HARLIN performs a live cover version of the classic Buffalo Springfield song "Mr. Soul", written by Neil Young. The audio recording is of a live rehearsal on May 23, 1987 at Rip Tide studio in Tustin, CA. The video is spliced-together footage from a live Harlin performance at the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, CA, recorded earlier the same year. The video does not really correspond to the audio, because I don't have video footage of Harlin performing this song. If you look closely, you might notice footage from several of the live videos I have up on my channel. You might also notice that Whil's guitar changes from his black Gretsch Corvette to the red Washburn Raven (owned by manager Mark Thompson), and Gib's light green 1962 Fender Stratocaster changes to his 1978 25th anniversary Les Paul Silvertop. Gib's hat also magically appears and disappears during the song. But what's amazing to me is how the long sequence for the guitar solo is all one cut, it's the solo from "Bayou", but it fits so perfectly! Anyway. it was a fun little editing project.

Whil Harlin - lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Gib Arciniega - lead guitar, backing vocals
Brett Scott - bass
Drake Thompson - drums, backing vocals

Whil was never much into playing cover songs, he much preferred to play his own. However the other members of the band had all played cover music together on and off for about 10 years since high school in a band called Jaames Dean, and during rehearsals they would often do amazing versions of the Moody Blues' "The Story in Your Eyes", the Kinks' "'Til the End of the Day" or Buddy Holly's "Rave On", sung by Drake. In the early days, a few of these made it into the live set, usually limited to one cover per set. One day, Whil, a huge Buffalo Springfield fan, chose a cover song himself - this one. It was in the setlist for a short time in 1987 around the time of this rehearsal, May or June. A few months later, in August, 1987, Harlin got a gig opening for Buffalo Springfield 'Revisited' and the Guess Who 'Reunion' at the Country Club nightclub in Reseda, CA. I jokingly suggested to the band at rehearsal that they should do Mr. Soul in their set, a pretty ballsy move when you're opening for the artists who originally recorded it, but they did it! They nailed it, which could have been a problem with the Buffalo Springfield guys (the only original members being bassist Bruce Palmer and drummer Dewey Martin). Luckily they were all very good sports about it, the singer commenting with some admiration that Whil sounded more like Neil Young than he did!

Video produced for the Harlin Archive by Weird Old Uncle Kenny from video footage and audio recordings provided by Drake Thompson. For many more Harlin videos, please subscribe to my YouTube channel. For pictures and stories, check out the Harlin page on Facebook. Please feel free to give a thumbs-up!

-Weird Old Uncle Kenny

I DO NOT own this song, it is presented purely for entertainment, education and historical purposes. The video content is original and created by me.