The Peggy Lee Bio-Discography And Videography:
The Later Years
by Iván Santiago Mercado

After recording exclusively on 2 record labels for nearly 30 consecutive years (1944-1972), the ensuing decades of Peggy Lee's recording career find her signing shorter record deals with 8 companies. For a more detailed overview of this period, including a tabulation of masters, see notes at the end of this page.

Two years after parting ways with Capitol, Peggy Lee signed a deal with Atlantic Records.
Promotional material sent to the press stated that "Atlantic Executive Producer Nesuhi Ertegun ... signed Miss Lee to the label after years of being a fan of hers."

The singer's main bargaining point was probably her possession of a song that Paul McCartney had just written for her, and which he had tentatively offered to produce. Using the McCartney song as a stepping stone, Lee and her associates must have proceeded to talk Atlantic into endorsing the making of a full album and a couple of singles.

When it became clear that Lee would be recording contemporaneous tunes in a soulful style, Atlantic must have felt that the prospective album had commercial potential. Thanks to acts such as Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, the soul genre had proved very successful for the label. Also under contract with the label at this time were Hall & Oates, whose 1973 album Abandoned Luncheonette evinced the brand of blue-eyed soul (aka pop soul) for which they would become better-known in later years. Lee's work for Atlantic can thus be deemed part of the label's experiments in pop soul.

It is not clear why Lee recorded no further material for Atlantic after 1974. Since the McCartney single had only moderate success, and since Lee's album made no dent in the charts, Atlantic might have seen no reason to extend the contract. Of course, many other reasons are possible as well. During an interview with Eliot Tiegel in 1990, Lee seemed to attribute the closure of the relationship to the same kind of corporate shake-up that she had previously seen happen at Capitol: "The last album I did for Capitol, Norma Delores Egstrom From Jamestown, North Dakota, got lost in a new management shuffle and wasn’t distributed properly. Then I went to Atlantic to do Let’s Love and Paul McCartney wrote the title tune, and you can’t get much better than that. Just about the time it was going to be shipped I called Atlantic and the lady answered the phone and said, ‘Warner/Elektra/Atlantic,’ and I thought, ‘Oh-oh, the wrong number or I’m in trouble again.’" (Atlantic had been undergoing corporate changes since the late 1960s. In 1967, it had been bought by Warner, which was in turn sold to the Kinney National Company in 1969. Kinney then bought Elektra in 1970 and at some point afterwards the new family of labels was re-named WEA, or Warner-Elektra-Atlantic. When it was first issued in 1974, Lee's album bore just the Atlantic logo. Ads in the press identify it as a release from "Atlantic Recording Co., A Warner Communications Company.")

Peggy Lee (ldr), Dave Grusin (pdr, p), Peggy Lee (pdr, v), Phil Schier (eng), Other Individuals Unknown (acc)

The Recording Session

The apparent purpose of this session was the production of a single. However, no single was ever issued. Atlantic was probably more interested in releasing the number that Paul McCartney would be producing for the singer (see session dated first week of June 1974).

Lee's versions of "I Wanna Be Seduced" and "I Am His Lady" were not released until the CD era. The songs, both new at the time that Lee recorded them, became known instead through versions by other singers. (In 1975, "I Am His Lady" became a minor, #82 Billboard chart hit for r&b singer Melba Moore, who recorded the song for Buddha Records. The song made another appearance in 1976, as a track from Ernestine Anderson's first Concord Jazz album. "I Wanna Be Seduced" was recorded by Leon Redbone for the soundtrack of Richard Dreyfuss' 1978 movie The Big Fix, then sung live by Dreyfuss himself in a televised Saturday Night Live appearance. Redbone re-recorded it for his 1981 album From Branch To Branch. In more recent times, singer Mary Coughlan has also recorded and performed it.)


Songs

1. "I Am His Lady"
2. "Runnin' Like A River"
Atlantic's record files incorrectly list "I Am His Lady" under the title "Runnin' Like A River," which is actually the first line of the song's lyric.


Songwriters

1. Who Composed "I Wanna Be Seduced"?
Various sources mistakenly credit Peggy Lee as the songwriter of "I Wanna Be Seduced." Gary Tigerman, the actual songwriter, was a staff writer for Warner at the time of this session. The error has made its way into the otherwise excellent CD Rhino Handmade #7853.


Masters, Dating And Cross-references

1. "Let's Love"
This master of "Let's Love" (the earliest of three) is not listed in Michel Ruppli's catalogue of Atlantic masters, which is one of my main sources for Lee's Atlantic sessions. Information about the master comes only from Paul Grein's liner notes for Rhino Handmade CD #7853: "Lee and Grusin also produced a version of Let's Love that is slower and more languid than the one that [Paul] McCartney oversaw. They recorded it in April, before they were sure that McCartney would be able to find time to produce the song."

Notice that Grein's quote gives the month, but does not give the exact day on which the song was recorded. Until more specific information comes along, and thus as a temporary measure, I have incorporated this Lee-Grusin version of "Let's Love" in this April 23 session. For the other two versions of "Let's Love," see session dated first week of June 1, 1974.


Arrangements

Preserved in Peggy Lee's sheet music library are the arrangements for the three above-entered numbers. In all of them, Dave Grusin is identified as the arranger.

Peggy Lee (ldr), Dave Grusin (pdr, con, p, fen, snt, per), Peggy Lee (pdr, v), Phil Schier (eng), Erno Neufeld (ccm), Pete Christlieb (f, ts), Jerome Richardson (ss, as, bar), Charles "Chuck" Findley (t), Frank Rosolino (tb), Vincent DeRosa (frh), Gene Cipriano (o), Dennis Budimir, Dan Ferguson, Lee Ritenour, David T. Walker (g), Chuck Rainey (b), Unknown (str), George Gaffney (p), Dick Borden (d), Harvey Mason (d, per), Bobbye Hall (cng), Jim Gilstrap, Joe Green, Marti McCall, Jackie Ward, Edna Wright (bkv)

The Let's Love Album Sessions (Cross-references)

Dates: Late April and early June 1974.


Dating

The sources at my reach give different dates to the nine songs listed in this session:

July 17, 1974
This is the one date assigned to all twelve album masters in Atlantic's masters file. My source for the date is not the file itself but Michel Ruppli's book Atlantic Records: A Discography (Greenwood Press, 1979). Lee's recording of so many songs on the same day is highly unlikely. Instead, the 17th may have been the day on which all performances were assigned a master, and/or were sequenced for the album. Another possibility, albeit an unlikelier one: July 17 could have been the first of various consecutive days during which the sessions took place.

April 1974
This is the date given in the booklet of Rhino Handmade CD #7853. Both the discographical notes and the essay in the booklet identify April 1974 as the recording period. I assume that the creators of Rhino Handmade CD #7853 retrieved this dating from an Atlantic file different from the one consulted by Ruppli.

In the absence of any further specifics or additional sources, I have chosen April over July. My choice is a tentative one.


Location And Masters

1. Remixes
This session's performances were recorded at the Record Plant Studio, then remixed at Westlake Studio.


Personnel

1. Erno Neufeld
Erno Neufeld arranged and conducted the of strings only.

2. Dick Borden
3. George Gaffney
The two above-listed musicians played only on "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" and "Always."

4. Background vocals
Background vocals are heard on "He Is The One," "You Make Me Feel Brand New," and "Sweet Lov'liness" only.

5. Vocal Overdub
On "Sweet Talk," and in the main, titular line of "Easy Evil," the female serving as background vocalist seems to be Peggy Lee herself, her voice overdubbed.


Arrangements

1. "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight"
"Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" was adapted by Peggy Lee and Dave Grusin from an arrangement by Artie Butler.

2. Dave Grusin
The back cover of the LP Let's Love identifies Dave Grusin as the arranger (or, in the case of "Don't Let Me Be Lonely," co-arranger) of all the performances in the album, except for "Let's Love." Furthermore, the album's scores are extant in Peggy Lee's sheet music library; all of them indeed credit Grusin as the arranger.


Collectors' Notes

1. Amemos [LP]
A Peggy Lee album by the title of Amemos is actually a Spanish pressing of the LP Let's Love. Although I myself have not come across physical copies of this Spanish pressing, I have seen photos of its cover online. Except for the title in Spanish, the cover is identical to the American original. The catalogue number that I have seen for it online (Gemma Gx 01 750) is probably erroneous; perhaps it points to an auction at the music website Gemm.

2. Atlantic #3215 [45]
A collectible photo of Peggy Lee graces the front cover of Atlantic single #3215. Although it is the same photo featured in the cover of the album Let's Love, this closer shot offers viewers a better look at the singer's face and at the microphone that she is holding.

3. Atlantic #10545 [45]
Generally, this sessionography omits foreign 45s which have an identical American original counterpart. (I have listed all such 'omissions' under the Miscellanea section of this discography.) In the case of French Atlantic single #10545, I have entered it in this sessionography for two reasons. The main one is that, although it does feature the same song ("Let's Love") as its American counterpart on one side, on the flip side it features a different number.

The second reason pertains to its sleeve: it is different from the American one, and thus collectible. The front features no photo; it is just a blue background, blank except for the singer's name in white and the words "let's love" in pink. The back includes, on the other hand, the same photo used on the front cover of the LP, though reprinted in very small size. (For a look at a reproduction of this French sleeve, front and back, see the booklet of Rhino Handmade CD #7853.)

4. Atlantic P 1347A [45]
Another fans' collectible is Japanese Atlantic single P 1347A: its back cover shows a photo of Peggy Lee and Paul McCartney at the piano. That photo is not found in the American and French counterparts of the single. Otherwise, aside from the photo on the back and the language on the sleeve, the Japanese single shows no major differences with the American original.

I have also seen online photos of German Atlantic single #105727. It shows no significant variations from the American counterpart.

Paul McCartney (pdr, p), Alan Parsons, Pat Stapley (eng), Other Individuals Unknown (acc), Unknown (str, wds), Peggy Lee (v)

The Let's Love Album Sessions (Cross-references)

Dates: Late April and early June 1974.


The Recording Session (And Its Dating)

The sources available to me offer two possible dates for this session's masters (and also for all masters on Atlantic LP #18108): early June 1974 (according to Rhino Handmade CD #7853) or July 17, 1974 (according to Michel Ruppli's Atlantic Records: A Discography). I have chosen the date offered by the Rhino Handmade CD, in which liner annotator Paul Grein states: [Paul] McCartney produced the backing track for "Let's Love" at Abbey Road studios in London on May 18. The first week of June, he recorded Lee's vocal at the Record Plant. Atlantic invited some press people to a photo and playback session.. The CD's discographical notes give the early June dating as well.

One of Grein's sources is clearly an article entitled "The Generation Bridge," published by Zoo World magazine on July 18, 1974. Len Epand, the article's writer, mentions that Lee & McCartney were producing the song one day the first week of June. Epand adds that, after a day's work, they held a mini press conference/photo session around Studio C’s grand piano. In high spirits, they casually sang a couple of songs together, elaborated on their surprising collaboration and then took the small mob into the control room to hear the finished track.

For further details about the date not chosen (July 17, 1974) see notes under session dated April 1974.


Songs

1. "Let's Love" In The Music Charts
The song "Let's Love" was Peggy Lee's 70th and last entry in Billboard's song charts. She had made her debut entry with "I Got It Bad" in 1941, when she was part of The Benny Goodman Orchestra. Her first entry as a solo artist was, according to Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories, 1890-1954, "Waitin' For The Train To Come In" in 1945.

"Let's Love" peaked at #22 in Billboard's Easy Listening chart during the week of November 2, 1974. (At number one was John Denver, with "Back Home Again.") "Let's Love" also charted in the Contemporary Adult chart of Canada's RPM Weekly, where it peaked at #41 in the December 21, 1974 issue.

2. "Let's Love (Reprise)"
This so-called reprise, actually an edit, consists of a couple of choruses plus the closing line from master #29425.

3. "Let's Love" (Cross-references)
For an earlier performance of the song "Let's Love," see session dated April 23, 1974, including notes.


Songwriters

1. Paul & Linda McCartney
All issues containing the song "Let's Love" list Paul McCartney as its sole author. However, ASCAP lists both Paul and his first wife, Linda McCartney.

The aforementioned article by Epand indicates that the song was originally brought to Lee by the couple as a dinner present while she was in London. In another article ("Peggy Lee: A Consummate Artist," published by Record World Magazine on December 27, 1975), Lee retells the story, but links the writing specifically to Paul: "When he got to the hotel he said that rather than bring champagne or roses, he was writing a song for me. And it was almost complete, maybe two bars left to write. Then they [i.e., Linda and Paul] came to California and they were at my house for dinner, so he played it for me."

Despite the fact that I have come across various errors previously in ASCAP's online database, I have chosen to trust it in this instance. Therefore, I have tentatively added Linda McCartney's name to the list of songwriters. (I'd rather err not on the side of omission, but on the side of addition. Corrections from anyone better informed on this matter would be appreciated.)

Peggy Lee (ldr), Dave Grusin (pdr, p), Peggy Lee (pdr, v, spk), Other Individuals Unknown (acc)

Songs

1. "The Nickel Ride"
This song comes from the 1974 Twentieth Century-Fox movie The Nickel Ride, which was scored by Dave Grusin. However, Lee's lyrics are not heard in the movie soundtrack. Perhaps she wrote them after the movie had been already produced, or perhaps she did write them for inclusion in the movie, but they were not used.


Dating

As is the case with previously entered Atlantic sessions, two possible recording dates are in contention for this session: June 7, 1974 (the date found in Michel Ruppli's Atlantic Records: A Discography) and April 1974 (the month on which, according to Rhino Handmade CD #7853, Lee recorded all her Atlantic numbers, except for the McCartney-produced song "Let's Love").

Until further information becomes available, I am choosing the more specific date (June 7, 1974) over the collective one (April 1974). My choice relies chiefly on a presumed correlation between dates and master sequence: since the master number for "The Nickel Ride" is higher than the numbers assigned to Lee's other Atlantic masters, there is a good chance than this performance was recorded much later than the others. In any case, this session's dating should be deemed tentative.


Arrangements

1. Dave Grusin
Dave Grusin's arrangement of "The Nickel Ride" is extant, under his name, in Peggy Lee's sheet music library.

Producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller were responsible for bringing Peggy Lee to A&M, a label with which they had established a partnership at the time of these 1975 sessions. After having worked twice with her in the 1960s (see Capitol sessions dated November 14, 1962 and January 24, 1969), the independent producers had again approached Lee in the early 1970s, while she was still under contract with Capitol Records. The team's desire was to produce an album titled Is That All There Is? for Capitol and Lee. The prospective album would have started off with that hit single, and would have then moved on to other songs in the same vein, all of them co-written by the pair. Unfortunately, there was no expression of interest from Lee for the duration of her Capitol contract, nor during the couple of years that followed.

Any misgivings on her part would have been understandable. After the ordeal that she had undergone while trying to convince Capitol that the song "Is That All There Is?" was worth recording and releasing, she must have been wary of pitching the idea of a full album containing similar material. An even greater source of concern must have been the reaction of her audiences. She had already faced negative criticism from conservatively minded listeners who had deemed "Is That All There Is?" morally reprehensible. As someone who was striving to keep a positive outlook in her own personal life, such reactions had grieved Lee. She had responded with a strenuous defense of the lyrics, declaring them open to positive interpretation.

In 1975, Lee finally expressed interest in doing an album with Leiber & Stoller. By then she was no longer tied to Capitol, and Leiber & Stoller have presumed that she accepted because there were no other record contract prospects in her horizon, either. Such a presumption is erroneous. Since 1974, British producer Ken Barnes had been trying to persuade Lee to record under his tutelage. (She would do so later on; see this page's 1977 sessions.) And there could have been other offers of which I am not aware; I do know that she recorded for another team of independent producers at an unknown date between 1973 and 1977, although that project failed to generate a commercial release.

With Lee on board, Leiber & Stoller next had to convince Jerry Moss, the record producer and businessman who, along with Herb Alpert, owned A&M. Moss was wary of signing Lee due to word of mouth, presumably from other executives, which portrayed Lee as difficult. "We'll sign Peggy for one LP if you guys guarantee that you'll produce it," said Moss, according to Leiber & Stoller in their autobiography Hound Dog. Leiber believes that main reason why Moss struck the deal was his gratitude for the international success of "Stuck In The Middle With You," a single that Leiber & Stoller had produced in 1972 for the British group Stealers Wheel, an A&M act.

The initial sessions seem to have been highly experimental. No conceptual focus is apparent in the choice of repertoire, which included one plug tune (written by an A&M act), one standard (updated to a reggae beat) and an assortment of Leiber & Stoller numbers from various genres (rock 'n' roll, r&b, proto-disco, theatre). Those numbers were recorded with a rhythm section.

Also recorded during the earlier sessions were two pieces which showed a literary bent ("The Case Of M. J.," "I Remember"). Both received lavish orchestral treatments from Johnny Mandel. Either at this point or a little later, Lee nixed another couple of worthy compositions ("Let's Bring Back World War One" and, most notably, "Humprey Bogart") on account of their lyrics.

Soon thereafter, Leiber & Stoller met with Jerry Moss, Gil Friessen and other executives, for a discussion of the progress that they were making with the ongoing sessions. The producers played for them a demo that contained the songs which had been recorded so far. The rhythm section numbers were deemed "fine" and "typical Peggy" but the superlative "brilliant" was reserved for the two orchestral performances. "Do the rest of the album like that," Friessen said to the producers. (The autobiography identifies the two orchestral numbers as "The Case Of M. J." and "A Little White Ship" but the data supplied below suggests that the second number might have been "I Remember," not "A Little White Ship.") Later on, after the producers had finished (re-)writing the full series of songs that they had been planning, the full concept of Mirrors took shape.

