Peggy Lee | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Peggy Lees alluring tone, distinctive delivery, breadth of material, and ability to write many of her own songs made her one of the most captivating artists of the vocal era, from her breakthrough on the Benny Goodman hit "Why Dont You Do Right" to her many solo successes, singles including "Mañana," "Lover" and "Fever" that showed her bewitching vocal power, a balance between sultry swing and impeccable musicianship. Born Norma Egstrom in Jamestown, North Dakota, she suffered the death of her mother at the age of four and endured a difficult stepmother after her father remarried. Given her sense of swing by listening to Count Basie on the radio, she taught herself to sing and made her radio debut at the age of 14. She made the jump to Fargo (where she was christened Peggy Lee), then to Minneapolis and St. Louis to sing with a regional band. Lee twice journeyed to Hollywood to make her fortune, but returned unsuccessful from both trips. She finally got her big break in 1941, when a vocal group she worked with began appearing at a club in Chicago. While there, she was heard by Benny Goodman, whose regular vocalist Helen Forrest was about to leave his band. Lee recorded with Goodman just a few days later, debuting with the popular "Elmers Tune" despite a good deal of nerves. That same year, several songs became commercial successes including "I Got It Bad (And That Aint Good)" and "Winter Weather." In 1943, "Why Dont You Do Right" became her first major hit, but she left the Goodman band (and the music industry altogether) later that year after marrying Goodmans guitarist, Dave Barbour. After just over a year of domestic life, Peggy Lee returned to music, first as part of an all-star jazz album. Then, in late 1945, Capitol signed her to a solo contract and she hit the charts with her first shot, "Waitin for the Train to Come In." Lee continued to score during the late 40s, with over two dozen chart entries before the end of the decade, including "Its a Good Day," "Mañana (Is Soon Enough for Me)" -- the most popular song of 1948 -- and "I Dont Know Enough About You." Many of her singles were done in conjunction with Barbour, her frequent writing and recording partner. After moving to Decca in 1952, Peggy Lee scored with the single "Lover" and an LP, Songs From Pete Kellys Blues recorded with Ella Fitzgerald (both singers also made appearances in the film). She spent only five years at Decca however, before moving back to Capitol. There, she distinguished herself through recording a wide variety of material, including songs -- and occasionally, entire LPs -- influenced by the blues, Latin and cabaret as well as pop. Lee also used many different settings, like an orchestra conducted by none other than Frank Sinatra for 1957s The Man I Love, the George Shearing Quintet for 1959s live appearance Beauty and the Beat, Quincey Jones as arranger and conductor for 1961s If You Go, and arrangements by Benny Carter on 1963s Mink Jazz. Barbours problems with alcoholism ended their marriage, though they remained good friends until his death in 1965. Peggy Lee was an early advocate of rock and made a quick transition into rock-oriented material. Given her depth and open mind for great songs no matter the source, it wasnt much of a surprise that she sounded quite comfortable covering the more song-oriented end of late-60s rock, including great choices by Jimmy Webb, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Burt Bacharach, Randy Newman, Goffin & King and John Sebastian. She nearly brushed the Top Ten in 1969 with Leiber & Stollers "Is That All There Is?" She continued recording contemporary material until 1972s Norma Deloris Egstrom From Jamestown, North Dakota brought her back to her roots. It was her last LP for Capitol, however. Lee recorded single LPs for Atlantic, A&M;, Polydor UK and DRG before effectively retiring at the beginning of the 1980s. She returned in 1988 with two LPs for Music Masters that revisited her earlier successes. Her last album, Moments Like This, was recorded in 1992 for Chesky. Her voice was effectively silenced after a 1998 stroke, and she died of a heart attack at her Bel Air home in early 2002. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 20 Title: Black Coffee With Peggy Lee Released: 1953 Tracks: 12 Duration: 34:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Black Coffee (03:08) 2 I’ve Got You Under My Skin (02:32) 3 Easy Living (02:47) 4 My Heart Belongs to Daddy (02:10) 5 It Ain’t Necessarily So (03:25) 6 Gee, Baby Ain’t I Good to You (03:26) 7 A Woman Alone With the Blues (03:18) 8 I Didn’t Know What Time It Was (02:20) 9 (Ah, the Apple Trees) When the World Was Young (03:19) 10 Love Me or Leave Me (02:10) 11 You’re My Thrill (03:26) 12 There’s a Small Hotel (02:50) |
| Black Coffee With Peggy Lee : Allmusic album Review : Peggy Lee left Capitol in 1952 for, among several other reasons, the labels refusal to let her record and release an exotic, tumultuous version of "Lover." Lee was certainly no Mitch Miller songbird, content to loosen her gorgeous pipes on any piece of tripe foisted upon her; she was a superb songwriter with a knowledge of production and arrangement gained from work in big bands and from her husband, Dave Barbour (although the two werent together at the time). The more open-minded Decca acquiesced to her demand, and watched its investment pay off quickly when the single became her biggest hit in years. Black Coffee was Lees next major project. Encouraged by longtime Decca A&R Milt Gabler, she hired a small group including trumpeter Pete Candoli and pianist Jimmy Rowles (two of her favorite sidemen) to record an after-hours jazz project similar in intent and execution to Lee Wileys "Manhattan project" of 1950, Night in Manhattan. While the title-track opener of Black Coffee soon separated itself from the LP -- to be taught forever after during the first period of any Torch Song 101 class -- the album doesnt keep to its concept very long; Lee is soon enough in a bouncy mood for "Ive Got You Under My Skin" and very affectionate on "Easy Living." (If theres a concept at work here, its the vagaries of love.) Listeners should look instead to "It Aint Necessarily So" or "Gee, Baby, Aint I Good to You?" for more examples of Lees quintessentially slow-burn sultriness. Aside from occasionally straying off-concept, however, Black Coffee is an excellent record, spotlighting Lees ability to shine with every type of group and in any context. [When originally recorded and released in 1953, Black Coffee was an eight-song catalog of 78s. Three years later, Decca commissioned an LP expansion of the record, for which Lee recorded several more songs. The 2004 Verve edition is therefore a reissue of the 1956 12-song LP.] | ||
