"Badass Neil Young Stories" via Otis Gibbs

"Badass Neil Young Stories" via Otis Gibbs

Over the past years, we've featured a number of clips from Otis Gibbs discussing  Neil Young's music.

Here is a compilation of "Badass Neil Young Stories" from Kenny Vaughan, Dan Baird, Eric Ambel, Kevn Kinney, Dave Roe, Vince Herman and more who share stories about being around Neil Young.

In particular, check about around 48:00 where Otis discusses the Harvest album cover, designer Gary Burden and photographer Henry Diltz.

Neil Young at Broken Arrow Ranch - 1971

Photo by Henry Diltz

As Otis discusses the Harvest album cover, he mentions researching the story and "falling down the rabbit hole of Neil Young -- the Thrasher's Wheat website."

Thanks Otis! We really can't think of a better metaphor for what we do here at Thrasher's Wheat -- creating Neil Young rabbit holes. (Thanks Jim!)

Follow the Neil rabbit hole @ "Old man look at my life..." - Photos of Neil Young and His Inspiration by Henry Diltz.

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PHOTOS: Paul McCartney and Neil Young - Desert Trip Festival 2016

Paul McCartney and Neil Young Desert Trip Festival - 2016
photo via 

stella

 | X (Click photo to enlarge)

Here are some rare photos of Paul McCartney and Neil Young at  Desert Trip Festival in 2016.

Paul McCartney and Neil Young Desert Trip Festival - 2016
photo via 

stella

 | X (Click photo to enlarge)

And as we had presciently speculated, yes, we did indeed get the Paul and Neil mashup we all hoped for that weekend. Maybe not exactly as expected (we thought Paul would walk onto Neil's set for "A Day In The Life"), but even beyond our wildest speculations.

After Neil joined Paul for "A Day In The Life" they went straight into John Lennon's "Give Peace A Chance" followed by a rare "Why Don't We Do It In The Road?". Are we lucky and blessed or what?!

More on:

• Concert Review of the Moment:  Desert Trip Festival - Neil Young + POTR + Paul McCartney, October 8, 2016
• FLASHBACK: About That Time Paul McCartney Showed Up At A Neil Young Concert
• Desert Trip Festival: Neil Young + Promise of the...
• Paul McCartney encore w/ Neil Young on "A Day in the Life" at Hyde Park, London, England Hard Rock Calling 2009 Festival: 6/27/09
• Paul McCartney and Neil Young 

Paul McCartney and Neil Young

"Only Love Can Break Your Heart"
Bridge School Benefit Concert - October 23, 2004
Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, CA
Photo by Kim Komenich of San Francisco Chronicle(see  Paul McCartney and Neil Young collaborations)

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The Story Behind The Photo: "Neil Young in the Big Chair" by Tom Wilkes

Neil Young in the Big Chair

Topanga Canyon,  1969

w/ Danny Whitten

Photo by Tom Wilkes

(Click photo to enlarge)

 

Last week, we published the above photo in error on the post "10 days with The Loner": Neil Young in Amsterdam - 1974 .

 

Thanks to a comment by GordonH, we were able to update the post with the correct photo from the Decade album. So let us turn back to the mis-captioned photo and the fascinating back story. 

 

The above photo of Neil Young from the Decade album appears also in the biography Waging Heavy Peace, before Chapter 49: "Formal portrait, sitting in the Big Chair at home in Topanga Canyon, with Danny Whitten behind me, while recording Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, 1969." The photo was taken by Tom Wilkes.

This is one of the very few photos to exist of Danny Whitten, the guitarist in Neil Young's band Crazy Horse.

Danny Ray Whitten: 1943 - 1972
(see Remembering Danny Whitten: 1943 - 1972)

 

Back to the Decade album and Tom Wilkes.  Tom Wilkes was the art director, album cover designer, and photographer for the Decade album, as well as, other Neil Young albums such as “Harvest”.