Even though it was alternatively ignored or panned at the time of its release, Mirrors went on to reach cult status in subsequent decades, eliciting admiration from younger fans and from music critics who no longer evaluated it with the biased lens of the earlier critics' r&b and rock 'n' roll roots.

Peggy Lee (ldr), Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller (pdr), Other Individuals Unknown (acc), Peggy Lee (v)

Acknowledgment

Peter Stoller, remix producer of the CD Peggy Lee Sings Leiber & Stoller (Hip-O Select B 0004169 02), has kindly supplied much of my discographical information for Lee's A&M sessions.


Masters, Dating And Cross-references

1. Preservation
2. Dating
Most of Peggy Lee's A&M performances are currently preserved in various reel tapes at Universal's tape library. Not preserved in the library are this session's performances, which are believed to be her earliest at A&M Records.

The performances have been preserved instead in reference tapes (reel and cassette) originally made for the benefit of the session's participants, and dated May 27, 1975. Some of those reference tapes have ended up in the hands of fans, who have made transfers to other audio configurations.

Given the absence of a master tape at the Universal library, a commercial release of these performances is, though not impossible, unlikely.

3. "I Ain't Here"
For the commercially released version of "I Ain't Here," see session dated May 30, 1975.


Songs

1. "Daddy Wah Dah Do"
2. "Squatty Watty Do"
3. "The Climb"
4. "The Slime"
The song "Daddy Wah Dah Do" is better known as "The Climb." Under that title, it was first released in 1962 by The Coasters, a r&B group closely associated with Leiber & Stoller. A parody of dance crazes, the number became momentarily popular in France, where a handful of orchestras recorded it under the title "Le Climb" and audiences took it for a real dance craze.

The song has actually been known by other names, too. "The Slime" was the title that Leiber & Stoller originally gave to the lyric. The Coasters actually recorded the song twice on Atco, first as "The Slime" and then as "The Climb." Their "Slime" version was left unissued because Atlantic's Jerry Wexler and Ahmet Ertegun objected to the potential unpleasantness of the title. Thus Leiber & Stoller slightly re-worked the lyrics and had The Coasters record the song again. As previously mentioned, the group's "Climb" came out in 1962 -- their "Slime" not until the CD era.

For their session with Peggy Lee, Leiber & Stoller slightly re-worked the lyrics again. They came up with "Squatty Watty Do" as the main line and as the title of this reworking. Nevertheless, Lee found the potential implications of the words "Squatty Watty Do" too crass for her to sing. Hence the songwriting-producing team had to change the title once more, settling for "Daddy Wah Dah Do."


Arrangements

1. Perry Botkin, Jr.
Preserved in Peggy Lee's sheet music library is the arrangements for "I Ain't Here," credited to Perry Botkin, Jr.

Peggy Lee (ldr), Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller (pdr), Pete Romano (eng), Other Individuals Unknown (acc), Peggy Lee (v)

Masters And Dating

1. Preservation
2. Dating
The tapes on which these performances were originally recorded have not been preserved. Fortunately, a safety tape is extant at the Universal tape library. It is dated June 9, 1975. In addition to the safety tape, the performances are also preserved in reference tapes that were made for some of the sessions' participants, and which are dated May 29, 1975. (See also notes under session dated May 27, 1975.)


Songs And Songwriters

1. "Don Juan"
My identification of the first take of "Don Juan" as the same one released on the Hip-o CD is tentative. I am relying on my own listening of two audio sources (the Hip-o track and a copy of the aforementioned reference tape). I do detect some minor differences, but those could have resulted from the mixing process.

2. "The Best Thing"
3. Ralph Palladino
The original version of "The Best Thing" was recorded for the album Dino & Sembello, which was produced by Leiber & Stoller producing in 1974. The song was a collaboration between the two teams. In sites such as ASCAP, Ralph Palladino can be found listed under the alternate name Ralph Dino.

4. "Crazy Life"
5. Gino Vannelli
"Crazy Life" was chosen for this session probably on the recommendation of A&M and Leiber & Stoller. Its author, singer-songwriter Gino Vannelli, was signed with A&M at the time. Independently of whether it was or was not her own choice, there is indication that Lee liked the song. See below, under Arrangements.


Arrangements

1. Perry Botkin, Jr.
Preserved in Peggy Lee's sheet music library are the arrangements for the three above-entered numbers. In all of them, Perry Botkin, Jr. is identified as the arranger.

2. "Crazy Life"
Peggy Lee's music library contains two arrangements of "Crazy Life," one by Perry Botkin, Jr. and the other by Mickey Ingalls. The existence of the Ingalls arrangement is strong indication that Lee liked the song a lot -- enough to commission the score, presumably with the intention of performing it in concert.

Peggy Lee (ldr), Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller (pdr), Hank Cicalo, Pete Romano, Carmen aka Carmine Rubino (eng), Meco Monardo (s-a), Other Individuals Unknown (acc), George Young (f), Ray Brown (b), Unknown (str), Peggy Lee (v)

Masters

1. "Some Cats Know"
2. Overdub
Like the other masters entered under this date, "Some Cats Know" was originally recorded with a rhythm section.

Unlike those other masters, "Some Cats Know" was eventually picked for inclusion in the album Mirrors. In order to make it fit with the rest of the album's tracks, the number was transformed from a piece with rhythm section to an orchestral performance. Various instruments (strings, flute) were recorded, then dubbed over "Some Cats Know." The overdub took place at The Record Plant (New York), date unknown -- most likely July or August 1975.

In addition to the completed "Some Cats Know" master, various false starts are extant in Universal's vaults, too.


Dating

1. A General Note About The Dating Of The A&M Sessions
The recording dates that I have entered for the majority of this discography's A&M performances were found in the master boxes that contain them. The possibility remains that, instead of the actual recording day, the dating on those boxes refers to any other part of the production process. Some cutting and removal of performances from one box to another could have also happened.

2. "Some Cats Know"
The inclusion of "Some Cats Know" under this date is tentative: I do not know the actual date on which this master was recorded. Of the various possibilities, this date strikes me as the likeliest, mainly because the session tapes contain various false starts of "Some Cats Know" -- yet no completed master. I assume that the decision to add an overdub led to the removal of the master to another tape.

There is actually a complete "Some Cats Know" in a safety tape dated June 9, 1975, but the original date of the recording is not indicated on the tape's label.


Arrangements

1. Head Arrangements
2. Johnny Mandel
3. Overdubs
As already explained, all numbers from this session were originally recorded by the vocalist with a rhythm section only. Head arrangements were created at the session.

During a later session, strings and other instruments were recorded and then dubbed over "Some Cats Know." Johnny Mandel conducted and wrote the arrangement for the strings.

2. "Love Me Or Leave Me"
This session's unreleased performance of "Love Me Or Leave Me" features the same upbeat, reggae arrangement heard in Lee's television and concert performances of the song from around this time. (Once it opens for viewing, see this discography's page for Guest TV Appearances, 1975.) The "reggae arrangement" is extant in Lee's music sheet library, but it does not identify its author.


Personnel

1. Meco Monardo
Meco Monardo was the arranger of the strings which are heard in "Some Cats Know." He was absent during the original recording of "Some Cats Know" with rhythm section, present during the aforementioned overdub session.

2. Ray Brown
I have added Ray Brown's name to this session because, in Leiber & Stoller's autobiography, he is credited as playing bass in "Some Cats Know."

3. Pete Romano
4. Carmine Rubino
5. Hank Cicalo
6. Brian Blackburn
All three engineers listed in this session worked on "Some Cats Know." Pete Romano was the engineer of the original, non-orchestral performance. Carmine Rubino engineered the overdub session. Hank Cicalo was the remix engineer of "Some Cats Know" as heard in the original album Mirrors. (The performance was remixed again for inclusion in the CD Peggy Lee Sings Leiber & Stoller. The remix engineer for all tracks on the CD was Brian Blackburn.)

The engineer on "I Ain't Here" and "Love Me Or Leave Me" was either Pete Romano or Hank Cicalo.


Issues

1. A&M #1771-S [45]
1. A&M #1771-S [45]
A&M single #1771 exists in two versions. One is the commercially issued 45, which features "Some Cats Know" on the A side, "I Remember" on the B side. The other version is a promo that A&M sent out to disc jockeys and radio stations. The item spotlights "Some Cats Know," presenting it in full on one side, in an edit on the other side. ("I Remember" is not included). The promo's catalogue number is the same as the commercial issue, except for the addition of a suffix letter -- an s.

Peggy Lee (ldr), Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller (pdr), Hank Cicalo (eng), Johnny Mandel (con), Georgia Alwan, Norman Benno, Gene Cipriano, Harry Klee, Ronald Langinger, Abe Most, John Neufield, Jack Nimitz, Bill Perkins, Jerome Richardson, Thomas W. "Tom" Scott, Bud Shank, George Young (r), Joe Burnett, Marion "Buddy" Childers, Charles "Chuck" Findley, Paul Hubinon, Malcolm McNab, Anthony Terran (t), Charles C. "Charlie" Loper, Richard T. "Dick" Nash, Kenny Shroyer, Phillip Tule, Mike Vlatkovich, Chauncey Welsch (tb), Vincent DeRosa, Alan Robinson, Marilyn Robinson (hrn), John T. Johnson, Bill Masonheimer (tu), Dennis Budimir, John Pisano, Tommy Tedesco (g, bj), Ray Brown, Joe Mondragon (b), Fred Seykora (b, vc), Clare Fischer, Dave Grusin, Artie Kane, Michael Lang, Mike Melvoin, Varda Ullman (key), Stephen Paietta (pac), Corky Hale (hrp), Larry Bunker, Gene Estes, John Guerin, Ken Park, Joe Porcaro, Emil Radocchia, aka Richards, Jack Ranelli, Mark Stevens, Alvin Stoller, Kenneth Watson (d, per), Victor Feldman (per), Arnold Belnick, Blanche Belnick, Harry Bluestone, Norman Carr, Harold Dicterow, Assa Drori, Irving Geller, William "Bill" Kurasch, Betty Lamagna, Carl Lamagna, Guy Lumia, Erno Neufeld, Wilbert Nuttycombe, John Pintavalle, Tony Posk, Elliot Rosoff, Bob Sanov, Paul Shure, Richard Sortomme, Mari Tsumura, Gerald Vinci, Shari Zippert (vn), Julien Barber, Allan Harshman, Virginia Majewski, Barbara Thomason (vl), Anne Goodman, Dennis Karmazyn, Jess Levy, Edgar Lustgarten, Jackie Lustgarten (vc), Peggy Lee (v, spk)

Masters & Issues

1. "The Case of M. J."
2. Mirrors [CD; Universal]
Universal's CD #3333 contains an edited version of "The Case of M. J." that is not found in any other commercial release. This edit was originally produced by Leiber & Stoller around 1978; it was one of their seminal steps for a prospective reissue of the album Mirrors. (See note titled The Aborted "Mirrors" Projects, under session dated August 1, 1975.)

Most noticeable in this edit is the absence of the line that Lee murmurs throughout the song -- how old were you when your father went away?" For many listeners who are familiar with the non-edited version, the edit naturally comes off as truncated and disappointing.

Although I myself have not listened to Universal CD #3333, other listeners have kindly informed me about its pros and cons. Aside from the edit in "The Case Of M. J. ," they have not noticed any significant differences from the original LP version. Listeners have complained, however, about the CD's sub-par audio quality, deploring its "heavy digital ambience" and audible "tape edits." In short, that Japanese CD cannot be recommended.


Arrangements

1. "Saved"
2. Perry Botkin, Jr.
The arrangement for this session's performance of "Saved" is extant in Peggy Lee's sheet music library. The sheet credits Perry Botkin, Jr. as the arranger.

3. "I Remember"
4. "The Case Of M.J."
The arrangement for this session's "I Remember" is also extant in Lee's library, but it does not identify its author. Since Leiber & Stoller and Lee have credited Johnny Mandel with writing the arrangements for the album Mirrors, and since the album itself credits him with all but one of the arrangements, I have followed suit.


Personnel And Cross-references

1. Collective Personnel
For this session, I have entered the collective personnel found in the back cover of the LP Mirrors. Some (many?) of the above-listed musicians could have thus been present at any of the other sessions but absent from this one.


Dating

This session's performances are preserved in an undated (and unnumbered) master box. Here is my reasoning for the tentative dating that I have assigned to them:

a) Lee's previous session is dated Friday, May 30. Since a date held over the weekend would have been highly unlikely, the earliest date on which this ensuing session could have happened is on the following Monday (June 2).

b) Lee's A&M masters follow a pattern that separate them into two groups, depending on the machine used to record them. The first group consists of masters taped on a 16-track recorder. The second group comprises masters taped on a 24-track machine. The first group is found in boxes bearing May and June dates, whereas the second group is found in boxes bearing dates ranging from June 6 to August 1975. Since the masters under discussion are all 16-track recordings, 'June 5 or before' is the most logical date for them.


Sources

In their autobiography, Leiber and Stoller seem to suggest that, before the first of the Mirrors sessions with orchestra, only one rhythm section date had taken place. As can be seen above, this discography claims otherwise. My source is the data written in the master tapes themselves -- or rather, in the master boxes that contain them. Perhaps the producers chose to refer to just one date in order to simplify what was a minor, inconsequential point within their narrative.

Peggy Lee (ldr), Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller (pdr), Hank Cicalo (eng), Perry Botkin, Jr., Johnny Mandel (con), Georgia Alwan, Norman Benno, Gene Cipriano, Harry Klee, Ronald Langinger, Abe Most, John Neufield, Jack Nimitz, Bill Perkins, Jerome Richardson, Thomas W. "Tom" Scott, Bud Shank, George Young (r), Joe Burnett, Marion "Buddy" Childers, Charles "Chuck" Findley, Paul Hubinon, Malcolm McNab, Anthony Terran (t), Charles C. "Charlie" Loper, Richard T. "Dick" Nash, Kenny Shroyer, Phillip Tule, Mike Vlatkovich, Chauncey Welsch (tb), Vincent DeRosa, Alan Robinson, Marilyn Robinson (hrn), John T. Johnson, Bill Masonheimer (tu), Dennis Budimir, John Pisano, Tommy Tedesco (g, bj), Ray Brown, Joe Mondragon (b), Fred Seykora (b, vc), Clare Fischer, Dave Grusin, Artie Kane, Michael Lang, Mike Melvoin, Varda Ullman (key), Stephen Paietta (pac), Corky Hale (hrp), Larry Bunker, Gene Estes, John Guerin, Ken Park, Joe Porcaro, Emil Radocchia, aka Richards, Jack Ranelli, Mark Stevens, Alvin Stoller, Kenneth Watson (d, per), Victor Feldman (per), Arnold Belnick, Blanche Belnick, Harry Bluestone, Norman Carr, Harold Dicterow, Assa Drori, Irving Geller, William "Bill" Kurasch, Betty Lamagna, Carl Lamagna, Guy Lumia, Erno Neufeld, Wilbert Nuttycombe, John Pintavalle, Tony Posk, Elliot Rosoff, Bob Sanov, Paul Shure, Richard Sortomme, Mari Tsumura, Gerald Vinci, Shari Zippert (vn), Julien Barber, Allan Harshman, Virginia Majewski, Barbara Thomason (vl), Anne Goodman, Dennis Karmazyn, Jess Levy, Edgar Lustgarten, Jackie Lustgarten (vc), Peggy Lee (v, spk)

Songs

1. "Tango"
Leiber & Stoller's "Tango" consists of three parts: an instrumental intro, a recitative by Peggy Lee, and Lee's sung vocal. Only the sung vocal and the recitative were recorded during this session.

For the instrumental intro, not recorded on this date, see comments under session dated August 1, 1975.

Furthermore, the recitative seems to be a composite of various takes, including those recorded laster, during the session dated August 1, 1975.


Musicians And Arrangements

1. Perry Botkin, Jr.
2. Johnny Mandel
Perry Botkin, Jr. conducted and arranged "Ready To Begin Again (Manya's Song)" only. Johnny Mandel arranged and conducted the session's other performances. Both sets of credits are given in the back cover of the album Mirrors and corroborated by the scores, extant at Lee's sheet music library.


Masters (And Recording Technology)

1. 24-Track Recordings
Of Peggy Lee's various A&M sessions, these are the earliest performances recorded on a 24-track machine -- or at least, the earliest that are extant. The previous ones had been taped on a 16-track recorder. Most likely, the A&M Studios had only recently acquired the 24-track machine, and it was amde available to Leiber & Stoller on this date.

