Biography
Led by Stephen Stills, Manassas assembled an extraordinary lineup that included Chris Hillman (the Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers), Paul Harris (session musician for B.B. King, Eric Anderson, and many others), Joe Lala (Blues Image), Al Perkins (Flying Burrito Brothers), Calvin "Fuzzy" Samuels (Crosby, Stills, & Nash), and Dallas Taylor (Crosby, Stills, & Nash). Few ensembles matched their collective skill, and their command of Latin jams, rock, blues, country, folk, and bluegrass placed them among the most adaptable groups rock had seen.
The musicians first gathered in 1971 during sessions intended for Stills’ third solo album. Their rapport proved so powerful that the project quickly evolved into a permanent band. After finishing an album at Criteria Studios in Miami, they still lacked a name when they began a short tour. A photograph taken beneath a Manassas sign at the train station in Manassas, VA supplied both their identity and the debut album’s cover art.
The group proved equally potent live, routinely extending concerts to three hours. Typical programs opened with a full-band rock segment, followed by an acoustic solo set from Stills, bluegrass numbers featuring Hillman and Perkins, a second rock-and-country sequence, and a closing acoustic portion. Worldwide touring brought them to Paris in March 1972, where Stills encountered French singer/songwriter Veronique Sanson. They married the following year and soon welcomed son Chris, who would later pursue his own recording career. Stills and Lala, joined by future Manassas member Kenny Passarelli, also contributed to her 1974 release Le Maudit.
While maintaining an intense touring pace, the band recorded a second album, yet substance issues eroded its quality. Much material remained unused, among it a track featuring Stevie Wonder on lead vocals. Although initial work again occurred at Criteria Studios, producer/engineers Ron Albert and Howard Albert eventually abandoned the sessions; the record was finished in Colorado and Los Angeles. Down the Road proved respectable but fell short of the self-titled debut’s inspiration.
Atlantic Records’ lukewarm support, rooted in its view of Manassas as secondary to Stills’ CSN&Y commitments, further undermined the group. A 1973 CSN&Y reunion attempt in Hawaii collapsed, after which Stills returned to Colorado hoping to resume with Manassas. By then, however, momentum had evaporated: Taylor’s heroin addiction and Samuels’ prior obligations left gaps that could not be filled. Stills recruited Kenny Passarelli, bass player with Joe Walsh’s Barnstorm, for a brief joint tour, yet those concerts marked the band’s final appearances. Hillman joined the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, while Stills launched a solo road effort with Donnie Dacus of Veronique Sanson’s band, veteran Russ Kunkel, and keyboardist Jerry Aiello before cutting a solo album.
The musicians first gathered in 1971 during sessions intended for Stills’ third solo album. Their rapport proved so powerful that the project quickly evolved into a permanent band. After finishing an album at Criteria Studios in Miami, they still lacked a name when they began a short tour. A photograph taken beneath a Manassas sign at the train station in Manassas, VA supplied both their identity and the debut album’s cover art.
The group proved equally potent live, routinely extending concerts to three hours. Typical programs opened with a full-band rock segment, followed by an acoustic solo set from Stills, bluegrass numbers featuring Hillman and Perkins, a second rock-and-country sequence, and a closing acoustic portion. Worldwide touring brought them to Paris in March 1972, where Stills encountered French singer/songwriter Veronique Sanson. They married the following year and soon welcomed son Chris, who would later pursue his own recording career. Stills and Lala, joined by future Manassas member Kenny Passarelli, also contributed to her 1974 release Le Maudit.
While maintaining an intense touring pace, the band recorded a second album, yet substance issues eroded its quality. Much material remained unused, among it a track featuring Stevie Wonder on lead vocals. Although initial work again occurred at Criteria Studios, producer/engineers Ron Albert and Howard Albert eventually abandoned the sessions; the record was finished in Colorado and Los Angeles. Down the Road proved respectable but fell short of the self-titled debut’s inspiration.
Atlantic Records’ lukewarm support, rooted in its view of Manassas as secondary to Stills’ CSN&Y commitments, further undermined the group. A 1973 CSN&Y reunion attempt in Hawaii collapsed, after which Stills returned to Colorado hoping to resume with Manassas. By then, however, momentum had evaporated: Taylor’s heroin addiction and Samuels’ prior obligations left gaps that could not be filled. Stills recruited Kenny Passarelli, bass player with Joe Walsh’s Barnstorm, for a brief joint tour, yet those concerts marked the band’s final appearances. Hillman joined the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, while Stills launched a solo road effort with Donnie Dacus of Veronique Sanson’s band, veteran Russ Kunkel, and keyboardist Jerry Aiello before cutting a solo album.
Albums
