The Au Go Go Singers

The Au Go Go Singers were a nine-member folk group formed in New York City in 1964, and best remembered for featuring Stephen Stills and Richie Furay, two years before they formed Buffalo Springfield.

Career

Stills and Furay met while performing in folk clubs in Greenwich Village, alongside Stills' former college classmates Bob Harmelink and Nels Gustafson. They were seen by songwriter Ed E. Miller, the credited co-writer of the Serendipity Singers' hit "Don't Let the Rain Come Down". In early 1964, Miller was preparing a revue, America Sings, which chronicled the history of folk music in America, and suggested that the four, together with an existing group, the Bay Singers – Roy Michaels, Mike Scott, Fred Geiger and Jean Gurney – and Michaels' girlfriend Kathy King, provide the music in the show. Although the show only ran for two weeks, Miller secured a contract with Roulette Records for the nine-strong group to record an album, which they did with producers Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore. After seeing the show, club owner Howard Solomon signed the group for a residency at his Cafe au Go Go nightclub on Bleecker Street.^[1]

By the time the LP was released in late 1964, the ensemble had become known as the Au Go Go Singers. As well as appearing at the club, they also made TV appearances, and performed at other venues. Their album, They Call Us Au Go-Go Singers, featured Stills' lead vocals on Billy Edd Wheeler's song "High Flying Bird", and Furay singing Tom Paxton's "Where I'm Bound". The album overall is described at Allmusic as "predictably bland, professional and well executed group hootenanny folk music".^[2] The album also included songs by Jesse Fuller, John Stewart, and Lee Hays.^[3]

Following a dispute with Solomon, the group's management was taken over by Jim Friedman and they continued to perform, but found that their contract with Morris Levy at Roulette meant that some venues were unwilling to book them, and they also found that, after the British Invasion, their style of music was rapidly becoming unfashionable. A second album never appeared; some members received draft notices; and Kathy King, who suffered from stage fright, decided to leave. In 1965, the group disbanded.^[1][4] Stills then joined the four members of the Bay Singers – Michaels, Scott, Geiger, and Gurney – and, renamed The Company, toured in Ontario. During the tour, Stills met Neil Young, when the Company were on the same bill as Young's band, the Squires. The following year, Stills, Young and Furay formed Buffalo Springfield in Los Angeles.^[1]

Of the other members of the Au Go Go Singers, Roy Michaels later formed Cat Mother & the All Night Newsboys, whose first album was produced by Jimi Hendrix.^[3]

The album They Call Us Au Go-Go Singers was issued on CD by Rhino Records in 1999.^[3]

References