NEIL YOUNG "TONIGHTS THE NIGHT" PROMO 1975 RARE BLACK LABEL PROMO W/ ALL INSERTS

$

152

NEIL YOUNG "TONIGHTS THE NIGHT" RARE BLACK LABEL PROMO W/ ALL INSERTS
NEIL YOUNG  "TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT" LABEL: REPRISE: MS 2221 RECORDED: AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 1973 LOS ANGELES RELEASED: JUNE 20, 1975 EDITION: 'BLACK LABEL PROMO' COPY w/ ALL INSERTS GATEFOLD W/ INNER SLEEVE & ALL ORIGINAL INSERTS PRESSING: COLUMBIA RECORDS PRESSING PLANT TERRA HAUTE ('T' IN MATRIX) PRODUCER: DAVID BRIGGS MATRIX (SIDE A): HELLO WATERFACEMS 2221 31884 RE-1-8 1T Bg MATRIX (SIDE B): GOODBYE WATERFACE MS 2221 31885-7 1T
CONDITION:  VINYL: VG+   JACKET: G+/VG-  (SEE DETAILS BELOW)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I've been going thru my massive vinyl record collection these past few weeks and pulling out some LPs that I thought that someone else would want for their collection. I've been collecting records for over 45 years and it's time to pass some of them on to the next generation of collectors.
This week on EBay I am offering up this rare Original First Pressing 'Black Label Promo' Promotional Copy of Neil Young's Classic and best album "Tonight's The Night" from 1975.
This is my original copy, 'borrowed' from the radio station I worked at back in the mid 70s, that I've loved and taken great care of for many years. See details on Condition below.
You rarely see this record come up for sale. It's rare, highly collectible, and those few collectors that have a copy aren't letting go of it.
An amazing record, complete with all it's original inserts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The deluxe packaging of this record when it was first released was stunning. Everything from the textured jacket, to the band photos, to the unusual inserts, all added to the overall impact and experience of this album.
To appreciate 'Tonight's The Night' in all it's ragged glory, it's got to have the original jacket and all the original inserts, like this Promo copy does. It's just not the same record without them.
This album originally came in one of rock’s greatest sleeves with a spooky, hazy, high contrast black-and-white photo of Neil, printed on fuzzy textured blotter paper. 
Neil is wearing a cheap white suit, goofy Elvis Presley sunglasses, and has a harmonica around his neck. He's clearly intoxicated, his hair a scraggly mess, and he is caught, mid-sentence, talking to his stunned and confused audience. It's precisely the image he wanted to project.
The original First Pressings, including this Promo Pressing, were issued with a very fragile, soft, textured, blotter paper front and back cover, which according to Neil in his book "Shakey," were purposely designed to break down, self-destruct and disintegrate over time. Just like his friends, bandmates, and his career at the time.
The darkness of the songs on this album continues right thru to the inside, with a jet black record label instead of the normal orange Reprise 'steamboat' label.
This copy is a 'Black Label Promo' with "Promotion  Not For Sale" at the top, above the title on both sides.
In the run-out groove of the LP itself are cryptic carved messages: “Hello Waterface“ in the A-side and “Goodbye Waterface” on the B-side. There's been a great deal of speculation and rumor about what these cryptic phrases mean. The main theory is that they refer to Danny Whitten, who was an emotional person, prone to bursts of sobbing. Hence, Danny's crying is assumed to be the "waterface".
Inside the gatefold is a dark, sparse B&W photo of Neil sitting in a dive bar, somewhere on the 1973 tour. The 'blackness' continues on the original 2-sided inner sleeve, showing the band live in concert on the 1973 'Stray Gators' tour. Danny Whitten is missing, but his name is listed under the space where he should have been standing, as if his 'spirit' is still there.
The dark, obscure theme continues with the original inserts included with first pressings of the album. This pressing comes with ALL of the rare original inserts:
It has the original 12" x 16" 4-panel folded insert. On the front of the insert is a letter to a character called "Waterface." Young says that "Waterface is the person writing the letter, as well as the person reading it. It's just a stupid thing—a suicide note without the suicide."
The back of the insert has some text superimposed over the credits to Young's 'On the Beach' album, released a year earlier. This text is full of typos and is reportedly the lyrics to a 'Homegrown'-era unreleased song titled "Florida." It's a rambling story about Miami Beach and some strange things that went on there.
