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An unofficial news blog for Neil Young fans from Thrasher's Wheat with concert and album updates, reviews, analysis, and other Rock & Roll ramblings. Separating the wheat from the chaff since 1996.
Here is "Your Interesting Neil Young Fact of the Day", which is an update of the original 2012 post.
From the Everything Shakey blog, here's your interesting Neil Young Fact of the Day...
Neil Young’s
dad was the Canadian sports-writer and novelist, Scott Young, who wrote
45 books over his life including one about his relationship with his
son called Neil And Me. But did you know that his first novel, The Flood, published in 1956, has a character, a young boy named Mac, who was inspired by the then 10-year-old Neil?
Scott Young wrote most of "The Flood" during a
very unhappy period of his life.
The family was living in Toronto on the
lower floor of a duplex and Scott rented a 3rd floor room in a house
downtown where he could go to write every day. Scott had earlier
reported on the Great Winnipeg Flood during the spring of 1950, so much
of his material comes from his experiences there. (The Flood of 1950
provides the background for the story.) The period 1954-55, when he
wrote much of the book, was during the time he was having some
extra-marital affairs. The characters of Mac and Don in "The Flood" are
based on Neil and his older brother Bob. Scott has admitted that Mac was
inspired by Neil and Don was inspired by Bob.
Scott Young used to write about his family a lot in his daily
columns in the Globe and Mail. He was also well known for his books
(both fiction and non-fiction), short stories in magazines, young adult
novels, his sports columns as well as his regular gig as an interviewer
on "Hockey Night in Canada." *
Scott Young is also in the Hockey Hall of
Fame in Toronto and Scott Young Public School in Omemee was named in his
honour.
Thanks John & Sharry for the Canadian memories from the Great North Country!
The filming of ‘Hey America’ was done in
the Covid 19 environment.
One shot where we’re all standing together,
singing without masks was done in three separate shoots with the same
background and assembled in post-production to look like three people
singing together. Stay safe.
“I didn’t set out to become a songwriter and singer at 78 years of
age,” Bob says. “It was and is an organic event. I was watching Donald
Trump on TV a couple years ago and wrote down a few lines. When I got
home, I found I could play those lines on guitar. Gradually, it became
what it is now. It took a while to be able to play and sing the song
from start to finish. When I could finally accomplish that, it was a
victory.” Bob decided to record “Hey America” after
receiving encouragement from close friends and family including Neil,
Daryl Hannah, Carrie Alice Williams, the song’s co-author Diane
Marshall, and Blue Rodeo’s Greg Keelor.
“The recording process all happened at once,” Bob continues. “I had
never done that either. It was a band performance that had spontaneity.
In another session, some vocal harmony was added, and Neil played
harmonica. My perspective is simultaneously that of a participant and
spectator. I am watching myself do this. All you aging baby boomers out
there, give it a shot. As Yogi Berra put it, ‘It ain’t over ’til it’s
over, and even then it ain’t over.’ I agree. I have more songs, all from
the same creative spark.”
“Hey America” directed by CK Vollick with Bernard Shakey & dhlovelife
Young Bob & The Peterboroughs are Bob Young (lead vocal and acoustic guitar); Mike Belitsky (drums) and Travis Good (banjo, vocal harmony) from The Sadies; Ryan Weber from The Weber Brothers (bass), Melissa Payne (fiddle, vocal harmony); and Neil Young (harmonica, vocal harmony).
Maclean's is a Canadian weekly newsmagazine and the article's primary
interest to Neil Young fans are his brother's thoughts on seeing him
perform at Carnegie Hall on Dec. 4, 1970. Bob Young's review also
appeared in Broken Arrow | NYAS #017, November, 1984, page 12.
Of further interest is that also in attendance that night at Carnegie
Hall was Neil's father, Scott Young, the Toronto sportswriter, who also
wrote a review as well, in his column, opposite reports of the Muhammad
Ali/Oscar Bonavena boxing match.
Regarding the photo above, we just want to mention to all of our Canadian/FarmAidian friends up north...
We met Bob @ FA18 as seen in photo above w/ Babs. Also, we think that's Bob's wife to his side.
We
were all discussing Neil's upcoming set w/ POTR. we can't emphasize
enough Bob's love & respect of his brother Neil. Bob is a very
behind the scenes player in keeping the Neil flame burning across the
Great North.
we don't think we've ever encountered greater brotherly love.
So it's really very special how the Young Brothers have made their 1st musical collaboration in their very golden years. Inspiring to all of the brothers and sisters out there.
While conducting the research for the post, we came across a bunch of references to Neil Young's father Scott Young, the Toronto, Canadian author and sportswriter, including the above Photo of the Moment of Jack Harper, Neil Young & Scott Young from the back cover of Broken Arrow, Issue Number 049, November, 1992.
Jack Harper was a member of Neil Young's first band The Squires. How this image came about and the full story has yet to be told but certainly someone out there might have more details to share.
The photo was taken in 1992 when Neil was conferred with an honorary degree — Doctor of Music — from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Jack Harper attended the ceremony and so did Scott Young. Scott is wearing his robes from Tent University in Peterborough, Ontario, where he received an honorary degree — Doctor of Letters — in 1990. Jack Harper is wearing his graduation robes from the University of Manitoba, Physical Education and Recreation Studies.
Thanks Sharry for research and keepin' jive alive in T.O.!!!
Maclean's is a Canadian weekly newsmagazine and the article's primary interest to Neil Young fans are his brother's thoughts on seeing him perform at Carnegie Hall on Dec. 4, 1970. Bob Young's review also appeared in Broken Arrow | NYAS #017, November, 1984, page 12.
Of further interest is that also in attendance that night at Carnegie Hall was Neil's father, Scott Young, the Toronto sportswriter, who also wrote a review as well, in his column, opposite reports of the Muhammad Ali/Oscar Bonavena boxing match.
From the Everything Shakey blog, here's your interesting Neil Young Fact of the Day...
Neil’s dad was the Canadian sports-writer and novelist, Scott Young, who wrote 45 books over his life including one about his relationship with his son called Neil And Me. But did you know that his first novel, The Flood, published in 1956, has a character, a young boy named Mac, who was inspired by the then 10-year-old Neil?
Why no, we did not know that. Did you? (Thanks Everything Shakey blog!)
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Scott Young wrote most of "The Flood" during a very unhappy period of his life.
The family was living in Toronto on the lower floor of a duplex and Scott rented a 3rd floor room in a house downtown where he could go to write every day. Scott had earlier reported on the Great Winnipeg Flood during the spring of 1950, so much of his material comes from his experiences there. (The Flood of 1950 provides the background for the story.) The period 1954-55, when he wrote much of the book, was during the time he was having some extra-marital affairs. The characters of Mac and Don in "The Flood" are based on Neil and his older brother Bob. Scott has admitted that Mac was inspired by Neil and Don was inspired by Bob.
Scott Young used to write about his family a lot in his daily columns in the Globe and Mail. He was also well known for his books (both fiction and non-fiction), short stories in magazines, young adult novels, his sports columns as well as his regular gig as an interviewer on "Hockey Night in Canada." *
Scott Young is also in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto and Scott Young Public School in Omemee was named in his honour.