By Howie Edelson
One of the many unique attributes of Crosby, Stills & Nash was the ability to pair off, go it alone, or group together depending on the song and the emotion it conveyed. Since forming in 1968, the music always dictated a tune’s form and shaped the sound it embodied.
Stephen Stills’ classic “4+20” was first performed at Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s debut concert on August 16th, 1969, at Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre before being included during the group’s legendary performance at Woodstock the following day. The day after that, America at large first heard the song when Stephen Stills played it on The Dick Cavett Show, sitting amongst his close friends David Crosby, Joni Mitchell, and The Jefferson Airplane.
The ballad remains but one of the many highlights on 1970’s Déjà vu collection and features Stills alone on an acoustic guitar showcasing a timeless tale of reflection and regret. Despite laying down several takes featuring ensemble harmony vocals by Graham Nash and David Crosby, they both urged Stills to perform the song in a solo rendition. It was in the final version that Stills was able to fully realize the song’s ultimate power and meaning. Over 20 years after committing the song to tape, Stills recalled,
"They told me they wouldn't touch it. So, it always stood alone."
Graham Nash remembered being particularly moved watching Stills tackle the tale of deep longing, telling author David Browne:
“Crosby and I were watching when he was recording, and Stephen really felt it. When he came to that line and took that gulp, he wanted to cut it again -- which he did, without the gulp. But Crosby and I loved it. It was so human, and on such a human song. We convinced Stephen to use the first take.”
Not long after the release of Déjà vu in 1970, Stephen Stills explained what life was like as an active, working songwriter:
“I consider myself an artist. There's a certain amount of magic and there's a certain amount of technical ability. And when you find the place between the two, then — for yourself — you'll find your little groove.”
2021 saw the release of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's Déjà vu (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition). The critically acclaimed five-disc collection featured a previously unreleased demo and alternative versions of "4+20."