Neil Young – 1972 ‘Harvest’ Test Pressing LP, Owned by Album Cover Photographer Joel Bernstein
Harvest topped the Billboard album chart for two weeks, and spawned two hit singles, “Old Man” and the #1 hit “Heart of Gold.” It was the best-selling album of 1972 in the United States. The album has since remained Neil Young’s signature album as well as his best selling. In 2015, Harvest was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The provenance of this rarity is best explained by the accompanying letter of authenticity from Joel Bernstein:
This letter is to authenticate one 12″ vinyl LP test pressing of Neil Young’s 1972 album Harvest, from Columbia Records’ plant in Santa Maria, Ca. This item is from my personal collection and was given to me by Neil’s manager Elliot Roberts on a visit to his offices at Lookout Management in W. Hollywood in early 1972.
I photographed Neil Young for the first time at his first East Coast show with Crazy Horse, at the Bitter End in New York City, in February 1969. I went on to work with Neil extensively, as both his and CSNY’s tour photographer, and shooting him for eighteen of his album covers (including After The Gold Rush, Harvest, Time Fades Away, Tonight’s The Night, Decade, Rust Never Sleeps and Greatest Hits) plus numerous other official projects including publicity, advertising, songbooks, posters, et al. On various tours from 1973-1993, I also worked with Neil as his guitar technician; and served as his archivist for 20 years, researching and presenting him with every source for audio, artwork and text used in his massive box set Archives Vol. 1 1963-1972.
During the course of working for Neil, he gave me various acetates, test pressings, set lists and other memorabilia. Neil knew I was a collector and he wasn’t, so once he was done with things like this, instead of throwing it away, he often gave it to me.
Sincerely, Joel Bernstein
The test pressing is in beautiful mint condition, housed in its original white cover, with handwritten catalog numbers and notations in Bernstein’s hand.
In December 2022 Reprise Records will issue a deluxe 50th Anniversary box set, with extensive liner notes by Joel Bernstein.
With Joel Bernstein’s letter of authenticity, and Recordmecca’s lifetime guarantee of authenticity.
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