Hazlewood, Lee – The LHI Years: Singles, Nudes, Backs (1968 - 1971) [2xLP] – New LP
With his handlebar moustache and booming baritone, Lee Hazlewood was one of the defining stars of the late ‘60s. Though he’s perhaps best known for his work with Nancy Sinatra (including writing mega-hit “These Boots Are Made For Walking”), Hazlewood did stunning work away from that particular glamour queen and found latter day champions in Beck, Sonic Youth, and Jarvis Cocker. Now, for Record Store Day 2012, we are kicking off our excavation of the Lee Hazlewood archives with this anthology, Singles, Nudes & Backsides, collecting the best of Lee’s solo songs and duets from his LHI (Lee Hazlewood Industries) imprint.
As a true legend of the great American songbook and a rebellious pioneer who left behind a lengthy trail of echo laden pop masterpieces, Lee’s influence continues to reverberate today. Between 1968-71, Hazlewood not only released his finest solo work, but produced numerous artists on LHI. From acid-folk and country-rock to pop-psych and soul, LHI issued dozens of long forgotten 45s and LPs. This series will include material from LHI (re-mastered for the first time from the original analog tapes), along with Lee’s output for other labels, rarities, and unreleased gems.
See the sleeve: surrounded by nude girls, each wearing a fake moustache, Hazlewood wears a suit, ever-so-slightly awkwardly playing the role of the ‘60s playboy. Just like the picture, the songs present a man conflicted; he’s the tender-hearted romantic, the broken-hearted loser and the rugged cowboy, all in one. It’s there in the western swing of “Califia (Stone Rider)”, the loneliness of ”The Bed” and the bleak beauty of ”If It’s Monday Morning.” Hazlewood’s tremulous voice was made for duets (indeed, he wrote ”Some Velvet Morning”, one of the greatest of all time); here, Suzi Jane Hokom, Ann-Margret and Nina Lizell play counterpart to his manly tones.
In the wonderful liner notes, written by British journalist Wyndham Wallace, the writer describes his friend Hazlewood as “a curmudgeonly, unpredictable sort at the best of times, as impatient with his own talent as he is with other people.” The Hazlewood Wallace knew was puzzled by the growing interest in him in the last two decades of his life, which was ended by cancer at age 78. That late flurry of interest saw him perform at the Royal Festival Hall in 1999, his first ever solo performance in the UK.
A natural wanderer, Lee lived a big life, fighting in the Korean War, working as a radio DJ in Phoenix, Arizona, setting up Viv Records in the ‘50s, working as a big-shot LA producer in the ‘60s, signing Phil Spector to his Trey Records label and prematurely announcing retirement in the wake of the mid-‘60s British invasion. He didn’t: Nancy Sinatra came along, the hits started flowing and he continued producing characterful solo albums into the ‘70s, which saw his move to Sweden. By 2007, Hazlewood was living in Vegas, and begrudgingly enjoying that flurry of latter-day interest in his work. This landmark compilation promises to create many more converts.
A1 Califia (Stone Rider) Arranged By – Jack Nitzsche Engineer – Eddie Brackett Featuring [Feat.] – Suzi Jane Hokom Musician, Drums – Paul Nelson Humphrey* Musician, Guitar – Clarence White (2), Russ Titelman Musician, Guitar, Bass – Ry Cooder Musician, Keyboards – Jack Nitzsche Musician, Percussion – Alan Estes Musician, Performer [Unknown] – John Nelson Jr. Musician, Piano – Don Randi Musician, Strings – Carl LaMagna, Harold Gregory Bemko*, Jerome Kessler, Jerome Joseph Reisler*, Lou Klass, Murray Adler, Nathan Gershman, Ralph Schaeffer, Ray Kelly*, Robert Barene, Stanley Plummer, Wilbert Nuttycombe Producer – Lee Hazlewood Written-By – Lee Hazlewood
A2 The Bed Arranged By – Big Jim Sullivan Engineer – Damon Lyon Shaw* Musician, Guitar – Big Jim Sullivan, Vic Flick Musician, Keyboards – Nicky Hopkins Producer – Shel Talmy Written-By – Beard*, Rabbitt*
