View source for Marrakesh Express

{{Distinguish|Marrakech Express}}
{{about|the song by Crosby, Stills & Nash|the album by Stan Getz|Marrakesh Express (album)}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Marrakesh Express
| cover      = Marrakesh_Express_-_Crosby,_Stills_&_Nash.jpg
| caption    = West German picture sleeve
| alt        =
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Crosby, Stills & Nash]]
| album      = [[Crosby, Stills & Nash (album)|Crosby, Stills & Nash]]
| B-side     = [[Helplessly Hoping]]
| released   = July 1969
| format     =
| recorded   = 1969
| studio     =
| venue      =
| genre      = [[Pop music|Pop]]<ref>{{cite book|editor1-first=Nathan|editor1-last=Brackett|editor2-first=Christian|editor2-last=Hoard|title=[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide|The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]]|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|edition=4th|year=2004|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/201 201]}}</ref>
| length     = 2:38
| label      = [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]
| writer     = [[Graham Nash]]
| producer   = [[David Crosby]]<br />[[Graham Nash]]<br />[[Stephen Stills]]
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title = [[Suite: Judy Blue Eyes]]
| next_year  = 1969
| misc       = {{Audio sample
 | type        = single
 | file        = Marrakesh Express by Crosby, Stills & Nash.ogg
 | description = "Marrakesh Express"
}}
}}

"'''Marrakesh Express'''" is a song written by [[Graham Nash]] and performed by the band [[Crosby, Stills and Nash]] (CSN). It was first released in May 1969 on the self-titled album, ''[[Crosby, Stills and Nash (album)|Crosby, Stills and Nash]]'', and released on a 45-RPM single in July of the same year, with another CSN song, "[[Helplessly Hoping]]",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Crosby-Stills-Nash-Marrakesh-Express/master/251558 |title=Crosby, Stills & Nash - Marrakesh Express |website=Discogs.com |year=1969 |access-date=2016-10-02}}</ref> as its backing side. The single reached No. 28 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] on August 23, 1969.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crosbystillsnash.com/discography/1969/crosby-stills-nash/ |title=Crosby, Stills & Nash &#124; Crosby, Stills and Nash |website=Crosbystillsnash.com |date= |access-date=2016-10-02}}</ref> It reached the same position on the Easy Listening chart.<ref>{{cite book|first= Joel |last= Whitburn |author-link= Joel Whitburn |year= 1993 |title= Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993 |publisher= Record Research |page=61}}</ref> The song was best received in the UK and Canada, reaching {{Numero|17}} in both nations.<ref name="bac-lac.gc.ca">{{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.6023&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.6023.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.6023|title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |date=1969-08-30 |access-date=2020-11-14}}</ref><ref name="Official Charts Company">{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/marrakesh-express/ |title=Official Charts Company |website=Officialcharts.com |date=1969-08-16 |access-date=2020-07-22}}</ref> As a trio or quartet, this remains their only single to make the UK top 40 chart.

==Composition==
"Marrakesh Express" was written and composed by [[Graham Nash]] during his final years as a member of the English rock band [[the Hollies]], of which he was a member from its formation in 1962 until 1968. The band rejected the song as not commercial enough, but it found a home with Nash's new band [[Crosby, Stills and Nash]].<ref name=Zimmer>Zimmer, Dave. Crosby, Stills & Nash: The Authorized Biography. Da Capo Press, 2000.</ref>

Nash recalled his inspiration for the song occurring during a Moroccan vacation he took in 1966. On the trip, Nash travelled by train from [[Casablanca]] to [[Marrakesh]]. He began the journey in First Class, surrounded by people he found to be uninteresting—as he described it, they were all "ladies with blue hair." He decided the compartment was "completely fucking boring," so left his seat to explore the other train carriages, and was fascinated by what he saw.

The song mentions "ducks and pigs and chickens," which he saw on the train, and recalled the ride by commenting: "It's literally the song as it is—what happened to me."<ref>{{cite web|last=Greene |first=Andy |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/track-by-track-crosby-stills-nash-on-their-self-titled-debut-20080818 |title=Track by Track: Crosby, Stills & Nash on Their Self-Titled Debut |publisher=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=2008-08-18 |accessdate=2016-10-02}}</ref>

==Musical structure==
The instrumentation of the song seeks to embody Nash's lyrics through an Eastern vibe and a "buoyant" flow carried by [[Jim Gordon (musician)|Jim Gordon]]'s drumming, to resemble a train ride. [[Stephen Stills]] was responsible for much of the creative musicianship, adding a distinctive, unique sounding riff played on two overdubbed electric guitars.<ref name=Zimmer/> He also added [[Hammond B3 organ]], piano and bass. The song was rounded out by Nash's acoustic guitar, and the group's trademark three-part vocal harmony on the choruses.<ref>{{cite web|author=Lindsay Planer |url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/marrakesh-express-mt0005545530 |title=Marrakesh Express - Crosby, Stills & Nash &#124; Song Info |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |date= |accessdate=2016-10-02}}</ref>