Peggy Lee (ldr), Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller (pdr), Hank Cicalo (eng), Johnny Mandel (con), Georgia Alwan, Norman Benno, Gene Cipriano, Harry Klee, Ronald Langinger, Abe Most, John Neufield, Jack Nimitz, Bill Perkins, Jerome Richardson, Thomas W. "Tom" Scott, Bud Shank, George Young (r), Joe Burnett, Marion "Buddy" Childers, Charles "Chuck" Findley, Paul Hubinon, Malcolm McNab, Anthony Terran (t), Charles C. "Charlie" Loper, Richard T. "Dick" Nash, Kenny Shroyer, Phillip Tule, Mike Vlatkovich, Chauncey Welsch (tb), Vincent DeRosa, Alan Robinson, Marilyn Robinson (hrn), John T. Johnson, Bill Masonheimer (tu), Dennis Budimir, John Pisano, Tommy Tedesco (g, bj), Ray Brown, Joe Mondragon (b), Fred Seykora (b, vc), Clare Fischer, Dave Grusin, Artie Kane, Michael Lang, Mike Melvoin, Varda Ullman (key), Stephen Paietta (pac), Corky Hale (hrp), Larry Bunker, Gene Estes, John Guerin, Ken Park, Joe Porcaro, Emil Radocchia, aka Richards, Jack Ranelli, Mark Stevens, Alvin Stoller, Kenneth Watson (d, per), Victor Feldman (per), Arnold Belnick, Blanche Belnick, Harry Bluestone, Norman Carr, Harold Dicterow, Assa Drori, Irving Geller, William "Bill" Kurasch, Betty Lamagna, Carl Lamagna, Guy Lumia, Erno Neufeld, Wilbert Nuttycombe, John Pintavalle, Tony Posk, Elliot Rosoff, Bob Sanov, Paul Shure, Richard Sortomme, Mari Tsumura, Gerald Vinci, Shari Zippert (vn), Julien Barber, Allan Harshman, Virginia Majewski, Barbara Thomason (vl), Anne Goodman, Dennis Karmazyn, Jess Levy, Edgar Lustgarten, Jackie Lustgarten (vc), Peggy Lee (v, spk)

Songs & Masters

1. "Professor Hauptmann's Performing Dogs"
Mike Stoller has composed two numbers that bear the title "Professor Hauptmann's Performing Dogs." The first was an instrumental piece originally issued on the B-side of the 1968 single "Silver Sea Horse," recorded by Mike Stoller & The Stoller System on Amy Records #11027.

The second number is, of course, the one recorded at this session. It began life as a lyric by Jerry Leiber, to which Stoller then wrote music.

The two numbers are entirely different from one another, sharing only the title. (The title is actually Leiber's device. Leiber was the one who suggested it for Stoller's 1968 instrumental, and who re-used it for his own 1975 lyric.) ASCAP lists the title only once, and places both Peggy Lee and Mike Stoller under it, as performers.

2. "Tango" [Recitative]
This session's performances of "Tango" consisted of the song's spoken part only; the sung segment was recorded earlier. (See session dated June 6, 1975.)

The recitative had also been attempted at that earlier date. Although I have classified this session's recitatives as unissued, in reality they are not entirely so: in their pursuit of a perfect take, Leiber & Stoller are believed to have spliced some of their lines into the June 6 master.

3. "Little Tango"
Also recorded during this session was Tango's instrumental intro, known as "Little Tango" or, alternatively, as "Tango Del Fuego." (This instrumental has had a separate life of its own; director Paul Mazursky used it in his film The Tempest.) Since Lee was not an active participant in its recording, I have not entered "Little Tango" in this discography's database.


Dating

1. A General Note About The Dating Of The A&M Sessions
2. April To August 1975: Full Recording Period For The Album Mirrors
The recording dates that I have entered for the majority of this discography's A&M performances were found in the master boxes that contain them. The possibility remains that, instead of the actual recording day, the dating on those boxes could refer to any other part of the production process. Some cutting and removal of performances from one box to another could have also happened.

Notice that, if this and the previous session's dates are correct, almost a month elapsed between them. During an interview for the December 27, 1975 issue of Record World, Lee told David McGee that "we did set keys [for the album Mirrors] in April and then I went away and when I returned we recorded for a while and I went away again and came back and finished it ..... I had to go to Japan, so we set the keys on the things they did have and when I returned they had written new things. By then it had become a concept album."


Arrangements

1. Johnny Mandel
In the back cover of the album Mirrors, the arrangements for this session's numbers are credited to Johnny Mandel. All the arrangements but the one for "Professor Hauptmann's Performing Dogs" are also extant in Lee's sheet music library, but "Tango" is the only one which names as arranger -- Mandel, indeed.

I. Peggy Lee Sings The Cabaret Songs Of Leiber & Stoller: The Unreleased LP

Listed in A&M's log files is an album titled Peggy Lee Sings The Cabaret Songs Of Leiber & Stoller. Producers Leiber & Stoller conceived the album around 1978. They planned it to be both a reissue and an expansion of their earlier LP with Peggy Lee, Mirrors (A&M Records #4547). As part of the plan, the record label proceeded to assemble a complete LP master. A catalogue number (A&M Records #4734) was assigned to the prospective album, and the cover art was designed, too. But the project was eventually shelved.

Had it come to fruition, Peggy Lee Sings The Cabaret Songs Of Leiber & Stoller would have contained new remixes of various songs from Mirrors as well as songs newly recorded by Peggy Lee. Leiber & Stoller did go on to remix at least one or two numbers, but there's no evidence of new recording activity from Lee.

The 2005 CD Peggy Lee Sings Leiber & Stoller (A&M B0004169) is a modern-day incarnation of the abandoned 1978 project. A far more advanced reincarnation. Among the CD's significant advantages are its superior remix and its inclusion of previously unreleased numbers from these 1975 sessions.


ll. Mirrors / Is That All There Is?: The Unreleased CD

In 2004, word of mouth began to spread about an upcoming Peggy Lee CD. Then in progress, the planned disc was to be a twofer which would combine the albums Mirrors and Is That All There Is?. The Australian label Raven Records was preparing it. By 2005, additional word came about the completion of the liner notes and of some remixes, too.

But in 2005, when Raven found out about the upcoming release of Peggy Lee Sings Leiber & Stoller, the record label graciously held off releasing its twofer. Afterwards, plans to release the project seem to have been fully abandoned, perhaps due to two competing CDs in the market (Hip-o Select's Peggy Lee Sings Leiber & Stoller and EMI's A Natural Woman / Is That All There Is?).

British filmmaker and music producer Ken Barnes was responsible for bringing to England legendary acts such as Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, and Johnny Mercer, and for having them record some of their very last albums. Another artist who Barnes assiduously courted was Peggy Lee. "I have been to Hollywood 12 or 14 times in the past two years," Barnes said to the Yorkshire Post's Reginald Brace in 1977. "Each time I phoned Peggy about making an album, but she was always recording with someone else like Paul McCartney or Leiber and Stoller. She always said, Don’t forget to call next time you come over. One day I phoned and she was ready to listen. It was persistence on my part." Barnes made Lee's European traveling very worthwhile. He negotiated concert appearances in various cities (including London and Amsterdam), a television special and a two-record deal with Polydor Records. "We got on famously. Ken and Pete [Moore] and Steve the engineer, well, everyone there has been absolutely marvelous to me. I’m so happy," Lee told Melody Maker's Max Jones at a party thrown by Polydor in her honor. "It took [me] long to get her away from Beverly Hills and over to London," Barnes added, "but it’s been worth it."

Peggy Lee (ldr), Ken Barnes (pdr), Steve Taylor (eng), The Pete Moore Orchestra (acc), Peter Moore (snt), Other Individuals Unknown (unk), Peggy Lee (v, spk, bkv), Joan Baxter, Maggie Stredder, Clare Torrey (bkv)

Songs

1. "Lover"
These Polydor sessions' version of "Lover" contains lyrics that are almost entirely different from those heard in Peggy Lee's hit from 1952. Yet both set of lyrics were written by Lorenz Hart for the same song and are, therefore, legitimate.

The lyrics that Lee recorded for this 1977 master are actually the original ones, from the soundtrack of the 1932 movie Love Me Tonight. The suggestion to use them came from Dick Vosburgh, an American-born, London-based lyricist, broadcaster, and writer of special material.

2. "Here Now"
In the Polydor LP Peggy, this song by Dan Kimpel and Marc Allen Trujillo is listed as "Here And Now." However, Lee's singing of the lyrics does not support the inclusion of the conjunction "and."

The song is also extant in a rehearsal version that was issued in the CD At Her Best. In that disc, the title is given as "Here, Now."

There's yet another release of the song, this one sung by a r&b singer. Her 1996 CD gives the title as "Here Now" (no comma included). I have chosen this third variant over the others, chiefly because it is the spelling used by EMI Music Publishing, which holds copyright control of the number.


Arrangements

1. "Lover"
Over the years, Peggy Lee tried different arrangements on "Lover," a song that had been originally written as a waltz but which she treated as anything but. Each arrangement updated the song, presenting it in a more contemporaneous musical style. For Lee's initial approach, see sessions dated April 28 and May 1, 1952. For other treatments, see Capitol session dated February 8, 1961 (Early, "Dinner" Show) and, from this discography's page for Peggy Lee's Television Specials, look for the year 1967.

This Polydor version constitutes Lee's fourth treatment. With the help of conductor-arranger Pete Moore, "Lover" is re-shaped into a disco-oriented anthem.

2. "Here Now"
In addition to Peter Moore's arrangement, Peggy Lee kept two more in her music sheet library, one by Don Savage and the other by Yutaka Yokokura.

3. "I Go To Rio"
4. "I'm Not In Love"
Peggy Lee's sheet music library also contains two arrangements of the song "I Go To Rio." One, used in these sessions, is credited to Pete Moore. The other is by Byron Olson. The same distribution and credits apply to "I'm Not In Love."


Personnel

1. Recitative
Peggy Lee's speaking voice is heard only in portions of "Courage Madame."

2. Background vocals
"Here Now" and "Switchin' Channels" are the only songs from these sessions on which background vocals are heard.


Issues / Collectors' Corner

1. [You Give Me] Fever [CD]
The Spectrum label has issued the CD You Give Me Fever twice, first in 1993 and then, under the simpler title Fever, in 1998. The track sequencing is the same in both issues, but the artwork differs. Specifically, the reissue uses an iconic b&w Peggy Lee publicity photo (dating from around 1960), whereas the original issue features a b&w publicity photo, taken circa 1955. Collectors should note that the 1998 reissue is the only commercial instance in which the much-used, iconic photo has been reproduced with its original backdrop intact.

2. Peggy [LP, CS]
The catalogue number of the Polydor LP Peggy begins with the word "super," which I do not know to be part of the cassette version. (n.b. : 3170 458 is the number of the cassette; Super 2383 458 is the number of the LP. )

Peggy Lee (ldr), Ken Barnes (pdr), Steve Taylor (eng), Peter Moore, Jack Parnell (con), Pete Moore & Jack Parnell Orchestras (acc), Bob Burns (as), Duncan Lamont, Tommy Whittle (ts), Kenny Baker (t), Richard Edwards, Don Lusher (tb), Tony Fisher (fh), Judd Proctor (g), Unknown (str), Ronnie Price (key), Ronnie Verrell (d), Peggy Lee (v)

Concert & Repertoire

The London Live Sessions
Peggy Lee performed two shows at the London Palladium on the evening of March 13, 1977.

During the previous week, three-hour afternoon rehearsals had taken place in London's Dorchester Hotel Ballroom. There was also a three-hour orchestra rehearsal on the afternoon of March 13. For its last hour and a half, Lee was present and rehearsing with the orchestra.

In the evening, Peggy Lee sang a total of 17 songs during the earlier show, 20 songs during the second show. Fellow fan Tony Nesbit attended both shows and kept notes about the repertoire. Thanks to him, I can offer below the running order for the entire evening.

First show:
1. Love For Sale /2. Everything Must Change /3. You Gotta Know How /4. The Folks Who Live On The Hill /5. I Go To Rio /6. I'm Not In Love /7. Lover /8. Have A Good Time /9. Touch Me In The Morning /10. Make Believe 11. Fever /12. Why Don't You Do Right? /13. Is That All There Is? /14. Sing A Rainbow /15. Mr. Wonderful /16. Mack The Knife /17. Here's To You

Second show:
1. Love For Sale /2. Everything Must Change /3. You Gotta Know How
/4. The Folks Who Live On The Hill /5. I Don't Want To Play In Your Yard /6. I Go To Rio /7. I'm Not In Love /8. Lover /9. Have A Good Time /10. Touch Me In The Morning /11. Make Believe /12. Rodgers & Hart Medley /13. Fever /14. Why Don't You Do Right? /15. Is That All There Is? /16. Sing A Rainbow /17. Mr. Wonderful /18. Mack the Knife /19. Dreams Of Summer /20. Here's To You

The contract that Ken Barnes and Peggy Lee signed with Polydor Records stipulated that they had to deliver a live album culled from the evening's two shows. While putting the album together, Barnes obviously had the option to pick from either of the evening's shows, thereby creating an album whose songs originate not in one but in two concerts.

The following vocals were sung during both shows, but excluded from the live album: "I Go To Rio," "I'm Not In Love," and "Lover." Space limitations probably account for the decision to omit them. Studio versions of all 3 numbers were released in the Polydor album Peggy, though. (See sessions dated March 7, 8, 9, 1977.)

As previously mentioned, Lee sang three additional songs during the second show. Two of them were included in the Polydor LP: "I Don't Want To Play In Your Yard" and "Dreams Of Summer." Not included in the LP was the ten-minutes-long "Rodgers & Hart Medley."

A week later, Lee performed one more concert at the Palladium. That concert did not involve Polydor. See next session, dated March 20, 1977.


Songs

1. "You Gotta Know How"
When Peggy Lee sang the number "You Gotta Know How," she avoided the titular contraction, uttering the title instead as "You Got To Know How." Accordingly, the track listing of her Polydor LP calls the song "You Got To Know How."

In this discography, I have opted to list the song as "You Gotta Know How," which is the spelling used on songwriter Sippie Wallace's own albums, and the spelling accepted by the Library of Congress.

As for the reasons why Lee avoided the contraction, they are unknown. It could have been a concession to British audiences, who generally do not favor American slang. It could have also been an attempt at heightening the song's inherent humor; she sings the words "got to" in a teasingly comical manner that would have not necessarily come across, had she used the contraction instead.


Songwriters

1. Walter Donaldson
2. Sippie Wallace
3. "You Gotta Know How"
The Polydor album Live In London wrongly credits the song "You Gotta Know How" to Walter Donaldson. There is indeed a song titled "You Got To Know How" that was co-written by Donaldson with Ernie Erdman, but Peggy Lee sings an altogether different number, written and originally recorded by blues songstress Sippie Wallace. My thanks to Allen Bardin for pointing out the correct songwriter.

4. Yutaka Kokokura
5. "Dreams Of Summer"
The name of the composer of "Dreams Of Summer" is (mis)spelled in the various sources at my reach. His first name appears as "Utaka" or "Utakaka" in a few magazine articles. Moreover, the sleeve of the Polydor album Live In London credits him as "Yutaka Kokakura."

The correct spelling is Yutaka Kokokura, as evinced not only by Library of Congress entries but also in the artist's own work. (In addition to being a songwriter, Yutaka Kokokura is a keyboardist, koto player and vocalist who has released a couple of CDs in the 'smooth jazz' vein. He has also done a substantial amount of work as producer and remixer. With credits dating back to the 1970s, Yokokura has continued to reap credits in the twenty-first century.)


Personnel

See notes under session dated March 20, 1977.


Issues / Collectors' Corner

1. Live In London [LP; Mercury]
In the United States, the Polydor album Live In London was briefly released by Mercury in an abbreviated, 10-track version.

Mercury's files actually list the album as canceled. It presumably was, though not before some copies made it to a few chain stores. In fact, Peggy Lee fan and collector Wayne Brasler reports that he bought the Mercury edition of the LP in the late 1970s at a store in Chicago (either Sam Goody's or Montgomery Ward, he recalls). Brasler has also kindly shared with me a scan of the album's front and back covers, which are essentially identical to the Polydor original.

The differences between the two editions of the album pertain to the number and sequencing of the tracks. The Mercury LP includes just 10 songs. On side A, both the Polydor and the Mercury editions start and finish with the same songs: "Love For Sale" and "Everything Must Change" (tracks #1 and #2), "The Folks Who Live On The Hill" and "Touch Me In The Morning" (tracks #4 and #5). But the central portion of the two editions differ. The Mercuy LP has inserted "Fever" in the middle of side A; in the Polydor version, "Fever" is the first track on side B.

On side B, the Mercury edition offers the following five numbers: "Mack The Knife," "Is That All There Is?," "Make Believe," "Dreams of Summer," and "Here's To You."

The back cover of the Mercury LP states that it is "[a]lso available on Musicassette and Stereo 8 Track Tapes: MCR-4-1-1172, MC-8-1172." I do not know if, before its cancellation, the album actually came out in those configurations.

The Canadian version of the album follows the same track listing as the Mercury version. It is on Polydor; its catalogue number is 2482 415.

The album versions on American Mercury and Canadian Polydor thus contain only 10 of the 16 original tracks. The following six songs were omitted: "You Got To Know How," "I Don't Want To Play In Your Yard," "Have A Good Time," "Why Don't You Do Right," "Sing A Rainbow" and "Mr. Wonderful."

2. Live In London [LP/CS]
The catalogue number of this LP begins with the word "super," which I do not know to be part of the cassette version. (n.b.: 3170 448 is the number of the cassette; 2383 448 is the number of the LP.)

Peggy Lee (ldr), Ken Barnes (pdr), Steve Taylor (eng), Peter Moore, Jack Parnell (con), Pete Moore & Jack Parnell Orchestras (acc), Bob Burns (as), Duncan Lamont, Tommy Whittle (ts), Kenny Baker (t), Richard Edwards, Don Lusher (tb), Tony Fisher (fh), Judd Proctor (g), Unknown (str), Ronnie Price (key), Ronnie Verrell (d), Peggy Lee (v, spk)

Masters

1. Ownership
This March 20 show was produced with the expectation that Polydor would acquire and release it. But the record company passed, arguing that ownership of the March 13 concerts sufficed. Hence the original tapes remain in the possession of producer Ken Barnes.

