Daniel Ray Whitten
生於美國 Columbus, Georgia 喬治亞州. 自幼父母離異, 與妹妹跟母親共生活至九歲時母親再婚, 跟後父移居 Ohio 俄亥俄州, 成長於清貧的家庭. 1964年Whitten 與朋友 Billy Talbot, Ralph Molina 組成樂隊 "Danny And The Memories" 同年首張細碟面世。
1969年, 正值 Neil Young 已離開樂隊 "Buffalo Springfield", 並有意與 "The Rockets" 的原創三人合作, 經幾次 JAM 歌後, 即組成新樂隊 "Crazy Horse", 但可惜 Whitten 漸染上毒癮, 令各成員開始憂慮, Neil Young 在他的作品, 其中一曲 "Needle And The Damge Done" 正是暗喻 Danny Whitten 的音樂天份將被毒品所摧毀。
NEEDLE AND THE DAMAGE DONE - Neil Young
I caught you knockin'
At my cellar door
I love you, baby
Can I have some more
Ooh, ooh, the damage done
I hit the city and
I lost my band
I watched the needle
Take another man
Gone, gone, the damage done
I sing the song
Because I love the man
I know that some
Of you don't understand
Milk-blood
To keep from running out
I've seen the needle
And the damage done
A little part of it in everyone
But every junkie's
Like a settin' sun
1971年 "Crazy Horse" 第二張專輯其中的一曲 "I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT"
正是 Daniel Ray Whitten 的佳作
正是 Daniel Ray Whitten 的佳作
I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT - Crazy Horse
Lyric & Music: DANIEL RAY WHITTEN
I can tell by your eyes that you've prob'bly been cryin' forever,
and the stars in the sky don't mean nothin' to you, they're a mirror.
I don't want to talk about it, how you broke my heart.
If I stay here just a little bit longer,
If I stay here, won't you listen to my heart, whoa, heart?
If I stand all alone, will the shadow hide the color of my heart;
blue for the tears, black for the night's fears.
The star in the sky don't mean nothin' to you, they're a mirror.
I don't want to talk about it, how you broke my heart.
If I stay here just a little bit longer,
if I stay here, won't you listen to my heart, whoa, heart?
I don't want to talk about it, how you broke this ol' heart.
If I stay here just a little bit longer,
if I stay here, won't you listen to my heart, whoa, heart?
My heart, whoa, heart.
1972年, Neil Young 與樂隊 "Crazy Horse" 在 San Francisco 的一次演練, Whitten 因毒癮發作而不能全力進行, 令至 Neil Young 大怒之下, 隨即由口袋擲下50元給 Whitten, 著他買機票返回 Los Angels, 當天晚上 Whitten 被發現死於寓所內, 因過量注射 Valium 與過量飲下 Volka, 此藥物 Valium 本來應用於 "關節炎" 鎮痛注射, 但 Whitten 要應付其毒癮發作, 經常以此藥取代 "海洛英" 之用, 最後他把 Neil Young 的50元買了 Volka 與此葯物令至賠上性命, 終年29歲!
Neil Young 心悔回想: 那次演練, 他的表現真令我失控, 他當時曾高呼: "I've got nowhere else to go, man. How am I gonna tell my friends ? "
當知悉他的死訉時: That blew my mind. Fucking blew my mind. I loved Danny. I felt responsible. And from there, I had to go right out on this huge tour of huge arenas. I was very nervous and ... insecure.
之後幾年, 我對他的死仍不停自責: Danny just wasn't happy. It just all came down on him. He was engulfed by this drug. That was too bad. Because Danny had a lot to give, boy. He was really good.
DANIEL RAY WHITTEN 1943 - 1972