THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

417-Crosby, Stills & Nash-Marrakesh Express.

1969-Number 17 single.

Best Bit-At 0.48. Marrakesh is a city in Morocco. The Marakesh Express is the train Graham Nash took on a trip there from Casablanca in 1966. The lyrics tell the tale of the sights and sounds that he encountered on that trip.

Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) are often cited as the first ‘Supergroup.’ It was the coming together of three already highly respected, and successful musicians. David Crosby had been a founding member of the American Folk Rock band The Byrds from 1964 until his dismissal in 1967, (see also best songs 621) Stephen Stills had been a founding member of the American Rock group Buffalo Springfield,(see also best songs 559) who had split, and he was looking for a new band, and Graham Nash who had just left the English Pop band the Hollies, (see also best songs 369) due to musical differences. After the success of their self debut Album in 1969 the trio went on tour, hiring other musicians to play with them including the equally highly respected and successful, and also former Buffalo Springfield member Neil Young (see also best songs 602 and 559.) Young would become the bands fourth member, as they would then perform as ‘Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY.) There has never been any official parting of the ways, although there has been no new activity since 2015.

Graham Nash was born on February 2nd, 1942, in Blackpool, England, he was a co-founder of the Hollies, but left the band in 1968. Nash had written ‘Marrakesh Express’ in 1966 with the aim of it becoming a future Hollies song, but when it was rejected for not being commercial enough, Nash became frustrated, leading to him leaving the band. Nash has explained how the song came about.’In 1966 I was visiting Morocco on vacation to Marrakesh, and getting on a train, and having a first class ticket, and then realising that the first class compartment was completely f..king boring, you know, ladies with blue hair in there, it wasn’t my scene at all. So I decide I’m going to go and see what the rest of the train is like, and the rest of the train was fascinating. Just like the songs says, there were ducks and pigs and chickens all over the place, and people lighting fires. It’s literally the song as it is, what happened to me.’

‘Marrakesh Express’ is track 2 on the Crosby, Stills & Nash self titled debut Album from 1969. The trio were joined by the top session drummer Jim Gordon on the track. Gordon is a veteran performer on hundreds of songs, who in 1970 co-founded the ‘Supergroup’ Derek and the Dominos. At the very start of the song you can hear David Crosby talking gibberish,’Whoopa, hey mesa, hooba huffa, hey meshy goosh goosh.’

‘Looking at the world through the sunset in your eyes. Trying to make the train through clear Moroccan skies. Ducks and pigs and chickens call, animal carpet wall to wall. American ladies five foot tall in blue.’