==Marrakesh Express at Woodstock==
The second public appearance<ref>Fricke, David. "David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash & Neil Young." Rolling Stone no. 838 (April 13, 2000): 92.</ref> of "Marrakesh Express" was at the [[Woodstock Music Festival]]. Between 3 am and 4 am on August 18, 1969, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young came together as a band for the second time in public and performed a set that included what Graham Nash called "a medley of our hit," referring to this song, the first single from their debut album.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtzIwGViR5w  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/wtzIwGViR5w |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Crosby, Stills and Nash - Marakesh Express/Blackbird |publisher=[[YouTube]] |date=2006-03-01 |accessdate=2016-10-02}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==Reception and current appeal==
The song has gained attention throughout the years and has remained popular since its release in 1969. Throughout the decades of touring done by Crosby, Stills and Nash, and the sometimes [[Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young]], "Marrakesh Express" is the ninth most-played song by them, and has been performed over 450 times.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/crosby-stills-and-nash-33d6f8a1.html?song=Marrakesh+Express |title=Marrakesh Express by Crosby, Stills & Nash Song Statistics |website=Setlist.fm |date=1969-08-17 |accessdate=2016-10-02}}</ref> 

A Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young tribute band is named "Marrakesh Express: A Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young Experience."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.marrakeshmusic.net/index.php |title=Marrakesh Express - a Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young Experience |publisher=Marrakesh Music |accessdate=2016-10-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161003190454/http://www.marrakeshmusic.net/index.php |archivedate=2016-10-03 }}</ref>

''[[Record World]]'' said it was "one of the merriest sides from the album ."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Single Picks of the Week|magazine=Record World|date=July 5, 1969|page=1|accessdate=2023-05-05|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/60s/69/RW-1969-07-05.pdf}}</ref>

In a 2003 ''Rolling Stone'' article, [[Iggy Pop]] mentions the song in response to a discussion of the [[The Stooges|Stooges]]’ creation acting as a counter against the "hippie movement”. He exclaims, "I mean, 'Marrakesh Express?' It may be the worst song ever written."<ref>{{cite web|last=Devenish |first=Colin |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/stooges-reopen-house-20050623 |title=Stooges reissue deluxe editions of 'The Stooges' and 'Fun House' |publisher=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=2005-06-23 |accessdate=2016-10-02}}</ref>

==Chart history==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Chart (1969)
!Peak<br />position
|-
|Canada ''RPM'' Adult Contemporary<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.6084&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.6084.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.6084|title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |date=1969-04-10 |accessdate=2020-11-14}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|23
|-
|Canada ''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'' Top Singles<ref name="bac-lac.gc.ca"/>
| style="text-align:center;"|17
|-
|[[UK Singles Chart|UK Singles]] ([[Official Charts Company|OCC]])<ref name="Official Charts Company"/>
| style="text-align:center;"|17
|-
|US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]]<ref>''Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990'' - {{ISBN|0-89820-089-X}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|28
|-
|US ''Billboard'' [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Easy Listening]]<ref>{{cite book|first= Joel |last= Whitburn |author-link= Joel Whitburn |year= 1993 |title= Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993 |publisher= Record Research |page=61}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|28
|-
|US [[Cash Box (magazine)|''Cash Box'']] Top 100<ref>[http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/60s_files/19690830.html Cash Box Top 100 Singles, August 30, 1969]</ref>
|align="center"|19
|-
|U.S. ''[[Record World]]'' Top 100<ref>{{Cite web|title=RECORD WORLD MAGAZINE: 1942 to 1982|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record_World.htm|access-date=2020-12-28|website=worldradiohistory.com}}</ref>
|align="center"|17
|}

==Cover versions==
In 2012, the song was recorded by the band [[The Gypsy Queens]] for their eponymous album ''[[The Gypsy Queens (album)|The Gypsy Queens]],'' featuring Nash himself and produced by [[Larry Klein]]. It was recorded at Jim Henson Studios in Los Angeles, ([[Jim Henson Company]]). The Album reached #46 in the English charts.

==See also==
*[[List of train songs]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.songfacts.com/lyrics/crosby-stills-nash/marrakesh-express Lyrics of this song]
* {{YouTube|0TYq9RjdYYU|Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Marrakesh Express}}

{{Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young songs]]
[[Category:Atlantic Records singles]]
[[Category:Songs written by Graham Nash]]
[[Category:Songs about trains]]
[[Category:Songs about Morocco]]
[[Category:1968 songs]]
[[Category:1968 debut singles]]
[[Category:Marrakesh]]
[[Category:Songs about cities]]