Almost Hits: Crosby, Stills & Nash - Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (1969)

Medleys are a group of unrelated, short songs that are joined together when played. The majority of side two of The Beatles' Abbey Road is a significant example. Suites are different. They're also a group of individual songs or movements played together, but they are related to each other in some way.

Audio Apartment defines a suite as: "an ordered set of individual pieces or movements tied together by themes or tonalities."

According to the website CLRN: "The concept of a suite dates back to the Baroque period, and it has evolved over time to incorporate various styles, forms, and instruments."

By the late 1960s suites became part of the burgeoning, eclectic pop and rock music scene. It was a device frequently employed by The Moody Blues and Chicago in their early years, but one of the most prominent examples was the second single by the wonderfully talented composers and harmonizers, Crosby, Stills & Nash. "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" - the follow-up to "Marrakesh Express," a #28 hit written by Graham Nash - reached #21 on Billboard's Hot 100.

Stills wrote the suite about his breakup with Judy Collins, a relationship they both knew wasn't going to work out in the long run. Upon its completion, Stills played it for Collins. The folk singer cried, and said it was beautiful, but it wasn't going to rekindle their relationship.

All indications point to the couple parting amicably, but if any hard feelings existed between the celebrity couple at the time, they're now friends who even made an album together in 2017.
As with the majority of extended album tracks "Judy Blue Eyes" lost some of its strength when it was truncated to fit on a 45 rpm record to please radio stations. Three of Stills' four movements were edited for the single, cutting the LP track from 7:28 down to 4:35. Even then, it was longer than most top 40 radio stations of the day wanted.

Stills sang the lead vocal, played guitar, bass and percussion - everything except for drums that were contributed by the trio's sideman, Dallas Taylor. David Crosby and Nash added their beautiful harmonies.

The track - especially the long version - is a unique and sophisticated work. It's the kind of thing you won't hear from the world of pop music today.
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Almost Hits is an occasional exploration into songs that failed to reach the top 20 on the American Billboard Hot 100. Many have become classics despite what their chart position would indicate.

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