Written by: Neil Young
From the album:
Times played:
First performance:
Shows recorded:
Shows not recorded:
First recording:
Electric guitar:
Notes
DZ: The first song on the Bluenotes album, “Ten Men Workin’,” seems to embody this feeling. NY: Yeah. That’s a cool thing, “Ten Men Workin’.” I had this groove going through my head and I was playing it on my guitar, which is actually my wife’s guitar, which she’s had since she was just a little teenybopper, I guess. She took it everywhere with her. And it really feels like her, so I wrote every song on this album, except one, on that guitar. (Young gestures towards the backseat where the guitar is lying.) It’s an old Gibson, like a J-45 or something. It just feels so good. I’d be walking around the house playing. (pause) And I had this groove going, didn’t have any lyrics, but I don’t try and make up words. I figure something’ll happen and I’ll start singin’ the words. Until then, I don’t have any words. I never just try and think of something clever. So the way “Ten Men Workin’“ came to me was ... one morning I was gettin’ ready to go into where we recorded the Bluenotes record, on Melrose Avenue across from the Hollywood Cemetery. One of the guys, the engineer of my boat, had a Men At Work T-shirt on. I just kept lookin’ at that T-shirt and started thinkin’, “Yeah, that’s me. I’m workin’ and we’re workin’.” It’s like we were building something. We had this job to do. It’s like it was our mission to make people feel good and to make ’em dance. Neil Young BAM Magazine/Dave Zimmer April 22, 1988
Ten Men Workin' (version 1 of 4)
Session Date:January 5, 1988
Studio:S.I.R., Hollywood, CA
Produced by:Neil Young & Niko Bolas: "The Volume Dealers"
Recording type:Studio
Mono/Stereo:stereo
Length:6:26
Musicians:Neil Young: vocals, guitar Chad Cromwell: drums Rick Rosas: bass Frank Sampedro: Hammond B-3 Steve Lawrence: lead tenor saxophone Ben Keith: alto saxophone Larry Cragg: baritone saxophone Claude Cailliet: trombone John Fumo: trumpet Tom Bray: trumpet
Available on:
Ten Men Workin'/Ten Men Workin' - promo CD single Neil Young Released: 1988-03-01

Side B

This Note's For You Neil Young Released: 1988-04-12

Side 1 Track 1

Ten Men Workin' (version 2 of 4)
Session Date:January 5, 1988
Studio:S.I.R., Hollywood, CA
Produced by:Neil Young & Niko Bolas: "The Volume Dealers"
Recording type:Studio
Mono/Stereo:stereo
Length:3:10
Notes:shorter edit
Musicians:Neil Young: vocals, guitar Chad Cromwell: drums Rick Rosas: bass Frank Sampedro: Hammond B-3 Steve Lawrence: lead tenor saxophone Ben Keith: alto saxophone Larry Cragg: baritone saxophone Claude Cailliet: trombone John Fumo: trumpet Tom Bray: trumpet
Available on:
Ten Men Workin'/Ten Men Workin' - promo CD single Neil Young Released: 1988-03-01

Side A

Ten Men Workin'/Ten Men Workin' Neil Young Released: 1988-03-22

Side A

Ten Men Workin'/Ten Men Workin' Neil Young Released: 1988-03-22

Side B

Ten Men Workin'/I'm Goin' Neil Young Released: 1988-04-12

A side Track 1

Ten Men Workin' (version 3 of 4)
Session Date:April 18, 1988
Studio:Early Show, The World, New York City, New York, USA
Produced by:Neil Young & Niko Bolas: "The Volume Dealers"
Recording type:Live
Mono/Stereo:stereo
Length:8:31
Musicians:Neil Young: vocals, guitar Chad Cromwell: drums Rick Rosas: bass Frank Sampedro: Hammond B-3 Steve Lawrence: lead tenor saxophone Ben Keith: alto saxophone Larry Cragg: baritone saxophone Claude Cailliet: trombone John Fumo: trumpet Tom Bray: trumpet
Available on:
Bluenote Cafe Neil Young Released: 2015-11-13

Disc 1 Track 4

Ten Men Workin' (version 4 of 4)
Session Date:August 18, 1988
Studio:Canadian National Exhibition Grandstand, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Produced by:Neil Young
Recording type:Live
Mono/Stereo:stereo
Length:
Musicians:
Available on:

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