Who knew that a back injury could conjure up one of Neil’s most famous songs? Life works in strange ways sometimes. It was back to the acoustic guitar and the introduction of the harmonica.
Heart of Gold was released as a single in February of 1972 from his fourth solo album, Harvest. It became his only #1 hit in the United States. It also went to #1 on the RPM single charts in Canada. The song features James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt on backing vocals which are heard towards the end.
In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine voted it #297 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. CBC Radio One in Canada also voted it #3 on their list of the greatest Canadian song of all time.
Over the years the song has been covered by artists such as Johnny Cash, Tori Amos, Matchbox 20, Willie Nelson, and Dave Matthews among several others.
Above is a live performance from 1971 at the BBC Studios.