Crazy Horse - Dear Song Singer (1971)

The origins of Crazy Horse date back as far as 1963, and the Los Angeles-based a cappella doo-wop group Danny & The Memories, which consisted of main singer Danny Whitten and supporting vocalists Lou Bisbal, Billy Talbot and Ralph Molina. Sly Stone produced a single for the by-then-renamed The Psyrcle in San Francisco on Lorna Records, but it didn't sell well either regionally or nationally. Over the next few years, after moving back to Los Angeles, the group gradually evolved into The Rockets, a psychedelic pop/folk rock band that juxtaposed the rudimentary instrumental abilities of bassist Talbot, drummer Molina, and rhythm guitarist Whitten against the more accomplished musicians Bobby Notkoff on violin and Leon Whitsell on lead guitar. While recording sessions for the debut album, Whitsell left and was promptly replaced by his younger brother George, but after Leon petitioned to return, it was decided that both Whitsells would remain in the group. This sextet recorded The Rockets' only album, a self-titled set released in 1968 on White Whale Records, with all the members contributing material to it, and Whitten's 'Let Me Go' was covered by Three Dog Night on their 1968 debut. After the album was released, The Rockets re-connected with Neil Young, whom they had met two years earlier during the early days of Buffalo Springfield, and not long afterwards Young enlisted Whitten, Talbot, and Molina to back him on his second solo album. Although all parties initially envisaged The Rockets continuing as a separate concern, they eventually disbanded due to Young's insistence on having his new backing trio keep to a strict practice schedule. Credited to Neil Young with Crazy Horse, 'Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere' was released in May 1969, and has since become considered to be one of Young's very best albums. 
Crazy Horse toured with Young throughout the first half of 1969 and in early 1970, but shortly after beginning work on his third solo album with Crazy Horse in 1969, Young joined Crosby, Stills & Nash as a full fourth member, recording an album and touring with the ensemble in 1969 and 1970. When Young returned to his solo album in 1970, Crazy Horse found its participation more limited, and the group as a whole would only appear on three of the eleven tracks on 'After The Gold Rush'. Young fired the group in the aftermath of the 1970 tour due to Whitten's escalating heroin abuse, and the band capitalized on their newfound exposure, recording their eponymous debut album for Reprise Records that year. The record was co-produced by Jack Nitzsche and Bruce Botnick, and featured guest appearances from Nils Lofgren and Ry Cooder, who sat in on three tracks at the behest of Nitzsche, as stand-in for the ailing Whitten. Although the album only just cracked to top 100 on the Billboard chart, Whitten's 'I Don't Want to Talk About It' would go on to be covered by a wide range of artists, including Geoff Muldaur, the Indigo Girls, and Rod Stewart. During the studio sessions for that first album the band recorded a few extra songs, some of which really could have been included had there been room, as well as their own take on songs that they'd recorded with Neil Young. Although there is only about half an hours worth of music, it's just too good not to be heard, so I've added a live take of 'Cowgirl In The Sand' from 1970, where the band really show why Young loved them so much, to flesh this out to a really enjoyable 40-minute album. 

Track listing

01 Scratchy
02 Dear Song Singer
03 Dirty, Dirty (alternate version)
04 Susie's Song
05 When You Dance You Can Really Love
06 Cowgirl In The Sand (live at the Fillmore East 1970)
07 Downtown (unedited long version)