Manassas (band)
| Company type | Supergroup |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1971 |
| Founder | Stephen Stills |
| Defunct | October 1973 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Music albums |
Manassas was a rock supergroup from the United States, established by Stephen Stills in 1971. Primarily serving as a platform for Stills' compositions, the ensemble produced two studio albums prior to their dissolution in October 1973: their self-titled debut released in 1972, followed by Down the Road in 1973.
Formation and debut record
The inception of Manassas occurred in the autumn of 1971, shortly after Stills completed touring for his second solo album, Stephen Stills 2 (1971), which emerged after the disbandment of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and garnered mixed critical reception. During a meeting in Cleveland with Flying Burrito Brothers frontman and multi-instrumentalist Chris Hillman, whose band was facing financial and lineup difficulties, Stills invited Hillman along with steel guitarist Al Perkins, fiddler Byron Berline, and members of his touring ensemble—drummer Dallas Taylor, bassist Calvin "Fuzzy" Samuel, keyboardist Paul Harris, and vocalist/percussionist Joe Lala—to collaborate at Criteria Studios in Miami.
The musicians quickly developed strong chemistry, recording sufficient material for a double album that blended blues, folk, country, Latin influences, and rock elements. Notably, Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones, an early admirer who visited the sessions, contributed to rewriting one track and played bass on "The Love Gangster." The band’s name was inspired by Manassas, Virginia, a significant location in American Civil War history, reflecting Stills' fascination with historical themes.
Their inaugural album, Manassas, launched in April 1972 with cover photography from Virginia, achieved a peak position of No. 4 on U.S. charts and attained RIAA gold status. To promote the album, the band embarked on an international tour spanning Europe, Australia, and major U.S. venues. Live performances typically featured the entire first side of the album performed consecutively, culminating with "The Treasure" and an acoustic rendition of "Find the Cost of Freedom." During this era, Manassas appeared on television programs such as ABC-TV's In Concert, BBC's In Concert, and West Germany’s Beat-Club.
Follow-up album, hiatus, reformation, and disbandment
Upon returning from their 1972 European tour, Chris Hillman took a break to work on a reunion album with his former band the Byrds, which included David Crosby. Meanwhile, Manassas completed their sophomore effort, Down the Road. Initial recording sessions at Criteria Studios were relocated midway to Caribou Ranch in Colorado and later to the Record Plant in Los Angeles due to technical concerns raised by engineers Ron and Howard Albert. The album was finalized in January 1973 and released that spring to moderate commercial success and mixed reviews. It reached No. 26 on U.S. charts but did not achieve RIAA gold certification—the first Stephen Stills record since 1968 to fall short of this milestone.
Following the release of Down the Road, Manassas entered a period of inactivity. During this interval, Stephen Stills married Véronique Sanson, whom he had met during the 1972 European tour. As Hillman and Crosby prepared for their Byrds reunion album slated for March 1973 release, plans for a supporting tour were canceled. Subsequently, Hillman accepted an offer from management to join a new project alongside Richie Furay and JD Souther after fulfilling remaining Manassas tour commitments. Concurrently, Crosby and Graham Nash toured with Neil Young promoting his 1972 album Harvest. Afterward, Crosby, Nash, and Young convened in Maui aiming to produce a potential CSNY reunion record. They invited Stills to participate; he cut short his honeymoon to join these sessions. Despite several weeks working on Human Highway in Maui and Los Angeles studios, internal conflicts led to abandonment of the project.
Upon returning from these attempts at reunion recordings, Stills confronted several challenges: Hillman’s commitment to Furay and Souther’s new venture; Dallas Taylor’s escalating heroin addiction; and Calvin Samuels’ departure due to personal reasons. To address these issues, Stills recruited John Barbata from Jefferson Airplane as additional drummer alongside Taylor and brought in Kenny Passarelli from Joe Walsh's Barnstorm as bassist replacement; Samuels later returned for the final portion of touring. After concluding their last tour leg in October 1973, Manassas officially dissolved.
One of the group’s final shows took place at San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom and featured guest performances by David Crosby, Graham Nash, and Neil Young. Reflecting on this event later, Chris Hillman noted he sensed an imminent CSNY reunion—a reunion that materialized with their early 1974 world tour. Following this development, Stills assembled a new band including Passarelli and Joe Lala in 1974; however both soon departed—Passarelli joining Elton John's band. Meanwhile, Hillman's Souther-Hillman-Furay Band—featuring former Manassas members Al Perkins and Paul Harris (and eventually Joe Lala)—released its debut album in early 1974.
Legacy
Howard Albert, an engineer at Criteria Studios, regarded Manassas as "one of the most exceptional yet overlooked groups of the 1970s." He pointed out their double album as one of the most significant and finest projects he participated in, alongside Eric Clapton's Layla. Stephen Stills commended Manassas for its solid composition and adaptability, noting it favorably in comparison to his former ensemble, Buffalo Springfield.
Founding members
- Stephen Stills, vocals, guitar & keyboards
- Chris Hillman, vocals, guitar & mandolin
- Al Perkins, steel guitar & guitar
- Calvin "Fuzzy" Samuels, bass guitar, backing vocals
- Paul Harris, keyboards
- Dallas Taylor, drums
- Joe Lala, percussion, backing vocals
Touring lineup (1973 only)
- Kenny Passarelli, bass guitar
- John Barbata, drums (performed at a single show)
Studio contributors
According to album liner notes:
- Bill Wyman, bass (Manassas)
- Byron Berline, fiddle (Manassas)
- Joe Walsh, slide guitar (Down the Road)
- Bobby Whitlock, keyboards and backing vocals (Down the Road)
- P. P. Arnold, backing vocals (Down the Road)
- Sydney George, harmonica (Manassas) and flute (Down the Road)
- Jerry Aiello, keyboards on both albums
- Charlie Grimes, guitar (Down the Road)
Tours
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales (as of 1974) | Certifications | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | Cash Box | Record World | GER | NED | AUS | IT | SPA | SW | NOR | UK | CAN | ||||
| Manassas |
|
6 |4 |32 |1 |17 |23 |— |8 |6 |30 |9 |
|
| ||||||||||||
| Down the Road |
|
25 |18 |— |— |— |— |19 |18 |— |33 |31 |
|
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Compilation album
| Title | Album details | Peak chart rankings | Notes | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | GER | NED | AUS | IT | NOR | UK | CAN | |||
| Pieces |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Features previously unreleased tracks from both Manassas albums |
Singles
| Year | Title | Highest chart rankings | Album | Label | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | Cashbox | Record World | US AC | AUS | UK | NED | CAN | ||||
| 1972 | "It Doesn't Matter" b/w "Rock & Roll Crazies Medley" or "Fallen Eagles" | 61 | 49 | 46 | — | — | — | — | 48 | Manassas | Atlantic Records |
| 1972 | "Rock & Roll Crazies Medley" b/w "Colorado" | 92 | 111 | 86 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973 | "Isn't It About Time" b/w "So Many Times" | 56 | 62 | 62 | — | — | — | — | 77 | Down The Road | |
| 1973 | "Down The Road" b/w "Guaguancó De Veró" | — | — | 129 | — | — | — | — | — | ||