Neil Young Recording Guide

Useful links

The Eighties: 1980–1989

c. early July – July 5, 1980: Gold Star Recording Studio, Hollywood, CA

Producer: Neil Young & David Briggs

Engineer: Tim Mulligan

Recorded:

  • [O] Stayin' Power [1]
  • [O] Coastline [1]
  • [O] Union Man [1]
  • [O] Comin' Apart At Every Nail [1]
  • [O] Hawks & Doves [(July 4): 1]

Sources:

  • [1] Hawks And Doves (Reprise HS 2297; October 29, 1980)

c. 1980: ???

Producer: David Briggs

Engineer: Jerry Napier & Tim Mulligan

Recorded:

  • [O] Buffalo Stomp [1]
  • [O] Ode To Wild Bill [1]
  • [O] Home, Home On The Range [(LP): 1]
  • [O] Home, Home On The Range [(single edit): 2 > (3, 4)]

Sources:

  • [1] Where The Buffalo Roam (Backstreet MCA 5126; March 1, 1980)
  • [1] Where The Buffalo Roam EP (Backstreet L33-1878; June 16, 1980)
  • [3] Hard To Find (Westwood One RAD-HTF-94-27; 1994) [in-house/promo CD]
  • [4] Rarities [fan compilation CDR set]

October 9, 1980 – July 21, 1981: Modern Recorders, Redwood City, CA

Producer: Neil Young & David Briggs

Engineer: Tim Mulligan & Jerry Napier

Recorded:

  • [O] Opera Star [1]
  • [O] Surfer Joe And Moe The Sleaze [1]
  • [O] T-Bone [1]
  • [O] Get Back On It [1]
  • [O] Southern Pacific [1]
  • [O] Motor City [1]
  • [O] Rapid Transit [1]
  • [O] Shots [1]

Sources:

  • [1] Re-act-or (Reprise HS 2304; October 28, 1981)

"We didn't spend as much time recording Re-ac-tor as we should've. The life of both that record and the one after it — Trans — were sucked up by the regime we'd committed ourselves to. See, we were involved in this programme with my young son Ben for 18 months which consumed between 15 and 18 hours of every day we had. It was just all-encompassing and it had a direct effect on the music of Re-ac-tor and Trans." [1]

References:

c. September 24, 1981: Modern Recorders, Redwood City, CA

Producer: Neil Young & David Briggs

Engineer: Tim Mulligan

Recorded:

  • [O] Computer Age [1]
  • [O] We R In Control [1]
  • [O] Transformer Man [1]
  • [O] Computer Cowboy (aka Syscrusher) [1]
  • [O] Sample And Hold [1 > 4]
  • [O] Sample And Hold [1*, 3]
  • [O] Mr. Soul [1]
  • [O] Sample And Hold [(dance remix): 2 > 4]
  • [O] Mr. Soul [(dance remix): 2 > 4]

Sources:

  • [1] Trans (Geffen GHS2018; December 29, 1982 [* CD version only])
  • [2] "Sample And Hold" b/w "Mr. Soul" (Geffen 0-20105; March 28, 1983)
  • [3] Lucky 13 (Geffen 24452; January 6, 1993)
  • [4] Rarities [fan compilation CDR set]

The CD version of Trans has an alternate version of 'Sample And Hold' that originally appeared on Lucky Thirteen. Dance remixes of the song and 'Mr. Soul' were issued on a 12" single, which also included a 3:54 edit of the LP mix of 'Sample And Hold'.

"Back in about 1980 or 1981 we were thinking about getting the Springfield together, and as a joke I made an audition tape for myself so that they would know I was still kicking. I made 'Mr Soul', but I never did play it for them. That's what I started doing, I made that tape at home with the drum machine and all that, as a sort of joke, as an audition to get in the group. But we never did get together again maybe I didn't do a good enough job on that one, I don't know." [1]

"I really like [Trans], and think if anything is wrong, then it's down to the mixing. We had a lot of technical problems on that record, but the content of the record is great." [2]

"Trans was about all these robot-humanoid people working in this hospital and the one thing they were trying to do was teach this little baby to push a button. That's what the record's about. Read the lyrics, listen to all the mechanical voices, disregard everything but that computerized thing, and it's clear Trans is the beginning of my search for communication with a severely handicapped nonoral person. 'Transformer Man' is a song for my kid. If you read the words to that song — and look at my child with his little button and his train set and his transformer — the whole thing is for Ben. People completely misunderstood Trans. They put me down for fuckin' around with things I shouldn't have been involved with. Well, fuck them. But it hurt, because this was for my kid." [3]

References:

c. May 12, 1982: Commercial Recorders, Honolulu, Hawaii

Producer: Neil Young & David Briggs

Engineer: Tim Mulligan

Recorded:

  • [O] Little Thing Called Love [1]
  • [O] Hold On To Your Love [1]
  • [O] Like An Inca [1]
  • [U] If You Got Love [2, 3]
  • [U] Raining In Paradise [3]
  • [?] Johnny [3]
  • [X] Big Pearl
  • [X] Soul Of A Woman
  • [X] Bad News
  • [X] Island In The Sun

Sources:

  • [1] Trans (Geffen GHS2018; December 29, 1982)
  • [2] Rarities [fan compilation CDR set]
  • [3] ABD.2000 [fan compilation CDR set]

'Like An Inca' has been extended to 9:49 from its original 8:08 length on the CD version of Trans.

