In 1994, Borrowed Tunes, a tribute album to Neil Young was released, followed more than a decade later by Borrowed Tunes II in 2007. Nearly two decades later, Brandi Carlile, Eddie Vedder, Lumineers, Sharon Van Etton, Mumford and Sons, and more united on Heart of Gold: The Songs of Neil Young, out April 25.
Proceeds from the album will benefit The Bridge School in Hillsborough, California. Young and his second wife Pegi, along with Jim Forderer and speech and language pathologist, Dr. Marilyn Buzolic, founded the Bridge School in 1986, a non-profit to help children with speech and physical impediments, along with an annual benefit.
On the album, Fiona Apple takes on a cover of his Harvest classic “Heart of Gold,” while Steve Earle shares a rendition of Still-Young Band era “Long May You Run.” The Doobie Brothers, joined by Allison Russell, cover the title track of Young’s 1978 album Comes A Time with Rodney Crowell going further back into Young’s catalog, to his Buffalo Springfield days with “Mr. Soul.
Courtney Barnett shares her rendition of a late ’70s Young song that became a debut hit for his former backing vocalist. After Linda Rondstadt and Nicolette Larson were credited as backing vocalists on Young’s 1977 album American Stars ‘n Bars, Larson continued working with Young on Comes a Time. When Larson was working on her 1978 debut Nicolette, she covered a song of Young’s she found on a cassette lying on the floor of his car, which was “Lotta Love.”
“‘Lotta Love’ is one of my favorite Neil songs and the lyrics feel especially relevant at this moment in history,” said Barnett of the song, also from Comes a Time. “It’s a real honor to be part of this tribute helping to raise funds for The Bridge School.”
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[RELATED: Neil Young’s “Lotta Love” Gave Nicolette Larson Her First Hit]
The second release from the tribute album is Chris Pierce’s cover of Young’s After the Gold Rush track “Southern Man,” describing the racism towards blacks in the South of America. “Southern Man,” along with “Alabama” from Young’s 1972 album Harvest prompted Lynyrd Skynyrd‘s response of “Sweet Home Alabama.”
“Time and time again, I’m reminded of the power of Neil Young’s songs,” said Pierce. “I’m reminded every time I spin one of his albums at home when his songs play on the radio, and this was particularly evident when I recently had the honor of being the opening act for his solo tour. When I was presented with the privilege to be a part of ‘Heart of Gold – The Songs of Neil Young’ his impactful song ‘Southern Man’ came to me in a dream.”
Pierce added, “The early morning session at Village Recorders, gallantly led by producers David Resnik and Niko Bolas was an experience that I’ll never forget. I felt that the spirits of my ancestors visited us in the studio during the recording of this song, and I was in tears while singing it with the soulful congregation of stellar musicians in the room.”
Heart of Gold,’ Volume I Track List:
- Brandi Carlile – “Philadelphia”
- Fiona Apple – “Heart of Gold”
- Mumford & Sons – “Harvest”
- Eddie Vedder – “Needle and The Damage Done”
- Courtney Barnett – “Lotta Love”
- Stephen Marley – “Old Man”
- Sharon Van Etten – “Here We Are In The Years”
- Lumineers – “Sugar Mountain”
- The Doobie Brothers with Allison Russell – “Comes A Time”
- Steve Earle – “Long May You Run”
- Rodney Crowell – “Mr. Soul”
- Anders Osborne – “Cowgirl in the Sand”
- Charlie Greene – “Such A Woman”
- Chris Pierce – “Southern Man”
Photo: Henry Diltz / Courtesy of Warner Records
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