Poco

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Poco is an American country rock band. It was formed by Richie Furay and Jim Messina following the demise of their band Buffalo Springfield in 1968.

Contents

The original lineup was Richie Furay (vocals, rhythm guitar), Jim Messina (lead guitar, vocals), Rusty Young (pedal steel guitar, banjo, dobro, guitar, and vocals), George Grantham (drums and vocals) and Randy Meisner (bass and vocals).

Their first album, Pickin' Up the Pieces (1969) is widely considered one of the best and most important albums of a new musical genre that united country with rock music.[citation needed] Prior to its release, Meisner left the group as a result of conflict over the group's direction. After a stint playing with Rick Nelson, he later became a founding member of The Eagles. Timothy B. Schmit subsequently replaced Meisner on both bass and vocals.

Their next albums Poco (1970) and Deliverin' (1971) followed. Guided by the vision of Furay and Messina, these albums became touchstones of country rock music. Poco's unique blending of the Bakersfield country music movement with an energetic rock sound translated well to live performances, and the band developed a loyal following on the road. Critical acclaim did not yield commercial success, however, and Messina chose to leave the band, being replaced by Paul Cotton (guitar and vocals). Messina experienced considerable subsequent success with Kenny Loggins as Loggins & Messina. Cotton proved to be a strong addition, and the band released From The Inside (1971). The album featured Cotton's "Bad Weather", which became a signature song for the band.

A Good Feelin’ To Know (1972) followed, and the title track became by far the most recognizable Poco song of their early years. Despite critical acclaim, the album did not achieve the commercial success the band had expected, and Furay became increasingly discouraged with the band's prospects. The next album, "Crazy Eyes" (1973), was another strong effort that ultimately proved to be Furay's last as a member of the group. The title track was a Furay song written to the late Gram Parsons, who had died of a drug overdose just prior to the release of the album. With the help of Asylum Records President David Geffen, Furay joined with J. D. Souther and Chris Hillman to create the Souther Hillman Furay Band.

Furay's departure was not a complete tragedy, though. Previously known largely for his multi-instrumental talents, Young stepped up to become one of the band's primary songwriters and singers on subsequent albums. Seven (1974) and Cantamos (1974) , their best album to date, established the group as a strong quartet without Furay Live (1974) proved that they were still a strong performing force beeing a foursome, and they sought further success with a move to ABC Records. Head Over Heels (1975), Rose Of Cimarron (1976), and Indian Summer (1977) found the group augmenting their country rock sound with a more mainstream approach. Head Over Heels featured Schmit's acoustic "Keep On Tryin'", which became an AOR favorite and the group's most successful single to date. With Rose Of Cimarron, Young and Cotton began to write the lion's share of the group's songs as the band continued to seek larger commercial success. In 1977, both Schmit and Grantham left the band. Schmit joined the Eagles, coincidentally replacing former Poco member Meisner yet again.

Undaunted, Young and Cotton redoubled their efforts, deciding to continue the group and selecting Britons Steve Chapman (drums) and Charlie Harrison (bass) to round out their new quartet. Legend (1978), with cover art by comedian Phil Hartman, subsequently became the group's most commercially successful album, yielding a gold album and two Top Twenty hits, Young's 'Crazy Love' (which also had a seven-week run at Number 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1979, the biggest hit on the AC chart that year) and Cotton's "Heart of the Night". Kim Bullard (keyboards) joined the band later that same year. This quintet released four more albums: Under The Gun (1980), Blue And Gray (1981), Cowboys & Englishmen (1982) and Ghost Town (1982). Despite creating music that often lived up to the quality of earlier efforts, this lineup ultimately failed to sustain the success achieved by "Legend." In the wake of changing musical tastes and a fickle marketplace in the early 1980's, the group increasingly faded from the forefront of the popular music scene.

Furay, Schmit, and Grantham have, since their departures, each appeared at various times with Poco. Inamorata (1984) featured contributions on vocals by all three former members, but the album did not result in a lasting reunion. After a lengthy recording hiatus, Poco reemerged with the successful Legacy (1989), reuniting original members Young, Furay, Messina, Grantham, and Meisner twenty years after Poco's debut. The album featured two top forty hits, 'Call it Love' and 'Nothing to Hide', and earned a gold album. Internal conflict disrupted the brief success of this lineup, and they splintered and then disbanded in 1991.

Although Young and Cotton continued to tour with a variety of members as Poco in subsequent years, Running Horse (2002) returned the band to the studio for the first time in thirteen years. This lineup consisted of Young, Cotton, Grantham, and Jack Sundrud (bass and vocals), who had toured with the band intermittently since the 1980's. Furay reunited with this lineup for one show in Nashville in May 2004, resulting in the spirited CD/DVD release Keeping The Legend Alive (2004). Later that year Grantham tragically suffered a stroke during a live performance. His recovery has been slow and expensive, and the group has created a donor fund on its official website to offset some of his considerable medical expenses. The site offers a variety of ways of donating money.

Poco is still writing and recording a substantial volume of music, touring festivals and top rock venues in the United States, Canada and Europe, and doing solo projects. Young, Cotton, Sundrud, and newcomer veteran drummer George Lawrence comprise the current lineup. Bareback At Big Sky (2005) and The Wildwood Sessions (2006) are their most recent original releases, capturing live acoustic versions of songs both new and familiar from their almost forty year career. The current lineup of Poco is being reunited with Richie Furay for a concert at the Wildwood Lodge in Steelville, Missouri, in May, 2007.

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