"I offered [Island In The Sun] to Geffen just before Trans. It was a tropical thing all about sailing, ancient civilizations, islands and water. Actually two or three songs ended up on Trans." [1]

References:

January 28–29, 1983: House of David, Nashville, TN

Producer: Elliot Mazer & Neil Young

Recorded:

  • [U] Old Ways [1]
  • [U] California Sunset [1]
  • [O] My Boy [1, 2]
  • [U] Are There Any More Real Cowboys? [(original version): 1]
  • [U] Silver And Gold [1]
  • [O] Depression Blues [1, 3]

Sources:

  • [1] Old Ways 1 & 3 [bootleg CD]
  • [2] Old Ways (Geffen GHS 24068; August 12, 1985)
  • [3] Lucky 13 (Geffen 24452; January 6, 1993)

April 1, 1983: Broken Arrow Ranch, Woodside, CA

Producer: Elliot Mazer & Neil Young

Recorded:

  • [O] Wonderin' [1, 2]
  • [O] Cry Cry Cry [1, 2]
  • [O] Mystery Train [1, 2]
  • [U] That's All Right Mama [1]

Sources:

  • [1] Old Ways 1 & 3 [bootleg CD]
  • [2] Everybody's Rockin' (Geffen GHS 4013; July 27, 1983)

April 27 – May 25, 1983: Modern Recorders, Redwood City, CA

Producer: Elliot Mazer & Neil Young

Recorded:

  • [O] Betty Lou's Got A New Pair Of Shoes [1]
  • [O] Rainin' In My Heart [1]
  • [O] Payola Blues [1]
  • [O] Kinda Fonda Wanda [1]
  • [O] Jellyroll Man [1]
  • [O] Bright Lights, Big City [1]
  • [O] Everybody's Rockin' [1]

Sources:

  • [1] Everybody's Rockin' (Geffen GHS 4013; July 27, 1983)

"The character was strong, the story was great but unfortunately, the story never got to appear on the album. Before I got a chance to finish it — I got stopped from recording. Geffen cancelled a couple of sessions where I was going to do two songs — 'Get Gone' and 'Don't Take Your Love Away From Me' — that would've given a lot more depth to The Shocking Pinks. But if you didn't see the shows you wouldn't be able get into it fully." [1]

References:

January 1984: Broken Arrow Ranch, Woodside, CA

Recorded:

  • [X] Hard Luck Stories
  • [X] Razor Love

April 20–30, 1985: The Castle, Franklin, TN (* Pedernales Recording Studio, Spicewood, TX)

Producer: Neil Young, Ben Keith, and David Briggs

Recorded:

  • [O] The Wayward Wind [1]
  • [O] Get Back To The Country [1]
  • [O] Are There Any More Real Cowboys? [(overdubbed; with Willie Nelson): 1]
  • [O] Once An Angel [1]
  • [O] Misfits [1]
  • [O] Old Ways [1]
  • [O] Bound For Glory [1]
  • [O] Where Is The Highway Tonight? [1]
  • [U] Beautiful Bluebird [2 > 4]
  • [U] Leavin' the Top 40 Behind [2 > (3, 4)]
  • [U] Nothing Is Perfect [2]
  • [U] Time Off For Good Behavior * [2 > (3, 4)]
  • [U] Fingers [2]
  • [U] Your Love Again [2 > 4]
  • [U] Amber Jean [2 > 4]
  • [U] This Old Hillbilly Band [2 > 4]
  • [U] Silver and Gold [(#1): 2]
  • [U] Silver and Gold [(#2): 2 > 3]

Sources:

  • [1] Old Ways (Geffen GHS 24068; August 12, 1985)
  • [2] Old Ways 1 & 3 [bootleg CD]
  • [3] Rarities [fan compilation CDR set]
  • [4] ABD.2000 [fan compilation CDR set]

c. March 1986: Record One, Los Angeles, CA

Producer: Neil Young and Danny Kortchmar

Recorded:

