|
THE SQUIRES - AURORA (V-109)
Here we have Neil Young’s first 45 release
two instrumentals, recorded in Winnipeg at radio station
CKRC sometime in 1963. Neil was 17. Some call this the rarest
45 in the world. Rumour has it that only 300 copies were pressed.
And, no I don’t own this 45. I transferred ‘Aurora’ and
‘The Sultan’ from a friend’s copy.
After playing the record on the April 10 RRR launch, I received
this e-mail. I had given out the wrong call letters of the
Winnipeg station:
I do remember a radio station called CKRC - it was the one
I listened to. My uncle, Bob Macdonald, was the program manager
at the station at the time. I think that your notes must have
a transcription error, because I know that Neil Young did
do some recording in the CKRC studios. My uncle started at
CKRC, in 62 or 63, I am not sure exactly. I was talking to
him recently and he told me some stories. One of the things
he did when he started was to tell the technical people and
DJ's that they could use the equipment in the off hours if
they wanted to make a little money on the side. This is the
rule that allowed Neil to get in and record his tune. The
decision to allow people in to record at night was unpopular
with some people at the station, because they didn't like
the idea of unshaven long haired kids wandering around the
station. My uncle stuck to his guns and continued to allow
people to record at the station.
James Beattie Morison Calgary, Alberta
Thanks James. I found this image of Neil Young’s
first 45 on the Internet.
|
