The reality is that "CRM" as a title or buzz phrase may well have started somewhere at some point, but the concept has always been there. In many ways it is an abstract art mixed with factual science which makes definition open to individual interpretation.
Generally the subject is to do with the weakness and strength of human behaviour, and the individual recognition or awareness of those traits. Through this recognition and awareness the goal is to strengthen our behaviour profile to improve safety and as a result survival.
In aviation some of the behaviour aspects that might otherwise provide for success are sometimes very incompatible with the technological and scientific regime in which we operate. A very high percentage of accidents and incidents over the last century have been attributed to "Pilot error" when in fact a more accurate title would have been human error. Technology has no emotions or the ability to reason. Humans do, and this should not only make us masters of the former, but should give us a collective superiority over it. Unfortunetaly as we all know, aspects of our emotional behaviour and such things as competitiveness, pride, ego, anger etc. Can and often do work in a negative way in conjuction with this technology, and with each other. This is problematic in the sense that despite the negative perceptions of these behaviours, they are driving and motivational forces that we all have, are naturally part of what makes us what we are, and have had a vital role in our evolution.
CRM ( in its current incarnation ) has developed as it has become recognised that we need to become aware of the dangers inherent with not recognising our own behavioural strengths and weaknesses, and how we use them in interaction with others within the group. This is a subject that deals with issues that we are often reluctant to admit, confront or recognise. It is also a subject that is and probably always will develop, change and evolve as time progresses.
The subject is now and increasingly going to be a vital part of the initial and ongoing training within aviation and other industries. llanfairpig may have been tongue in cheek with the comment, but the reality is that what we now call CRM deals with the subjects that have always had the ability to aid us in our survival or kill us.