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David Crosby — Tamalpais High
Album: If I Could Only Remember My Name
Avg rating:
7.4

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2038









Released: 1971
Length: 3:23
Plays (last 30 days): 3
(no actual words were involved in the making of this song :-)
Comments (108)add comment
Never would have learned of this gem without Radio Paradise. 
 LizK wrote:

You are so definitely wrong.  Trump is the worst Prez ever, beating even Buchanan (the one before Lincoln) .   Biden is hated by you and other trumpsters, who can't seem to see the obvious defects of character the trump family embodies.

The warmonger Biden is also hated by those that hate the warmonger Trump.  This Trump/Biden (Harris) dichotomy serves no one but the oligarchs and Blob types that want to maintain the decay and chaos.
 rhlrstn wrote:

Hah, love the "lyrics" listed here


I have listened to this song since the beginning. Never realized there were no lyrics, ok I understand the 70’s but no excuse since then. I guess the song just speaks to me! Lol
On a miserable rainy evening in London - now this makes me smile and think - not long now for light mognings and evenings and, perhaps, some sunshie!!
 ih8bills wrote:


This whole album is amazing... If you don't have it you should in my opinion...!


Not a bad song on the entire album
 avereaiii590 wrote:
Great song, had never really paid attention to Mr Crosby as a solo artist


You should listen to this whole album. It is astounding .
 idiot_wind wrote:


that very few people have heard.


troll
 ForeverJerry wrote:
One of the greatest records ever produced on the West Coast!


that very few people have heard.
I worked with a UC Berkeley student who attended Tamalpais High. Apparently high was and likely still is the modal standard
Prolly posted this before but if you were wondering why a few albums from that time sound so similar it was because they were recorded in the same studio at the same  time and the musicians and vocalists sat in at each others recording sessions. This collaboration brought forth Cros's If I Could Only Remember My Name,  Nash's Songs for Beginners, Starship's Blows Against the Empire and the Dead's American Beauty. 
 skossow wrote:


Ahem. Phil Lesh.



Yes. Don't forget the bassist who does magic in this song.
 jwynn80 wrote:

Finally realized why I love this song so much.

According to Wikipedia:
Graham Nash - vocals
Jerry Garcia - electric guitar
Jorma Kaukonen - electric guitar
Bill Kreutzmann - drums

Wow.



Ahem. Phil Lesh.
R.I.P Coz, safe passage.
Great song, had never really paid attention to Mr Crosby as a solo artist
Amazing.
and Trump is globally regarded as the worst thing for the world since Hitler… so yeah - at least we have that!
Good Old Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh nailing it down here…
 pinto wrote:
Kaisersosay wrote:

Hmmmmmm we'll see

You're right Kaisersosay.  Biden is definitely the worst and most hated, and it's not even close....
 
You are so definitely wrong.  Trump is the worst Prez ever, beating even Buchanan (the one before Lincoln) .   Biden is hated by you and other trumpsters, who can't seem to see the obvious defects of character the trump family embodies.
thats got to be jerry and phil 
The cymbal taps in this are delicious...


(no actual words were involved in the making of this song :-)

No animals were hurt either.
He spent nonstop hours in the studio creating this album to try to heal himself after his girlfriend's car accident death that year. All of the artists contributing to it were trying to help him through his grief. 
Joni Mitchell sings back up vocals on a few tracks.
EXCELLENT!!  
 bruceandjenna wrote:

In 1974, I lived and worked in nearby Elizabeth.  I vaguely remember reading about that concert and wishing I had known earlier to buy tickets.   Back then, you had to go to some music store or the venue to obtain tickets. And had to read the papers or listen to public radio to hear about concerts. 


Two days before at Roosevelt Stadium Bob Weir announced "that wasn't the only news that came out today" prior to starting Mexicali Blues. Nixon had announced his resignation.
Sitting around the hifi relaxing with friends.  The soundtrack of some never-to-be-forgotten hippy vibes.  Sounds just as good now as then, maybe even better.
full title is "Tamalpais High (At about 3)."  The local high school kids got their time wrong, maybe they had to sit through detention
 idiot_wind wrote:

please play from this album

I think that's Phil Lesch on bass  



Totally agree...wow 
 jwynn80 wrote:

Finally realized why I love this song so much.

