Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young will release a 50th-anniversary edition of Deja Vu on May 14.

The box set will include the original LP, as well as four CDs of demos, unreleased studio recordings and alternate versions of songs for a total of nearly two and a half hours of music. A hardcover book will also be available, featuring photos and stories of the band accompanied by liner notes from Cameron Crowe.

“Fifty years later, with the sonic aperture fully opened, it’s a wide-screen look at the big picture of Deja Vu, with more music, including a batch of surprises, unseen photos and a lot more clarity," Crowe notes.

A demo of Neil Young's "Birds" has been released to preview the set. The song eventually ended up on Young's After the Gold Rush album, which came out several months after Deja Vu's March 1970 release. This unheard version includes Graham Nash singing upper harmony. You can listen to it below.

“I know it’s just me and Neil doing it with his acoustic guitar, but that’s a beautiful
piece of music,” Nash told Rolling Stone. “It’s me trying to be the best harmony singer I can be with somebody of the stature of Neil Young. I don’t want to stick out singing extra words that he’s not singing. I have to be on my game. And ‘Birds’ is a perfect example of that.”

Though the official anniversary of the album was last year, the coronavirus pandemic delayed production of the box. Discord among band members also contributed to the wait.

“Eh, I’m happy about it,” David Crosby said to Rolling Stone. “But I don’t have a dog in that fight, really. I sold my piece. I am very proud of the record, [but] this is like a repackaging. It’s probably a good thing, but it’s not that big a deal to me. The guy who looks backwards and does this kind of stuff is Nash. He always has been. I don’t really give much of a shit about that.”

Young had originally agreed to contribute more songs to the reissue but wound up retracting them. "To this day, Neil does what he wants to do," Nash said. "We have to respect each member’s desires, and his desire was to not put on two or three of his songs.”

Among the other previously unreleased takes is "Know You Got To Run," the first song CSNY recorded as a group at the house Stephen Stills was renting from the Monkees' Peter Tork. Another gem is a touching version of Nash's "Our House" with the song's inspiration, Joni Mitchell, singing alongside him.

You can view the complete track listing for the upcoming set below.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, 'Deja Vu: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition' Track Listing

Disc One: Original Album
1. “Carry On”
2. “Teach Your Children”
3. “Almost Cut My Hair”
4. “Helpless”
5. “Woodstock”
6. “Déjà Vu”
7. “Our House”
8. “4 + 20”
9. “Country Girl”
a. “Whiskey Boot Hill”
b. “Down, Down, Down”
c. “Country Girl” (I Think You’re Pretty)
10. “Everybody I Love You”

Disc Two: Demos
1. “Our House” – Graham Nash *
2. “4 + 20” – Stephen Stills *
3. “Song With No Words (Tree With No Leaves)” – David Crosby & Graham Nash
4. “Birds” – Neil Young & Graham Nash *
5. “So Begins The Task/Hold On Tight” – Stephen Stills *
6. “Right Between The Eyes” – Graham Nash
7. “Almost Cut My Hair” – David Crosby *
8. “Teach Your Children” – Graham Nash & David Crosby
9. “How Have You Been” – Crosby, Stills & Nash
10. “Triad” – David Crosby
11. “Horses Through A Rainstorm” – Graham Nash
12. “Know You Got To Run” – Stephen Stills *
13. “Question Why” – Graham Nash *
14. “Laughing” – David Crosby *
15. “She Can’t Handle It” – Stephen Stills *
16. “Sleep Song” – Graham Nash
17. “Déjà Vu” – David Crosby & Graham Nash *
18. “Our House” – Graham Nash & Joni Mitchell *

Disc Three: Outtakes
1. “Everyday We Live” *
2. “The Lee Shore” – 1969 Vocal *
3. “I’ll Be There” *
4. “Bluebird Revisited” *
5. “Horses Through A Rainstorm”
6. “30 Dollar Fine” *
7. “Ivory Tower” *
8. “Same Old Song” *
9. “Hold On Tight/Change Partners” *
10. “Laughing” *
11. “Right On Rock ’n’ Roll” *

Disc Four: Alternates
1. “Carry On” – Early Alternate Mix *
2. “Teach Your Children” – Early Version *
3. “Almost Cut My Hair” – Early Version *
4. “Helpless” – Harmonica Version
5. “Woodstock” – Alternate Vocals *
6. “Déjà Vu” – Early Alternate Mix *
7. “Our House” – Early Version *
8. “4 + 20” – Alternate Take 2 *
9. “Know You Got To Run” *

* previously unissued

 

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