Live At Berkeley 1971

A previously unissued live 1971 concert from Stephen Stills’ 1st US solo tour, including 2 guest appearances by David Crosby, is being released this spring. "Stephen Stills Live at Berkeley 1971" arrives on April 28th, 2023, via Omnivore Recordings, on CD and as a 2-LP set. The album captures a performance of Stills’ biggest solo hit, “Love The One You’re With,” which was the lead single from his debut self titled 1970 studio album.

The live album draws from a pair of concerts held at the Berkeley Community Theater on August 20th and 21st, 1971, as Stills embarked on his tour, opening each show with an intimate acoustic 1st set, and closing each night with a riveting electric set featuring the Memphis Horns. Crosby joins him on vocals and guitar for “You Don’t Have To Cry” and “The Lee Shore”. Days earlier, Stills had headlined the Forum in Los Angeles. He had released his 2nd solo album in late June.

These recordings find Stills at peak performance in both vocal delivery and musicianship, effortlessly incorporating alternate instrumentation on his instantly recognizable tracks, including a seamless medley of “49 Bye Byes”, from the "Crosby, Stills & Nash" album, and “For What It’s Worth”, from Buffalo Springfield's 1st album, unexpectedly played on piano. Hand picked by Stills from his personal archives, this album captures timeless and era defining performances. Fans who were lucky enough to catch his historic debut trek, dubbed “The Memphis Horns Tour,” were treated to the balladeer, the raving troubadour, the acoustic bluesman, the soul driver, and by far the most passionate music maker.

Backed by a loyal cast of friends, including his usual steady rhythm section, drummer Dallas Taylor and bassist Calvin “Fuzzy” Samuels, along with keyboardist Paul Harris, guitarist Steve Fromholz, and percussionist Joe Lala, these Northern California shows were one of the most unique and intimate stops on the tour.