Neil Young Details Next ‘Official Bootleg Series’ Releases Featuring Short-Lived ’70s Projects

Neil Young keeps the Official Bootleg Series tap flowing with the announcement of two live archival releases that will arrive on vinyl, CD and streaming via Shakey Pictures Records/Reprise Records on April 14. Each documents short-lived projects from the 1970s as Somewhere Under The Rainbow features Neil Young & The Santa Monica Flyers performing in 1973, while High Flyin’ compiles recordings of The Ducks from the summer of 1977.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow captures Neil Young joined by multi-instrumentalist Nils Lofgren, drummer Ralph Molina, bassist Billy Talbot and pedal steel guitarist Ben Keith at the Rainbow Theatre in London for a concert held on November 5, 1973. Though all four musicians have long histories of recording and performing with Neil Young, The Santa Monica Flyers only played 27 shows under the moniker as per fan site Sugar Mountain.

All 14 songs played by Neil Young & The Santa Monica Flyers in London on November 5, 1973 are included on Somewhere Over The Rainbow. The quintet performed nine songs from Tonight’s The Night — an album they finished recording two months prior that was eventually released on June 20, 1975 — to start the show in London.

Buffalo Springfield-era number “Flying On The Ground Is Wrong” came next along with an early version of “Human Highway” and Young’s beloved CSNY contribution “Helpless.” A pairing of “Don’t Be Denied” and “Cowgirl In The Sand” ended the night. Preview Somewhere Over The Rainbow by streaming “Human Highway” from the pending live LP below:

Neil Young assembled The Ducks for 20 1977 shows at clubs in California. The outfit found Young backed by bassist Bob Mosley, guitarist Jeff Blackburn and drummer Johnny Craviotto.

An announcement of the releases describes High Flyin’, noting:

In the magical time The Ducks existed, the rumors of their shows took on a word-of-mouth excitement that made those in the small audiences feel like the chosen few and allowed bragging rights for all who were lucky enough to be there. The quartet’s set lists included songs from a wide range of the band members’ backgrounds and were often decided on the night of the shows. This new collection of those nights, as well as two evenings at the nearby Magical Devices studio have been bootlegged for decades, and High Flyin’ is now an official release many fans never thought would happen.

The Young-penned “Little Wing,” not to be confused Jimi Hendrix’s song of the same name, was only played live in concert five times with each performance by The Ducks in 1977 according to Sugar Mountain’s records. In 2020, Neil dusted off “Little Wing” for two Fireside Sessions filmed at his home in Telluride, Colorado.

Listen to the version of “Little Wing” that appears on High Flyin’ below: