STREAMING THIS WEEKEND: "UNPLUGGED" by Neil Young w/ The Stray Gators | NYA

Neil Young | MTV's "Unplugged" - Broadcast Date: March 10, 1993
Streaming in Hearse Theater | NYA

This weekend, "UNPLUGGED" by Neil Young with The Stray Gators will be streaming on Hearse Theater | NYA.

The video has a very interesting backstory. Originally, a taping for broadcast was completed in December, 1992 at Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City. But Neil was reportedly very unhappy with his performance and the concert became known as the "Un-broadcast Unplugged Session".

"MTV's UNPLUGGED"

So another taping was held several months later in February, 1993 at Universal Studios, Universal City, California which apparently went much smoother.

Here is an article from Broken Arrow Magazine "Set Listings - MTV Unplugged 1992 And 1993 - Broadcast Variations" (#51, p 44) by Dave Zimmer.

"Set Listings - MTV Unplugged 1992 And 1993 - Broadcast Variations" by Dave Zimmer
Broken Arrow Magazine (#51, p 44)

One of the more remarkable aspects to the tapings was The Stray Gators lineup which included Nils Lofgren and backup singers Nicolette Larson and his sister Astrid Young.

Astrid Young and Nicolette Larson

Per Sugar Mountain, here is the setlist from the un-broadcast Unplugged Session:

1992-12-16 - Ed Sullivan Theater, New York City, New York, USA

1. Love Is A Rose
1. Love Is A Rose (take #2)
2. Unknown Legend
2. Unknown Legend (take #2)
3. From Hank To Hendrix
3. From Hank To Hendrix (take #2)
3. From Hank To Hendrix (take #3)
4. You And Me
5. Old King
6. Harvest Moon
6. Harvest Moon (take #2)
7. War Of Man
7. War Of Man (take #2)

Break

7. War Of Man (take #3)
8. Comes A Time
9. Old Man
10. Silver & Gold
10. Silver & Gold (take #2)
10. Silver & Gold (take #3)
11. Are You Ready For The Country?
11. Are You Ready For The Country? (take #2)
12. One Of These Days
13. Dreamin' Man
14. Down By The River
15. The Last Trip To Tulsa
15. The Last Trip To Tulsa (take #2)
16. After The Gold Rush

Band:
The Stray Gators, Line Up 6
Neil Young - vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, pump organ, harmonica
Nils Lofgren - acoustic guitar and accordion
Ben Keith - steel guitar
Spooner Oldham - piano, organ
Tim Drummond - bass
Oscar Butterworth (Kenny Buttrey) - drums
Nicolette Larson - backing vocals
Astrid Young - backing vocals

Neil Young w/ The Stray Gators
(Nils Lofgren, Nicolette Larson and Astrid Young)

From ‘MTV Unplugged’: The 15 Best Episodes by Andy Greene:

Neil Young was playing unplugged shows long before MTV dreamed up the concept, so he should have taken to the concept without any difficulty.

But his initial attempt to play an official Unplugged episode at New York’s Ed Sullivan Theater in December 1992 was a complete fiasco. Despite reuniting the Stray Gators from Harvest and Harvest Moon, he just wasn’t happy with the performance, ultimately walking out of the show and onto the street, leaving the producers and audience baffled. He returned and treated the audience to his first performance of “Last Trip to Tulsa” in 16 years, but he hated the show and refused to release it. Two months later they tried again at Universal Studios in Los Angeles. It was a very different set list, complete with the super deep cut “Stringman” and a haunting solo rendition of “Like a Hurricane” on the pump organ.

He let MTV air this one.

In Concert
Broken Arrow Magazine, May 1993 (#51, p 8)

Broken Arrow Magazine (#51, p 8): Gig Reviews - 12.16.1992 - Ed Sullivan Theater, New York City, Un-broadcast Unplugged Session By Paul Bronstein

Per Sugar Mountain, here is the setlist from the MTV Unplugged broadcast session:

1993-02-07 Universal Studios, Universal City, California, USA

1. The Old Laughing Lady
2. Mr. Soul
3. World On A String
4. Pocahontas
5. Stringman
6. Like A Hurricane
7. The Needle And The Damage Done
8. Helpless
9. Sample And Hold
10. Transformer Man
11. Dreamin' Man
12. Harvest Moon
13. Unknown Legend
14. War Of Man (unfinished)
15. War Of Man
16. Winterlong
17. Long May You Run (unfinished)
18. Long May You Run
19. Look Out For My Love
20. From Hank To Hendrix

Broken Arrow Magazine (#51, p 8): Gig Reviews - 02.07.1993 - Universal Studios, Los Angeles, MTV Unplugged By Dave Zimmer

The MTV "UNPLUGGED" concert by Neil Young w/ The Stray Gators debuted on March 10, 1993.

Ticket Stub MTV "UNPLUGGED"
(via Sugar Mountain)

Here is the track listing for UNPLUGGED, 1993 - Reprise 45310

Old Laughing Lady / Mr. Soul / World on a String / Pocahontas / Stringman / Like a Hurricane / The Needle and the Damage / Helpless / Harvest Moon / Transformer Man / Unknown Legend / Lookout for My Love / Long May You Run / From Hank to Hendrix

"UNPLUGGED" by Neil Young w/ The Stray Gators

More on REVIEW: "Unplugged" | Albums In Order Review Series by Mike "Expecting 2 Fly" Cordova and REVIEW: "Unplugged" | FUNHOUSE! by Uncle Dave.

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