2. "Touch Me In The Morning"
3. Dreams Of Summer
4. "Is That All There Is?"
Three numbers from the March 20, 1977 evening seem to have been released separately from the rest of the concert.

Producer Ken Barnes has explained that, during its decades in storage, the concert's master tape suffered heavy drop-out in some spots. Thus some of the numbers could not be included in the original release of the concert (1996).

Barnes has confirmed that the above-listed version of "Is That All There Is?" indeed belongs to the March 20 concert. Its release in 1997 was possible only thanks to extensive work on the master.

As for "Touch Me In The Morning" and "Dreams Of Summer," I do not have corroboration of their origin. Still, I do have every reason to believe that they come from this evening. As heard in The New Collection, both seem to be concert tracks. In any case, their incorporation to this concert should be deemed tentative.

With the addition of those three masters, the total number of March 20, 1977 Palladium performances reaches 20.

5. Sequencing
I do not know the actual running order of Peggy Lee's concert. Hence I have listed the numbers in the same sequence in which they appear in the CD At Her Best. I have also tagged at the end the three performances not on that CD.


Dating

1. March 13, 1977
2. March 20, 1977
Over the years, some concertgoers who attended Peggy Lee's London Palladium shows have expressed confusion over the exact days in which she performed at this venue. Ken Barnes, producer of Lee's concerts at the Palladium, has corroborated that concerts took place on both March 13 and March 20, 1977.

Specifics about this session's concert remain fuzzy. Some fans who attended the March 13 shows insist that they never saw notice of any additional dates anywhere. Could it be that the March 20 concert was reserved for an invited-audience, and that there was no advertisement? Such a possibility is not highly likely. Granting that over 30 years have passed since this event took place, producer Ken Barnes recalls it as advertised and well-attended.

More likely, any lack of widespread awareness must have resulted from last-minute scheduling. I have been told that the March 20 concert was set up belatedly at the request of Peggy Lee. She was not entirely happy with the performances that she had given on the evening of March 13, and wanted to have another opportunity to perform a show to her satisfaction. (She probably had the album in mind. Polydor still decided to use the March 13 material, as already mentioned.) Unlike the weeks-long notice for the first concert evening, reports about the second evening thus had to be given just a few days before the event actually happened.

Since no plans for the March 20 concert were made until after March 13, it is hardly surprising that published interviews and press releases from the time make no reference to the event. Witness, for instance, the article that appeared in the March 19, 1977 issue of Melody Maker. Lee was obviously interviewed for the piece before the night of March 13. At interview time, the March 20 concert had not been even proposed. Hence Max Jones writes that Lee "is playing only one concert date, which seems short ration in view of the length of time which separates her occasional visits." Lee is then quoted as having said: "I know, but I'm doing two shows so you might as well say I'm doing two nights ..."

As with the earlier shows, a three-hour orchestra rehearsal was held on the afternoon of the March 20 concert. And once again, Peggy Lee rehearsed with the orchestra during the last hour and a half.

3. March 20, 1997
According to the discographical notes in the Pulse/Castle 2CD At Her Best, half of the disc's contents were recorded in concert at the London Palladium on March 20, 1997. This is merely a typographical error; the second 9 of "1997" should have been a 7.


Personnel

1. Sources
My data about the personnel of the London Palladium concerts comes from two sources.
One source is the aforementioned music review, published by Melody Maker magazine on March 19, 1977. Reviewer Ray Coleman lists Bob Burns (alto), Don Lusher (trombone), Kenny Baker (trumpet), Tommy Whittle (tenor) and Ronnie Verrell (drums) as present members of the Jack Parnell Orchestra, which he furthermore describes as "augmented by strings."

My other source is Pulse/Kaz CD #144, which contains the March 20 concert. In addition to the vocalist, the producer, and the conductor, the CD's annotator names five musicians, all of them under the rubric "featured soloists": Richard Edwards, Tony Fisher, Duncan Lamont, Ronnie Price, and Judd Proctor. The Pete Moore Orchestra is credited, too.

Notice that those two sources do not list the same musicians. Furthermore, one source is connected to the March 13 concert, the other to the March 20 concert. However, I believe that the personnel listed by each source applies to both March 13 and March 20. For one possible reason why neither source lists the entire personnel, see next paragraph.

2. Jack Parnell
3. Pete Moore
Lee's shows at the London Palladium were divided into two segments. One segment was conducted by Jack Parnell, the other one by Pete Moore. Melody Maker's reviewer Ray Coleman concentrates on mentioning members of Parnell's orchestra. On the other hand, the annotator of the CD At Her Best (probably producer Ken Barnes himself) singles out the nuclear, small combo which probably worked under Moore's leadership.


Songs

1. Rodgers & Hart Medley
This concert's Rodgers & Hart Medley consists of 4 vocals by Peggy Lee and two instrumentals by the orchestra, for a total timing of 10:19. The vocals, with their respective timings, are: "Who Are You?" (02:14), "Glad To Be Unhappy" (01:32), "It Never Entered My Mind" (02:59), and "Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered" (04:20). The two instrumentals are "Where Or When," which follows Lee's first vocal ("Who Are You?"), and "Falling In Love With Love," which precedes Lee's last vocal ("Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered").


Issues And Collectors' Corner

1. Default Recommendations
2. At Her Best [CD]
Throughout this sessionography, I have tried to highlight one recommended issue for each performance -- usually a CD. My recommendations are generally based on sound quality, faithfulness to the original masters and special assets or merits of the production.

In the case of the March 20 London Palladium concert, there really isn't a satisfactory issue to recommend. If I have highlighted At Her Best, it is only because this CD is the least objectionable of the available choices. A finer issue of these concert performances is needed.

Similarly, I have highlighted the CD The New Collection by default. On the plus side, it contains performances not available elsewhere. On the negative side, its track organizatio is very haphazard. Tracks recorded in the 1960s alternate with tracks recorded in the 1970s. Once again, the performances deserve to be re-released in an improved project.

3. Fever! The Best Of Peggy Lee [CD]
4. Fever! Live At The London Palladium [CD]
Originally issued in 1996, the Pulse/Kaz CD Fever! The Best Of Peggy Lee was later reprinted with a different cover and a partially different title (Fever! Live At The London Palladium). The cover of the earlier version shows a b&w drawing (or rather, a photo negative) of Lee in the mid-1970s. The reprint shows three color photos of Lee, performing some time in the mid-1960s.


Arrangements

In all numbers for which an arranger is identified, the Peggy Lee sheet music library is my source of information. However, this identification must be deemed tentative because I have not actually inspected the library's arrangements. Hence I cannot be fully certain that those arrangements are the same ones used in concert. (This caveat does not apply to "Is That All There Is?" and "The Folks Who Live On The Hill," both well-established numbers from Lee's canon. Although Pete Moore might have made a few adjustments for the occasion, the arrangements played are clearly the ones originally created by Randy Newman and Nelson Riddle.)

In his notes for the 2002 edition of the CD Close Enough For Love (DRG #91741), Will Friedwald explains how Peggy Lee's first contract with an independent label came to fruition. Around 1978 or 1979, Lee had asked EMI Capitol Records if the company had any interest in a new album from her. Unfortunately, the company was no longer interested in recording Lee or, for that matter, any vintage artists specializing in pop. (Instead, a brand new Lee compilation was green-lighted in 1979. Titled Peggy Lee Sings Cy Coleman, it features a contemporaneous photo of Lee in its cover, and includes extensive new notes. This anthology was prepared by Lee's erstwhile producer Dave Cavanaugh.)

Renny Martini, a senior A&R executive at Capitol, made an interesting suggestion to Lee. He told her that she should contact his friend Hugh Fordin, who was a longtime fan of Lee's. Fordin owned the independent label DRG, which he had set up in 1976. Martini envisioned a recording by Lee in the same disco-lite vein as The Act, the much-buzzed-about cast album that Liza Minnelli had recorded in 1977 for DRG, and which Fordin had licensed to RCA.

Lee promptly contacted Fordin and, in January 1979, talks to record an album began in earnest. Details about the album, titled Close Enough For Love can be found in the next session. Fordin actually signed Lee for three LPs. For reasons unknown to me, only this first album came to fruition.

Peggy Lee (ldr), Hugh Fordin (pdr), Tchad Blake, Geoff Howe (eng), Richard "Dick" Hazard (con), Dennis Budimir, John Chiodini, John Pisano (elg), Max K. Bennett (eb), Ian Underwood (elp), John Guerin (d, per), Peggy Lee (v)

The Recording Sessions

The initial recording sessions for Peggy Lee's album Close Enough For Love took place in late February 1979. According to producer Hugh Fordin, those early sessions were "a total disaster." Since he was based in New York, Fordin had relied on a Hollywood contractor to hire prospective musicians. When Fordin came to the scheduled session along with Peggy Lee and conductor Dick Hazard, they were met by rock musicians whose attitude was less than optimal. Used to leading their own dates, these players showed little patience for their expected role as sidemen.

Moreover, the chosen location (Westlake Studio in Los Angeles) proved uncomfortable for the vocalist. Because the vocal booth was located right by the control booth, she wounded up getting hit over and over with microphones and musical instruments, which were being moved around by the session's technicians and musicians. In the end, the resulting performances were deemed useless, and scrapped.

During the ensuing two months (March and April), Lee moved on. She became busy with concert performances both in the United States (e.g., in Claremont, California) and abroad (Sydney, Australia). But the DRG project had not been cancelled. Fordin had proposed to re-schedule it for May.

For their second time around, Lee and Fordin came to a mutual agreement on the matter of the session musicians. They reasoned that it was best to use musicians with whom Lee had worked in the past. A different recording location (Wally Heider's Filmways/Heider Studio) was also chosen. Thanks to those changes, the songs scheduled for the album were finally recorded to the satisfaction of both Fordin and Lee.

In an interview conducted in the 1980s, Peggy Lee briefly talked about these two May 1979 sessions. "That was such a lovefest," she said, "it really was, because I hadn't seen them [i. e., the date's musicians] for such a long time. And when we all came in and got together it was just — well, Bones Howe's son was the engineer too, and that sort of made me think about Bones, and I must say that his son Geoff is just incredible."


Issues

1. Close Enough For Love [CD] In Europe
DRG appears to have licensed the album Close Enough For Love to various European labels. At least two, maybe all three of the above-entered Close Enough For Love issues from Europe (on Le Chante du Monde, Pickwick, and Tring) acknowledge DRG's ownership of the album's masters. (See also below, in Collectors' Corner, point #3.)


Collectors' Corner

1. The Souvenir Book Companion to the LP Close Enough For Love
When originally released, Close Enough For Love consisted of not only the LP and its record jacket but also a regular (8.5" by 11") white piece of paper, inserted in the record jacket along with the LP. The piece of paper was an advertisement for The Life Story Of Peggy Lee, a 20-page pamphlet described in the ad as "an ideal companion to the LP."

The actual pamphlet is titled Miss Peggy Lee (not The Life Story Of Peggy Lee). In reality, it was Lee's 1979 souvenir tour book. Since its front picture happens to be the same one used for the cover of Close Enough For Love, cross-marketing it with the album struck Fordin as a logical idea.
(It certainly was.)

The contents of this 12" by 9" souvenir book are as follows: color photos of the singer (just in the front and back covers); three pages of biographical material, divided into "The Professional Side," "The Creative Side," and "The Personal Side"; a couple of poems by the singer; a list of her original American LPs up to 1975; some acknowledgments; and many small b&w photos, most of them featuring Lee with other celebrities (Jimmy Dorsey, Alice Faye, Jackie Gleason, Woody Herman, Liberace, Robert Preston, Ronald Reagan, etc., etc.).

2. Close Enough For Love [LP; DBX]
The LP Close Enough For Love was released first in its "regular" version (1979) and, years later, in a dbx special edition. (A noise reduction system used for professional recording, dbx requires special audio equipment to be appreciated.) Visually, the two versions seem identical, their only noticeable difference being the inclusion of the prefix dbx in the special edition.

3. Close Enough For Love [CD Reissues]
After first issuing it on CD in 1988, DRG reissued Close Enough For Love in 2002. The reissue is a vast improvement on both the earlier CD and the original LP. Remastered by Alan Silverman, designed in a highly tasteful (not to say anything of "Lee-oriented") manner, and featuring extensive liner notes by Will Friedwald, it comes across as an entirely different and superior album.

There are also three European CD reissues of Close Enough For Love, as previously mentioned. Collectors should take note that at least one of those reissues, the one on Pickwick, features a cover different from the one that graces the original DRG issue. This cover can be viewed online at the following address: http://www.peggylee.com/digital/digital_cd_discography_5.html

I have also inspected the cover of the Chante du Monde CD. It shows the same photo as the DRG original, but in a drastically reduced size. As for the cover of Tring's Close Enough For Love, I have not been able to inspect it.

In July 1985, Peggy Lee came to New York to sing, for the very first time, at The Ballroom. A supper club that had been operating at 253 West 28th Street since 1981, The Ballroom was to be Lee's return to an intimate New York setting since her last season at the Waldorf Astoria, back in 1976. (Between 1977 and 1984, Lee's Manhattan performances had been limited to one-night-only events in large venues such as Radio City, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the Madison Square Garden. She had briefly appeared in Broadway, too.) The Ballroom engagement was a resounding success which turned Lee into one of the club's mainstays for the rest of the decade.

In 1988, her fourth visit to The Ballroom was promoted as a commemoration of her 50th anniversary as a professional vocalist, although by her own admission it was actually her 53rd or 54th. Such publicity, along with the sustained success of previous Ballroom performances, arose the interest of various record labels that were located in the New York and New Jersey area. Lee ended up accepting recording offers from two of them: Musicmasters and Harbinger.



Peggy Lee At Jeffrey Nissim's Musicmasters Records

Musicmasters was actually a branch of Musical Heritage Society, a New Jersey-based, family-owned mail order company which had been releasing licensed European classical music since 1962. The Musicmasters branch was created around 1983 (or in the late 1970s, according to another account) by Jeff Nissim, son of Musical Heritage's president Albert Nissim. The branch's purpose was to release both newly recorded and previously unissued performances from the worlds of classical and jazz music. Among the catalysts which led to Jeff Nissim's foundation of his label was the news that Benny Goodman possessed a fair number of self-owned, hitherto unissued classical material. Musicmasters ended up amassing a remarkable collection of albums by not only Benny Goodman and Peggy Lee but also Dave Brubeck, Benny Carter, Lionel Hampton, Freddie Hubbard, Artie Shaw, Stanley Turrentine, etc. The branch seems to have stopped releasing new music around 1997, but its catalogue has lived on through the still ongoing mother label, and through a more recently formed sister branch (Jazz Heritage Society, 1995). Furthermore, Nissim struck in 2008 a deal to sell downloads from the MusicMasters catalogue through a digital company.

In January 1988, a press release indicated that Lee would be "recorded in performance live by Musicmasters Records during several nights of her upcoming two-week engagement at The Ballroom ... Jeffrey Nissim, President of Musicmasters ... said: It is indeed an honor to add the legendary Miss Lee to our growing roster of classic jazz artists. It is our hope that this album will become only the first in a series of jewels Peggy Lee will favor Musicmasters with."

Musicmasters might have taped the Ballroom performances as planned, but ultimately no concert album came out. A studio album was issued instead. From comments that Lee made to New York Times arts critic Stephen Holden shortly before the start of the Ballroom five-week engagement, it is apparent that both albums had been planned at first. "She has plans to record four albums for two different record companies," wrote Holden, "including one live at the Ballroom. One of the others will concentrate on vintage blues songs of the Bessie Smith era."

Peggy Lee's association with Musicmasters was a lasting and productive one. After the initial album, recorded in 1988, the association bore another album in 1989, whose concept was suggested by Nissim himself. (See sessions below, dated November 1, 2, and 3, 1989.) Plans to do more albums -- a series of Lee songbooks -- were made but, for reasons unknown, did not come to pass. In addition to the albums, Lee also recorded one MusicMasters single around 1990 and one guest performance in 1995. Her final studio recording (the 1995 guest performance) was in fact done for this noteworthy label.



Peggy Lee At Ken Bloom's And Bill Rudman's Harbinger Records

Harbinger was the other noteworthy company for which Peggy Lee recorded during her Ballroom years. The label had been set up in 1983 by a two-men team: Cleveland-based educator/radio broadcaster Bill Rudman and New York-based theatre historian/director Ken Bloom. Their first release was a taped concert that Geraldine Fitzgerald had given at Cleveland's Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival. Rudman was an associate director at the festival. After their live album was met with great critical success, the two men felt emboldened enough to produce their very first studio session. Aware that Francis Ford Coppola's much-buzzed-about period movie The Cotton Club was upcoming, Bloom and Rudman thought about recording an album of songs connected to that famous Harlem nightclub. They decided to concentrate on the numbers that the team of Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler had written during the period in which they worked for the club (1930-1934). To that end, they met with Arlen's friend and biographer Ed Jablonski. He acquainted Bloom and Rudman with a batch of song manuscripts which Arlen had kept in a storage unit, and which had barely enjoyed the light of day since the early 1930s.

