Why Stephen Stills’ Second Supergroup Fell Apart in the Early 70s

Stephen Stills didn’t have the best luck when it came to the many bands he was a part of. Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young fell apart due to ego rifts and creative differences. Needless to say, Stills saw the worst of what being a band member offered.

Nevertheless, he decided to pick up that mantle again with a short-lived group called Manassas. Featuring an initial lineup of Stills, Chris Hillman, Al Perkins, Paul Harris, Calvin “Fuzzy” Samuels, Dallas Taylor, and Joe Lala, this group wouldn’t survive long. Despite Stills’ best-laid efforts to keep this group intact, they couldn’t stick it out.

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The Story Behind Stephen Stills’ Short-Lived Supergroup, Manassas

“I am the quarterback,” Stills once said of Manassas. “It has to be that way. A band is a democracy up to a point; then, somebody has to be in charge. Everybody in this band understands that.”

That seems like a desperate effort to hold down a band by someone who has experienced the breakdowns of several others. With Manassas, Stills wanted all the creative freedom. He saw what differing ideas did in the past. He laid down the law, hoping a firm hand would make this one last.

He added in the same conversation about the longevity of the band, re-upping his notion that this outfit was here to stay, saying, “We’re a band, and we will stay together. Two years. Two years at least for this band.”

His comments were both optimistic and careful, with Stills knowing anything could happen with a band. As it turns out, his conservative estimate was prescient, as this band dissolved after just two years together.

Pulled In Different Directions

The fates weren’t kind to Manasses. While Still’s leadership did work well, it wasn’t enough to keep them together once other opportunities came calling. The playbook he employed didn’t see the pitfalls.

The opportunity of a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young reunion tempted Stills himself. Other members reckoned with job offers of their own in other supergroups. There was also some drug addiction that threatened to dismantle the outfit.

After weathering all of those blockades, the members of Manassas decided to go their separate ways after just two years and two albums: Manassas and Down The Road. This supergroup didn’t prove as popular as other groups, but its cult following keeps the memory of this optimistic effort from Stills alive.

(Photo by Jack Robinson/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)