Uncropped Image for Neil Young's Decade
by Tom Wilkes
(Click photo to enlarge)

As we investigated back in 2017 on The Images Behind The Album Cover of Neil Young's Decade, who is on the cover behind the guitar case? The long time story has been that it was Neil's girlfriend Carrie Snodgress, out in the desert. However, upon closer look below, it does not appear to be Carrie at all.

Alternate Image for Neil Young's Decade
by Tom Wilkes

Upon doing a little more research, from "Shakey" by Jimmy McDonough: "The packaging was great - wry notes on each song handwritten by Young himself, and a cover photo obscure even by Young's standards - the girlfriend of art director Tom Wilkes standing out in the desert, balancing a well-traveled guitar case on her back."

From Mr Music Head (Thanks Mother Nature on the Run!):

Tom Wilkes was an art director, album cover designer, and photographer who blazed a graphic trail throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s, creating high concept visual statements that have become iconic cultural artifacts. A graduate of Art Center, he got his start pinstriping hot rods and motorcycles in the 50s before opening his own design studio in Long Beach and moving into record company work with an album for The Coasters. His covers include “Flowers” and “Beggars’ Banquet” for the Stones, the stairwell albums for the Beatles, “All Things Must Pass” and “Living In The Material World” for George Harrison, “Harvest” and “Decade” for Neil Young, the whiteface album for Ike & Tina Turner, and many, many more.

In 1967, as art director for the Monterey Pop Festival, Tom was given a painting by The Beatles, a work that has since become known as “The Dead Sea Scroll Of Rock And Roll.” In the late-70s, he became friends with John and Toni Lilly who introduced him to the concept of dolphin intelligence. After several profound encounters, Tom created Project Interspeak and spent the rest of his life trying to mount a global concert on behalf of the dolphin nation…with the Beatles’ artwork a possible funding source.

He lived a highly adventurous life filled with wild times and beautiful women, and is celebrated in the memory of those who knew him as one of the great rebellious spirits, and artists, of his time.

Alternate Image for Neil Young's Decade
by Tom Wilkes
(Click photo to enlarge)

 

‘Homegrown’ by Neil Young

Album cover designed by Tom Wilkes 

David Fricke, a senior writer at Rolling Stone magazine said of Wilkes work that:

"He was able to capture a certain essence of what was on the record and the person who made it.

"You look at something like Neil Young's 'Harvest,' the texture of the cover and that very simple, almost antique lettering, and you get a feel of what Neil was trying to do in that record, the honesty and the grit and the deep Americana of what that record represents now."

Harvest Cover designed by Tom Wilkes

Tom Wilkes, a Grammy Award-winning art director and the album cover designer for Neil Young's Harvest, died in 2009 at age of 69.

Wilkes design work included album covers for the Rolling Stones' "Beggars Banquet," Eric Clapton's "Eric Clapton," Joe Cocker's "Mad Dogs & Englishmen" and George Harrison's "Concert for Bangladesh" and "All things Must Pass." Wilkes photographed the cover photo of Janice Joplin's 1971 "Pearl" album. Their photo session was the night Joplin overdosed. 

 

Tom Wilkes: 1939 - 2009

R.I.P. Tom. We've always admired your work.

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"10 Days with The Loner": Neil Young in Amsterdam - 1974

Neil Young @ Amsterdam's Memphis Hotel - Sept, 1974

from Decade album by Joel Bernstein

 

 
A recent comment by Art Symbol sent us over to a link by Dutch journalist Constant Meijers from Neil Young's time in Amsterdam following the final CSNY 1974 tour show at Wembley Stadium in London. 

Joni Mitchell w/ Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Wembley Stadium, London, 1974-09-14
(details @ Photo of the Moment)

Constant Meijers had intimate access to Neil's entourage as Neil tried to figure out his next move following the massive success of the CSNY 1974 stadium tour.  Meijers is the author of the concert review of Neil Young's Tonight's the Night tour in London, 1973, that was part of the album's liner notes.

