Poco

Poco is one of the most underrated of the country rock bands, arising from the ashes of Buffalo Springfield. Their original name was Pogo, but they changed their name to Poco because of a lawsuit.  Richie Furay and Jim Messina were the driving force in starting Poco. The idea to start a country rock group after Buffalo Springfield ended came together during work on Buffalo Springfield's last album "Last Time Around" when they decided to use a steel guitar on one of the songs. Rusty Young played on "Kind Woman" (considered to be the first Poco song).

Poco I (August 1968 - February 1970)
  • Richie Furay - guitar/vocals - b. Paul Richard Furay, May 9, 1944, Yellow Springs (Dayton), Ohio. 
  • Jim Messina - lead guitar/bass/vocals - b. James Messina, December 5, 1947, Maywood, California - formerly with Buffalo Springfield.
  • Rusty Young - pedal steel/dobro/banjo/vocals - b. Norman Russell Young, February 23, 1946, Long Beach, California - formerly with Denver band Boenzee Cryque.
  • George Grantham - drums/vocals - b. November 20, 1947, Cordell, Oklahoma - formerly with Denver band Boenzee Cryque.
  • Randy Meisner - bass/vocals - b. Randall Meisner, March 8, 1946, Scottsbluff, Nebraska - formerly with local Scottsbluff band The Poor.
Albums:
  1. "Pickin' Up the Pieces" (1969) - Single: "Pickin' Up the Pieces"
Randy Meisner joins Rick Nelson's Stone Canyon Band and later was a founding member of The Eagles.

Poco II (February 1970 - November 1970)
  • Richie Furay - guitar/vocals
  • Jim Messina - guitar/bass/vocals
  • Rusty Young - pedal steel/dobro/banjo/vocals
  • George Grantham - drums/vocals
  • Timothy B. Schmit - bass/vocals - b. October 30, 1947, Sacramento, California - formerly with New Breed / Redwing.
Albums:
  1. "Poco" (1970)
  2. "Deliverin'" (live) (1971)
Jim Messina joins guitarist-singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins to form Loggins and Messina.

Poco III (November 1970 - September 1973)
  • Richie Furay - guitar/vocals
  • Paul Cotton - lead guitar/vocals - b. Norman Paul Cotton, February 26, 1943, Los Angeles, California - formerly with The Capitols, The Mus-twangs, The Gentrys, The Rovin' Kind, and The Illinois Speed Press (duo with Kal David).
  • Rusty Young - pedal steel/dobro/banjo/vocals
  • Timothy B. Schmit - bass/vocals
  • George Grantham - drums/vocals
Albums:
  1. "From the Inside" (1971)
  2. "A Good Feelin' To Know" (1972)
  3. "From the Inside / A Good Feelin' to Know" (2-fer) (1999)
  4. "Crazy Eyes" (1973)
Following "Crazy Eyes", Richie Furay left to form the The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band with Chris Hillman and John David ("J.D.") Souther.

Poco IV (September 1973 - September 1977)
  • Paul Cotton - lead guitar/vocals
  • Rusty Young - pedal steel/dobro/banjo/vocals
  • Timothy B. Schmit - bass/vocals
  • George Grantham - drums/vocals
Albums:
  1. "Poco Seven" (1974)
  2. "Cantamos" (1974)
  3. "Head Over Heels" (1975)
  4. "Poco Live" (1975)
  5. "Rose of Cimarron" (1976)
  6. "Indian Summer" (1977)
Timothy B. Schmit leaves to join The Eagles.

Poco V (March 1978 - 1980)
  • Paul Cotton - lead guitar/vocals
  • Rusty Young - pedal steel/dobro/banjo/vocals
  • Steve Chapman - drums - Born in England.
  • Charlie Harrison - bass/vocals - Born in England.
Albums:
  1. "Legend" (1978)

Poco VI (March 1980 - 1982)
  • Paul Cotton - lead guitar/vocals
  • Rusty Young - pedal steel/guitar/dobro/banjo/vocals
  • Kim Bullard - keyboards/vocals - b. Atlanta, Georgia.
  • Steve Chapman - drums
  • Charlie Harrison - bass/vocals
Albums:
  1. "Under the Gun" (1980)
  2. "Blue and Gray" (1981)
  3. "Cowboys & Englishmen" (1982)
  4. "Ghost Town" (1982)

Poco VI (1982 - 1987)
  • Paul Cotton - lead guitar/vocals
  • Rusty Young - pedal steel/guitar/dobro/vocals
  • Kim Bullard - keyboards/vocals
  • Steve Chapman - drums
Album:
  1. "Inamorato" (1984)
  2. "Ghost Town / Inamorato" (2-fer) (1995)

Poco VII ( ? - ? )
  • Paul Cotton - lead guitar/vocals
  • Rusty Young - pedal steel/guitar/dobro/vocals
  • Kim Bullard - keyboards/vocals
  • Steve Chapman - drums
  • Jack Sundrud - bass/vocals - formerly with Great Plains.
Rusty Young joins Four Wheel Drive/The Sky Kings.

Poco VI (1989 - 1990) (reformed with original 1969 lineup)
  • Richie Furay - guitar/vocals
  • Jim Messina - lead guitar/vocals
  • Rusty Young - pedal steel/dobro/banjo/vocals
  • Randy Meisner - bass/vocals
  • George Grantham - drums/vocals
Album:
  1. "Legacy" (1989)

Poco VII ( ? - 2000) (reformed)
  • Paul Cotton - lead guitar/vocals
  • Rusty Young - pedal steel/dobro/banjo/vocals
  • Richard Neville - bass
  • Tim Smith - drums/percussion

Poco VIII (2000)
  • Paul Cotton - lead guitar/vocals
  • Rusty Young - pedal steel/dobro/banjo/vocals
  • George Grantham - drums/vocals
  • Jack Sundrud - bass/vocals

Compilations:
  1. "The Very Best of Poco" (1975)
  2. "Crazy Lovin': The Best of Poco 1975-1982"
  3. "Backtracks" (1982)
  4. "The Forgotten Trail (1969-74)" (2-CDs) (1990)
  5. "On the Country Side" (1996)
  6. "The Ultimate Collection" (1998)

Paul Cotton solo:
  1. "Changing Horses"
  2. "Firebird"
Timothy B. Schmit solo:
  1. "
Hartman Recommends:
I love this band...so much that I acquired the nickname "Poco" from several close friends during the '70s.  Personal favorites are their early live album "Deliverin'" and "Cantamos".  However, if you're only going to buy one Poco album, buy the compilation "The Forgotten Trail (1969-74)"; it includes most of their classic songs along with several unreleased cuts and alternate versions --- A GREAT SET!

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Date Revised:  September 12, 2000