Other panels on the insert include cryptic messages such as: "I'm sorry. You don't know these people. This means nothing to you." and "P.S. Please take my advice"
When unfolded and flipped over, the entire other side has a picture of Neil playing Acoustic Guitar, some references to Miami Beach, and a lengthy article printed entirely in Dutch. "Welcome To Miami Beach, Ladies and Gentlemen"
Apparently it's a review of a live Neil Young 'Tonight's the Night' show in London 1973, by Dutch journalist Constant Meijers. The article is a harsh review of the show; "...the sound was miserable, the band’s coordination was miserable and Neil’s piano and singing were miserable." Neil thought it was spot on, so decided to include it, in Dutch.
There is also an odd picture of Roy Orbison, taken from a bootleg tape Young came across, just because. These crazy and odd inserts are all very revealing and an integral part of experiencing this album. Their true meaning and significance remains a mystery, but they're essential. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE STORY OF NEIL YOUNG'S CLASSIC "TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT"
In November 1972, Neil was putting together a band to take 'Harvest' on the road. He called this loose group of musicians The Stray Gators and had asked Crazy Horse member Danny Whiiten to join on guitar. After a few shows, it quickly became clear that his addiction had advanced to the point where keeping tight schedules and playing quality gigs was impossible.
Neil was forced to fire him, giving him $50 and a one-way plane ticket back to Los Angeles. A day later, Whitten was dead from an overdose of valium and alcohol. Neil was severely overcome with guilt about possibly hurrying and enabling his friend’s death. 
Then, in June of 1973, only two months before the start of the 'Tonight’s the Night' sessions, Bruce Berry, a roadie for CSNY and close friend of Young, died of an overdose of heroin.
The death of his friends seems to have affected Neil deeply and the bulk of the songs written for 'Tonight's the Night' are preoccupied with death, grief and disaster.
Neil was shaken to the core by the loss of his friends and started to re-evaluate the Rock'n'Roll life style he was living.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tonight's The Night' was recorded in August–September 1973, mostly during one session on August 26, but its release was delayed until June 1975. Depending on which story you believe, Reprise rejected it or Young withdrew it from release.
Eventually in 1975, exhausted after a long massive CSNY tour in 1974, Young discarded the current album he was working on and released this album instead.
The rough-around-the-edges quality of the album as a whole is a considerable contrast to most of Young’s previous solo work, as well as his more polished work with CSN and Buffalo Springfield.
Neil's hugely successful album 'Harvest' had turned him into a rock star. He hated that, and all the attention that came along with it. His success and acclaim became difficult for him to handle and he retreated into his own world.
18 months after 'Harvest' came out, he was ready to do something different. "I've made records where you analyze everything you do 3,000 times and it's perfect. I'm sick of it. I want to make a record that's totally stark naked. Raw. I don't wanna fix any of it. I don't care if it's totally out of tune, man, let's play. F*ck it...." 
“The Needle and the Damage Done” from 'Harvest' was a sign of things to come. There would be no light and breezy songs on his next record. He was done with that. He wanted a simple, quiet, private life, far removed from the vain distractions of fame and fortune.
"‘Heart of Gold’ put me in the middle of the road,” he famously wrote of Harvest’s big hit in the liner notes to his 1977 collection 'Decade', “Traveling there soon became a bore, so I headed for the ditch.” 
'Tonight's the Night' is the third and final of the so-called "Ditch Trilogy" of albums that Young released following the major success of 1972's Harvest. The other two are the 1973 live album 'Time Fades Away' and 1974’s 'On the Beach'. All 3 are hard to find on vinyl.
It's Young's musical expression of grief over the loss of his friends, combined with his rejection of stardom.
The band assembled for 'Tonight's The Night' was known as The Santa Monica Flyers. It consisted of Young, Ben Keith (steel guitar), Nils Lofgren (guitar and piano), and the Crazy Horse rhythm section of bassist Billy Talbot and drummer Ralph Molina.
~~~~~~~~~~~ In August of 1973, after some initial sessions at L.A.'s Sunset Sound studio, Neil felt that a proper, sterile studio wasn’t the right setting for the album he had in mind.
Young’s producer David Briggs had the idea to record at Studio Instrument Rentals, which was actually owned by Bruce Berry and his brother Ken. They had a small practice space in the back with an elevated stage, which was a much better vibe.
Over the course of a month, they’d hang out, drink, do drugs and play pool until they were ready to climb onstage and make music. A mobile recording truck was brought in, parked behind the building, and a hole was cut thru the wall to run cable to the truck. All the songs were basically cut live, with no overdubs and minimal editing.
Neil said: "The atmosphere was so relaxed that we began recording immediately. And it's the most honest thing I have ever done...the best I have ever made. It's recorded live. On one side there are four songs recorded in one take without stopping."
