The iconic cover artwork for Crosby, Stills and Nash’s 1969 debut album is celebrated as one of the most recognizable designs of its time. However, there was a surprising twist: the band initially wanted to reshoot the image. What led to this decision?

In a recent episode of The Rockonteurs podcast, Graham Nash shared insightful details about the events that unfolded. He recounted, “One day, our dear friend and talented photographer, Henry Diltz, came into the studio. We realized that we were already deep into the recording of our CSN album and, to our dismay, we didn’t yet have a cover image.” Nash continued, “So, I asked our engineer, Bill Halvorsen, to handle things for an hour while we took a walk to brainstorm.”

The trio, along with Diltz, ventured to Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, seeking inspiration.

“We stumbled upon an old house, and thought, ‘Let’s sit on this couch and take a picture here,’” Nash reflected. After viewing the prints the next day, they encountered a dilemma: “We loved the shots, but we were arranged incorrectly in the photos. I was sitting first, followed by Stills, then Crosby. We ultimately decided on the name Crosby, Stills and Nash because it flows so well.”

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Initially, it appeared to be a simple fix. Diltz readily agreed to return to the same location with the band the following day to capture a new set of images.

“We returned to the site, but to our shock, there was no house left. It had been completely demolished, leaving just a pile of lumber in its place,” Nash remarked. “It turns out it was bulldozed that very same day.”

Faced with no other option, CSN had to settle for the original photograph, even though the band members weren’t positioned in the ideal order. This led to some confusion among fans; as Nash pointed out, some individuals mistakenly believed he penned the song ‘Guinnevere’. Despite this mix-up, the artwork has since become one of the most enduring images of the era.