The Elektra Audition (1965)
Personnel:
Neil Young: guitar, vocal
Producer: Peter K. Siegal and Neil Young
Recorded at Elektra Audition Demos Records, New York City, 15 December 1965
In 1965, Neil managed to acquire an audition for Elektra Records, the prestigious home of many great artists, such as his hero Phil Ochs, Tim Buckley, Judy Collins, Fred Neil, Tom Rush and Mark Spoelstra. There was a lot riding on it. Elektra were considered a cool label. The Doors later signed to them. He says he was ushered into a tape store room, given a tape recorder and told to turn it on and let it run. It was not what he was expecting: ‘In a little room by myself, with my guitar. Sitting on an amp. Couldn’t even record in a real studio’.
The songs were rejected.
A tape of the demos recorded for the audition shows how Neil has developed as a songwriter, singer and musician since his pop days with The Squires, although the performance is a tad forced. Not surprisingly, given the circumstances, singing to a rack of tapes in a cupboard tends not to bring out the best. It’s amazing that it came out as good as it did. He’s pouring everything into it.
Neil Young 1963 to 1970: Every Album, Every Song: Amazon.co.uk: Opher Goodwin: 9781789522983: Books
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