Quote:
Crosby Stills Nash & Young AND TOM JONES, “Long Time Gone”
David Crosby steps aside to let Tom Jones burn his song from CSN’s debut album all the way down the ever-lovin’ ground in the US TV debut of the band with new boy Neil Young
Tom Jones did more than have musical guests on his show. He did more than just join them. He helped them transform their songs into something even more fierce than the originals, as shown here on an episode of “This Is Tom Jones” first aired October 16, 1969.
There’s no question that this song was already a highlight of CSN’s virtually perfect debut album, but if that album had one flaw, it was that it might have been a touch too perfect to be truly rock and roll. Here, the thing repeatedly threatens to fly off the rails as Tom’s soaring baritone sets it aloft, only to be brought right back down to the groin with Stephen Stills’ unhinged wail soaring into falsetto, banging on the organ while Neil firmly inserts himself into the squall of the barely-coordinated chaos of Crosby and Nash’s vocal and guitar dynamism.
One of the best things about this performance: everybody is clearly having a riot. Watch them watching each other! Shit-eating grins all the way around as they recognize that this is not normal TV viewing, not then, and sure as hell not now.
https://youtu.be/dIDzA0YDso8.
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