Rhino“Ivory Tower,” a previously unreleased outtake from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young‘s 1970 debut, Déjà Vu, that will be featured on the forthcoming expanded 50th anniversary reissue of the classic album, has been made available digitally as an advanced track.
In addition, a video featuring the tune and accompanied by text that tells the story behind the song has debuted at Rhino Records’ YouTube channel.
“Ivory Tower” was written by Stephen Stills, who brought the tune fully fleshed out to the Déjà Vu sessions, although it didn’t make the album’s final cut after it was recorded. According to the video, Stills had intended to record it with his next project, the short-lived group Manassas, although the song eventually evolved into a tune called “Little Miss Bright Eyes” that finally was released on Stephen’s 2013 retrospective Carry On.
Stills says the lyrics for “Ivory Tower” initially were inspired by several women he knew from the Laurel Canyon scene, and noted that the song was about “those who think they are more than they are, and they hold forth.”
Stephen adds, “This song fits perfectly for today because it’s just so mean. Social networking caught up with it.”
The video features a montage of archival photos of Stills, David Crosby, Graham Nash and Neil Young, as well as drummer Dallas Taylor and bassist Greg Reeves, enhanced by animated vines and flowers.
As previously reported, Déjà Vu: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition which is due out May 14, will be issued as a four-CD/one-vinyl LP set, a deluxe five-LP package and digitally. Along with the album’s original 10 songs, the reissue features 38 extra tracks, including demos, outtakes and alternate versions.
The five-LP set can be pre-ordered exclusively at CSNY50.com and Rhino.com.
By Matt Friedlander
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