Linda Ronstadt and Neil Young (Updated)

UPDATED: 1/5/20 - ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON Saturday, March 02, 2019

Linda Ronstadt 2013 interview on Neil Young via Hudson Union | YouTube.

There is a recent resurgence in interest of Linda Ronstadt's career in light of her recent Kennedy Center Honors and a new documentary 'The Sound of My Voice' (see trailer below).



Linda Ronstadt and Neil Young's careers briefly -- but beautifully and brilliantly -- intersected back in the 1970s and continued until the late 1980's.

Early in her career, Linda Ronstadt sang backup vocals with James Taylor on Neil Young's #1 song "Heart of Gold" from the multi-platinum album "Harvest". Later, Ronstadt opened for Neil Young's 1973 "Time Fades Away" tour.



Linda Ronstadt covered Neil Young's "Birds" (from album After the Goldrush) on her 1972 self titled album. (See video above) Also, Ronstadt, with Nicolette Larson, sang on Neil Young's 1977 album, American Stars 'n Bars, with Linda Ronstadt on the tracks "Old Country Waltz", "Saddle Up the Palomino", "Bite the Bullet", "Hold Back the Tears", and "Hey Babe".

Linda Ronstadt also sang backup vocals on Neil Young's "Hanging on a Limb" and "The Ways of Love" on Freedom. She also sang on the Harvest Moon (Unknown Legend, From Hank to Hendrix, Harvest Moon, War of Man, One of These Days) and Silver & Gold (Red Sun) albums. (Thanks Babbo B. & Jeff G.!)

Linda Ronstadt and Neil Young - early/mid 1970's

In Neil Young's auto-biography "Waging Heavy Peace", he discusses Linda Ronstadt. In an interview with Linda Ronstadt on Hudson Union | YouTube she is asked about working with Neil Young. In this clip, Linda Ronstadt discusses how Neil Young's epilepsy condition impacted him. Her comments are even more heartfelt given Linda's own situation.

From an interview with ultimateclassicrock.com on Ronstadt opening for Neil Young's 1973 "Time Fades Away" tour:

Linda Ronstadt: “Neil and I first met at the Troubadour, I think.

But we did the Johnny Cash Show together and he was recording, so he asked me to come along and sing harmonies. James Taylor was doing the same show and James came along and we recorded on 'Heart of Gold' and 'Old Man' for the Harvest album. It was a great record and friends of mine were playing on it. Kenneth was playing drums, so we were there all night long. We came out the next morning and it was snowing. I remember singing all night long and never getting bored.

I love Neil’s music.

As a club act, we weren't really ready for Madison Square Garden, but we did our best.

Larger venues ended up becoming a persistent issue. They did a pretty good job of trying to make it all work. But in those hard, huge cavernous spaces, it’s hard to do really, really quiet, subtle music. You need a small theater for that.

You know, when you’re finished with your show, you just want to get out of there and go home and do something else. It was good exposure for me. It really helped the record. In time, everyone developed a deep sense of camaraderie, as well.

I stayed every night for his [Neil Young] show, which was almost two hours long. He had great players. He had Kenneth Buttrey for part of that tour playing drums, [and] Tim Drummond.

It was really a great band.”

In Neil Young's auto-biography "Waging Heavy Peace", he writes that Linda Ronstadt once warned her protege Nicolette Larson not to get involved with him because "He doesn’t live in the real world". (Incidentally, Larson ignored Ronstadt’s advice and had her biggest career hit with the song Neil wrote for her “Lotta Love”.)

Linda Ronstadt : Love is a Rose (In Concert - Atlanta 1977)

From Linda Ronstadt on her best albums: “I’ve got a huge jukebox in my brain” by Tom Pinnock:

Linda Ronstadt: There were a lot of great writers around then [early 1970's].

California is like a big lens, people would come from other places and California would focus them. A guy like Bernie would come from Florida, or Glenn would come from Michigan, or Don from Texas, and by the time they got to California the Californian sensibility would put its own little spin on things. Then it would be broadcast to the world.

Neil Young is another one – I still think he’s one of the best guys that ever came out of rock’n’roll, he’s just brilliant.

Linda Ronstadt - Live In Hollywood

Across The Border - Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Neil Young

Above video of Bruce Springsteen song, by Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, and Neil Young. From the "Western Wall: Tucson Sessions" album.

Linda Ronstadt & Nicolette Larsen w/ Neil Young
American Stars & Bars sessions

Linda Ronstadt and Neil Young [purportedly & unconfirmed] Riding Horses

More on Neil Young's Musical Influences.

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