 

"Welcome on Miami Beach, Ladies and Gentlemen!"

from Neil Young's Tonight's the Night liner notes 

by Constant Meijers

(Liner Note translation from Dutch to English)

 

During the compiling of the Decade album, Neil Young did not forget his brief stay in Amsterdam in September 1974. One of the innersleeve photos, showing Neil and his guitar on a bed, was taken in a hotel room at the Amsterdam Memphis Hotel by official CSN&Y photographer Joel Bernstein. (see top photo)

​This is an account of Neil’s stay in Amsterdam, told by Constant Meijers, which was published in Muziekkrant Oor, giving an exclusive, albeit shortened, version of his account of Neil Young’s stay. It was originally intended to be published as a chapter of The Loner - A Biography Of Neil Young.

This article has been painstakingly translated into English by Peter Didderiens. The pictures were taken by Gijsbert Hanekroot.

Here is the story of "10 days with The Loner"  by Constant Meijers.

ReflectionsNeil Young on CSNY 1974 Tour Oakland, CA - 7/13 or 14/74
Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot
(More on The Story Behind The Photographer: Neil Young & Gijsbert Hanekroot)

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Neil Young's Original Harvest Album Cover Photo? + TW Shoutout

 

Neil Young's Original Harvest Photo?

Otis Gibbs | YouTube

Last year, we featured a few interviews by musician Otis Gibbs -- “The best unknown songwriter in music today” -- who also happens to be a big Neil Young fan amongst other notorieties. (Thanks Jim!)

In his latest video podcast, Otis Gibbs tells the story of the great photographer, Henry Diltz, who claims Neil Young's Harvest album was meant to have a different cover. Interesting speculation here on what might have been.

 

Here is an image that the above interview references by photographer Henry Diltz from "The Barn" and the Harvest album sessions (see "Old man look at my life..." - Photos of Neil Young and His Inspiration by Henry Diltz )

The Unused Harvest Album Cover Photo???

Neil Young at Broken Arrow Ranch - 1971
Photo by Henry Diltz

(see "Old man look at my life..." - Photos of Neil Young and His Inspiration by Henry Diltz ) 

 

If a photo was used instead on the Harvest album cover, the whole "loner hippie cowboy" image of Neil Young would have certainly had a different impact. Certainly, Neil on a haybale was not the image that the record label wanted to establish.

Lastly, check out comments around ~3:00 about our website Thrasher's Wheat as a "Neil Young rabbit hole."  Thanks for props Otis!

Also, check out an interview with Kenny Vaughan on why Neil Young is intentionally out of tune.

Otis Gibbs & Kenny Vaughan

(See Why Neil Young Is Intentionally Out Of Tune | Thoughts by Kenny Vaughan )

 

  Dan Baird & Otis Gibbs 

(see Meeting Neil Young: Talking Guitars With Dan Baird & Otis Gibbs)

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Photo of the Moment: Neil Young Portrait by Jini Dellaccio - 1967

"Cat, Waffles & Sideburns"
Neil Young, 1967
Photo by Jini Dellaccio

 

Legendary rock photographer Jini Dellaccio defined a generation of rock 'n' roll and her work still inspires photographers and musicians alike. 

In 2009, we did a feature on Jini's cool portrait of Neil Young, and her capturing photos of many rock musicians traveling in the Seattle area during the 1960's. (We posted an update in 2017, on the documentary film being made of Jini Dellaccio, also.)

Neil Young, 1967
Photo by Jini Dellaccio

Dellaccio asked Young to get up on his roof in his fringed leather jacket and "fly like a bird." She didn't print the shot at the time because she thought it made his face look old, "and he was so beautiful."

Neil Young, 1967
Photo by Jini Dellaccio

Inspired and captivated by Jini’s life story, filmmaker Karen Whitehead set up a team of equally determined and creative colleagues to ensure Jini's story is captured on film. In command of a state of the art digital Hasselblad, on her first photo shoot with a rock band in 3 decades. This is the stuff of legends, but it is also the heart of the film reveals an elegant 93-year-old and her remarkable story of a woman who reinvented herself several times and pursued her artistic dreams out of her Depression era childhood and went on to produce some of the most transformative images in rock photography. 

