Neil later bought a hearse that he called Mortimer Hearsebug, Mort for short. It was big enough to get the band in and transport all their equipment – the rolling tray made it easier to get heavy equipment in and out. More importantly, it helped them stand out from the other bands; not many bands drove around in a hearse – though I’m reminded of the British band Screaming Lord Sutch and the Savages. That hearse – Mort, or its successor Mort 2 – would later play a prominent part.
The Squires had a local hit with a single they put out featuring two instrumentals written by Neil – ‘The Sultan’ b/w ‘Aurora’. It was while with the Squires that he bumped into and befriended Stephen Stills, who was playing with a band called The Company. That was a crucial component in the serendipity that led to so much more. That encounter formed the basis of a friendship and musical adventure that persists up until today. It formed the nucleus of three incredible bands: Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and the Stills-Young Band.
But the Squires only lasted two years – 1963-1965 – and soon split up. Its other members were not as committed as Neil and life and careers soon got in the way. The band eventually ended up skint and destitute in Fort Worth. Mort dropped its transmission on the road and Neil just split for Toronto, leaving everyone in his wake.