Remembering Lee Hazlewood on his birthday

Raising a glass to songwriter/producer and singer Lee Hazlewood on his birthday with a few clips featuring Nancy Sinatra. 

Toronto's Surfrajettes serve up tasty Easy As Pie LP

The Surfrajettes' Easy As Pie – produced by Colin Cripps – features twangy instrumental updates of tunes by the Spice Girls, Nancy Sinatra and The Sadies.    

Welcome to THE SURFRAJETTES DINER, where your favourite surf-slinging waitresses are serving up this fresh outta-the-oven album! A buffet of delectable delights, this menu certainly has something for everyone. Hope you saved room for dessert! So grab a fork, turn up the stereo, and enjoy a delicious slice of "Easy as Pie" Get a copy via Bandcamp right here. Check out a few clips including their versions of The Spice Girls' "Spice Up Your Life" and The Sadies' "Clam Chowder" below. 

The Surfrajettes – Easy As Pie

1. Easy as Pie 2:30

2. Toasted Western 2:59

3. Clam Chowder 2:32

4. Spice Up Your Life 2:48

5. Double Reverb 3:09

6. Chiffon Daydream 3:33

7. Instant Coffee 3:11

8. Word Salad 2:56

9. Hot Doggin' 2:18

10. Priss and Vinegar 2:34

11. Lickety Split 2:41

12. Sugar Town 2:33

Happy Birthday Mick Harvey!

Celebrating the Mick Harvey's birthday with "When We Were Beautiful & Young" off his latest album Five Ways To Say Goodbye and more.  

Mick Harvey – Five Ways To Say Goodbye

Melbourne music legend Mick Harvey unveils his latest solo album, Five Ways to Say Goodbye, via Mute. 

Five Ways to Say Goodbye marks Harvey’s fifth solo album, featuring an introspective blend of originals and covers brimming with wistful acoustic rock gems. The record includes Harvey’s translated reworking of Marlene Dietrich’s 1950s ode to Berlin, “A Suitcase in Berlin” (“Ich Hab’ Noch Einen Koffer in Berlin”), which was released as a standalone single in 2023, hinting at the forthcoming album. 

In true Mick Harvey fashion, the album pays homage to fellow Australian musicians with covers of songs by Ed Kuepper -”Demolition”; Fatal Shore - “We Had an Island”; David McComb - “Setting You Free”; Lo Carmen - “Nashville High”; and The Saints - “Ghost Ships.” These tracks sit alongside a cover of Lee Hazelwood’s “Dirtnap Stories” (listen below) and Harvey’s rendition of Neil Young’s “Like a Hurricane.” 

Following on from the collaborative album Phantasmagoria in Blue with Amanda Acevedo, who also lends her voice to “Dirtnap Stories” on this record, Five Ways to Say Goodbye adds to Mick Harvey’s extensive repertoire, affirming his significant contributions to music.

Get a copy of Mick Harvey's Five Ways To Say Goodbye via Bandcamp right here. Mick's intriguing collaboration with Amanda Acevedo, Phantasmagoria In Blue, is available here. 

Watch the mini-doc Nancy Sintatra: The Story Of Summer Wine

Unfortunately, The Story Of Summer Wine is just a 3 1⁄2 minute commercial for The Nancy In London reissue – the Ed Sullivan performance is more informative. 

Expanded deluxe edition of Nancy Sinatra's Nancy In London LP due Sept 6

Light In The Attic's new red vinyl version of Nancy Sinatra's Nancy In London comes with four bonus tracks and "Summer Wine"   Photo: Ron Joy 

Here's the scoop...

“Strawberries, cherries, and an angel’s kiss in spring…” were the immortal words sung by a twenty-five-year-old Nancy Sinatra on a frigid spring day in a London recording studio during the sessions for her third LP in four months! The 1966 album was cut in three days at Pye Studios where The Kinks, Petula Clark, and David Bowie recorded their songs in the mid-1960s. By going directly to the source and choosing songs like “On Broadway,” “Wishin’ and Hopin’,” and “This Little Bird,” the album has an unequivocally British feel. The LP includes the timeless Nancy & Lee Hazlewood duet “Summer Wine.”

