Graham Nash David Crosby


Graham Nash David Crosby is the first album by Crosby & Nash, the partnership of David Crosby and Graham Nash, released on Atlantic Records in 1972, catalog SD 7220. It peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and a single taken from the album, "Immigration Man", peaked at No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 on June 17 and 24, 1972. It was certified gold by the RIAA, and it was dedicated to Joni Mitchell, as "to Miss Mitchell".

History

After the split of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in the summer of 1970, all four members would release solo albums over the next 12 months. Neil Young and Stephen Stills would both pursue independent band projects through the early years of the decade, Young working with Crazy Horse and the Stray Gators, with Stills assembling Manassas. Both If I Could Only Remember My Name and Songs for Beginners respectively by Crosby and Nash fared well in the marketplace, and in the autumn of 1971 the duo embarked on a series of concerts together, unable or unwilling to include Stills and Young. However, Stills joined them for the September 30 performance at Carnegie Hall in New York. "Blacknotes" was recorded live, just before Stills took the stage for the second set. Two other live recordings from this concert were released in 2006 on Crosby's Voyage Box Set: "The Lee Shore" and "Traction in the Rain." All four members reunited at the Boston Music Hall on October 3 and back at Carnegie Hall the next night. The success of the tour led Crosby and Nash to take the new songs auditioned on the road into the recording studio.

Content

Sessions for this album featured backing from notable guests Dave Mason and members of The Grateful Dead — Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh and Bill Kreutzmann. Most of the musical support came from The Section, a quartet of in-demand session musicians on the West Coast in the 1970s. Consisting of Craig Doerge, Danny Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, and Russell Kunkel, they would appear on dozens of albums, notably those by James Taylor, Carole King, and Jackson Browne. They would also continue to work with Crosby & Nash for the remainder of the decade, both in the studio and on tour.
The songs continued the qualities that marked the pair's work with the larger aggregate, with Nash writing tighter pop songs including the album's hit, and Crosby exploring mood pieces and introspection, all amidst the duo's usual vocal harmonies. The commercial success of this album equaled that of the pair's two solo albums of the previous year, although it would not be until after the second break-up of CSNY following their 1974 summer tour that Crosby and Nash would sign an album contract as a unit with ABC Records. Following the release of this album, the duo toured in 1973 with a backing band including, at different times, David Lindley and future Eagles guitarist Don Felder.
The album was remastered for compact disc in 1998 as part of the Atlantic Original Sound series: 50 titles reissued in Europe to celebrate Atlantic Records' fiftieth anniversary. It is currently out of print, and American reissues still around use first generation digital remastering from the 1980s.

Personnel

  • David Crosby – vocals all tracks except "Blacknotes"; electric guitar on "Whole Cloth", "Page 43", "Frozen Smiles", "Girl to Be on My Mind", "The Wall Song" and "Immigration Man"; guitars on "Southbound Train", "Where Will I Be?" and "Games"
  • Graham Nash – vocals; acoustic piano on "Whole Cloth", "Blacknotes", "Stranger's Room", "Frozen Smiles", "The Wall Song" and "Immigration Man"; Hammond organ on "Girl to Be on My Mind" and "The Wall Song"; harmonica on "Southbound Train", "Stranger's Room" and "Frozen Smiles"; guitar on "Southbound Train"

Additional personnel

  • Danny Kortchmar – electric guitar on "Whole Cloth", "Stranger's Room", "Page 43", "Frozen Smiles", "Games" and "Girl to Be on My Mind"
  • Jerry Garcia – pedal steel guitar on "Southbound Train"; electric guitar on "The Wall Song"
  • Dave Mason – electric guitar on "Immigration Man"
  • Craig Doerge – electric piano on "Whole Cloth", "Where Will I Be?" and "Frozen Smiles"; acoustic piano on "Page 43", "Games" and "Girl to Be on My Mind"; Hammond organ on "Stranger's Room"
  • Leland Sklar – bass on "Whole Cloth", "Stranger's Room", "Where Will I Be?", "Page 43", "Frozen Smiles", "Games" and "Girl to Be on My Mind"
  • Chris Ethridge – bass on "Southbound Train"
  • Phil Lesh – bass on "The Wall Song"
  • Greg Reeves – bass on "Immigration Man"
  • Russ Kunkel – drums on "Whole Cloth", "Stranger's Room", "Page 43", "Frozen Smiles", "Games" and "Girl to Be on My Mind"
  • John Barbata – drums on "Southbound Train" and "Immigration Man"
  • Bill Kreutzmann – drums on "The Wall Song"
  • David Duke, Arthur Maebe, George Price – French horns on "Stranger's Room"
  • Dana Africa – flute on "Where Will I Be?"