Next, the producers set out to choose a suitable vocalist. They visited Tower Records to check the bins of LPs by Broadway and pop singers. Maxine Sullivan was their choice. A phone search and a subsequent call to the semi-retired singer was all it took. The resulting album (The Great Songs From The Cotton Club By Harold Arlen And Ted Koehler) garnered a Grammy nomination in 1984 and became the first of the producers' three songbook collaborations with Sullivan, who passed away in 1987 -- and who happened to be Peggy Lee's greatest vocal influence. (Due to Sullivan's illness, plans for a fourth songbook, dedicated to Hoagy Carmichael, and slated to be recorded in 1987, had to be cancelled.)

One year earlier, Harold Arlen had also passed away. While cataloging the deceased's collection, Jablonski had discovered another treasure trove of Arlen songs, most of them rare or even unpublished. Made aware of the discovery, Bloom and Rudman excitedly planned one full album of such songs. When the time to choose a singer came, the producers followed the same plan of action they had used for the Cotton Club project. "Ken and I went to the singers' section in Tower Records in New York and went through all the bins from A to Z," Rudman told reporter Rebecca Freligh of the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1993. "We got to Z, and said, 'it's Peggy Lee or nobody.' "

"In January 1988," states reporter Freligh, "Rudman called Lee at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, where she was performing. He told her he had a concept for an album. She didn't know him from Adam, and it seemed she didn't want to. I said, 'Just let me tell you what the idea is. The idea is, these are all unpublished songs by Harold Arlen. And there was this pause. And she said, Oh. Yes, I would be interested in talking to you. (Freligh's account has at least one erroneous detail. Lee had not performed at the Waldorf Astoria since the 1970s, although she could have been staying there in 1988.)

More recently, Bloom and Rudman were interviewed at length for a biography of Peggy Lee. The producers told biographer Peter Richmond that they had gone to see Lee at The Ballroom during her February 1988 engagement, and that the performance which they watched had further convinced them: she was the right choice for their project. Hence the team accosted the artist after the show, as she was about to be driven in a limo. A very interested Lee extended an offer to have them visit at her home in California. They ended up making three visits, the first just so that Lee could listen to the songs (April 1988) and the other two visits dedicated to rehearsals in the company of Keith Ingham. (The pianist and arranger had been the main musical collaborator on the albums that Maxine Sullivan had recorded for Harbinger, too.) Fourteen songs were ultimately chosen by the producers, and at least a couple more were considered but ultimately left unrecorded. For details about the recording dates, see session dated August 29, 1988.

Years later, Lee told the press that she had loved working with Bloom and Rudman, deeming them "very thoughtful and supportive and enthusiastic. I've never had more fun with anyone -- and I've had great producers." For their part, the producers told biographer Peter Richmond that Lee had had fun telling them obscene jokes: "[s]he was sort of like a little kid, mischievously telling these jokes." But at the sessions, they found her to conduct herself very professionally, and to give moving, nakedly heartfelt renditions of the performances. According to the producers, they made plans to record next an Alec Wilder songbook, "which never materialized due to her failing health."

Peggy Lee (ldr), Gregory K. Squires (pdr), Bill Kipper (eng), John Chiodini (g), Jay Leonhart (b), Mike Renzi (p), Grady Tate (d), Mark Sherman (per), Peggy Lee (v)

The Recording Session(s)

In early February 1988, Peggy Lee came to New York for a two-week engagement at The Ballroom. Her engagement was so successful that it was extended for three additional weeks. "We had two days off at The Ballroom and I just brought the musicians over the recording studio and we did [this album]," Peggy Lee told Fred Hall in a 1990 interview. The album to which she was referring was Peggy Sings The Blues, whose masters are listed in this session. Guitarist John Chiodini told biographer Peter Richmond that he was actually the one who had "encouraged [Lee] to do an album devoted entirely to the blues, for the Musicmasters label."

During the aforementioned oral interview with Fred Hall, Peggy Lee also pointed out: "no rehearsals -- any. That is true jazz; they didn't -- there was no rehearsals. All of those things they had in mind, like let's do a doo dah dah dah ...[...] ... [such spontaneous ideas would] set off a whole chain of things they'd play. [The album] sounds almost as if it has been arranged just right there."


Dating

The exact dates on which Peggy Lee recorded the material included in Peggy Lee Sings The Blues are unknown to me. The approximate dating that I have entered herein is based partly on information gleaned from various periodicals and partly on data drawn from two other sources (an oral interview, some album outtakes). Specifics are discussed in the next paragraphs.

On Sunday, January 31, 1988, a Newsday article reported that Peggy Lee was "recording an album this weekend, for Musicmasters." Two days later (February 2, 1988), a New York Post article quoted Lee as having said that "[I] will do part of it before I'm in the Ballroom, and the rest after."

Lee's engagement at The Ballroom started on the very evening of the second article's publication (February 2). As for the last scheduled day of the two-week engagement, it was Saturday, February 13.

If the plans that Lee had shared with the press were carried out, then the recording dates can be pinpointed with only a small margin of error. The earlier sessions would have taken place during the last weekend of January (i.e., between Friday the 28th and Sunday the 31st). The later sessions would have happened in mid-February, possible Sunday the 14th and Monday the 15th.

But even the best laid plans can go awry. For one, and as already mentioned, Lee's engagement was extended for three more weeks. Since the decision to extend it was presumably made after Lee had already performed for a few days, the pre-engagement quotes that she made to the press do not reflect this change of schedule, which might have caused in turn a re-schedule of the recording sessions. Second, the session(s) planned for the pre-engagement period could have been postponed: in the pre-engagement articles, the reporters and the singer make references to some diabetes-related difficulties that Lee was having.

Third, the date of one of Lee's 1988 Musicmasters sessions is actually known: on Monday, February 8, 1988, she recorded at least a couple of numbers, both of them album outtakes. (See next session.) It stands to reason that some of the songs included in the album were recorded on that same date, but it is not known which ones, nor how many.

In the aforementioned 1990 interview, conducted by radio broadcaster Fred Hall, Lee states that the album was done in just two days. If her recollection is completely accurate, and if we factor in the outtakes' date, the correct recording dates for all of these masters could be February 7 and 8 or February 8 and 9, 1988.

Be it as it may, and due to the absence of more specific information, I have chosen to enter a safer, more general and encompassing dating: February 1988.


Personnel

1. Gregory K. Squires
A fair number of Musicmasters CDs list George K. Squires as part of their sessions' personnel. Usually he is identified as the record engineer, but in the case of Peggy Sings The Blues he is credited as the producer. (The mastering of the album is credited to Bill Kipper at Masterdisk Corp.) Squires' website indeed describes him as both a producer and engineer who majored in French horn and who is a faculty member of the Manhattan School of Music.


Masters And Labels

1. Amreco
2. Amerco
All issues from the Musical Heritage family of labels bear two company ownership credits, one for the label itself and another for a company that, curiously, seems to have changed its name. For further details, seenotes under session dated November 1-3, 1989.


Issues

1. The Album Peggy Sings The Blues At The Grammys
Held on February 22, 1989, the 31st Grammy Awards ceremony found Peggy Lee's name back in the category of Best [Jazz] Vocal Performance, Female, after twenty years of absence. Her fellow nominees were Betty Carter, Lena Horne, Rickie Lee Jones and Carmen McRae. The winner was Carter, for her album Look What I Got! Lee's next nomination would take place on the following year; see session dated November 1-3, 1989.

2. The Correct Release Date Of Peggy Sings The Blues [CD]
The compact disc edition of Peggy Sings The Blues was originally released in November 1988, as proven by articles that were published that year, and which specifically review the album in its digital configuration. (Those reviews do not mention the LP or the cassette, but I believe that all three configurations were simultaneous released.)

However, the CD is given a 1989 release date in some record guides. I do not know if the guides are mistaken, or if they are pointing to a second pressing. One other possibility is that 1989 is, after all, the correct date. Since November 1988 is close enough to 1989, it could be that reviewers had received promotional copies well in advance of the album's release, and that they proceeded to review them before the CD came out. Such a possibility strikes me as unlikely, though -- particularly from a promotional perspective.

In any case, I have chosen to give a 1988 date to the original release. 1988 is the copyright and sound recording copyright year given in all configurations of the album.

3. Musicmasters' Various Pressings of Peggy Sings The Blues
The album Peggy Sings The Blues has gone through a series of pressings and reissues, some of which are not easy to track down.

There are at least two reissues, neither on Musicmasters itself. One was on the parent company (Musical Heritage, 1990), the other on a sister label (Jazz Heritage, November 2002). The Jazz Heritage issue identifies itself as such only in the front and back covers; the disc itself bears instead the Musical Heritage logo and copyright.

As for album pressings after the initial one in 1988, I have located another from 1992, to which new catalogue numbers were assigned. There has also been at least one licensee's pressing, which bears two catalogue numbers. The first of its two numbers is among those listed above (5005-2-C). The other catalogue number, D 143661, is accompanied by the legend "Mfd. for BMG Direct Marketing, Inc. under License," etc. In the specific case of the album's CD edition, I have come across yet another catalogue number, listed in a record guide: 8208092. This number is linked to S&R, which I presume to be another licensee, or perhaps a distributor. Although those are the only pressings of which I am fully aware, I do not discard the possibility of others, which could bear entirely different catalogue numbers.

Of course, there have also been non-USA pressings of Peggy Sings The Blues, on labels such as Limelight, Polygram, and Phonogram. For a listing of those, consult the page for foreign pressings in this discography's Miscellanea section.

4. Musicmasters' Technology
The Musical Heritage family of labels took pride in its use of innovative aural technology for its original recordings. Both of Lee's albums for Musicmasters bear legends pointing to a technological bent; they are called "[full] digital" recordings. Meanwhile, the cassettes are labeled "chrome" or "compatible chrome." Moreover, the album's 2002 CD edition on Jazz Heritage is a remastering for which "K2 technology" was used.

This concern with up-to-date technology dates back to the company's early dates and is probably an offshoot of an audiophile orientation among classically minded fans. In 1971, the Musical Heritage Society was being listed among the international leaders in using Dolby noise reduction technology for their cassettes of classical music. Earlier in the same year, Musical Heritage's decision to use TDK Super Dynamic tape had put the label in the news, too.


Collectors' Corner

1. Different Album Covers On Musicmasters And Musical Heritage
The respective Musicmasters and Musical Heritage CD editions of Peggy Sings The Blues sport different photos of Lee. Lee wears the same coiffure but different attire in the two photos, which were both taken by Hans Albers in 1988. Only the Musicmasters photo is in color; the following link leads to an online reproduction: http://www.peggylee.com/pics/covers/peg209.jpg .

The 2002 Jazz Heritage CD uses the same color cover as the MusicMasters original, but darkens it and add a few minor details, such as a violet-colored framing and an augmentation of two of the title words, sings and the.

The Musical Heritage issues actually used two photographs, both in black & white, from the same photo session. One photo graces the cover of the CD, the other one the cover of the cassette. In the cassette, a bespectacled Peggy is looking straight in the photographer's camera. It is a close shot, from the neck up. The CD's photo shows Lee from the waist up, and was taken at a greater distance, from a higher angle; Lee is sitting in a chair.

Peggy Lee (ldr), Gregory K. Squires (pdr), John Chiodini (g), Jay Leonhart (b), Mike Renzi (p), Grady Tate (d), Mark Sherman (per), Peggy Lee (v)

Songs

These two vocals are outtakes from the Peggy Sings The Blues sessions.

Peggy Lee (ldr), Ken Bloom, Bill Rudman (pdr), Keith Ingham (pdr, con, p), Tim Martyn, Andrew Milano (eng), Phil Bodner (f, as), Ken Peplowski (ts), Glenn Zottola (t, fh), George Masso (tb), John Chiodini (g), Jay Leonhart (b), Mark Sherman (vib, per), Grady Tate (d), Peggy Lee (v)

The Recording Session

After going through a couple of rehearsals at her home in California (with producers Ken Bloom and Bill Rudman, along with their favored pianist Keith Ingham), Peggy Lee came to New York to record the above-listed masters. "She came scrupulously prepared," Rudman told biographer Peter Richmond. Relying on his conversations with the producer, Richmond adds that at the dates Lee was "[b]y and large ... the essence of professionalism."

Lee is known to have had at least one argument with Ingham. The specifics are unknown; they appear to have pertained to one of the pianist's playing and/or arrangements. According to Richmond, a musician present at the date has claimed that Ingham had to "retreat to a closet until the squall had passed over. But otherwise, Lee was agreeable to most of Ingham's arrangements." Hearsay suggests that Lee actually wanted Mike Renzi, her regular accompanist, to play at the sessions.

In Rudman's opinion, Lee's work during the sessions was a success. "It was as if she'd finally come home," Rudman told Richmond. "Her voice came from this quiet place, and she was the essence of Peggy Lee. She took in the energy of the musicians, of the art, and she was totally present in each moment."


Personnel

1. Peggy Lee's Assessment
2. Ken Peplowski
While talking to music critic Will Friedwald about one of the session's performances ("Can You Explain?"), Peggy Lee praised the musicians in the Keith Ingham Octet: "The way it came together was very nice. They were all marvelous in their own way, especially Kenny [Peplowski]. I don't often work with saxophones, but I came to love that horn all over again after hearing him. He reminds me of Ben Webster."

3. Tim Martyn
4. Andrew Milano
Tim Martyn is credited for the mastering of the Angel edition of Love Held Lightly, Andrew Milano for the mixing of the Harbinger edition.


Labels And Issues

1. The Delayed Release Of Love Held Lightly
Though recorded for Harbinger Productions in 1988, this session's masters were first released in 1993 by Angel Records.

Peggy Lee herself was the cause of the five-year delay. In the spring of 1988, when plans to issue an album were well in advance, the singer asked the producers to pull the plug on the project. She is said to have given various reasons for her decision, including some that sound eccentric and which might or might have not been uttered with tongue planted in cheek (e.g., her supposed consultation with an astrologist who would have told her that the stars were not aligned in her favor or that "Mercury was in the retrograde"). Rudman's own opinion was that the artist had become scared because the songs had "put her out there emotionally in a way she hadn't been in a long, long time." Lee herself acknowledged her high sensitivity to the material, not just because of the emotions that Arlen's numbers had indeed always aroused in her, but also on account of the weighty responsibility at hand: the release of such tunes, most of them never published before, and all of them written by one of the greatest American composers.

The principal source of her objections seems to have been more specific, however. In comments that Lee made to the press after she finally authorized the release of Love Held Lightly, the album's mix comes off as the crux of the matter. After having listened to a rough mix, she had asked the producers to strengthen the masters' overall sound by adding more percussion and brass (trombone). Rudman had agreed with Lee's assessment, and had fulfilled her request. But it had been to little avail. Despite further work on the masters, Lee remained dissatisfied. She felt that the mix (or the way that she had been miked) failed to capture the "layers of overtones" that she often pursued in her vocal interpretations. "When they use those limiters and high-tech things on the human voice, it doesn’t even sound like yourself when you hear the playback," she explained to the San Francisco Chronicle's Lee Hildebrand in 1993. For their part, the producers suspected that Lee's impressions on the mix had been colored by the visceral reaction that she had had to the original, unmixed tapes: the artist had not found them as smooth as she had hoped they would be.

But the passing of time apparently mollified Lee's misgivings. In 1992, she gave a fresh listening to the mix and unexpectedly called Rudman to authorize the album's release. As Rudman remembered, Lee said to him on the phone, "you know, dear, I've been listening to this tape, and it's really pretty good. I don't see any reason why you shouldn't put this out if you want to."

For the extremely considerate producers, the news of Lee's approval were very welcome, and a sign that they had proceeded wisely. In 1989, they had had to face the unpleasant prospect of telling their investors that the album had been cancelled. After doing so, they had decided to just sit and wait. As experienced producers who had already worked with a fair share of artists, they had thought it would be best to "be cool about it and not in any way pressure her, which we knew would backfire," Rudman explained to biographer Peter Richmond.

Added the ever-thoughtful Rudman: "We also did this because we knew that she had taken incredible risks on the project ... The Arlen songs ... required total nakedness in performance. From the beginning, that's what attracted her to the project. But embracing a project is not the same as embracing your work on it and knowing when to let go."

2. Angel Records
In 1992, after Lee gave her blessing to the release of the Arlen songbook, Bloom and Rudman took on the task of finding new investors in order to continue the project. Once they completed that task, the producers' next hurdle was to convince the record labels that the album merited commercial release. Some of their past Harbinger projects had been successfully licensed to Stash Records, but in 1992 they were not finding any takers. "We sent tapes all over the place," Rudman told Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Rebecca Freligh, "and we kept getting told, Peggy sounds terrific, but why did you record all these songs that nobody knows?, which was very discouraging."

Finally, the album was picked up by Angel Records, a label whose specialty was classical American music. According to what the company's vice president of marketing (Linda Sterling) told Freligh, Love Held Lightly struck the label as "a natural" for them. Since Angel Records was in reality a New York-based branch of Capitol, their release of Love Held Lightly signified Peggy Lee's return (of sorts) to her mother label.

3. Love Held Lightly [CD; Harbinger Reissue]
Harbinger CD #2401 is a reissue of Angel CD #54798. In both issues, the same masters are included. The artwork is only slightly different. But the Harbinger reissue boasts richer writing: essays not only by Edward Jablonski and Will Friedwald (both reprinted from the 1993 Angel issue) but also by producers Rudman and Bloom (newly written in 2006).

