Danny Whitten died on November 18, 1972, aged 29. The Crazy Horse guitarist, singer and songwriter left recordings that captured both his partnership with Neil Young and his own voice as a writer, including the band’s original version of “I Don’t Want to Talk About It.”
Whitten’s history with bassist Billy Talbot and drummer Ralph Molina began before they worked with Young. They had sung together in Danny and the Memories, then played in the Rockets, whose self-titled album appeared in 1968. Young knew the musicians from jamming with them. When Whitten, Talbot and Molina became Crazy Horse, they brought years of playing and singing together into the new partnership.
Their first album with Young, 1969’s Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, included “Cinnamon Girl,” “Down by the River” and “Cowgirl in the Sand.” Whitten played guitar and sang, with his rhythm playing giving Young something to respond to as the songs unfolded. Discussing “Down by the River” in a 2009 Guitar World interview, Young explained: “Every time you change the groove it changes what the lead guitar does.” They hadn’t needed to plan their parts in advance. Young also recalled that Whitten’s guitar tone was cleaner than his own. Their collaboration continued on 1970’s After the Gold Rush, to which Whitten contributed guitar and vocals.
Crazy Horse’s self-titled 1971 debut gave Whitten’s songwriting a larger place. Nils Lofgren joined on guitar and Jack Nitzsche on keyboards, expanding the group around Whitten, Talbot and Molina. Whitten’s songs included “Look at All the Things,” “Dirty, Dirty” and “I’ll Get By,” alongside “I Don’t Want to Talk About It.” In a 2023 interview with TIDAL, Lofgren recalled that the band had long talked about making a record of its own. He accepted their invitation to join, with Nitzsche also taking a production role. They spent their days in a rehearsal room, playing through material that became the album. Young supported the project.
Lofgren also remembered helping Whitten tune his guitar as his difficulties with alcohol and drugs developed. Alongside those problems, he remembered the performances: “he was playing and singing great.” Whitten’s worsening addiction subsequently led to his dismissal from Crazy Horse.
Whitten’s death became part of the grief behind Young’s Tonight’s the Night, released in 1975. Lofgren described making that record as a way of coping with the deaths of friends. Young wanted the musicians to sing while they played, keeping performances once he had the vocal he wanted. Lofgren recalled that requests to redo their backing vocals were refused. Whitten’s own voice was also present on the finished album: “Come On Baby Let’s Go Downtown” used a live recording from 1970, preserving his singing and guitar playing among the later recordings.
“I Don’t Want to Talk About It” reached a wider audience through Rod Stewart, whose version topped the UK singles chart in 1977 on a double A-side with “The First Cut Is the Deepest.” Everything but the Girl took their recording of Whitten’s song to No. 3 in the UK in 1988.
