With one of the most compelling and soothing voices of the 1960s, Jesse Colin Young began his career as a folksinger on the coffeehouse circuit of Greenwich Village. After releasing two solo albums in 1964 and 1965, he met up with Cambridge guitarist Jerry Corbitt and along with multi-instrumentalist Lowell "Banana" Levenger and drummer Joe Bauer, formed the Youngbloods in 1966.
Soon signed to RCA, the Youngbloods exemplified the peace and love esthetic of the 1960s and created some of the most enduring good-vibe music of the era, fusing elements of folk, jugband, rock, and blues into a sound uniquely their own. By 1969, Jerry Corbitt had dropped out, reducing the group to a trio.
They relocated to San Francisco and recorded Elephant Mountain, one of the landmark albums of the 1960s at the peak of their creativity. This album not only featured a wealth of great original material, but also began incorporating jazzier improvisational elements into the mix.
Following a public-service commercial for the National Council of Christians and Jews, which featured the Youngbloods recording of "Get Together," RCA re-released the song as a single. Now widely considered an anthem of the 1960s, this song raced up the charts becoming a Top Ten hit nearly three years after it was recorded. At this point, the group launched their own label, Raccoon Records, where they continued releasing Youngbloods albums as well as solo projects by each of the members.
By far, the most successful of these releases was Jesse Colin Young's solo album, Together, released in March of 1972. Following the success of his solo album, Young recorded one last album with the Youngbloods later in the year and then disbanded the group to pursue a solo career.