4. I Had A Love Once [LP]
A British music fan once told me that a Peggy Lee LP entitled I Had A Love Once had been released abroad. No other sights of an album with that title are known to me. Most likely, the fan was confused about the title, and was actually thinking about Love Held Lightly. Also curious is his description of the item as an LP; to my knowledge, Love Held Lightly has been issued only on cassette and compact disc.


Location

1. Clinton Recording Studios
2. Classic Sound Studio
In their aforementioned essay, Rudman and Bloom identify Clinton Studios as the location in which these session's masters were recorded. They make this identification just in passing, without dwelling on it.

Another source ties these masters to Classic Sound (then located at 211 West 61st Street, New York). The source does not clarify if Classic Sound was the original recording location, or the place where some of the subsequent mastering and mixing took place.

I have naturally given greater credence to the comment made by the producers themselves.


Songs

1. "Happy With The Blues"
Peggy Lee originally wrote lyrics for the melody of "Happy With The Blues" back in 1961. Those original lyrics were commissioned for a television special in honor of songwriter Harold Arlen. (Details about that special, which was broadcast on September 1961, will be found in this discography's television section, once that section is finished and ready for viewing.)

Lee was never satisfied with the lyrics that she wrote in 1961. "Of all people," the artist said to an interviewer, "I admired Harold so much, and I wanted them to be really good. I suppose that’s what kept me from writing my best." These Love Held Lightly sessions gave Lee the opportunity to do a revise her lyrics, making them more suitable for Arlen's music.

2. "Unrecorded" Songs
Although no unissued Lee masters are known to exist at Harbinger, there is knowledge of at least two other rare Arlen songs that she and the company's producers considered to record: "I'm Off The Downbeat" and "Green Light Ahead."

Peggy Lee (ldr), John Chiodini (pdr, g, elg, bkv), Peggy Lee (pdr, v), John Snyder (pdr), Joe Lopes, Jay Newland (eng), Sanford Allen (con, vn), Mike Renzi (con, p), Jay Leonhart (b), William Galison (hps), Peter Grant (d), Mark Sherman (per), Robert Fuchs, Winterton Garvey, Stanley Hunter, Regis Iandiorio, Louann Montesi, Dale Stuckenbruck (vn), Diane Barere, Melissa Meell (vc), Milt Grayson (bkv)

Songs And Songwriters

1. "Fever"
2. Peggy Lee
This session's version of "Fever" boasts a couple of verses never heard in previous versions. They were newly written by Lee for this occasion. Also included in this version are some -- not all -- of the verses that Lee wrote in 1958, and which she added back then to the original number by Otis Blackwell and Eddie Cooley.


Personnel

1. John Chiodini
2. Mike Renzi
John Chiodini and Mike Renzi were the co-conductors of this session's masters.

John Chiodini conducted "I Just Want To Dance All Night," "I'll Give It All To You," "Sans Souci," "Boomerang," "Things Are Swingin'," and "Over The Wheel."

Mike Renzi conducted "Circle In The Sky," "He's A Tramp," "There'll Be Another Spring," "Where Can I Go Without You," and "The Shining Sea."

3. Victor Young
The credits in the album There'll Be Another Spring: The Peggy Lee Songbook correctly identify Victor Young (1900-1956) as the original arranger of "Johnny Guitar," but wrongly credit the long-deceased composer with conducting this 1989 version. The conductor must have been instead either Renzi or Chiodini.

4. Sanford Allen
Sanford Allen conductor of strings only.

5. Milton Grayson
Milton Grayson sings background vocals in "Sans Souci" only.

6. Sammy Cahn
Lyricist Sammy Cahn wrote the short but highly laudatory liner notes for The Peggy Lee Songbook. Though a good longtime friend of Lee's, Cahn makes a point of mentioning that the person who asked him to write the notes was Warner / Chappell's Frank Military (rather than Lee herself).


Masters

1. Mixing And Mastering
According to the discographical notes that are part of The Peggy Lee Songbook, the album's masters were recorded on a Sony 48-track digital recorder, then mixed and mastered to a Sony PCM 1630. The mixing took place on December 4, 5 and 6, 1989, the mastering on December 7, 1989 and on January 10, 1990.


Arrangements (And Issues)

1. Misleading Credits
Contrary to what the credits in the album The Peggy Lee Songbook might seem to suggest, Gordon Jenkins, Johnny Mandel, and Victor Young were not present at these sessions. Instead, those credits point to the fact that their respective arrangements of previous Peggy Lee recordings were used by Lee and company.


Issues

1. Jeffey Nissim And The Peggy Lee Songbook Series
Peggy Lee told the press that the idea of doing an album consisting entirely of her lyrics had been suggested by Musicmasters' president Jeffrey Nissim. The vocalist made the song choices in tandem with John Chiodini.

Lee also mentioned to the press that the album was conceived as a commemoration of her 70th birthday on May 26, 1990. (If the release date that I have for the album is correct -- June 25, 1990 -- then Musicmasters must have not been able to ready it in time for her birthday.)

Peggy Lee actually had plans to record a series of albums dedicated to the songs that she had written. In fact, the 1990 album was identified in some press reports as volume 1. (The album itself does not bear such a rubric, however.) For the second album, the singer-songwriter was contemplating recording just songs that she and Dave Barbour had written. Lee's intention to carry out that plan is apparent from the fact that There'll Be Another Spring, the first album in the prospective Peggy Lee Songbook series, does not include any collaborations with Barbour. Unfortunately, no other songbook albums were made, for reasons unknown.

2. The Album There'll Be Another Spring: The Peggy Lee Songbook At The Grammys
Both of Peggy Lee's albums for the Musicmasters label earned her Grammy nominations in the category of Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female. In addition to repeat nominees Betty Carter, Carmen McRae and newly emerging Dianne Reeves, the other nominee in this category was the woman who had won the award on almost every single year in which she had been nominated: Lee's beloved friend Ella Fitzgerald. With her album titled All That Jazz, Fitzgerald did it again, for one final time.

This was also the last of Peggy Lee's 14 Grammy nominations (12 bestowed on her, including one win; two bestowed on others but pertaining to her records). Or almost her last. In 1995, Peggy Lee received a very significant honor: The Grammy's Lifetime Achievement Award.

A few years after Lee passed away, there were also two Grammy nominations in connection to the 2004 Peggy Lee CD set The Singles Collection. (Details can be found in the notes under the Capitol session dated February 18, 1952.)

3. Musicmasters' Various Pressings Of The Peggy Lee Songbook [LP, CS, CD]
Following the original 1990 pressing of The Peggy Lee Songbook, Musicmasters did another pressing of this album, to which it assigned a new catalogue number. That second pressing is from around 1992. I have also come across listings for a CD edition of The Peggy Lee Songbook which is not credited to MusicMasters or to Musical Heritage, though it bears the same year as the original release. Its catalogue number is S&R 8208212; I presume S&R to be a licensee or a distributor.

Although the above-listed pressings of the album are the only ones known to me, I do not discard the possibility of others, which could also bear entirely different catalogue numbers.

As show in the issue entries above, the album was reissued on Musicmasters' parent company, Musical Heritage, too. There are also non-USA (re)issues of There'll Be Another Spring: The Peggy Lee Songbook on labels such as Limelight, Polygram, Phonogram, and Venus. A listing can be found in the foreign pressings page of this discography's Miscellanea section.


Collectors' Corner

1. The Peggy Lee Rose
Gracing the cover of The Peggy Lee Songbook is a drawing of the Peggy Lee Rose, a flower that the American Rose Society officially named after the singer in 1983 or thereabouts.

2. Slightly Different Album Covers On MusicMasters And Musical Heritage
The same front cover graces all pressings and (re)issues of The Peggy Lee Songbook, but some minor differences are evident among them. Musicmasters uses color, Musical Heritage black & white. (This detail has been corroborated only for the LP format. I have not been able to inspect Musical Heritage's reissues in the compact disc and cassette formats.) The cover of the Jazz Heritage CD is also in color, and differs from the MusicMasters cover by the addition of a pink framing around all four sides of the drawing.

3. Lyrics Sheet
All editions of There'll Be Another Spring that I have inspected have all the lyrics printed. In the CDs, they are printed in the booklets, as expected. Also as expected, the Musical Heritage LP features them in its back cover. But the original LP on Musicmmasters does not follow expectations. Its lyrics are printed in a jacket insert: one sheet of high gloss paper, almost the same size as the LP's jacket.


Masters And Labels

1. Amreco
2. Amerco
All issues from the Musical Heritage family of labels bear two ownership credits, one for the label itself and another for a company that, curiously, seems to have changed its name at some point in time. The company's name was given as Amreco, Inc. until some time in the late 1990s or early 2000s, when it was changed to Amerco, Inc.

In the albums, Amreco/Amerco is usually tied to the sound recording copyright ( ℗ ), occasionally to the registered trademark ( ® ). The regular copyright symbol ( © ) is attached to the Musical Heritage labels.

Peggy Lee (ldr), Wendy Raksin (dir), John Chiodini (pdr), Glen Aulepp, Gary Denton, Joe Lopes, Jay Newland (eng), Unknown (afp), Dom DeLuise, Other Individuals Unknown (v), Peggy Lee (v, spk), The Carpenter Avenue Elementary School Chorus (bkv)

At The Recording Session

Julena Stinson and Beverly A. West, both erstwhile members of the Carpenter Avenue Elementary School chorus, have kindly shared with me their memories of some events that transpired at this session and at its rehearsal.

Julena Stinson and I came into contacted in 2004. Julena remembers rehearsing with both Peggy Lee and John Chiodini at one point, but believes that only Chiodini was present during the chorus' actual recording of the vocal. Julena's understandably vague recollection is that Lee had become ill, and could not be present. (See second reminiscence, below, for a different take on this matter.) She further recalls that the session had been scheduled to be recorded at Stagg Street Studio, but plans had to be canceled when the permits for bus transportation could not get processed in time. Instead, the chorus recorded its vocal at the school's auditorium. A 22-year-old when she spoke with me in 2004, Julena believes that she was about 7 at the time of the recording session, a detail which would point to 1989 as the (unclear) recording year for this session.

Beverly A. West contacted me in 2009. Beverly specifically remembers Peggy Lee being present during the recording. Adds Beverly: "she was definitely ill — in a wheelchair, if I remember correctly. She apologized to us at one point because she had to stop to eat a sandwich because of her health. She was a very nice lady. Asked about the year in which the session took place, Beverly answered as follows: I was in the fifth grade at the time, so it would have been in fall 1989 or spring 1990. I suspect it was in the spring of 1990."


Dating

This session's date remains unknown to me. The two possible years are 1989 and 1990, as suggested by the details given below.

The cassette single that contains these performances identifies 1990 as the year of copyright. (Some online servers give an October 12, 1992 release date to the cassingle, but I am inclined to think that the servers' information is erroneous. Or, otherwise, it could point to a re-release, although I have found no evidence of one.)

For the songs themselves, the following information is given in the cassingle: Words & Music: Peggy Lee/John Chiodini © 1990, 1989. It is clear that "We Be Friends" had already been written by early 1989: Lee was singing this song live, in concert, during April of that year, in San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel.

An article published in the December 1990 issue of Interview Magazine suggests that "Everybody Loves A Santa Claus" was written that same year. Interviewer Linda Ekblad quotes Peggy as saying that she was "writing a Christmas special called The Legend of Christmas .... Dom DeLuise is going to be one of the Santa Clauses. Won't that be perfect? We're trying to get Jonathan Winters. I have written a song for it: Everybody Needs A Santa Claus." (I have found no further details about this prospective TV special, which probably did not come to fruition.)

If Lee truly wrote "Everybody Loves A Santa Claus" for a special that was in the making in 1990, then it would be logical to assume that this session's masters were also recorded in 1990.
Adding to the circumstantial evidence is the cassingle's year of copyright, and also Beverly A. West's inclination toward the spring of 1990 as the correct period.


Personnel

1. Dom DeLuise
Dom DeLuise participates in "Everybody Needs A Santa Claus" only.

2. Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee's speaking voice is heard only in portions of "Everybody Needs A Santa Claus."

3. Wendy Raskin
Wendy Raskin was musical director for The Carpenter Avenue Elementary School Chorus only.


Masters

1. Mixing
The cassingle credits the mixing of these performances to John Chiodini and Gary Denton.

2. Gary Denton
3. Glenn Aulepp
4. Joe Lopes
5. Gary Newland
Engineers Gary Denton and Glen Aulepp are credited for both masters. (Denton is the owner of Stagg Street Studio.) Aulepp is identified as the "2nd. engineeer." Joe Lopes and Gary Newland are credited for "Everybody Loves A Santa Claus" only.

The last phase of Peggy Lee's recording career involved one final album and various guest performances. With one exception, all of this discographical activity happened during the summer of 1992 while she was performing at the New York Hilton's Club 53, and shortly thereafter. In a situation that paralleled her 1988 appearances at the Ballroom (another New York club), some of the offers to record were triggered by the highly enthusiastic accolades that she was receiving from critics and regular patrons that had come to see her at Club 53.

Readers who want to be selective in their exploration of Lee's recorded oeuvre should take note that, during this summer of 1992, her voice was far more effective in live performance than in the studio -- as will be discussed in some of the notes under the sessions below.


Peggy Lee At [David And Norman's] Chesky Records

The New York-based audiophile label Chesky Records was set up by a pair of brothers in 1986. While David Chesky took care of the artistic and musical production, Norman Chesky concentrated on the business side of the enterprise. A composer and pianist who studied with both David Del Tredici and John Lewis when he was 17, the oldest of the brothers has been part of the recording industry since the 1970s, when his fusion-oriented group (The David Chesky Band) grabbed a one-album contract with Columbia Records. After The Rush Hour was released in 1980 without making a lasting impression, the then-twenty-years-old spent several years working as a studio musician and as an orchestrator for film and television. When he told his brother that he was ready to create their own record company, they debuted the label with a series of reissues from the Readers Digest and the RCA classical catalogues. Next they tried their hand at producing sessions, for which they leased RCA's Studio A. In late 1988, jazz violinist John Frigo became the first artist to record for the label, accompanied by John and Bucky Pizzarelli. The resulting album, Live From Studio A in New York City, was released in 1989. Sessions by Earl Wild, Clark Terry and Phil Woods followed soon thereafter. The first female vocalist to record for the label was Brazilian artist Ana Caram; she was followed by Natasha Turner, Sarah K., Laverne Butler, and, finally, Peggy Lee.

Asked by an interviewer about the process of selecting artists to record for the label, David Chesky explained that "[s]ometimes people come to me, and sometimes I find them. We have a lot of famous jazz artists on this label, but we also have some other interesting artists. I believe there are two kinds of music: good and bad. I sign who I like. I often go by my initial gut reaction." Presumably, Chesky himself attended one of Lee's concert performances at Club 53. Or, otherwise, he might have extended a recording invitation after learning about the very favorable reception that her show had been earning. The exact details are not known, but a September 14, 1992 Associated Press article makes a passing reference to the subject matter. AP reporter Mary Campbell states that Lee had "just finished selling out a five-week engagement at Club 53 in the New York Hilton ... During the last week, Chesky Records gave her a contract to record the whole show."


Peggy Lee With Michael Franks, Gilbert O'Sullivan, And Benny Carter

In addition to her 1992 album for Chesky Records, Peggy Lee recorded three guests vocals during the 1990s. All three guest spots were made for inclusion in albums by male performers: Michael Franks (1992), Gilbert O'Sullivan (1992), and Benny Carter (1995).

Michael Franks had grown up listening to Peggy Lee and to other smooth, cool singers. Back when he was an adolescent (i.e., in the early 1960s), his parents' musical tastes "leaned toward vocalists of the day like June Christy and Peggy Lee," reminisced Franks during an interview for the liner notes of his 2007 CD Rendezvous In Rio. (He also remembered being exposed to the folk and blues tunes that were popular at the time. The trigger for those reminiscences is a pair of numbers included in the CD, "The Cool School" and "Hearing 'Take Five'," both written by him. Franks further recalls the effect that Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" and Mose Allison's "Your Mind's On Vacation" had on him upon first listening, at a friend's home: he felt awakened to a kind of music that sounded brand new and exciting to him. In short, the teenage Franks was heavily influenced by west coast jazz -- especially as interpreted by Brubeck, Chet Baker and a few others -- and by hip or cool artists such as Mose Allison.)

In an interview for smoothviews.com (conducted by Shannon West on November 16, 2006), Franks further shared the following: "I always loved Peggy Lee. After I made The Art of Tea [1976] and I was getting ready to go on the road, I worked with this great guitarist named John Pisano who was going to put a band together for me. I was completely green then. I’d worked as a duo and a solo, but I’d never thought of a band or anything like that. He was Peggy Lee’s musical director and he played some of my stuff for Peggy. Then he asked me if I’d like to meet her. We went up to her house one afternoon and it was just phenomenal to meet her, to meet someone I’d just idolized. Over the years I was blessed to get to know Peggy and correspond with her. She recorded one of my songs which was a thrill, and I got to have her on one of my records so I actually got to know her from that point on, which was amazing." A Robinsong was the Franks tune that Lee recorded in 1979, "You Were Mean For Me" the number that the two of them did together in 1992.