~~~~~ The album begins with a lonesome bass-line, a bit of tinkling piano, and strumming guitar that sounds almost like a brief warm-up, the kind of thing that would be cut from any record without a second thought. But here it’s perfect, lending the kind of “here we go!” feeling of the best album-openers. 
After the opening “tonight’s the night” refrain, the first two words on the album are “Bruce Berry,” and the album’s deep connection to Young’s deceased friends starts.
It sets the mood for the entire album, which is book-ended by another, electric version of the same song. This Acoustic/Electiric bookending would show up on several of Neil's later albums.
Danny Whitten’s loss is honored by the inclusion of “(Come on Baby, Let’s Go) Downtown,” a song Whitten composed and sings. The version here is a live recording from the Fillmore in 1970. It brings Neil and Danny's great guitar and voice together again for the last time.
It's a joyous song, the liveliest song on the album, all about the downtown nightlife, but underneath, it's a song about scoring heroin. Here it's presented as a cautious reminder, a celebration. but also as a lament to loss.
Other songs are about loss and lament. “Lookout Joe,” recorded in December ’72, captures the record’s reckless spirit perfectly: “Remember Bill from up on the hill?/A Cadillac put a hole in his arm/But old Bill, he’s up there still/Havin’ a ball rollin’ to the bottom.”
In "Tired Eyes," Neil sings "He tried to do his best, but he could not." while mentioning bullet holes in mirrors.
“Mellow My Mind” is raw and unrefined. The strain and emotional ache in Young’s voice is palpable. “Roll Another Number (For the Road)”, a fan favorite, is a song about the end of a long night of incapacitating inebriation.
In “Borrowed Tune” the band's too inebriated to write a song, so they steal from The Rolling Stones' 'Lady Jane'; “I’m singing my borrowed tune, I took from the Rolling Stones/Alone in this empty room, too wasted to write my own” 
“World on a String” points out the many faults of being a contractually obligated rock star.  With “Albuquerque”, Young expresses his longing for peace and anonymity. He’s “been starving to be alone” and wants to “find somewhere where they don’t care who I am”. 
Not all of the songs on 'Tonight's The Night' are gloom and doom. The band, despite being down about losing their friends, realize that they are all still together, all still have each other, and they play very loosley, but very tightly together. Despite loss, there are always new possibilities, new ways to continue the journey.
“New Mama”, “Mellow My Mind”, and “Roll Another Number (For the Road)” all have a fun, positive, optimistic feeling.
Ben Keith’s pedal steel guitar playing is beautiful and gives the songs a feeling of power and life-affirming dignity. The band are clearly having fun, and it sounds like it was one heck of a party.
~~~~~~~~~~~ The final recording sounds amazing. Young has an uncanny ability to convincingly set a specific mood and 'Tonight’s the Night', with all its atmospheric amp-buzz, crackles, somber themes, and full-tilt rockers sets a perfect mood. 
The record staggers, stumbles, and lunges along, sounding like the songs could break down and fall apart at any moment, but that loose approach is what makes it so great.
Tonight's the Night's beauty lies in its imperfections. The album is one of the most sonically raw albums ever released. The band is loose and well-oiled. 
The playing is sloppy and loosely arranged, it has mistakes and fluctuating tempo, but it's perfect. The style works just right for the material, bringing out personality, honesty and emotion. It sounds like they are having a blast and enjoying each others playing and company. There's a palpable sense of community and belonging between the musicians, which is a big part of its appeal.
The record's coarseness, loose ends, frayed connections, and smudgy borders are the perfect complement to the heartfelt emotion and deep honesty of the songs.
The record shows the rough, ragged side of desperation and grief, but there is no sign of surrender, no sense of retreat, no apology for the way the world is. The guys accept it and play right thru it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONDITION: I tried to show good hi-resolution photos of the cover, labels and vinyl in my pictures.
This is my old radio station's copy. It was already in rough shape and they were going to toss it, so I added it to my collection.
VINYL: The vinyl looks ok. Some obvious wear and evidence of play, but No serious scuffs, palpable scratches, or dings. It looks acceptable, but not perfect.
The Deadwax has the classic 'Waterface' etchings and First Pressing matrix marks. See the full Matrix marks above.
I tried to show some close-up pictures of the vinyl to show how good it still looks. Not perfect, but acceptable. I'm sure you'll be happy with it.
I haven't messed with it or cleaned it, other than my trusty 'DiscWasher' brush, in 50 years, since Gerald Ford was in office. It could use a good deep cleaning to make it even better looking and better sounding. 
LABELS: This is pressed with the unusual and unique 'black' Reprise labels. Clearly marked Promotional Not For Sale. A "black label promo". 
The labels have some smudges and some 'marks' to the left of song titles. (My old radio stations way to mark songs 'acceptable' for airply). The labels still look decent, but not perfect.
The spindle holes are still sharp and clean, suggesting minimal playing and my careful handling over the years.
This still has the rare original 2-sided inner sleeve, but it is heavily damaged, missing a corner. It's sort of trashed, but at least it's there. mostly.
The original fold out booklet is in very nice condition. Actually, I don't remember why, but there are 2 booklets. Both nice.
JACKET: As you can see from my pictures, this still looks OK for a 50 year old OG copy, but the jacket has significant edge wear and there is 'water damage' on the inside of the gatefold. Someone at the station, not me!, took a black marker and tried to 'touch up' the water damage and spine/edge wear. Somebody probably spilled coffe, or bong water, on it and tried to hide it from the boss. It's a decent rescue job, but it's noticeable and should be pointed out. 
This thick, all black jacket was notorious for showing ringwear, dirt, scuffs and damage, plus Neil purposely designed it to self-destruct. He did a good job. No real ring wear, but it does have other issues.
Overall, it's not horrible, but the jacket does have significant edge wear and internal water damage. Inside a nice poly sleeve, it looks OK. (See pics of edges and 'touch up').
The last 2 pictures in my listing are of the record sleeved. It looks quite nice that way.
The good news is that the front and back covers look quite nice and display well. This copy has the original pink Warner promo sticker on the front.
Overall, I'll call the whole record VG, but it's such an iconic album, and a super rare Promo copy, that it still belongs in any Neil Young or classic rock record collection. It's a great album to have, even in this condition. It's very cool, and a great record.
This record has been sleeved, inside and out, and stored properly for decades, and a rare, complete original First Pressing.
You can see from my pictures it's still quite acceptable. This copy is all original, and a real gem. I'm sure you'll love it.
~~~~~~~~~~ Neil Young and Lynyrd Skynyrd always had a 'feud'. The legend of this album, and it's link with the early demise of rock stars, was reinforced when Lynyrd Skynyrd 's album 'Street Survivors' was released. On the cover,  Ronnie Van Zant is surrounded by flames wearing a 'Tonight's the Night' t-shirt. He would soon die in a plane crash, way too young.
'Tonight's The Night' is rough and dark, the efforts of a man trying to turn his torment into art and doing so unflinchingly. The lyrics are intensely personal, and the music is brooding and raw. 
It's a unique masterpiece, and one of the greatest rock & roll albums ever made. There is no other album in rock and roll like it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ** NOTE: I'm selling this rare 'Collector' record "AS IS" and "NO RETURN". It's rare and as described and I'm sure you'll be very happy with it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I’m recently retired and downsizing and letting go some gems and rarities from nearly 45 years of vinyl record collecting. Check out the many other fantastic 45s and 33s coming soon to my page!
All records have been carefully evaluated and graded by me. I visually inspect all records under bright light, personally gently clean them with a soft cloth and then, if unsure, play them on a modern high-end turntable to get a true picture of condition. Please look at all the high-resolution pictures I added. They are all my own and are of the actual record being sold. The pictures are part of the description and can show small details, label variations, and condition better than I can put into words. 
My grading is fair and honest. I have had over 3,400 happy and satisfied EBay customers over the years, with 100% positive feedback, and I have been buying/selling on EBay for well over 25 years, so please bid with confidence!
I'm a 0ne-man operation, this is a hobby, not my job. I do this for fun. I do this because I love music, love collecting vinyl and want others to share in that same experience. I take my time listening, researching, grading, listing and packaging. I will NOT sell any record that I personally would not want in my collection.
As you well know, packing and shipping rare records requires special care and attention, therefore, shipping cost within the lower 48 states is $5.00 on this item. If you would like insurance, or anything faster than Media/Economy Mail, please let me know and I can arrange it for you. I’ll work with you to make sure you’re happy!
I will gladly combine multiple records, or other items on my page, and make the shipping much less for you. I don’t inflate the shipping costs; they are what they are. I strive to keep them as low as possible. See my feedback for comments on my quality packing and shipping.
All items are packaged with sturdy cardboard mailers and appropriate padding. I take pride in my packaging and shipping and package all my records as if I were sending them to myself. I refuse to use cheap flimsy packaging material when sending my vinyl. I treat them as if they were my own and mail them the same way. 
All orders are processed and shipped within 2 business days of receipt. We package and ship our vinyl records with the greatest care, using proper packaging to ensure that your rare and collectible vinyl records arrive in pristine condition.
Payments can be made by any of the multiple options that Ebay offers.
I will be happy to exchange feedback with anyone I complete a transaction with.
THANK YOU for looking and reading if you got this far.  -- JOHN