Here’s an ultra rare alternate album cover proof for Neil Young’s 1975 album Tonight’s The Night, acquired directly from his close associate, photographer Joel  Bernstein.  The provenance is best explained in Bernstein’s letter of authenticity:

“This letter is to authenticated an alternate album cover proof for Neil Young’s album Tonight’s The Night.  This proof has Neil’s original choices for the front and back cover.  One panel has the eventual album cover, a black and white shot by Dutch photographer Gissbert Hanekroot; the other panel is a color photograph of mine that wasn’t used (thought the rest of the package features my photographs.)  I don’t recall which was intended to be the front cover.  My color shot was eventually used as the front cover for Neil’s The Official Release Series: Discs 5-8.  I have had this in my collection since the album cover was put together.

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 and Rust Never Sleeps) 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.

Sincerely, Joel Bernstein”

This is one of two proofs Bernstein had in his collection, he kept one and this is probably the only other surviving example.  Bernstein has signed the proof on the front, and signed and titled it on back.  This is printed on the same very thick absorbent paper as the released Tonight’s The Night cover; it’s in excellent condition with some minor moisture spots on the back, invisible on the front.  With Joel Bernstein’s letter of authenticity and Recordmecca’s written lifetime guarantee of authenticity.  24 1/4” x 13 3/4”.