According to Wikipedia:
Graham Nash - vocals
Jerry Garcia - electric guitar
Jorma Kaukonen - electric guitar
Bill Kreutzmann - drums

Wow.



I did not know that until Bill just mentioned the lineup... and read your post!  Fukingroovin! Jorma and Jerry... that would of been something to of seen!  
Good Tune!


rednred wrote:
I've seen all variations of CSN&Y over the years, from the 1970s through the 2000s, but my most memorable show was on this same 1974 tour. It was at Roosevelt Stadium, in Jersey City, New Jersey, of all places, on August 8, 1974, the day Richard Nixon appeared on national TV in the U.S. and resigned as President. CSN&Y began the show saying, and playing, "(It's Been A) Long Time Coming", and sang it, along with the entire audience, with more joy and positive emotion as you could ever hear. After almost 6 years of the (at that time, thanks for the memories, "W"!) worst and most hated President in the history of America, that whole night became a huge celebration, and CSN&Y were never better.



 Kaisersosay wrote:

Hmmmmmm we'll see

You're right Kaisersosay.  Biden is definitely the worst and most hated, and it's not even close....
Tam High class of 1968 grad here - love hearing this from time to  time.
 jwynn80 wrote:

Finally realized why I love this song so much.

According to Wikipedia:
Graham Nash - vocals
Jerry Garcia - electric guitar
Jorma Kaukonen - electric guitar
Bill Kreutzmann - drums

Wow.



This whole album is amazing... If you don't have it you should in my opinion...!
please play from this album

I think that's Phil Lesch on bass  
That wikipedia article picture of him looks like Cheech.
Finally realized why I love this song so much.

According to Wikipedia:
Graham Nash - vocals
Jerry Garcia - electric guitar
Jorma Kaukonen - electric guitar
Bill Kreutzmann - drums

Wow.
You can watch this while you listen... https://tamgrads.org/
Having never heard this song before, I assumed for the first minute or two that it was an alternate or working version of "Guinnevere". It sounds very similar musically - same key signature, same tempo, almost the same meter.
Bought this record, by mistake... This song should be titled "If i could only remember the lyrics"...
Anyone who likes this might want to give a listen to Crosby's latest, "Here If You Listen". A very collaborative effort with three talented singer/songwriter musicians(a man and two women) that I have really taken a liking to. Lots of great harmonies and musicianship.
The bass in this track is indeed superb
Hadn't noticed this song's title until just now. I just took a gander at Mt. Tam (as we call it) during my run this morning... and run over Mt. Tamalpais each June during the Dipsea Trail Race.  Tamalpais High indeed. 

 
kurtster wrote:


Mt. Tamalpais was a part of my childhood in the Bay Area as a kid, too.  Whenever we went from Berkeley to Stinson Beach, Tamales Bay and other points nearby we went over the montain to get there.  This was before there was the San Rafael bridge.  Take the ferry across, get off and go a little bit and make that left hand turn by San Quentin, go through Mill Valley and up and over.  We always kept an eye out for the little frozen waterfalls and patches of snow along the roadside.  It was the only place in the Bay Area where you could see things like that.  There were also the wild ferns and all kinds of vegetation that made the trip rather magical.

A very special place indeed.
 

Hah, love the "lyrics" listed here
Nothing but love to this masterpiece, its a 10 you know that
One of the greatest records ever produced on the West Coast!
Very David Crosby.  Nice.  Mellow.  Perfect for the "Mellow Mix".
 hayduke2 wrote:

Gorgeous music!
kinda miss W
this new Criminal in Chief (Putins puppy) is going to be a historic Low Point
 
Moscow's Man© has lower to go
saw him live the other day!
excellent show, excellent band, he still got it and on top good voice!
and a beautiful bass player!
 trailhead wrote:
Could recognize Phil's bass playing after only one note.  Said to myself "self, this must be Dave Crosby, not CSNY).  Looks like I was right.  Jerry comes in later of course.

 
Unique bass player with an awesome tone.
Nice pick - Some legendary music created by these guys then...my DAT copy got played in heavy rotation.
from wikipedia
"  

The Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra is a nickname given to artists who recorded together in the early 1970s. They were predominantly members of Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful DeadQuicksilver Messenger Service, and Crosby, Stills and Nash. Their first album together was Blows Against the Empire, when they were known as Jefferson Starship.