That same year, Gilbert O'Sullivan also invited Lee to do a guest vocal for one of his compositions. He too had been well acquainted with Lee's work long before 1992. Or so O'Sullivan told to concertgoers during his 2008-2010 tours. The motivation for O'Sullivan's remark is a video of him and Lee that he plays for his audiences in the middle of his shows. The video features the two singer-songwriters performing his composition "Can't Think Straight," accompanied by a full orchestra. On most evenings, O'Sullivan would preface the video with the following commentary: "Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hart, Rodgers and Hammerstein. These are fantastic people, as well as contemporary people like Bacharach and David, Lennon and McCartney, Goffin and King and such ... And of course to hear those songs you have to get the interpreters, the best interpreters of those songs. And I think the best male interpreter is Frank Sinatra. Or if we place female interpreters, we're down to Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee. In 1992 I had this song that I wanted to do as a duet. I didn't really want to use a contemporary artist. So I talked to Peggy. I mean I had lots of her albums not so much because I liked her; it's the fact that she was singing these great songs; she was the best [for ? __] ... So we wrote the lyric and she called us up and said, 'well, let me hear the song. If I like it, we'll record it.' At that time Peggy was 70 years of age. So when we sent her the song she called us -- yes, she liked it and she'd like to do it. So we flew to NY and recorded it ... And Peggy was quite frail. She was 70 years of age. She was in a wheel chair and she had to use an oxygen mask. That was a slight shock to us all; on the other hand, we treated her like a queen ... It was a fantastic couple of days. So because it was so special I filmed it for a video just to have for keepsake."

During an earlier discussion (2000) of "Can't Think Straight" at a Gilbert O'Sullivan fansite, one of his admirers also gave the following report, which for the most part mirrors the comments made by the artist himself in concert: "[o]n a radio interview, he said that he did the song with Peggy Lee because she was one of 'his favourite female artists' and that she was 'one of the best female interpreters of songs' [; so,] he always wanted to sing a duet with her ... He says that he phoned her at her home in California, she was 72 at the time, she was very interested. So they met up in NY and 'pampered her for a few days' took her in the studio, for her part of the song and did the video."

Benny Carter and Peggy Lee had known one another since the 1940s. They had been playing together in concert and in the recording studio since at least 1947. That year, she sang his composition "Lonely Woman" in a AFRS show that they did together; it might have been the very first public performance of the number. Also that year, he participated in her Rendezvous With Peggy Lee sessions, both as a sax player and as an arranger. Further work together, both in the studio and in concert, would take place in the 1950s and the 1960s.

When the idea to record a Benny Carter songbook was green-lighted at Music Masters, Peggy Lee was among the vocalists invited to do one or two of the numbers. She did one, titled "I See You," and was the last singer to make it to the studio for this particular project. According to Carter's bio-discographer Ed Berger, the musician was "very pleased that his old friend Peggy Lee was able to take part despite serious health problems."

Michael Franks (ldr), Ben Sidran (pdr), Chris Hunter (as), John Pisano (g), John Patitucci (b), Warren Bernhardt (p), Alex Acuña (d, per), Michael Franks, Peggy Lee, Other Individuals Unknown (v)

At The Recording Session

Interviewed over the phone for the aforementioned article, Michael Franks shared some impressions about the two voices heard in the duet:

"Considering the feminine voice and the male voice, there were moments I thought they were so close. And she came up with all those really pretty harmony parts at the end. She ad-libbed that. It was amazing to be there with her and just to observe at such close range how she worked."

Interesting if less gracious comments are offered by producer Ben Sidran in his biography On The Rim Of The Well: A Life In The Music. Sidran states that the session took place in the summer of 1992, when Lee arrived at the studio "in wheelchair, in such fragile health that she clearly could not sing the way she would have liked."

Sidran adds that Lee "insisted she wanted to sing the duet with Michael live," an idea that Sidran did not find worthwhile. He remembers telling Franks (presumably outside of Lee's listening range): "We are going to have to spend a lot of time getting her parts right, and Michael, you can do yours later. So I'm going to go out there and tell her I have some technical problem in here and that it isn't possible to do both vocals at once." Sidran then approached Lee, and allegedly told her: "Miss Lee, that was lovely but could I ask you to sing that live again because we're still having problems in here." The producer says that he kept repeating the same words "for an hour."

Sidran continues: "she was a real trooper and when it was over, we had the makings of a very poignant vocal track." He professes to have spent "the rest of the day [after lunch] sampling, timing and editing each of her words, syllables, and phonemes, taking extra care that none of the sutures would show, giving her vocal the greatest facelift known to man or woman. It was a prime example of what the technology was for: creating a new reality." The producer concludes this rather self-congratulatory account by calling the end result "tragic and bittersweet."


Dating And Masters

The basis for the dating that I have assigned to this session's master is a San Francisco Chronicle article, published on July 25, 1993, in which reporter Lee Hildebrand states that Michael Franks and Peggy Lee recorded their duet "in New York last August." As mentioned in the preceding session, there is also an Associated Press article published on September 14, 1992 in which it is mentioned that, during her stay in New York, Lee sang "a duet and made a video with Gilbert O'Sullivan and also recorded with Michael Franks, at their request, songs each of them wrote."

The Associated Press quote points to the possibility that Franks and Lee recorded not only his own composition "You Were Meant For Me" but also one or more of Lee's own lyrics. But, if Franks recorded any lyrics penned by Lee, whether with her or solo, the recording(s) must be unreleased, or must have been erased.


Personnel

1. Source
My only source of information for this session's personnel is the only issue to date (Reprise CD #9452274), in which there are, fortunately, separate personnel credits for the songs. Two of them are duets, and feature the same personnel. In addition to "You Were Meant For Me," the album's other duet is "Keeping My Eye On You," co-interpreted by Franks and Dan Hicks.

Gilbert O'Sullivan (ldr), Gilbert O'Sullivan (pdr, key, v), Allen Branch, Mark Flannery, John Gallen, Steve Lowe (eng), Laurie Holloway (ccm), Geoff Whitehorn (g), Bob Skeat (b), Mick Parker (pac), Roly Kerridge (per), Peggy Lee (v, spk), Other Individuals Unknown (v)

Songwriters

1. Raymond O'Sullivan
Raymond O'Sullivan is the birth name of Gilbert O'Sullivan. It is also the name under which BMI lists his compositions.


Dating And Location

The basis for the approximate date that I have assigned to this session's master is the following comment, found in an Associated Press report published on September 14, 1992: "Singer Peggy Lee ... just finished selling out a five-week engagement at Club 53 in the New York Hilton ... While in New York, [Peggy Lee] sang a duet and made a video with Gilbert O'Sullivan ..." Since the engagement had begun around July 29 and had ended on August 29, 1992, Lee's recording activity for O'Sullivan probably took place in August or otherwise in early September of that year. Late July is a possibility, too, though a less likely one. (n.b.: Further details about the video that is mentioned in the AP quote will be found in this discography's television pages, once those pages are completed and ready for viewing.)

In a recent BBC radio interview (July 2007), O'Sullivan himself confirmed that he was present in the studio when Lee recorded her part for their duet, and in concert appearances he has mentioned that they spent two days together. However, O'Sullivan's confirmed presence does not necessarily mean that he too recorded his part of the vocal on the same day as Lee. According to a fan of O'Sullivan's who posted his comments online, the artist said in another radio interview that he and Lee had sung their parts separately, and that the parts had then been blended in the studio. I believe that the information provided by this O'Sullivan fan is correct; it is certainly in accord with my impression that the same O'Sullivan vocal is heard in the four versions of the song that are discussed below.

According to O'Sullivan's official site (www.gilbertosullivan.net), "[t]his album was recorded almost entirely at his home in Jersey in the Channel Islands." (For other details on O'Sullivan's discographical work, see also Joe DiMuro's fan site at www.gosullivan.com .)

I do not know if O'Sullivan's "Can't Think Straight" vocal should be included among the parts of the album that were recorded at the singer-songwriter's home. I do know, however, that Lee's vocal was recorded in New York and that O'Sullivan flew to New York for the occasion. We also know that the pair performed together in the "Can't Think Straight" video that O'Sullivan filmed.


Personnel

1. Collective Personnel
Sounds Of The Loop (Park CD #19) lists a basic, collective personnel. Since it is not clear whether those credits thoroughly apply to "Can't Think Straight," they should be considered tentative.


Masters, Issues (And Collectors' Corner)

1. The Many (Fe)male Faces Of "Can't Think Straight"
"Can't Think Straight" was originally recorded for inclusion in Gilbert O'Sullivan's CD Sounds Of The Loop. Curiously, that CD has been issued in four editions whose songs are the exact same except for "Can't Think Straight" which, from one edition to the other, is partially a different number, partially identical. The elements which remain invariable are O'Sullivan's vocal and the music track. The element that varies is the duet partner. Each CD edition features a partner who has been obviously chosen on account of the international market to which the edition caters. Most of the duet partners sing in their respective native languages, and the lyrics that they interpret may also differ. (I can vouch for the fact that the lyrics sung by two of the four versions are different from one another.)

The original edition of Sounds Of The Loop was released by Toshiba Emi (CD Tocp 6897). In that 1991 release for the Asian market, O'Sullivan sings "Can't Think Straight" in the company of pianist and vocalist Takao Tisugi. Tisugi sings his part in Japanese, O'Sullivan in English. All the numbers included in this edition of Sounds Of The Loop were recorded between June 24 and September 12, 1991.

O'Sullivan's duet version with Peggy Lee was initially released by the British label Park in 1992 as part of a single also entitled Can't Think Straight (Park CD #15). One year later, Park also released its own edition of the CD Sounds Of The Loop (Park CD #19), obviously meant for distribution in the United Kingdom and, to a lesser extent, the United States. (Significant differences between the Toshiba Emi and Park editions are discussed in point #3 below.)

O'Sullivan's two other duet partners were Kirsten Siggaard, from Denmark, and Silvia Tortosa, from Spain. The CD editions that contain their respective versions (Siggaard: Scandinavian Records CD #966 005 2; Tortosa: Bcn Records Un 22 0451F) were released in 1993. Tortosa sings her part in Spanish; I do not know if Siggaard sings hers in English or in her native Danish.

Details about how those duets were conceived and produced are fuzzy in all four cases. It seems likely that O'Sullivan and his partners recorded their respective parts separately, although in Lee's case O'Sullivan made a point of coming to the studio while she was recording her part. (See notes about dating and location, above.)

2. "Can't Think Straight" [CD Single]
Park's CD single "Can't Think Straight" actually contains not one nor two but three songs, all of them written by Gilbert O'Sullivan: "Can't Think Straight," "Sometimes," and "Divorce Irish Style." The fine print in this CD single states that its three songs were "taken from the forthcoming album Sounds Of The Loop.

In the front cover, "Gilbert O'Sullivan & Peggy Lee" are jointly identified as the featured act, and the two artists are seen together. The more accurate billing for Lee would have been guest star, since the single's other two songs feature O'Sullivan alone (naturally).

The cover's photograph has a slightly fake appearance which initially led me to assume that two shots -- one of each singer -- had been pasted together. I still do not discard such a possibility, but now I feel more inclined to zero in on the backdrop as the element that gives the impression of artificiality. It is a blank yellow screen that is clearly substituting for the actual backdrop behind the singers. The clothes worn by the two artists in this photo are the same ones that they wore for their video.

3. Sounds Of The Loop [CD; Park Records]
The CD Sounds Of The Loop was first released by Emi Toshiba in Japan, then by Park in Great Britain. As previously mentioned, the Japanese edition contains O'Sullivan's "Can't Think Straight" version with Takao Tisugi. The Park edition contains, on the other hand, two versions of "Can't Think Straight": the duet with Takao Tisugi (track #12) and the duet with Peggy Lee (track #6).

4. The Best Of Gilbert O'Sullivan [CD, Rhino Records; Original And Reissue Editions]
Rhino Records has released a CD entitled The Best Of Gilbert O'Sullivan twice, first in 1991 and then in 1997. As far as I have been able to ascertain from online listings (I do not own copies of this disc), the catalogue number of both editions is the same (R2 70560), and both editions contain 20 tracks. But the 1997 reissue substitutes two of the 20 tracks in the 1991 issue: only the 1997 edition includes "Can't Think Straight."

Further adding to the confusion surrounding this Rhino compilation is the fact that the first pressing of the 1997 edition erroneously included the Kirsten Siggaard version. A very mortified O'Sullivan requested a recall of that first pressing. The second pressing is said to contain the Peggy Lee version.

5. Love Songs [CD; Compilation Of O'Sullivan Songs]
Various sources erroneously report that the 1998 Japanese CD Love Songs (Kitty Records Ktcm 1132) includes the duet version by Peggy Lee and O'Sullivan. This anthology of O'Sullivan ballads contains instead the version with Takao Tisugi.

Peggy Lee (ldr), David Chesky (pdr), Bob Katz (eng), Gerry Niewood (f, ss, ts), Jay Berliner (acg, elg), Steve LaSpina, Jay Leonhart (b), Mike Renzi (p), Tony Monte (snt), Peter Grant (d), Peggy Lee (v)

The Recording Sessions

Peggy Lee's studio sessions for Chesky Records were probably conceived an attempt at recreating the magic of the very successful concerts that she had been giving at Club 53 during the month of August 1992. Accordingly, the songs chosen for the album were culled from her nightly repertoire at the club.

Perhaps fatigued after more than a month of concert performances, or perhaps beset by her various ailments, the seventy-second-year-old was not in optimal vocal condition at the time of these sessions. Acquaintances of the singer have privately reported that Lee wished to leave the album unreleased, but her contract commitment prevented any steps in that direction. Despite her misgivings about the quality of the work that she had turned in, Lee felt grateful to Chesky Records for their interest and for the opportunity that the label's owners had given to her.


Location

1. BMG Studios
2. RCA Studios
In the discographical notes of the CD Moments Like This, BMG Studio B is identified as the location at which the album's masters were recorded.

The master "Why Don't You Do Right?" has also been issued in a Chesky compilation entitled Live From Studio A. All tracks in that compilation were supposedly recorded in RCA's Studio A.

In other words, the two aforementioned CDs list a different location for at least one of Lee's masters. I have put more trust in the location stated by the original CD. It is possible that, with the passing of time, the correct recording location for the Lee track was forgotten because Chesky employed more than one studio facility. (Moments Like This was released in 1992, Live From Studio A in 2006.) In a 1995 interview with David Chesky for Audio magazine, reporter John Gatski notes that "Chesky does not have a recording studio, preferring to pick venues that are comfortable for the musicians and provide a 'live' ambience."

Incidentally, the sound quality of the Lee track is much improved in the 2006 compilation.


Personnel

1. Steve Laspina
2. Jay Leonhart
Two bassists are listed in the personnel credits for the CD Moments Like This.

Steve Laspina played bass on "I Don't Know Enough About You," "Moments Like This," "Mañana," "Amazing," and "Always True To You In My Fashion."

Jay Leonhart's bass is heard in "Why Don't You Do Right?," "(Our) Love Is Here to Stay," " 'S Wonderful," and "Do I Love You?"

Underlying this Laspina-Leonhart distribution is the fact that the album was recorded over two days. Laspina was presumably available one day, Leonhart the other day.

3. Tony Monte
A keyboard synthesizer is played by Tony Monte in "(Our) Love Is Here to Stay," " 'S Wonderful," and "Amazing."


Masters And Sound Quality

There is a fair amount of variation in the appeal that the CD Moments Like This holds from one listener to the other. A general sense of the various opinions can be gathered from the following five excerpts, written by Amazon's online customers:

1. "Peggy Lee's ... voice is a mere warble on this recording. But Lee's inimitable style is very present. Listen to her phrasing on [The] Folks who Live on the Hill and 'S Wonderful. The selections and musicians, led by Mike Renzi, are first rate."

2. "[T]he musicians are great and Peggy delivers some moving treatments on some of these songs, i do wished [sic] they had recorded Peggy live because i heard her sing in 1994 and she sounded wonderful!!"

3. "[S]he sounds barely awake and definitely not on key. In the the [sic] rare moments when she is animated, she is hardly recognizable as the Peggy Lee of years earlier. Also, the orchestration is virtually elevator music ."

4. "I'm glad I ignored the critical pans of this, Peggy's last recording session. Indeed, she does sound older than her 72 years, and neither the breath support nor the enveloping breathiness are there any longer. The lyrics are delivered almost sotto voce -- an expiring sigh but with dead-on pitch and communicative story-telling. Don't come to this recording with preconceptions about how Peggy Lee should sound, and you'll discover some compelling revisions and revelations."

5. "If I'm not mistaken, this was Miss Lee's final recording. Unfortunately, her performance is not memorable and the sound quality of the disc is terrible."

For me, Moments Like This is the least successful of Lee's albums. I believe that the project's shortcomings stem from both the singer's diminished capabilities (vocal fatigue, poor health, aging of the vocal instrument) and the label's modus operandi. The label's recording methodology, though noteworthy in and of itself, did not prove congenial with the state of the singer's voice at this particular point in time.

Like other Chesky CDs, the back cover of Moments Like This bears the legend "[r]ecorded using minimalist miking techniques and without overdubbing or artificial enhancement to ensure the purest and most natural sound possible." According to a biographical statement of purpose in the website of audio mastering engineer Bob Katz, he "specializes in minimalist miking techniques (no overdubs) for capturing jazz and other music that commonly is multimiked."