The new Light In The Attic version of Nancy In London is the definitive vinyl reissue, freshly remastered from the original analog tapes by Grammy-nominated engineer John Baldwin. The new expanded gatefold edition comes with four bonus tracks: The complete 1969 Mickie Most sessions with the previously unreleased “Colors Are Changing” Vinyl pressed at RTI on black, "Summer Wine" red, & "Little Bird Blue w/ Peach" splatter wax. 

Also includes a 20-page booklet featuring a Q&A with Nancy & Grammy-nominated co-producer Hunter Lea along with never-before-seen photos from Nancy Sinatra’s personal archive. Pre-order a copy from Light In The Attic right here. Check the tracklisting followed by Nancy and Lee's performance of "Summer Wine" on the Ed Sullivan Show on April 16, 1967 and the original version of Nancy In London. 

Nancy In London – Nancy Sinatra

On Broadway

The End

Step Aside

I Can't Grow Peaches On A Cherry Tree

Summer Wine

Wishin' And Hopin'

This Little Bird

Shades

The More I See You

Hutchinson Jail

Friday's Child

The Highway Song

Are You Growing Tired Of My Love

Zodiac Blues

Colors Are Changing (previously unreleased)

Happy Birthday Nancy Sinatra!

Celebrating Nancy Sinatra's birthday with a performance of "Summer Wine" and the theme from "You Only Live Twice" 

Nancy Sinatra's "Something Pretty" issued with a classic Bond theme flip!

Check out Nancy's rare recording of "Something Pretty" along with her classic 1967 James Bond theme "You Only Live Twice."  

Light In The Attic have pressed up 500 white vinyl copies of the single which you can get from their site right here.  

Happy Birthday Lee Hazlewood!

Remembering the amazing Lee Hazlewood with a few TV appearances including "Summer Wine" with Nancy Sinatra from 1967.

Happy Birthday Al Casey!

Remembering 'Guitar Man' Al Casey with a couple of swingin' gems cut with his buddy Lee Hazlewood. 

Rare Lee Hazlewood demos uncovered for The Sweet Ride comp

Light In The Attic has come up with another batch of rare Lee Hazlewood material from his creative peak years worth checking. 

Here's the scoop from Light In The Attic...

Light in the Attic Records is proud to continue its Lee Hazlewood archival series with The Sweet Ride: Lost Recordings 1965-68, a new compilation of demos, outtakes and home recordings from Lee’s most prolific and successful era. The tracks have been cherry picked from Lee’s personal tape stash by GRAMMY®-nominated producer Hunter Lea. The audio is remastered by Grammy-nominated engineer John Baldwin and features ten previously unreleased recordings. 

The collection is bookended by two different studio demos of “The Sweet Ride,” the title song Lee wrote for the 1968 surfer drama film in which Lee also co-starred as “The Man.” The film version was beautifully sung by Dusty Springfield and released on the soundtrack LP The Sweet Ride (20th Century Fox S4198, 1968). Both the fast and the slow demos were recorded on July 12, 1967 and feature the Los Angeles session musicians, The Wrecking Crew, which include the unmistakable piano of Don Randi. Don mentioned how Lee became friends with co-star Tony Franciosa while working on The Sweet Ride film. Lee thought so highly of Tony that he and Don demoed some songs in hopes to record an album, but Tony just couldn’t sing! 

Tracks 2-5 are from a previously unheard demo tape, recorded August 12, 1965, the day before Lee’s very first session producing Nancy Sinatra! The songs were recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders and engineered by Bruce Botnick (The Beach Boys, Jerry Goldsmith, The Doors, Love). These four recordings are the missing link between Lee’s albums, Friday’s Child (Reprise 6163, 1965) and The Very Special World Of Lee Hazlewood (MGM E-4362, 1966 & LITA 131, 2014). “I Move Around,” and “When A Fool Loves A Fool” were re-recorded in 1966 for The Very Special World Of Lee Hazlewood, “The Old Man & His Guitar” was re-recorded for Lee Hazlewoodism: It’s Cause And Cure (MGM E-4403, 1967 & LITA 132, 2014) and “Big Town” never made it on album, it’s heard here for the first time! 

“Winter Moon” and “Little Bird” are a pair of mid-1960s acoustic demos. The raw, intimate tracks capture Lee sketching out new songs on his guitar. These embryonic recordings are the only known versions of the two compositions. 