Trailer for Karen Whitehead's documentary on Jini Dellaccio, "Her Aim is True", 2013

The top of the front page of The Seattle Times on October 10, 2009 featured photos of two renowned men.

Men of the People who say Keep Hope Alive
The Seattle Times, October 10, 2009

In one small color photo was the President of the United States who had just been announced the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Barack Obama. The other large black and white photo was of a fringe clad 1960's folkie-rocker, Neil Young.

The leader of the free world and the rocker in the free world.

Such a contrast. But are their improbable stories really such a contrast?

The front page Seattle Times photo was part of a feature story on local photographer Jini Dellaccio. Back in the 1960's, Dellaccio captured photos of many rock musicians traveling in the Seattle area and has trunks of memories to share.

Jini Dellaccio: 1917 - 2014

Jini Dellaccio, whose distinctive photographs documented the Pacific Northwest music scene of the 1960s, and who was the subject of the 2013 documentary “Her Aim Is True,” died at home Thursday (July 3) of undisclosed causes. She was 97.

Karen Whitehead, director of “Her Aim Is True,” which had its world premiere at this past year’s Seattle International Film Festival, described Mrs. Dellaccio as a “real trailblazer.” Not only was the self-taught photographer a female in a male-dominated profession, she didn’t even begin shooting rock bands until she was in her mid-40s.

It was a time when the Northwest music scene was developing its sense of identity, and Mrs. Dellaccio gave the burgeoning scene a visual style. Her memorable black-and-white shot for the cover of the Sonics’ 1966 album “Boom” conveys a sense of American cool that rivaled anything seen on Swinging London’s Carnaby Street. She also drew on the natural picturesque qualities of the region, frequently photographing bands in outdoor settings; despite its title, her cover picture for the Wailers’ 1966 album, “Out of Our Tree,” showed the band most decidedly in a tree, grinning down at the photographer.

 

Contact Sheet of Neil Young Portraits by Jini Dellaccio

 

You can enjoy Jini's stunning photography at www.jinidellaccio.com.

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The Story Behind The Photographer: Paul & Linda McCartney with Neil Young by Gijsbert Hanekroot.

Neil Young, Linda & Paul McCartney Backstage Rotterdam 1976Cropped* photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot  (Click photo to enlarge)

Earlier this week, we posted a "rare" photo of Paul & Linda McCartney with Neil Young backstage in Rotterdam in 1976.

The photo is from 1976-03-24 at Sportpaleis Ahoy', Rotterdam, The Netherlands with Crazy Horse, (per Sugar Mountain ) by  Dutch photographer Gijsbert Hanekroot. (See full uncropped photo with Crazy Horse and Manager Elliot Roberts here. Also, the following is really more about the story behind the photographer.  If you would like more on the photo itself, see original posting @ RARE PHOTO: Paul & Linda McCartney w/ Neil Young)

We have featured the work of  Gijsbert Hanekroot many times over the years here at Thrasher's Wheat.  Probably the most well known photo by Hanekroot is of the cover photo for the Tonight's The Night album. (NOTE: spelling on NYA credits incorrect: "Photography by Gissbert Hanekroot: pages 12, 13, & front cover").

 

Tonight's the Night by Neil Young

Cover photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot

 

Another notable photo of Neil Young by the Dutch photographer Gijsbert Hanekroot is known here as "Reflections" from the CSNY 1974 Tour.

 

ReflectionsNeil Young on CSNY 1974 Tour Oakland, CA - 7/13 or 14/74
Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot  Apparently, Dutch photographer Gijsbert Hanekroot  caught numerous Neil Young concerts from the Europe 1973 Tonight's The Night tour, CSNY 1974 Tour and
Europe 1976 tour.

 Neil Young
Copenhagen, 1976
Photographer Gijsbert Hanekroot
(Click photo to enlarge) 

Neil was on tour in Amsterdam 1976 and appears to be hanging out in a hotel.

