ON THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY: November 12th 1966; Teens on Los Angeles Sunset Strip protesting a recent curfew are beaten by police, inspiring Stephen Stills to write the Buffalo Springfield hit For What Its Worth. released on their 1966 debut album, Buffalo Springfield. It was not originally included on the album but after it became a hit it replaced Baby Dont Scold Me on future pressings. The song peaked at No7 in the US. Stephen Stills tells the story of this songs origin: I had had something kicking around in my head. I wanted to write something about the kids that were on the line over in Southeast Asia that didnt have anything to do with the device of this mission, which was unraveling before our eyes. Then we came down to Sunset from my place on Topanga with a guy - I cant remember his name - and theres a funeral for a bar, one of the favorite spots for high school and UCLA kids to go and dance and listen to music. Officials decided to call out the official riot police because theres three thousand kids sort of standing out in the street; theres no looting, theres no nothing. Its everybody having a hang to close this bar. A whole company of black and white LAPD in full Macedonian battle array in shields and helmets and all that, and theyre lined up across the street, and I just went Whoa! Why are they doing this? There was no reason for it. I went back to Topanga, and that other song turned into For What Its Worth, and it took as long to write as it took me to settle on the changes and write the lyrics down. It all came as a piece, and it took about fifteen minutes. Heres For What Its Worth performed by Buffalo Springfield in 1967..... Enjoy!
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 16:48:28 +0000
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