  • [O] Weight Of The World [(remix): 2 > (3, 4)]
  • [O] Weight Of The World [1]
  • [O] Violent Side [1]
  • [O] Hippie Dream [1]
  • [O] Bad News Beat [1]
  • [O] Touch The Night [1]
  • [O] People On The Street [1]
  • [O] Hard Luck Stories [1]
  • [O] I Got A Problem [1]
  • [O] Pressure [1]
  • [O] Drifter [1]
  • [?] I Wonder Why [4]

Sources:

  • [1] Landing On Water (Geffen GHS 24109; July 21, 1986)
  • [2] "Weight Of The World" (Geffen ???; September 8, 1986)
  • [3] Hard To Find (Westwood One RAD-HTF-94-27; 1994) [in-house/promo CD]
  • [4] Rarities [fan compilation CDR set]

The UK 12" single has an extended remix of 'Weight Of The World'.

c. Summer 1986: ???

Producer: Jack Nitzsche and Neil Young

Recorded:

  • [O] We Never Danced [1]

Sources:

  • [1] Life (Geffen 24154; June 30, 1987)

December 5, 1987 – January 8, 1988: Studio Instrument Rentals, Hollywood, CA

Producer: "The Volume Dealers" (Neil Young & Niko Bolas)

Recorded:

  • [O] Ten Men Workin' [1]
  • [O] This Note's For You [1]
  • [O] Coupe de Ville [1]
  • [O] Life In The City [1]
  • [O] Twilight [1]
  • [O] Married Man [1]
  • [O] Sunny Inside [1]
  • [O] Can't Believe Your Lyin' [1]
  • [O] Hey Hey [1]
  • [O] One Thing [1]
  • [O] I'm Goin' [2 > 3]
  • [?] Ordinary People [4]

Sources:

  • [1] This Note's For You (Reprise 25719-1; April 12, 1988)
  • [2] "Ten Men Workin'" b/w "I'm Goin'" (Reprise 7-27908; April 12, 1988)
  • [3] Rarities [fan compilation CDR set]
  • [4] Chrome Dreams II (Reprise 9362-49906-4; October 16, 2007)

"The people [in 'Ordinary People'] were real to me, they’re all in there. I don’t know where they came from. I can’t make them go away. I didn’t invite them... There is no take 2." [1]

References:

February 25 – July 28, 1988: Redwood Digital, Woodside, CA

Producer: Niko Bolas and Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young

Engineer: Tim Mulligan

Recorded:

  • [O] Name Of Love [(Feb. 25): 1]
  • [O] Drivin' Thunder [(March 2): 1]
  • [O] American Dream [(March 3): 1]
  • [O] This Old House [(May 4): 1]
  • [O] Feel Your Love [(July 21): 1]
  • [O] Someday [(c. July 25): 2, 3]
  • [O] Crime In The City [(c. July 25): 2, 3]
  • [O] Night Song [(July 28): 1]

Sources:

  • [1] American Dream (Atlantic 81888-1; November 22, 1988)
  • [2] Times Square [unreleased album]
  • [3] Freedom (Reprise 4-25899; October 2, 1989)

"American Dream was an attempt that failed to reach anything like its true potential. But that's no reason for me to not try it again sometime." [1]

References:

December 13-15, 1988: The Hit Factory, New York City, NY

Producer: "The Volume Dealers" (Neil Young & Niko Bolas)

Recorded:

  • [O] Eldorado [1, 2, 3]
  • [O] Box Car [1 > 4]
  • [O] Don't Cry [1, 2 > 4; 3]
  • [O] Heavy Love [1, 2, 4]
  • [O] Wrecking Ball [1, 3]
  • [O] Cocaine Eyes [1, 2 > 4]
  • [O] On Broadway [1, 2, 3]

Sources:

  • [1] Times Square [unreleased album]
  • [2] Eldorado (Reprise 20P2-2651; April 21, 1989 [Japan only CD-EP])
  • [3] Freedom (Reprise 4-25899; October 2, 1989)
  • [4] Rarities [fan compilation CDR set]

The appearance of 'Don't Cry' on Freedom is edited.

c. Spring – July 10, 1989: Record One, Los Angeles, CA

Producer: "The Volume Dealers" (Neil Young & Niko Bolas)

Recorded:

  • [O] Hangin' On A Limb [1]
  • [O] The Ways Of Love [1]
  • [O] No More [1]
  • [O] Too Far Gone [1]
  • [O] Rockin' In The Free World [(March 10): 1]
  • [?] Born To Run [2 > 3, 4]
  • [X] Your Love Again
  • [X] Diggin' My Bad Self
  • [X] Fuckin' Up

Sources:

  • [1] Freedom (Reprise 4-25899; October 2, 1989)
  • [2] Kind Of Blue [bootleg CD]
  • [3] ABD.2000 [fan compilation CDR set]
  • [4] Rarities [fan compilation CDR set]