Jim Messina on bass. George Grantham on drums. I overdubbed the rest except the strings. Was living on David Briggs' couch at the time in Topanga Canyon. It was our first record together. Neil Young Decade liner notes 1977

According to Briggs, the psycho guitar noises featured on both “The Loner” and “I’ve Been Waiting for You”—where it sounds like Young is sticking the instrument into a garbage disposal and shredding the strings—were made by “putting Neil’s guitar through an organ Leslie, not even through an amp, just the Leslie into the board Jimmy McDonough "Shakey" by Jimmy McDonough 2002

On my first album, I like The Loner. I felt like I was getting into something different there ... starting to. Neil Young KMET radio interview with B. Mitchell Reed September 1973

When I first quit the Buffalo Springfield and made that record - The Loner - I was very conscious about what was going to happen to it, because I was wondering what was going to happen to me. And Cashbox magazine - I saved the little thing that they do when you put out a record - because they figure you're hip enough they'll do a little spread on it - they write about it you know. They said that "this snappy little item should send Young rising Phoenix-like from the ashes of the Buffalo Springfield". I thought it was rather poetic and I wanted you people to be in on it. Neil Young Fillmore East, New York City, New York, USA March 7, 1970