Greg Reeves
Encyclopedia
Greg Reeves is an American musician. He is best known for playing bass on Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's Déjà Vu album in 1969.
recalled that although Reeves had a fake drivers license showing his age to be 19, he was rumored to be as young as 15 years old during the recording of Déjà Vu in 1969.
Reeves began as a session bass player with Motown records when he was 12. He is noted as the bassist on The Temptations
' "Cloud Nine
." He was mentored on the bass by noted musician James Jamerson
. Reeves worked and was friends with future disco
superstar Rick James
. In 1969, James and Reeves traveled to Los Angeles
to look up Neil Young
, a former bandmate of James'.
Stephen Stills
fired Reeves from the group in late April, 1970. Stills fired Reeves, "because Greg suddenly decided he was an Apache
witch doctor
." Stills further commented that, "Greg also wanted to sing some of his songs on the CSN&Y show, which I thought was ludicrous, only because the songs weren't great. We'll sing any song if it's great, but not just because it happens to be written by our bass player." Dallas Taylor later noted that while the bassist and Stills did not get along, Reeves and Neil Young were good friends.
in 1970, on "Immigration Man
" from Crosby & Nash
's self-titled
album in 1972, and on Dave Mason
's 1973 album It's Like You Never Left. Nils Lofgren
claimed that during one of the sessions for After the Gold Rush, Reeves appeared covered head to toe in gold paint; Young explained the bassist was "doin' his Indian thing." Following those studio sessions, Reeves vanished from the music scene.
Reeves was briefly interviewed by author Jimmy McDonough
for his 2003 biography of Neil Young, titled Shakey. Both Young and Lofgren gave great praise to Reeves' playing style, noting his versatility and how he was able to move fluidly between simple and complex bass lines. Dallas Taylor told an interviewer in 2007 that he had not spoken to Reeves since he was fired, and was rumored to have spent time in jail.
Biography and career
Little is known about Reeves' early life; even his birthdate is contested: CSNY drummer Dallas TaylorDallas Taylor
Dallas Taylor may refer to:* Dallas Taylor , an American session drummer* Dallas Taylor , vocalist for the band Maylene and the Sons of Disaster* David Dallas Taylor, one of the FBI's ten most wanted fugitives in 1953...
recalled that although Reeves had a fake drivers license showing his age to be 19, he was rumored to be as young as 15 years old during the recording of Déjà Vu in 1969.
Reeves began as a session bass player with Motown records when he was 12. He is noted as the bassist on The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
' "Cloud Nine
Cloud Nine (The Temptations song)
"Cloud Nine" is a 1968 hit single recorded by The Temptations for the Motown label. It was the first of their singles to feature Dennis Edwards instead of David Ruffin in the lineup, was the first of producer Norman Whitfield's psychedelic soul tracks, and won Motown its first Grammy Award...
." He was mentored on the bass by noted musician James Jamerson
James Jamerson
James Lee Jamerson was an American bass player. He was the uncredited bassist on most of Motown Records' hits in the 1960s and early 1970s , and he is now regarded as one of the most influential bass players in modern music history...
. Reeves worked and was friends with future disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
superstar Rick James
Rick James
James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and 1980s, scoring four number-one hits on the U.S. R&B charts performing in the genres of funk and R&B...
. In 1969, James and Reeves traveled to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to look up Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, a former bandmate of James'.
Work with CSNY
Reeves recorded and toured with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in 1969 and 1970, his name appearing on the cover of their 1970 Déjà Vu album. He was also briefly a member of the group's live band.Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills
Stephen Arthur Stills is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash . He has performed on a professional level in several other bands as well as maintaining a solo career at the same time...
fired Reeves from the group in late April, 1970. Stills fired Reeves, "because Greg suddenly decided he was an Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
witch doctor
Witch doctor
A witch doctor originally referred to a type of healer who treated ailments believed to be caused by witchcraft. It is currently used to refer to healers in some third world regions, who use traditional healing rather than contemporary medicine...
." Stills further commented that, "Greg also wanted to sing some of his songs on the CSN&Y show, which I thought was ludicrous, only because the songs weren't great. We'll sing any song if it's great, but not just because it happens to be written by our bass player." Dallas Taylor later noted that while the bassist and Stills did not get along, Reeves and Neil Young were good friends.
Post CSNY
Few details are known about Reeves' life and career following his dismissal from CSNY. He performed bass on several albums, including Neil Young's After the Gold RushAfter the Gold Rush
After the Gold Rush is the third studio album by Canadian musician Neil Young. Released in August 1970 on Reprise Records, it was one of the four high-profile albums released by each member of folk rock collective Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in the wake of their chart-topping 1970 album Déjà Vu...
in 1970, on "Immigration Man
Immigration Man
"Immigration Man" is a song recorded by David Crosby and Graham Nash as a duo, from 1972. It was released as a single and was also the closing track on Crosby and Nash's first duo album, Graham Nash David Crosby....
" from Crosby & Nash
Crosby & Nash
In addition to solo careers and within the larger aggregate of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, the musical team of David Crosby and Graham Nash have performed and recorded regularly as a duo, mostly during the 1970s and the 2000s.-History:...
's self-titled
Graham Nash David Crosby
Graham Nash/David Crosby is the first album by the partnership of David Crosby and Graham Nash, released on Atlantic Records in 1972, catalogue SD 7220. It peaked at #4 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart, and a single taken from the album, "Immigration Man," peaked at #36 on the Billboard Hot...
album in 1972, and on Dave Mason
Dave Mason
David Thomas "Dave" Mason is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic...
's 1973 album It's Like You Never Left. Nils Lofgren
Nils Lofgren
Nils Hilmer Lofgren is an American rock music recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
claimed that during one of the sessions for After the Gold Rush, Reeves appeared covered head to toe in gold paint; Young explained the bassist was "doin' his Indian thing." Following those studio sessions, Reeves vanished from the music scene.
Reeves was briefly interviewed by author Jimmy McDonough
Jimmy McDonough
Jimmy McDonough is a journalist and biographer. He is perhaps best known for his biographies of Russ Meyer, Andy Milligan and Neil Young. He is noted by critics for his remarkably exhaustive accounts and for his tendency to avoid romanticizing his subjects' lives. For this reason, he was described...
for his 2003 biography of Neil Young, titled Shakey. Both Young and Lofgren gave great praise to Reeves' playing style, noting his versatility and how he was able to move fluidly between simple and complex bass lines. Dallas Taylor told an interviewer in 2007 that he had not spoken to Reeves since he was fired, and was rumored to have spent time in jail.
External links
- Greg Reeves at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...