TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT – NEIL YOUNG
released 6-20-1975
Tonight’s the Night was recorded in SIR (studio instrument rentals) an old building on Santa Monica blvd, across from Gold Star Studios in the early 70’s. SIR was a place where bands could rehearse in rehearsal rooms. It had a pool table. SIR rented instruments to studios in Hollywood, delivering and picking up all day every day.
Gold Star was the greatest Studio in Hollywood, with its magnificent echo chamber, the home of Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound.
We recorded at SIR because Bruce Berry’s brother was a part of SIR and the album was a wake for Bruce. Berry was roadie for CSNY and Danny Whitten was the original guitarist in Crazy Horse, before Poncho Sampedro and Nils Lofgren. Both Bruce and Danny died of heroin overdoses.
We played starting at midnight, through the night, and drove home just before dawn to our hotel every night for a month. Visitors came by late at night. One of these nights we practically nailed the whole album, and that is what we wanted to do.. . .keep it real. We drank tequila and smoked weed. Teenagers, don’t do what we did. We didn’t fix the mistakes. The whole album and why we made it and I wrote those songs was all a mistake. It won’t be repeated again. Some say it’s the best thing we ever did.
ny