Producer David Chesky also prides himself on following a purist approach to recording. When interviewed in 2004 for the webzine Allaboutjazz.com, he elaborated on his method as follows: "It’s sort of like black and white photography. We take a picture of an event and capture it in a moment of time. Through a clear lens, not through a rose-colored lens. We don’t sit there and say, OK, let’s overdub this. Call this guy in ... A recording is supposed to capture that moment in time. That’s what it’s supposed to do. That’s our mantra. We stick to that. Some people like it and some people don’t ... I worked for years in the studio, right? They always had 9 million microphones all over the place. One in the tuba bell, one in the piano, etc., etc. And when you hear it in the mix, it sounded so weird to me. You had to put the balance together. And when I was standing on the podium, it sounded fantastic. So I said, if I ever start a company I’m going to do an audiophile from a one-point perspective. Like you’re there. So that’s when we developed the stereo MS mic technique. So the orchestra gets the balance and that’s it." A musician through and through, Chesky's approach does deserve commendation; it has resulted in some wonderful albums.

But Lee's Moments Like This is not one of them. The following impressions, ahared by fans of Lee at her official website, should give an opinionated but fairly comprehensive picture of the technical areas in which the CD scores low:

1. "[U]pon release [it] received criticism for its sound quality, suggesting that the Chesky label, in a quest for presenting a pure voice, allowed little or no reverb. Thus, we were told we were hearing Peg's undoctored voice. In any case, she sounds miles away from a microphone on this one."

2. "[I]f you turn up the volume to hear her more, the instruments become too loud, especially sax ... What I don't like with Moments is the recording technique. However I think Do I Love You and Always True are excellent, and some of the ballads, e.g. You're My Thrill and Then Was Then.

3. "The miking is appalling, the whole thing would have benefited greatly by editing Miss Lee's continual slurring."

4. "If you listen to Moments Like This with earphones you will hear a much better album. The sad part was that it was a studio album. The live performance at [Club 53] was the best Peggy performance I had ever seen. When they said they where doing an album, I assumed it would be live. She was in great form during that run."

5. "[T]he sound quality is a bit iffy and off. And sometimes, had I been the producer, I might have requested an additional take. For instance, Peggy's first notes on Amazing were a bit tentative as recorded, when they were more sure during her 'live' performances. Possibly by then she needed audience feedback for inspiration. She had become much more anecdotal during her appearances ... There are numerous satisfying details in Moments Like This, not the least of which are the personable, conversational elements in the title song. The brush-stroke minimalism contributes to the personal, confessional tone of the album ... 'S Wonderful has an authentic autobiographic air about it; the musing gratitude seems genuine. And Peggy's exquisite timing is still very much in evidence."

The last two comments, made by Sean Connors and Kevin Koerper, are particularly savvy. Since both gentlemen saw Lee perform shortly before the album was recorded, their comments carry special weight.

Benny Carter (ldr), Ed Berger, Danny Kapilian (pdr), Benny Carter (as), John Heard (b), Gene DiNovi (p), Sherman Ferguson (d), Peggy Lee (v)

The Benny Carter Recording Sessions

Musicmasters' two volumes of The Benny Carter Songbook feature nearly 20 vocalists, each singing one or two songs by the eponymous composer, musician, conductor, and arranger. Some of those singers (Carmen Bradford, Diane Reeves, Wesla Whitfield) came in after the record company or the producers recommended them, whereas others (Nancy Marano, Marlena Shaw, Joe Williams) seem to have been friends and favorites requested by Carter himself. In his liner notes for the first of the volumes, producer Danny Kapilian writes that "Peggy Lee, one of Carter's oldest friends, made it to the studio last of all to deliver the most fragile version imaginable of Benny Carter's I See You."

In the second edition of his book Benny Carter: A Life In American Music (co-written with Morroe Berger and James Patrick), main author Ed Berger writes at length about the sessions. As the co-producer of the dates -- and also Carter's road manager during the last period of his career -- Berger is well qualified to talk about the project from its inception to its completion. The extensive excerpt that follows comes from his book:

"As a first step, lists of potential vocalists were compiled and matched with lists of potential songs. A demo was prepared of new material that had never been recorded. Before contacting the vocalists, a weeding out process was undertaken. The label, Carter, and the producers proposed possible singers and eventually all parties agreed upon approximately 20 names. Danny Kapilian contacted the singers (or their managers) to work out the logistics. Carter had known some of them (Joe Williams, Peggy Lee, Bobby Short) for decades. Others he met for the first time in the studio. Because of the large number of usually highly paid performers involved, Musicmasters proposed to pay each singer a modest honorarium, plus expenses. The response was overwhelmingly positive."

"The singers were each given copies of a demo cassette, along with lead sheets for one or two suggested songs. In most cases, they went along with the selections ... Three days of recording were scheduled in New York and three in Los Angeles to produce enough material for two CDs to be issued a year or so apart. Since rehearsals had not been feasible, all the arrangements had to be worked out on the spot, although Carter occasionally sketched out an intro or ending for the horns."

"All the singers recorded live with the band. Apart from the occasional re-recording of a vocal passage, the only overdubbing occurred in We Were In Love, where some improvised fills between the two horns seems too busy behind the Diane Reeves - Joe Williams vocal duet. Some preferred to complete the songs in one or two takes. Others redid portions ... Bobby Short, for example, was not happy with his initial performance [and thus he asked for another take] ..."

"Carter was particularly pleased to hear Joe Williams' interpretation of I Was Wrong. Carter had written the song some 20 years earlier with Williams in mind and was visibly moved by the singer's rendition."

"Carter was also very pleased that his old friend Peggy Lee was able to take part despite serious health problems. She arrived in a wheelchair with a portable oxygen tank and her own microphone. True professionalism and indomitable spirit triumphed over physical frailty in I See You, a piece that Carter had written with Kay Parker in the 1940s but which had never been recorded. Whenever Carter tried to lay out, Lee insisted that he play continuously behind her throughout the track, seeming to draw strength from his presence."


Songs

1. "I See You"
Peggy Lee was 75 years old when she sang "I See You," her final studio recording. (A handful of additional live appearances seem to have taken place between 1995 and 1997, but there was no more studio activity.) The evocative lyrics fittingly cap Lee's long, inspired career in the world of music: "I see you, everywhere / You're a flower blooming / A rose perfuming the air. / When I hear music played / There you are in every soothing serenade. / Like a star shining bright, / Near or far, you're never out of my sight. / From the sea to the sky above, / I see you through the misty eyes of love."

Peggy Lee's Recording Career, 1973-1995

After long tenures exclusively on two music labels (Capitol and Decca, from 1945 to 1972), the next three decades of Peggy Lee's career find her signing short-term contracts with eight different companies. Here is a timetable of her recording activity during this period:

1974: Atlantic Records (one album and a handful of songs)
1975: A&M Records (one album and another handful of songs)
1977: Polydor Records (two albums) & Ken Barnes Productions (one album, taped in concert)
1979: DRG Records (one album)
1988: Harbinger Records (one album)
1988-1990: Musicmasters Records (two albums, plus a single)
1992: Chesky Records (one album); also two guest vocals on two other labels (Reprise Records, Park Records)
1995: one guest vocal for Musicmasters

For additional record negotiations which did not come to fruition, see below, under Peggy Lee's Unfulfilled Record Deals (1973-1995).

Three other factors characterize this last period of Peggy Lee's professional career:

1. Voice-altering Illness.
Lee's adult life was plagued by health issues which were exacerbated by overwork and by punishing schedules. In November 1971, she went through her second serious bout with pneumonia. It required a three-month period of recuperation, starting with two weeks of hospitalization and continuing with 10 weeks of medically ordered rest at home. Lee was also forced to quit smoking, a habit which she had picked up decades earlier.

That critical period of illness seems to have had a direct effect on the quality of Lee's voice. From 1972 onwards, the
light husk of the singer's instrument (1950s-1960s) is no longer in evidence. Between 1974 and 1985, the strength of her vocal cords fluctuate, too. They are at their weakest in the late 1970s, when she suffered paralysis on one side of her face, dealt with a temporarily compromised vision, and was diagnosed with Ménière's disease.

Lee's voice is at its strongest in the early 1980s. Leaving aside the change of vocal color, she sounds excellent in televised performances from 1981, in Broadway shows which took place during mid-December 1983, and in concert appearances from around the same time. Reviewing one such appearance at the Drury Lane Theater (May 1985), Larry Kart of The Chicago Tribune described Lee as "a singer of such special gifts, especially in the area where technique and emotion meet, that the term 'popular music' doesn't begin to describe her artistry."

Afterwards, poor health increasingly took a toll, though more so on the quality of the voice than on the interpretative gifts to which Kart referred. In October 1985, Lee had to be taken from a New Orleans stage to the hospital, where she ended up undergoing double bypass surgery, followed by two further operations due to infection. (Heart problems had actually been diagnosed in the second half of the 1970s. Between 1984 and 1985, her heart had been subjected to four angioplasties.) In 1987, after a fall into an orchestral pit while onstage, Lee suffered from a fractured pelvis; thereafter, she assisted herself with a cane or made use of a wheelchair. In the early 1990s, there were also battles with polymyalgia rheumatica (possibly temporal arteritis, too) and diabetes, the disease that had claimed her mother when Lee was four.

Such illnesses probably had an effect not only in the singer's voice but also in her performance style. From the mid-1980s onwards, Lee's concerts came across as familial or friendly gatherings presided by the singer, who would share anecdotes with the audience and would display her sense of humor more overtly than ever before. Whereas the songs' message remained as paramount as it had always been for her, from 1985 onwards she seemed less concerned with maintaining the technically high standards of earlier years, and more intent on keeping a strong rapport with audiences. Her voice sounded occasionally strained, and the notes were not always held. Still, the many other attributes of this Lee's craft (rhythmic dexterity, interpretative subtlety, excellent timing ... ) remained firmly in place for the duration of her years as a performing artist.

2. Precedent-setting Lawsuits.
During the 1990s, some fans and members of the press took to nicknaming Peggy Lee "Litigious Lee." She and her lawyers set in motion various lawsuits that had considerable implications in the battle of music artists' rights to compensation from record companies. The earliest and best publicized one was a charge against the Disney company, for profiting from the sales of Lady And The Tramp videocassettes without sharing with the artist, who had substantially contributed to the making of the film and to its promotion. (A frequently re-released children's classic and bestseller, the video was estimated to have made, by 1990, over $90 million for Disney. For helping in the promotion of the video in the 1980s, Lee had been paid just an honorarium of $500, but not a penny from the actual sales of the product.) In the late 1990s, she also became embroiled in royalty disputes with both Decca and Capitol. The Capitol case also involved the estates of Benny Goodman, Les Brown and Dinah Shore. It was filed in 1998. Next, in 1999, Lee alone filed a $5 million class action suit on behalf of all former Decca recording acts whose royalties were allegedly being miscalculated or underreported by some of the catalogue's holders.

The Disney court case was won by Lee, the one against Capitol (EMI) was privately settled, and the Decca lawsuit was preliminarily settled in Lee's favor just a week before she passed away. Universal was ordered to set up a trust fund to compensate not just Lee but also the nearly 300 other Decca recording artists on whose behalf she had filed as well (including Louis Armstrong, Patsy Cline, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Bill Haley, but excluding a handful of artists, such as Bing Crosby, whose estates chose to sue Universal separately).

3. High-ranking Awards And Peer Recognition.
As Peggy Lee became older, the music industry showed its awareness of her contributions to the music industry by bestowing a series of lifetime awards on her. Among them were the Songwriters' Guild of America President Award, the Grammy's Lifetime Achievement Award, ASCAP's Pied Piper Award for Lifetime Achievement, and two honorary doctorates. There was even a flower named after her by The American Rose Society, back in 1983. In 1995, there was also a tribute in her honor from the Society of Singers. (It was only the fourth of its kind, following those that had been given in previous years to Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Tony Martin.)


Recording Activity (Or Lack Thereof) In 1973

Two years would elapse between Peggy Lee's last date for Capitol (April 28, 1972) and her first session for Atlantic (April 23, 1974). In that interim, some additional recording activity might (or might have not) taken place. (See note below, titled Peggy Lee's Unfulfilled Record Deals (1973-1995).)

Independently of whether she attempted or didn't attempt to record during this period, Lee did remain professionally active between record contracts. She made about a dozen guest appearances on television and gave many concert performances around the country. In New York alone, she fulfilled not only her twice-a-year engagements at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel but also gave three outdoors concerts for the Schaefer Music Summer Festival in Central Park (one per year, from 1972 to 1974). During that same period, Lee made further concert appearances in Chicago, Florida, Las Vegas, London, Ohio, San Francisco, Saint Louis, Toronto, Wisconsin, and other cities.


Statistics: Total Number Of Masters & Titles Still Unissued

For the period of 1974 to 1995, this discographical page shows that Peggy Lee recorded a total of 163 masters. In addition to those studio recordings, it should be noted that numerous concert and televised performances are extant, too. Various rehearsal performances are preserved as well, including some that Ken Barnes Productions has already released on CD. (See this discography's page for rehearsals.)

From this period, the following 7 titles remain unissued: "Daddy Was Dah Do" (May 27, 1975), "Crazy Life" (May 29, 1975), "The Best Thing" (May 29, 1975), "Love Me Or Leave Me" (May 30, 1975), "Saved" (first week of June 1975), "Since I Fell For You" (February 8, 1988) and "How Long Has This Been Going On" (February 8, 1988). Although I have no knowledge of any other unissued songs from this period, their existence is certainly a possibility, especially on Musicmasters. For more on the topic of unissued or unknown recordings, see paragraphs immediately below.


Peggy Lee's Unfulfilled Record Deals (1973-1995)

During the last 20 years of her career, Peggy Lee made various record deals that fell through. There were also various album projects that did not get past the planning stage. Relatively little is known about those deals and projects:

1973-1977
In a Los Angeles Times interview conducted by Leonard Feather and published on February 19, 1978, Peggy Lee lamented her past involvement with "a team of producers I worked with who spent a great deal of what was supposed to be our working time lying around in the sun in the South of France - and all the expense involved had to be charged against my royalties. It wound up being nothing but a costly demo, which in effect I paid for." Lee appears to be alluding to recordings that were left unreleased. Nothing else is known about this "costly demo."

1978
The songwriting and producing team Leiber & Stoller planned a Peggy Lee album which, had it moved past its initial stages, could have included both previously unissued and newly recorded numbers. See note titled The Aborted Mirrors Projects, placed under session dated August 1, 1975.

1983-1984
In another Los Angeles Times interview with Leonard Feather (published on December 31, 1983), the journalist states that "[t]he year ahead will also find Lee back in the recording studios. She has talked to two major companies, but chances are that she will sign with a new organization more specifically aimed at the classic pop market." Lee is then quoted as saying that "the company is Applause Records, and if I go with them, I'm planning to have Artie Butler as my producer. I'm collecting songs right now; I have some wonderful things by a writer who's new to me, Bill Gable." Nothing else is known about this project, which is not presumed to have come to fruition.

1985
Lee talked to the press about her desire to record the Broadway show Peg as an album. Anecdotal evidence suggests that, over the years, repeated attempts to issue Peg on compact disc were made. Those attempts were apparently thwarted by the legal ramifications involved in the release of a song set that was tied to a production. In 1992, online music sites listed a CD titled Peg: Peggy Lee on Broadway, which was never seen in stores. The listing may be an indication that a disc was produced, but ultimately left unissued.

1988
In a New York Times article (January 31, 1988), Stephen Holden writes that Lee "has plans to record four albums for two different companies, including one live at the Ballroom. One of the others will concentrate on vintage blues songs of the Bessie Smith era." The prospective blues album might have evolved into Peggy Lee Sings The Blues (recorded for Musicmasters on February 1988). Plans to release a live date from The Ballroom seem to have been abandoned. Nothing else is known about the two other albums that were contemplated. In another interview, conducted by Stephen M. Silverman and published by The New York Post on February 2, 1988, the prospective recording labels are identified as Hermitage (described as "a New York-based classical house about to launch a jazz arm") and Pro-Arte (a Canadian-based label). It is likely that the so-called "Hermitage" label is actually Music Heritage, the parent company of Musicmasters.

1988
Details about another unfulfilled 1988 record deal will be found at the end of this discography's Movie Soundtracks page. (Note: as of July 2010, that page is under construction, and thus not yet viewable. The deal in question pertains to a soundtrack vocal for Mike Nichols' movie Biloxi's Blues).

1990
Unrealized plans to record a second Peggy Lee songbook. When There'll Be Another Spring: The Peggy Lee Songbook, Volume 1 was released in 1990, various newspaper and magazine articles reported the singer's tentative plans for a second volume, and hopes for even a third one. (The second volume was slated to contain songs co-written with Dave Barbour, including versions of "It's A Good Day" and "Mañana," all of them to be newly recorded.) Only the first volume ever materialized; there is no trace of recording activity for the second volume.

1993
Lee's comments to reporters suggest that Chesky Records might have originally planned to record Lee live in concert at the New York Hilton's Club 53.

1993
A piano-and-voice duet album. In an extensive interview with Alan Dell, Peggy Lee mentioned that she and André Previn were planning to record an album together, possibly over the summer of that year. For the initial taping, Lee said that she was toying with the idea of using her own house as a recording facility. Under the impression that arthritis had recently rendered Previn unable to play the piano, Dell voiced doubts about the possibility of such a date. His doubts were at least partially misplaced; Previn was still recording instrumental albums for Angel, the label that would also go on to release Lee's CD Love Held Lightly that very year. The highly complimentary comments that Previn made after Lee passed away suggest that, had it been possible, both artists would have been willing to carry out the project.

1993
At some point between the recording and the release of the album Love Held Lightly (more probably around release time), Harbinger Records and Peggy Lee made plans to record an Alec Wilder songbook. According to producer Bill Rudman, the singer's ill health prevented the project from happening.