 

Gijsbert Hanekroot Constant Meijers (see comments below) was also the author of what is known as "Welcome on Miami Beach, Ladies and Gentleman"  "Tonight's The Night liner notes insert inside original "Tonight's The Night" vinyl album.  (The Dutch translation to English here.)

 

 

"Welcome on Miami Beach, Ladies and Gentleman"
(see the Dutch translation of "Tonight's The Night liner notes on the "Tonight's The Night" album) 

  

 

"Tonight's the Night" Album Liner Notes w/ "Florida" Story
w/ "On The Beach" Overlay + Roy Orbison Photo(see The Mystery of Neil Young's "Florida" Finally Solved) 

1st Edition of Tonight's the Night 

Photo from Bill White Collection

 

Also, see the Dutch translation of the other liner notes on the "Tonight's The Night" album. 

 

"Welcome to Miami Beach:

 EVERYTHING IS CHEAPER THAN IT LOOKS"

 NYA Timeline Mockup of Roxy Live Album Cover

(see UPDATED - Neil Young's Online Archives: What Have We Found Thus Far?)

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Photo of the Moment: Neil and Pegi Young - 2012 Bridge School Benefit

Neil and Pegi Young
Bridge School Benefit Concert 2012
Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty | Rolling Stone
(Click photo to enlarge)

In years past, normally we would be discussing the annual Bridge School Benefit Concerts , which would occur the last weekend in October.

In the spirit of The Bridge Kids, here is the Photo of the Moment of happier times with Neil and Pegi Young from the Bridge School Benefit Concert 2012 by Tim Mosenfelder.

Neil and Pegi Young performed "Comes a Time" and "Long May You Run" over the weekend.

love and only love

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Photo of the Moment: Neil Young @ Farm Aid 2013 (Saratoga Springs, New York)

Neil Young @ Farm Aid 2013
Photo by Mary Andrews
(Click photo to enlarge)

As Farm Aid 2022 approaches this coming weekend, we look back at FA'13.

The Photo of the Moment is from Farm Aid 2013 in Saratoga Springs, New York of Neil Young by Mary Andrews.

Always nice to see Neil Young's smile.  (Please note that Neil Young Will NOT Play Farm Aid 2022,)

Thanks Mary! Awesome gallery.

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Comment of the Moment: Neil Young's "Walk Like A Giant" is Just So HUGE

"Walk Like A Giant"
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Philadelphia, 11/29/12
Photos by thrasher
(Click photos to enlarge)

 

The Comment of the Moment is from post Photo of the Moment: Neil Young's "Walk Like A Giant" is So HUGE by Thomas:

Now that we have Toast in our possession and Homegrown was finally set free I think Alchemy moves to the top of the list for forthcoming archives releases for me.

I have very clear memories standing at the front of stage in Melbourne when NYCH launched into Walk Like a Giant (fourth song in) which seemed to morph into some overdriven white heat outtake from the Dead Man score - after 20mins of ‘scorched earth feedback guitar freakout bliss’ I was left stunned - it was like they were attacking the crowd, attacking the convention of ‘ageing rock star comes to town and plays the hits’, pushing everyone in that arena room to the limits.

A few songs later when the rest of the band exited Heart of Gold provides the absolute joyful acoustic relief many were craving but for me with the ringing in my ears, the blood still bubbling in my veins and the earth flattened around me it only served to further illustrate through juxtaposition the kill or be killed force that was taking place that night between Neil, Ralph, Billy and Poncho.

Thanks so much Thomas for our TW  Comment of the Moment!  

Now that is some vivid writing of a memory well over a decade ago.  To say that WLAG leaves an impression -- negative or positive would be yet another vast understatement in a sea of under stated-ness.

More on Photo of the Moment: Neil Young's "Walk Like A Giant" is So HUGE.