A3 Sleep In The Grass Arranged By – Jimmie Haskell Engineer – Eddie Brackett Featuring [Feat.] – Ann-Margret* Musician, Bass – Lyle Ritz, Ray Pohlman Musician, Brass, Woodwind – David A Duke*, Harold Diner, James Getzoff, Jim Horn, Johnny Rotella*, Lew McCreary, Oliver MItchell*, Anthony Terran*, Vincent DeRosa, Vito Mangano Musician, Drums – Jim Gordon Musician, Guitar – Alton Hendrickson*, David Cohen, Donnie Owens Musician, Performer [Unknown] – David Burk Musician, Piano – Don Randi, Victor Feldman Musician, Strings – Assa Drori, Carl LaMagna, Christine Maleveska, David Filerman, Harold Bemko, Henry Ferber, Igor Heroshevksy, Jerome Kessler, Leonard Malarsky, Mischa Russell, Ralph Schaeffer, Ray Kelley, Shari Zippert, Tibor Zelig, William Kurasch Producer – Lee Hazlewood Written-By – Lee Hazlewood
A4 Leather And Lace Arranged By – Lars Samuelson Featuring [Feat.] – Nina Lizell Musician – Unknown* Producer – Lee Hazlewood Written-By – Lee Hazlewood
B1 If It's Monday Morning Engineer – Jim Walters (5) Musician, Bass, Guitar – Jerry Cole Musician, Guitar – Joe Cannon (2) Musician, Rhythm Guitar – Donnie Owens Producer – Lee Hazlewood Written-By – Lee Hazlewood
B2 The Night Before Arranged By – Johnny Arthy* Engineer – Damon Lyon Shaw* Musician, Guitar – Big Jim Sullivan, Vic Flick Musician, Keyboards – Nicky Hopkins Producer – Shel Talmy Written-By – Moseley*
B3 Bye Babe Arranged By – Johnny Arthy* Engineer – Damon Lyon Shaw* Musician, Guitar – Big Jim Sullivan, Vic Flick Musician, Keyboards – Nicky Hopkins Producer – Shel Talmy Written-By – J. Mark*, Shel Talmy
B4 Victims Of The Night Arranged By – Charlie McCoy, Lee Hazlewood Engineer – Eddie Brackett Featuring [Feat.] – Ann-Margret* Producer – Donnie Owens, Joe Nixon, Lee Hazlewood Written-By – C. Williams*, J. Nixon*
C1 Chico Engineer – Eddie Brackett Featuring [Feat.] – Ann-Margret* Musician, Bass – Lyle Ritz, Ray Pohlman Musician, Brass, Woodwind – David A Duke*, Harold Diner, James Getzoff, Jim Horn, Johnny Rotella*, Lew McCreary, Oliver MItchell*, Anthony Terran*, Vincent DeRosa, Vito Mangano Musician, Drums – Jim Gordon Musician, Guitar – Alton Hendrickson*, David Cohen, Donnie Owens Musician, Performer [Unknown] – David Burk Musician, Piano – Don Randi, Victor Feldman Musician, Strings – Assa Drori, Carl LaMagna, Christine Maleveska, David Filerman, Harold Bemko, Henry Ferber, Igor Heroshevksy, Jerome Kessler, Leonard Malarsky, Mischa Russell, Ralph Schaeffer, Ray Kelley, Shari Zippert, Tibor Zelig, William Kurasch Producer – Lee Hazlewood Written-By – Lee Hazlewood
C2 Hey Cowboy Arranged By – Lars Samuelson Featuring [Feat.] – Nina Lizell Musician – Unknown* Producer – Lee Hazlewood Written-By – Lee Hazlewood
C3 No Train To Stockholm Engineer – Eddie Brackett Musician, Flute – Curtis Amy Musician, Percussion – Gary Coleman Producer – Larry Marks (3), Lee Hazlewood Written-By – Lee Hazlewood
C4 Won't You Tell Your Dreams Engineer – Jim Walters (5) Musician, Bass, Guitar – Jerry Cole Musician, Guitar – Joe Cannon (2) Musician, Rhythm Guitar – Donnie Owens Producer – Lee Hazlewood Written-By – Lee Hazlewood
D1 Nobody Like You Engineer – Eddie Brackett Featuring [Feat.] – Suzi Jane Hokom Musician, Bass, Guitar – Thomas Holbrook Musician, Drums – Sam Goldstein Musician, Guitar, Bass – Donnie Owens Musician, Pedal Steel Guitar [Pedal Steel] – James O'Rafferty* Producer – Lee Hazlewood Written-By – Lee Hazlewood
D2 Trouble Maker Arranged By – Billy Strange Engineer – Eddie Brackett Musician, Brass – Arthur Maebe*, Henry Sigismonti, Roy Caton, William Hinshaw Musician, Double Bass [Upright Bass] – Chuck Berghofer Musician, Drums – Jack Sperling Musician, Drums, Percussion – Gary Coleman Musician, Guitar – Donald Owens*, Gereld McGee* Musician, Performer [Unknown] – Hilda Chazin, Virginia Bartold Musician, Piano, Organ – Don Randi Musician, Strings – Armand Kaproff, Arnold Belnick, Edgar Lustgarten (2), George Kast, Henry Ferber, Jesse Erlich*, Leonard Malarsky, Raymond Kelley*, Wilbert Nuttycombe Producer – Lee Hazlewood Written-By – B. Belland*, D.T. Summerville*
D3 What's More I Don't Need Her Arranged By – David Whitaker Engineer – Damon Lyon Shaw* Musician, Guitar – Big Jim Sullivan, Vic Flick Musician, Keyboards – Nicky Hopkins Producer – Shel Talmy Written-By – Fletcher/Flett*
D4 Come On Home To Me Engineer – Jim Walters (5) Musician, Bass, Guitar – Jerry Cole Musician, Guitar – Joe Cannon (2) Musician, Rhythm Guitar – Donnie Owens Producer – Lee Hazlewood Written-By – Lee Hazlewood
D5 I Just Learned To Run Engineer – Eddie Brackett Musician, Bass – Thomas Holbrook Musician, Drums – Sam Goldstein Musician, Guitar – Donnie Owens Musician, Pedal Steel Guitar [Pedal Steel] – James O'Rafferty* Producer – Lee Hazlewood Written-By – Lee Hazlewood