“Spring Thing” was recorded in November of 1968 as a demo for The Spring Thing NBC television special theme song. The program featured Bobbie Gentry, Noel Harrison, Harper’s Bizarre, Goldie Hawn, Rod McKuen, Shirley Bassey and others. It aired in April of 1969 with Lee Hazlewood serving as the musical director. There is a very rare promo LP The Spring Thing (Celanese Arnel, CEL-31769-A, 1969) that features a different cast recording of Lee’s composition and other songs from the special. 

“I’ve Been Down So Long (It Looks Like Up To Me)” and “Nothin’s Gonna Blow My Mind” were found on a tape of studio demos from early 1968, featuring a 12-string acoustic guitar and Lee. “I’ve Been Down So Long (It Looks Like Up To Me)” was recorded by Nancy Sinatra and Lee on their Nancy & Lee (Reprise RS-6273, 1968 & LITA 198, 2022) album, while “Nothin’s Gonna Blow My Mind” was never re-recorded and has remained unissued until now. 

Get a copy of the Lee Hazlewood collection The Sweet Ride in your format of choice right here. Check out the finger-snappin' 1965 studio demo of "Big Town" and a 1968 acoustic demo of "Nothin's Gonna Blow My Mind" below.

Watch Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood sing "Summer Wine" in 1967

Here's a fine Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood performance of "Summer Wine" on the Ed Sullivan Show from April 16, 1967.

Happy Birthday Dean Martin!

Remembering Dean Martin on his birthday with a performance of "Things" with Nancy Sinatra and "Shades" by Lee Hazlewood. 

Nancy Sinatra previews reissue of Nancy & Lee with bonus track "Love Is Strange"

The expanded reissue of Nancy & Lee comes with two bonus tracks, including a hipshakin' rip through "Love Is Strange."

Here's the scoop from Nancy...

"I am thrilled to announce the first ever reissue of Nancy & Lee, my first duet album with Lee Hazlewood, on May 20, 2022. The album is newly remastered by John Baldwin and features two bonus tracks, including "Love Is Strange," which is streaming now on your platform of choice. The 20-page booklet contains photos from my personal collection, as well as an all-new interview with co-producer, Hunter Lea. Darryl Norsen worked his usual magic on the album cover. It’s never looked better!

"I love this record and I know you do too! Immodesty aside, Nancy & Lee is one of the best albums to come out of the '60s, and it pleases me greatly to finally see it back in print, courtesy of our friends at Light In The Attic Records. Thank you LITA and thank you all for still caring! Special thanks to our friends at Record Technology Inc! Thank you for hosting us during our visit a few weeks back. It was so fascinating to see the record making process.

"Pre-order Nancy & Lee on CD, vinyl, cassette tape and 8-track as well as limited edition merchandise & signed items in my Bootique now at the link right here: https://bootique.nancysinatra.com"

Watch Nancy Sinatra sing "100 Years" on the Ed Sullivan Show

Check out Nancy Sinatra's performance of the defiant Lee Hazlewood song "100 Years" on March 24, 1968. 

Bob Stanley revisits late 60s country on Choctaw Ridge comp

Here's the scoop...

Choctaw Ridge – New Fables of The American South explores a new country sound, one that emerged at the end of the 60s in the wake of Bobbie Gentry's 'Ode To Billie Joe', a shock number one hit in 1967. When singers like Gentry, Jimmy Webb, Michael Nesmith and Lee Hazlewood moved from the south to Los Angeles to make it in the music business, they were not part of the Nashville in-crowd and they forged a new direction. 

'Ode To Billie Joe' was the tip of the iceberg, and it's success helped a bunch of singers and storytellers to emerge over the next three or four years. Some of the tracks on this collection bear that song's stamp more clearly than others: Sammi Smith's moody 'Saunders' Ferry Lane' had a similar mystery lyric, and Henson Cargill's 'Four Shades Of Love' is a portmanteau, with one (or possibly two) of the theoretically romantic situations ending in death. 

Suddenly, character sketches of southerners became a lot more rounded - women didn't have to stay home, or take abuse at the office, and darkness wasn't only found at the bottom of a bottle. Storytelling is the link between all of the songs on this collection. We have cautionary tales about what could happen to someone who heads for the bright lights and doesn't make it, ending up in the grasping hands of 'Mr Walker' (Billie Joe Spears), or on the 'Back Side Of Dallas' (Jeannie C Reilly), or on a mortuary slab in the case of the songwriter with the 'Fabulous Body And Smile' (Robert Charles Griggs). And there are stories about wanting to go home - Nat Stuckey's 'What Am I Doing In LA?' and Charlie Rich's 'Feel Like Going Home' - and others from Ed Bruce and Lee Hazlewood, who know that their home isn't home anymore. 

