Help needed on an "unknown" Nashville Stray Gators session in Sep/Oct 1971 I am trying to sort out the correct history of the Gator Rag and Gator Rag #2 songs which we can hear in the film Harvest Time. Gator Stromp is now identified as the take we hear at the beginning of the film between the Words and the Are You Ready For The Country takes. The two Gator Rags come later in the film. One is during the Barn sessions and can be heard immediately before the Barking Town Hall footage. That would put it around Sep 26-28, Then I looked again at the studio footage filmed in Nashville, around 1:20:00 in Harvest Time, where they play the second Gator Rag. No one seems to know about a later Nashville session in Fall 1971, but since the band also listens to a playback of the Barn version of Words (I believe unmixed and without vocal overdubs), the date of this Nashville footage and the Gator Rag recording must be be post Sep 28 and presumably prior to the Oct 4 (?) New York overdub sessions with CSN. Another point of significance is that the recordings or Gator Rag and Gator Rag #2 were handed in to Reprise apparently on Sep 30 and Oct 1, if those dates are recorded correctly. So it seems to me logical that Gator Rag would be the take they made in the barn and that Gatior Rag #2 would be the take from this so far unlisted Nashville session, possibly Sep 30/Oct 1 but possibly later. Even more interesting than getting dates for the Gator Rags is whether they recorded anything else while they were there. Or was it just a playback/pre-mixing session? If so, how come their instruments were there?!! Comments?
I’m writing to Neil but I somehow doubt if there is anything else to hear other than Gator Rag #2. Be interesting to know what they were up to though!
I was thinking about it just the other day. These late 71 Nashville sessions took place quite probably for mixing what was finished and for making rough mixes of what was lacking backing vocals. So why was the band in the studio? I don't think they overdubed their parts, but you never know... With Shakey, we always get more questions than answers...
Good catch. Probably a mixing Harvest session just after the Barn recording sessions. Broken Arrow hadn't all the mixing facilities. The Stray Gators were Nashville based musicians. Just a comeback for them with their instruments. Dave Meyers was filming for Journey Through The Past movie. There's a photo of Neil in the King of Road Hotel on the back of the JTTP disc(Archives), dated Nashville, October.
alabama has some added insect effects and fades out in the middle of the song with neil directing stills and crosby to do the “oohs”. this is in the recent harvest time movie. the mix of the song is slightly different too with more of ben keith’s wailing being audible. soldier is a different mix, slightly, but the same take. i think the CSNY stuff is different live versions from the fillmore concerts. different from what’s on way street. everything else is either available elsewhere (words is in volume 1), or unnecessary.
This article provides a small clue. Although it talks of a "final trip to Nashville" to record Out On The Weekend and Harvest (which was April), it does refer significantly to a "an electric-lead fix on Alabama" which is presumably why Neil has his guitar with him in Nashville at the end of September, probably on his way directly to Boston and New York. Tips from the Top: The Making of Neil Young’s “Harvest” Also interesting to hear that the CSN overdubs to Words and Alabama were done at A&R in New York. I had assumed at Atlantic because of the CSN connection.
2 new outtakes have been added: two versions of "you never call" from the le noise sessions. one with neil on guitar and the other with him on an organ.
anyone else hear the same chords as "flying on the ground is wrong" in "you never call"? #itsallonesong
“You Never Call” is one of the best songs from this era, and one of the most moving songs in Neil’s career. So naturally, it wasn’t on the proper album. I’m glad these are now getting out.
Le Noise was a late-ish career masterpiece. These two outtakes confirm what a special recording session this was. You Never Call is breathtaking. Should of been on the final album.
I believe You Never Call was in the Le Noise Sessions film also. Thought I saw it there and it was and still is indeed a beautiful song.
I never realized that the Le Noise documentary was a longer version with other songs besides the album tracks. Quite a nice surprise. You Never Call should have been on the album.
Anyone else hear the vocal distortion/clipping in the organ version, especially towards the end? The quality control on final mastering with things on NYA is really spotty. The timeline concerts especially. I fully understand they come from different sources and sometimes decades apart, but the overall volume level fluctuates wildly. A minor quibble with all the awesome stuff we do get.
I was able to use Apple Carplay last night on my drive home from work. Not sure if I know how to use everything properly (I'm an ancient 57 year old), but it seems like I have to first open the app on my phone before Carplay will work for NYA. If I don't launch the app on my phone first, when I tap on the Carplay NYA Icon it just quickly flashes and nothing happens. I'm happy to have the basic Carplay functionality.. NYF
