The Youngbloods

The Youngbloods were an American rock band originally hailing from New York, whose gentle psychedelia-infused brand of folk music made them critical darlings in the late 60s. Formed in 1965 by multi-instrumentalists Jesse Colin Young, Jerry Corbitt, Lowell Levinger and drummer Joe Bauer, the band became popular after making the rounds at New York City’s club circuit, playing at legendary venues like Gerde’s Folk City and Cafe Au Go Go in Greenwich Village. Originally released in 1967, their eponymous studio debut went largely unnoticed, with the single “Grizzly Bear” peaking at Number 52 on Billboard’s Hot 100. That same year, they followed up with Earth Music, which received great reviews but ultimately failed to chart. Two years later, the group had their breakthrough moment when the single “Get Together” reached Number 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 after being featured in a TV public service ad. Following Corbitt’s departure in 1969, the band relocated to California and released the highly-influential Elephant Mountain, which spawned the iconic single “Darkness, Darkness.” The poor commercial performance of Good & Dusty (1971) and High on a Ridgetop (1972) led the band to its eventual demise, after which its members embarked on solo careers to varying degrees of success