The tracklist and fulsome sleeve notes have been put together by Bob Stanley (Saint Etienne) and Martin Green (Smashing, The Sound Gallery), who have been collecting these records for decades. The voices are resonant and relatable, and the productions take in the best of what pop had to offer in the late 60s and early 70s. Before the factionalism between smooth pop-conscious Nashville and the hedonistic 'outlaws' made it look inward again, this was a golden era for an atmospheric, inclusive and progressive country music. It began on the third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day.

Choctaw Ridge – New Fables of The American South, 1968-1973 is out July 30. Pre-order a copy directly from ACE Records right here. Watch Jeannie C. Riley perform "Back Side of Dallas" and listen to Sammi Smith's delightfully dark "Saunders' Ferry Lane" and Jim Ford's epic "Harlan County" – which is among the best of the bunch – following the track listing below.

Choctaw Ridge – New Fables of The American South, 1968-1973

01  The House Song - Lee Hazlewood

02  If Only She Had Stayed - Chris Gantry

03  Endless Miles Of Highway - Jerry Reed

04  The Back Side Of Dallas - Jeannie C Riley

05  Way Before The Time Of Towns - Hoyt Axton

06  Strawberry Farms - Tom T Hall

07  Down From Dover - Dolly Parton

08  July 12, 1939 - Charlie Rich

09  What Am I Doing In LA? - Nat Stuckey

10  Mr Stanton Don't Believe It - Rob Galbraith

11  Saunders' Ferry Lane - Sammi Smith

12  Four Shades Of Love - Henson Cargill

13  Drivin' Nails In The Wall - Waylon Jennings & The Kimberlys

14  Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town - Kenny Rogers & The First Edition

15  Why Can't I Come Home - Ed Bruce

16  Mr Walker, It's All Over - Billie Jo Spears

17  Harlan County - Jim Ford

18  Widow Wimberly - Tony Joe White

19  Belinda (Alt take) - Bobbie Gentry

20  Joanne - Michael Nesmith & The First National Band

21  Mr Jackson's Got Nothing To Do - John Hartford

22  Alone - Lee Hazlewood & Suzi Jane Hokom

23  Fabulous Body And Smile - Sir Robert Charles Griggs

24  I Feel Like Going Home - Charlie Rich

Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood's Kinks cover 7" due Black Friday

Nancy Sinatra launches her new label deal with Light In The Attic with RSD single and Start Walkin' comp out in February.

Nancy Sinatra – Start Walkin’ 1965-1976

Side A

1. Bang Bang

2. These Boots Are Made for Walkin’

3. Sugar Town

4. So Long Babe

5. How Does That Grab You, Darlin’?

6. Friday’s Child

7. You Only Live Twice

Side B

1. Summer Wine

2. Some Velvet Morning

3. Lightning’s Girl

4. Sand

5. Lady Bird

Side C

1. Jackson

2. Happy

3. How Are Things in California

4. Hook and Ladder

5. Hello L.A., Bye Bye Birmingham

6. Paris Summer

Side D

1. Arkansas Coal

2. Down From Dover

3. Kind Of A Woman

4. Machine Gun Kelly

5. (L’été Indien) Indian Summer

For more info, check out Light In The Attic's press release right here. 

One For The Weekend: Lee Hazlewood

Here's Lee performing "The House Song" backed by James Burton, Don Randi and Hal Blaine in 1968

Happy Birthday Nancy Sinatra!

Celebrating Nancy Sinatra's 80th birthday with the entertaining 1967 TV special Movin' With Nancy feat. cameos by Lee Hazlewood & Sammy Davis Jr.

Happy Birthday Lee Hazlewood

Here's a clip of Lee discussing a film he made of his Riviera Hotel stint with Nancy Sinatra and a BBC appearance. 

Happy Birthday Nancy Sinatra!

Celebrating Nancy Sinatra's birthday with her performance of "Summer Wine" with Lee Hazlewood.