Starship founder Paul Kantner then came up the term "Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra", a label of reference to the San Francisco musicians that played on David Crosby's If I Could Only Remember My Name. During the sessions for Crosby's album at Wally Heider Studios, the musicians of each band (who were working in other rooms) dropped in to the sessions and improvised hours of music, and everything was recorded. Some of the basic tracks played during these recorded sessions in 1971 were used for Crosby's album. Engineer Stephen Barncard and David Crosby made rough mixes of some of the session tapes, and in 1991 Graham Nash sent a DAT tape to Paul Kantner which later showed up in the tape trading markets as a 'pristine' digital copy. Barncard came up with the PERRO abbreviation when he needed to identify the 2 inch wide tapes on sides, standing vertically.

The "PERRO Chorus" is credited on Crosby's song, "What Are Their Names") and several other solo albums after Crosby's (see discography). The name Jefferson Starship was later used for Paul Kantner and Grace Slick's new band formed in 1974. Paul Kantner recorded a solo album in 1983 as a tribute to this time, Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra."


 rednred wrote:

I've seen all variations of CSN&Y over the years, from the 1970s through the 2000s, but my most memorable show was on this same 1974 tour. It was at Roosevelt Stadium, in Jersey City, New Jersey, of all places, on August 8, 1974, the day Richard Nixon appeared on national TV in the U.S. and resigned as President. CSN&Y began the show saying, and playing, "(It's Been A) Long Time Coming", and sang it, along with the entire audience, with more joy and positive emotion as you could ever hear. After almost 6 years of the (at that time, thanks for the memories, "W"!) worst and most hated President in the history of America, that whole night became a huge celebration, and CSN&Y were never better.
 
In 1974, I lived and worked in nearby Elizabeth.  I vaguely remember reading about that concert and wishing I had known earlier to buy tickets.   Back then, you had to go to some music store or the venue to obtain tickets. And had to read the papers or listen to public radio to hear about concerts. 
In case you were having buyer's remorse about that pricey new set of headphones...
The entire album is just plain perfect.
Could recognize Phil's bass playing after only one note.  Said to myself "self, this must be Dave Crosby, not CSNY).  Looks like I was right.  Jerry comes in later of course.
Tamalpais
 rednred wrote:

I've seen all variations of CSN&Y over the years, from the 1970s through the 2000s, but my most memorable show was on this same 1974 tour. It was at Roosevelt Stadium, in Jersey City, New Jersey, of all places, on August 8, 1974, the day Richard Nixon appeared on national TV in the U.S. and resigned as President. CSN&Y began the show saying, and playing, "(It's Been A) Long Time Coming", and sang it, along with the entire audience, with more joy and positive emotion as you could ever hear. After almost 6 years of the (at that time, thanks for the memories, "W"!) worst and most hated President in the history of America, that whole night became a huge celebration, and CSN&Y were never better.

 
Gorgeous music!
kinda miss W
this new Criminal in Chief (Putins puppy) is going to be a historic Low Point
 rednred wrote:

I've seen all variations of CSN&Y over the years, from the 1970s through the 2000s, but my most memorable show was on this same 1974 tour. It was at Roosevelt Stadium, in Jersey City, New Jersey, of all places, on August 8, 1974, the day Richard Nixon appeared on national TV in the U.S. and resigned as President. CSN&Y began the show saying, and playing, "(It's Been A) Long Time Coming", and sang it, along with the entire audience, with more joy and positive emotion as you could ever hear. After almost 6 years of the (at that time, thanks for the memories, "W"!) worst and most hated President in the history of America, that whole night became a huge celebration, and CSN&Y were never better.

 
Hmmmmmm we'll see
 coloradojohn wrote:
He was hanging out so much in those days with his Jefferson Airplane & Grateful Dead buddies, and it really shows up in sound here...

 
Yeah, check out the personnel listing for this album. It's like a CSN&Y / JA / GD supergroup!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_I_Could_Only_Remember_My_Name#Personnel

I heard this a lot at parties when it was new, but it was never in my own collection. Lately I picked up the CD, and it still sounds amazing!


