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On April 4, 1977, Neil Young recorded the delightful love song “Hey Babe” at his ranch in Northern California. Accompanied by Crazy Horse and a talented ensemble that included pedal steel guitarist Ben Keith, fiddle player Carole Mayedo, and background vocalists Linda Ronstadt and Nicolette Larson, the track was featured on Side One of American Stars ‘N Bars. Despite its inclusion on the album, the song was notably absent from any proper tours and never made it into Young’s live performances for decades, with only one other track from that period, “Will to Love,” sharing the same fate of remaining unperformed on stage.
The long wait for a live rendition of “Hey Babe” ended recently at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, New York. The song made its live debut six songs into the setlist, which predominantly mirrored the preceding night’s concert. However, Young made a notable alteration by replacing “Harvest Moon” with “Tumbleweed” from his 2014 album Storytone. Fans enjoyed the unique experience, and although there is only an incomplete video of the performance circulating, it captured the excitement of the moment.
As the night progressed, Young introduced “War of Man” from 1992’s Harvest Moon, marking it as the fifth track from that album performed during the two Capitol Theater shows. While the previous evening’s extended performance of “Down by the River” did not reoccur, the show closed with an intense version of “Throw Your Hatred Down” from Mirrorball, swapping out “Roll Another Number (For the Road)” from the earlier performance.
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Looking ahead, Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts are scheduled to perform on October 5 at the Painted Turtle charity event in Lake Hughes, California. This occasion promises a reunion with fellow musicians Stephen Stills and John Mayer, providing a golden opportunity for Young and Stills to revisit classic Buffalo Springfield songs, reminiscent of their performance at Light Up the Blues in 2023, where they revived tracks like “Everybody’s Wrong” and “For What It’s Worth.”
If Young happens to perform “Will to Love,” it would mark a historic moment, as he would then have played every track from his Seventies solo albums at least once in concert. For those interested in his comprehensive catalog, a list of songs yet to be performed live is available for reference. Although many selections, such as “Fontainebleau” and “Driftin’ Back,” seem unlikely to make it into future setlists, the unexpected resurgence of “Hey Babe” demonstrates that surprises can still emerge from Young’s extensive repertoire.
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www.rollingstone.com