Interview: Jesse Colin Young of The Youngbloods Talks 'Get Together,' Elephant Mountain, Felix Pappalardi, Song for Juli + More

In this episode of the LEGENDS: Podcast by All Day Vinyl, host Scott Dudelson engages an in=depth conversation with Jesse Colin Young, co-founder and lead singer of the legendary band, the Youngbloods. During this special episode, Young reflects on his riveting six-decade-long career, from the timeless anthems of the Youngbloods to his impactful solo journey.

As we dive deep into Young’s career, he shares his enduring bond with the songs he penned during the inspiring ’70s singer-songwriter movement and reflects on his experiences recording in solitude, battling stage fright and recording iconic songs.

Young shares tales from the Greenwich Village folk scene of the early 1960’s and details an open mic event where he encounters Buzzy Linhart singing ’Get Together’ - a song that would change his life and become one of the most important songs of the 1960’s. We talk about the recording of ”Soul of a City Boy’ in one take - Young’s first album in 1964, as well as reflections on the studio sessions with Felix Pappalardi on the first Youngbloods album (which featured ”Get Together”)

Young shares anecdotes from his San Francisco days, his move to the countryside, engagement with the SF psychedelic scene, the creation process behind the acclaimed album, ‘Elephant Mountain’, his connection with Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin (who covered Young’s song ”Darkness, Darkness”) and the recent digital release of his solo catalog including ”Perfect Stranger” a solo album recorded in 1982 and just released digitally for the first time. Jesse Colin Young is a fantastic storyteller and vividly shared stories from his 60 year career.

I loved chatting with him and I hope you enjoy the conversation too!

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