Home!
Thanks for upping my Sunday morning Bill!!!
He was hanging out so much in those days with his Jefferson Airplane & Grateful Dead buddies, and it really shows up in sound here...
 keller1 wrote:


For me, he was the genius of CS&N, and this album, which was the soundtrack of the summer of 1972 in the 8 track player in my Chev Malibu, illustrates why.

 
my first car was a 1972 Malibu, also had this on 8track as well
 Koko53 wrote:
Old remenbers, I saw CSN&Y in Toronto in 1974 , firet time in EEUU...viejos recuerdos

{#Cheers} 

 
I've seen all variations of CSN&Y over the years, from the 1970s through the 2000s, but my most memorable show was on this same 1974 tour. It was at Roosevelt Stadium, in Jersey City, New Jersey, of all places, on August 8, 1974, the day Richard Nixon appeared on national TV in the U.S. and resigned as President. CSN&Y began the show saying, and playing, "(It's Been A) Long Time Coming", and sang it, along with the entire audience, with more joy and positive emotion as you could ever hear. After almost 6 years of the (at that time, thanks for the memories, "W"!) worst and most hated President in the history of America, that whole night became a huge celebration, and CSN&Y were never better.
After hearing this on RP, headed on over to my local used record store, and scored a used copy of this on vinyl.  Love it!  
This is on my Desert Island Album List.
 
great smooth vibe
Mt. Tamalpais, the birthplace of mountain biking.  For anyone that digs the outdoor scene and biking in particular, pick up the book Fat Tire Flyer.  Great documentation of the late late 70's - early 80's in the Mt. Tam social scene.
I'm a huge David Crosby fan and for me, this album is among his best work in any form, be it The Byrds, CSN, CSNY, Crosby & Nash, and other solo efforts.  If you are even a casual fan, this a must-have in your collection.
 otis_of_moab wrote:
Crosby was awesome on this album. 

 
Hoka-hey! got that right otis
Jeez, all he had to do was look at his own album cover to remember his name. Just how high was he?
very nice!!
What can I say?  It is always a great pleasure to revisit classic singers and bands alike :) 
am a sucker for this era of music high points for all
Know what? I love this radio {#Wave}
 easmann wrote:
BTW BillG: The song title is misspelled: It should be Tamalpais High (not Tamalpias High). : )

 
just call it Mt Tam 
 unclehud wrote:
Yeah, some days I wish I could remember my name, too.  Hope my liver lasts longer than his.

 
Why does he not remember his own?
 BBoyes wrote:
One of my 100 Favorite Albums of All Time.

 
Gee - glad you can afford to buy that many 


after all these years, still gives me chills

Great song, great album. 



crosby by b-Dub
©2004-2014 b-Dub

Charcoal on paper. Approximately 20''x16''. David Crosby.
The photo has skewed the perspective a bit, and the charcoal has not been fixed, resulting in some unwanted smudging.


 calypsus_1 wrote:
. . . everything converges in a tyrannical despotism of subordination to the money. . .
 
That's what my dad used to say when I asked for my allowance.

"Holding On To Nothing " is a song included on Crosby's 2014 studio album "Croz" It is his first studio album in 20 years. This song account with Interesting collaboration of Wynton Marsalis on trumpet. Also commend the extraordinary contribution of Mark Knopfler on guitar solo, in the song "WHAT'S BROKEN". Amazing.
The Crosby's 2014 album "Croz" has a great concept, whose sound is notoriously crossed by some melancholy, what is right, and , by the way, coincides with the current time that the World also crosses, crisis of values, principles, rules, like everything converges in a tyrannical despotism of subordination to the money. As a "revolution" deliberately mounted in reverse backwards, instigated by the pyramid top. And that's how some people well established, easily "sell his ass for two cents". Sell their dignity and conscience of men, in return for maintaining their material comforts. Other citizens, f*** them. This condition is the vilest baseness that any human being can experience. I quote another song of another author: "We ask: What is a human life, if not is dedicated to the work of relieving suffering?"  But time will show us that this is not the way. All will change.



Pure perfection
 Beatifull Plate

DaveInVA wrote:







Sounds great on the original 7.5 ips Reel to Reel tape also...

 


Old remenbers, I saw CSN&Y in Toronto in 1974 , firet time in EEUU...viejos recuerdos

{#Cheers} 
9
First time of hearing for me although I'm a CSNY fan. Loved it. May buy the album.
This record rules
One of my all time favorite LPs.{#Good-vibes}
Bill,


"Tamalpais" is misspelled in the title bar.  

Everybody in my mushrooming multitude of churches loves this song...
 
One of my 100 Favorite Albums of All Time.







Sounds great on the original 7.5 ips Reel to Reel tape also...
Yeah, some days I wish I could remember my name, too.  Hope my liver lasts longer than his.
 keller1 wrote:
My  joelbb wrote:

Yeah, if they'd just get rid of that jerk Crosby it would be terrific.  I gave it a five, down from an 8 or 9 for those talented guys hangin' w/ bad company.
 

Reading these comments pages, it turns out that Crosby is a lot more controversial than I thought.

For me, he was the genius of CS&N, and this album, which was the soundtrack of the summer of 1972 in the 8 track player in my Chev Malibu, illustrates why.
 
100% right on. One of the best albums in my collection, and Crosby is a genius, taking CSN(Y) to levels they never would have reached without him.  Saw him and Nash in Denver a couple of years ago and he still has it, man.  Opened with Eight Miles High "to get it out of my system" and it just soared from there for 2 1/2 hours.
It was the 60's and 70's man, no going back now. Great music, mostly great memories as far as I can remember. Just kidding, not, no I really don't remember everything from that era, it did become blurry at times, but the brotherly and sisterly love was very much all around with so much less anger. That's what I miss most of all. I think we just ignored the angry folks and hung out whereever the vibes were positve. Peace.
I bought this album in vinyl in the 70s, made a cassette for the car in the early 80s and then bought the CD in the 90s. Needless to say...

So awesome to now hear it on the interweb! Thanks RP. 
 k_trout wrote:
This is a superb album - blew me away in 1972 and still does so today.
 
Yup!
My  joelbb wrote:

Yeah, if they'd just get rid of that jerk Crosby it would be terrific.  I gave it a five, down from an 8 or 9 for those talented guys hangin' w/ bad company.
 

Reading these comments pages, it turns out that Crosby is a lot more controversial than I thought.

For me, he was the genius of CS&N, and this album, which was the soundtrack of the summer of 1972 in the 8 track player in my Chev Malibu, illustrates why.
 FretGuru wrote:
Tamalpais High~
Crosby
Nash
Jorma
Garcia
Lesh
Kreutzmann
 
Yeah, if they'd just get rid of that jerk Crosby it would be terrific.  I gave it a five, down from an 8 or 9 for those talented guys hangin' w/ bad company.


This is a superb album - blew me away in 1972 and still does so today.
Tamalpais High~
Crosby
Nash
Jorma
Garcia
Lesh
Kreutzmann

 socalhol wrote:
I didn't know this song — but the title caught my attention.  I know Mt Tamalpais!  My family on my mom's side has lived around the Bay Area for 3 generations.  My grandma's ashes were spread over Mt Tamalpais.
 

Mt. Tamalpais was a part of my childhood in the Bay Area as a kid, too.  Whenever we went from Berkeley to Stinson Beach, Tamales Bay and other points nearby we went over the montain to get there.  This was before there was the San Rafael bridge.  Take the ferry across, get off and go a little bit and make that left hand turn by San Quentin, go through Mill Valley and up and over.  We always kept an eye out for the little frozen waterfalls and patches of snow along the roadside.  It was the only place in the Bay Area where you could see things like that.  There were also the wild ferns and all kinds of vegetation that made the trip rather magical.

A very special place indeed.
What a great segue from Anna Ternheim - Solitary Move {#Clap}{#Notworthy}
I didn't know this song — but the title caught my attention.  I know Mt Tamalpais!  My family on my mom's side has lived around the Bay Area for 3 generations.  My grandma's ashes were spread over Mt Tamalpais.
What a golden era, late 60's to the mid-70's. I had lost track of CSN after CSN&Y. Just discovered this album 3 years ago. Good stuff. Stephen Stills I suppose commanded my attention with his solo albums after the breakup and this album really helps define the differences. Stills solo works, especially the Manasas albums had a lot of cool latin influences and interstingly, blue grass and country influences. Those were the days. These days are pretty cool as well if you let them be.


Oh. Be still my beating heart. This is beautiful. 
Classic song from the early 70's. It's perfect.
 
Crosby was awesome on this album.