a head-on collision, the group’s first album was certified gold for sales of more than 500,000 copies. Hinton’s death made it difficult for Crosby to continue. “I was having a lot of trouble functioning in the studio,” Crosby says. “I would go in some times and be in tears, unable to work. The other guys carried me a lot during that record.”
Even with his terrible personal pain, Crosby was able to contribute the title track and “Almost Cut My Hair,” which was recorded live in the studio. “We used to try to get a live vocal with the track as much as possible, but that was completely live. That’s just a moment of time snipped off the end of the tape and stuck on the record,” he says.
The addition of Young to the group also shook things up, as he contributed the achingly beautiful “Helpless” and “Country Girl,” and co-wrote “Everybody I Love You” with Stills. “Neil changed the chemistry,” says Crosby. “He’s a tremendously powerful musical force, and anytime he’s involved, believe me; you know it.”
For the members of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, working on Déjà Vu was an escape from their personal pain. “The music saved our ass,” says Nash. “We could at least unite and feel great about that. We looked forward to going into the studio every night.”
Yet even the sessions, held at Wally Heider’s Studio III in Los Angeles, became a pain, as the members’ distinct visions led to arguments. “It became a project that went on longer than it should have,” Nash says of the album, which required more than 800 hours studio time. “Tempers got a little flared there toward the end.”
Nonetheless, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young realized that through the time and pain they were creating one of their finest efforts. Says Crosby, “We knew that we were doing some of the best work of our lives.” Some of the material was so good that it would help drive the band’s next two albums to the top as well.
THE TOP FIVE
Week of May 16, 1970
1. Déjà Vu, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
2. Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon & Garfunkel
3. McCartney, Paul McCartney
4. Hey Jude, The Beatles
5. Band of Gypsys, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Miles & Billy Cox