Also, more concert reviews of Neil Young & Crazy Horse's Alchemy tours:

Fall 2012 N. America Tour

Spring 2013 Australia/New Zealand Tour

Summer 2013 Europe Tour  

Europe Summer 2014 Concert Tour 

 

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Photo of the Moment: Neil Young's "Walk Like A Giant" is So HUGE

"Walk Like A Giant"
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Philadelphia, 11/29/12
Photos by thrasher
(Click photos to enlarge) 

As folks here know, we've seen Neil Young in concert quite a few times over the decades.

Nearly consistent with every single concert, we came away with some new found respect for what Neil Young does every night.  He somehow manages to keep each night fresh.  Even if virtually the same setlist, same venue and same circumstances.

Such was the case during the 2012 Alchemy Tour of Neil Young & Crazy Horse.

Video camera inside Neil's Amp
Photo by Falko | Flickr  

The pure genius of placing a camera inside the giant fender amps so that the audience could see Neil twirl knobs up on a big screen while he gyrated with his back to the audience was inspired, to say the least.

On the 2012 tour and the subsequent Summer 2013 Europe Tour, "Walk Like A Giant" evolved every night.  WLAG became some sort of grunge feedback anthem to be made even more giant and more messy than when the tours started.  By the end of the tours, WLAG was a huge molten blob of sludgy feedback that would literally make folks head for the concessions.  

"Walk Like A Giant" is just so huge. Too big for words. See for yourself.

Neil Young and Jon Stewart

The Daily Show - Nov 28, 2012

 

Neil Young foreshadowed the likelihood of unhappy casual fans at the Philly show in this exchange with Jon Stewart the night before on the Daily Show.

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Stewart: Please welcome a rock legend, Mr. Neil Young.

enthusiastic applause

Stewart and Young shake hands and sit down at table with copy of Waging Heavy Peace in the middle of table.

Stewart: Thank you for coming.

Young: Thank you for inviting me.

Stewart: Before we talk about your new book, I wanted to quickly talk about Walk Like a Giant, which is a new song on your new CD with Crazy Horse. One of the younger guys who works for me showed me some video of the song from your show the other night in Ottawa. He also said that a lot of folks are reported to get up and leave during the song, which includes several minutes of feedback. So my question is, what the fuck are you doing. These folks paid $200 bucks....

Young: "Its all part of my master plan, Jon. You see, for me, the ultimate concert would see everyone in the audience get up and leave.

Then I know that I would truly have reached the source. My former producer, the late David Briggs, always talked about getting closer to the source. A lot of my new songs, such as Walk like a Giant, are based on two simple chords. I am working on some songs now that would pull it back to one chord as I try to get even closer to the source. It might be E minor on one song, A minor on another, and G on another. I would not use the same chord on the entire CD, at least not to start."

Stewart: Your kidding right? We'll be right back.

More on Neil Young & Crazy Horse Alchemy Tour concert in Philadelphia, 11/29/12.

Neil Young Says "Alchemy: Probably The Last Crazy Horse Live Album"

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PHOTO: Neil Young @ Berlin Wall, October 1982

Neil Young - Berlin Wall at Potsdamer Platz, October 1982 image via Rusted Moon  (Click photo to enlarge) 

Over on  Rusted Moon, a detailed look at the back cover image for
Neil Young + Promise of the Real's new live album "Noise & Flowers".

 
Neil Young + Promise of the Real's "Noise & Flowers" 

 image via Rusted Moon  

 (Click photo to enlarge)

 

The back cover of the album "Noise & Flowers" features a photomontage showing Neil Young & Promise of the Real as graffiti on the Berlin Wall. The wall is also decorated with flowers - matching the album title.  

 
Before the Fall: 
Neil Young writes Beatle's lyrics "Love Is All We Need" on the Berlin Wall in October, 1982

For more, see Rusted Moon. Also,

Rockin' In The Free World

Neil Young Lyrics Analysis

Freedom (1989) by Neil Young -
"The rock and roll coda of the Cold War"(+ new, revised lyrics for RITFW)

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