Neil Young with Nicolette Larson, 1985
Meadowbrook - Rochester, Michigan
photo via Jim Munro on Neil Young's Ditch Trilogy | Facebook
(Click photo to enlarge)
Folks may recall that we recently posted on the discrepancy on credits for the song "Daughters" as to whether background vocals are Nicolette Larson or Emmylou Harris.
Then, we reported here last week, several major announcements regarding the Neil Young Archives Vol #3 - coming in 2022 - including:
- A Snapshot in Time - " 'Barefoot Floors' is also included on NYA Volume 3 in ‘a snapshot in time’ disc 3. This is a documentary tape of me playing the songs on stars n bars for Nicolette Larson, Linda Ronstadt and David Briggs before we went into the studio. I think it’s the best recording. It may have been done separately in the studio."
- GIVE TO THE WIND - planned for NYA Volume 3, Disc 4. "We have the rehearsal tape done at the Nashville Musician’s Union Hall the previous day with Nicolette and I and the entire orchestra."
In today's Times-Contrarian | NYA, Neil Young fondly recalls Nicolette Larson and the Gone with the Wind Orchestra sessions at Nashville Musician’s Union Hall in 1977.
Nicolette’s voice and soul will live forever in my heart. She brought her love and spirit every time she sang with me or anyone else. When Ben Keith called her the best harmony singer he had ever heard, he was right. Nicolette loved to sing! Singing along with me once she said she could follow my voice anywhere it went.
Nicolette.
She once told me her friends would go with her on gravel roads, bumpy ones, in an old truck and “sing like Neil Young”, referring to my shaky vibrato and laughing as they flew down the bumpy road.
Neil Young continues that he is completing the long lost recording from the Nashville Musician’s Union Hall with the ‘Gone with the Wind Orchestra’. Ten songs are planned for NYA#3 disc "GIVE TO THE WIND".
More on Neil Young Archives Vol #3 details.
Also, more on Nicolette Larson & Neil Young.
A Tribute To Nicolette Larson: Lotta Love Concert
Also, see Nicolette Larson Covers 'Lotta Love' on YouTube.
More on the Nicolette Larson Tribute: The "Lotta Love Concert", Feb. 21-22, 1998, at the Santa Monica, CA Civic Auditorium.
Also, see INTERVIEW - 30 Years Ago: Nicolette Larson Talks Neil Young .
Nicolette was a stunningly gorgeous woman. I think Neil & her had a fling before he met Pegi....man her beauty was jaw dropping to me
ReplyDeleteAs creaky as Neil's vocals can be, it also strangely works well in harmony with others. And I think the voice that worked best with Neil's was most definitely Nicolette Larson. My favorite part of the Comes A Time lp was those harmonies between the two of them. It's too bad about Nicolette, she left us far too soon.
ReplyDeleteThe image at the top from Meadowbrook of Neil & Nicolette is a show I hope they release. Meadowbrook is a small "shed" tucked in the woods with a great atmosphere. During that show Nicolette came out for a song, would leave the stage and then come back later for another song. At one point Nils Lofgren showed up with his accordion to help play "Helpless" as a duo with Neil.
ReplyDeleteThis was one of the shows they did one of the legendary versions of "Down By The River" with Hargus "Pig" Robbins doing the call and response on piano with Neil on guitar.
Neil was in a great mood after the show so he offered to set-up an interview for me with Willie Nelson. I'm thinking, "yeah, sure." Next morning as I was having my first cup of coffee sure enough I had a three hour interview on Willie's bus arranged. Got three bylines in the Detroit Free Press and still have tons of stuff in the can. What a great time!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxEaQZUPSL4
I've made a request for the Meadowbrook show to be in the concert timeline and sent my review of the show that got published worldwide in Variety to NYA. Why he hasn't released the "Hargus version" of "Down By The River" is beyond me. In the Youtube linked above he talks about those versions of "Down By The River" on that tour that is the only time Hargus "Pig" Robbins went on tour with anyone.
https://sugarmtn.org/sm_show.php?show=198509050
@ Jonathan - right between Linda Ronstadt, Nicolette & Emmylou, Neil definitely had some very fine backup.
ReplyDelete@ Richie - way, way too soon. the story is that Neil couldn't attend her service while on tour, so he sent something like 1000 roses. Not sure on that quantity but folks at service said Neil's flower delivery filled the entire church.
@ Jim - thanks for mentioning Hargus "Pig" Robbins.
Just posted an interview w/ Pig from Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum @
http://neilyoungnews.thrasherswheat.org/2021/02/interview-hargus-pig-robbins-touring-w.html
what an amazing guy. the stories. so warm and funny. and he's still with us today. another treasure.
Hey thrasher, I never heard that story about Nicolette's service. Very cool.
ReplyDelete