Production

Charts

Chart Peak
position
US Billboard Top LPs4
UK Album Charts13
Canadian RPM 100 Albums6
Dutch MegaCharts Albums4
Australian Go-Set Top 20 Albums18
Norwegian VG-lista Albums11
Swedish Kvällstoppen Chart11
US Cash Box Top 100 Albums4
US Record World Album Chart2

Singles
YearSingleChartPosition
1972"Immigration Man"US Billboard Hot 10036
1972"Immigration Man"Canada RPM Singles23
1972"Immigration Man"US Top Singles 31
1972"Immigration Man"US Top Singles 25
1972"Southbound Train"US Billboard Hot 10099
1972"Southbound Train"US Top Singles 101
1972"Southbound Train"US Top Singles 75

Tour

Crosby & Nash tour dates surrounding this album.
DateCityCountryVenueNotes
11 September 1970ManchesterUnited KingdomBBC Studios
DateCityCountryVenue
30 January 1971DetroitUnited StatesUniversity Of Detroit
10 September 1971VancouverCanadaQueen Elizabeth Theatre
11 September 1971SeattleUnited StatesParamount Theater
14 September 1971Kansas CityUnited StatesMusic Hall
15 September 1971St. LouisUnited States
17 September 1971MilwaukeeUnited States
18 September 1971ChicagoUnited StatesArie Crown Theatre
19 September 1971MinneapolisUnited States
21 September 1971CincinnatiUnited StatesTaft Theatre
22 September 1971ColumbusUnited States
24 September 1971DetroitUnited States
25 September 1971ClevelandUnited States
27 September 1971MontrealCanada
28 September 1971TorontoCanada
30 September 1971New York CityUnited StatesCarnegie HallStephen Stills guests
1 October 1971HartfordUnited StatesBushnell Auditorium
3 October 1971BostonUnited StatesBoston Music HallStephen Stills and Neil Young guest
4 October 1971New York CityUnited StatesCarnegie Hall
5 October 1971PhiladelphiaUnited StatesAcademy Of Music
7 October 1971DallasUnited States
10 October 1971Los AngelesUnited StatesDorothy Chandler Pavilionsource for Another Stoney Evening
11 October 1971Los AngelesUnited StatesRoyce Hall
14 October 1971BerkerleyUnited StatesBerkeley Community Theatre
15 October 1971BerkerleyUnited StatesBerkeley Community Theatre
17 October 1971CupertinoUnited StatesFlint Centre
2 December 1971ManchesterUnited KingdomManchester Odeon
4 December 1971LondonUnited KingdomRoyal Festival Hall
DateCityCountryVenue
11 March 1972BerkeleyUnited StatesBerkeley Community Theatre
26 March 1972San FranciscoUnited StatesWinterland BallroomNeil Young guests
DateCityCountryVenue
11 March 1973BakersfieldUnited StatesMemorial Stadium
29 August 1973IllinoisUnited StatesSouthern Illinois University
1 September 1973New YorkUnited StatesSaratoga Performing Arts Centre
5 September 1973New YorkUnited StatesBarton Hall
28 October 1973BostonUnited StatesBoston Music Hall
7 November 1973New JerseyUnited StatesCapitol Theatre
10 November 1973South BendUnited StatesAthletics And Convocation Centre
15 November 1973DurhamUnited StatesCameron Indoor Stadium
26 November 1973AtlantaUnited StatesMunicipal Auditorium
28 November 1973AuburnUnited StatesMemorial Coliseum
DateCityCountryVenue
14 December 1974San FranciscoUnited States