Formed by Chris Hillman, Al Perkins and Paul Harris, with Richie Furay, who had just left Poco and John David Souther, a well known singer/songwriter, after the split of Manassas in September 1973.

In 1974 they released their debut album, simply called S.H.F. Band. Although not bad, compared to the expectations and the potential of those musicians, it could have been better. The tour demonstrated that this group knew how to play but was lacking in originality, with much of the material sounding similar to that of the Flying Burrito Brothers, Poco and even the Byrds.

The 1975 follow-up album, Trouble In Paradise, had better songs than the debut album but still lacked any real band identity. When Furay hurt his hand and the group couldn't play, there were rumours that the group would split up soon, due to musical differences. Although the rumours were denied, Hillman and Souther were already working hard on their respective solo releases, and in April 1975 the band split up and the three front men went their separate ways.