POCO

Poco rose from the ashes of Buffalo Springfield in the late 1960s when Richie Furay, Jim Messina and Rusty Young decided to form a new band. Commercial success was far from steady but the band enjoyed several placings in the Top 20. Although the band first split in 1984, they have reunited since and still play today. Both the debut album Pickin’ Up the Pieces and the eponymous follow-up failed to translate their good reviews into sales. Band members became increasingly despondent and with 1973’s Crazy Eyes marking their commercial zenith by reaching a distinctly average No.38, they left their record label two albums later.

The record label switch did little to reverse their fortunes and their progress continued much as before. Several line-up changes and albums on, they finally released a record which seemed to vindicate all their earlier effort. Legend (1978) went gold and rose to the No.14 spot in the charts. “Crazy Love” and “Heart of the Night” from the album also hit the singles charts. But it was a flash in the pan and they returned to their lacklustre sales with subsequent records and in 1985 the band entered a five year hiatus. When they returned their progress was much as before. Though they continue to tour and release albums to the present day it seems they may never recapture the success they never really had.