 | Album: 2 of 20 Title: Dream Street Released: 1957 Tracks: 15 Duration: 35:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Street of Dreams (03:23) 2 What’s New? (03:00) 3 You’re Blasé (02:50) 4 It’s All Right With Me (02:24) 5 My Old Flame (02:39) 6 Dancing on the Ceiling (03:41) 7 It Never Entered My Mind (03:02) 8 Too Late Now (03:49) 9 I’ve Grown Accustomed to His Face (02:47) 10 Something I Dreamed Last Night (02:30) 11 Last Night When We Were Young (02:57) 12 So Blue (02:14) 13 Autumn In Rome (?) 14 Do I Love You (?) 15 Baubles, Bangles And Beads (?) |
| Dream Street : Allmusic album Review : Dream Street captures Peggy Lee at her most intimate and melancholy -- a song cycle exploring love and loss in uncompromisingly frank terms, it strips away the saccharine and schmaltz so common among the singers Decca sessions to effectively create the first truly adult music of her career. Lee occupies the same harrowing emotional territory staked out by Frank Sinatra via the landmark In the Wee Small Hours, investing the material with the kind of heartbreak and longing that belies the whole "easy listening" tag -- this is music shorn of pretense and artifice, as intense as a primal scream yet beautiful in the way only art of this magnitude can be. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 20 Title: The Man I Love Released: 1957 Tracks: 14 Duration: 44:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The Man I Love (03:45) 2 Please Be Kind (04:13) 3 Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe (04:04) 4 (Just One Way to Say) I Love You (02:52) 5 Thats All (02:53) 6 Something Wonderful (03:14) 7 Hes My Guy (04:11) 8 Then Ill Be Tired of You (02:27) 9 My Heart Stood Still (02:44) 10 If I Should Lose You (02:22) 11 There Is No Greater Love (03:37) 12 The Folks Who Live on the Hill (03:38) 13 Uninvited Dream (02:04) 14 It Keeps You Young (02:33) |
| The Man I Love : Allmusic album Review : Around the same time that Peggy Lee decamped her longtime label home, Capitol Records, for what turned out to be a five-year sojourn at Decca Records in 1952, an apparently washed-up Frank Sinatra signed with Capitol. In 1957, when Lee returned to Capitol, Sinatra had re-established himself as a major recording artist. Meanwhile, the recording world had changed with the emergence of the 12-inch LP as an industry standard. The Man I Love, Lees first recording for Capitol in the format after re-signing, matched her with the companys flagship artist, Sinatra, who was credited as the albums conductor, his name printed on the front cover in the same size as Lees. A year earlier, Sinatra had conducted his Tone Poems of Color album for Capitol, and though the singer did not read music and relied on arranger Nelson Riddle, he again proved himself able to make his intentions clear in working with Lee. The Man I Love is a concept album in the manner pioneered by Sinatra at Capitol, a group of 12 songs chosen to express a single theme. That theme, as the title suggests, is a womans unwavering devotion to a man, as expressed in songs often composed by gilt-edged songwriters (Gershwin, Arlen, Rodgers, Kern, etc.) and taken from Broadway shows. That devotion is not starry eyed, however; in several songs, Lee acknowledges the flaws in her paramour (e.g., "Something Wonderful"), but then explains them away and reconfirms her commitment. In fact, toward the end she worries what she would do "If I Should Lose You" before declaring "There Is No Greater Love" and finally idealizing the long-term relationship in the closing song, "The Folks Who Live on the Hill." It wouldnt be surprising to find that Sinatra directed Lee to sing like one of his favorite singers, Billie Holiday, since she often does, laying back in understated vocal performances to reinforce the near-victimhood of the woman depicted in the songs. Riddle supports these interpretations with lush string charts that hint of dark feelings. The result is a superb pairing of singer, conductor, and arranger on an album that re-conceives Lee as a Capitol recording artist in the Sinatra concept album mold. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 20 Title: Things Are Swingin’ Released: 1958 Tracks: 12 Duration: 27:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 It’s a Wonderful World (02:14) 2 Things Are Swingin’ (02:13) 3 Alright, Okay, You Win (02:54) 4 Ridin’ High (02:10) 5 It’s Been a Long, Long Time (02:20) 6 Lullaby in Rhythm (02:17) 7 Alone Together (02:08) 8 I’m Beginning to See the Light (01:49) 9 It’s a Good, Good Night (01:56) 10 You’re Getting to Be a Habit With Me (02:42) 11 You’re Mine, You (01:49) 12 Life Is for Livin’ (03:13) |
| Things Are Swingin’ : Allmusic album Review : Midway through a small lull in her live performance career, Peggy Lee recorded the stereo LP Things Are Swingin in Hollywood during May 1958, at the same sessions that produced the biggest hit of her career, "Fever." (Though not on the original LP, it was added to the 2004 reissue as a bonus track.) Still, Things Are Swingin isnt a high point in Lees career, especially when considered among her many successes of the late 50s (like the following years Beauty and the Beat!). Though her instincts and powers of bewitchment were faultless as ever, she betrayed a few weaknesses in her normally excellent voice (perhaps a result of her semi-retirement at the time), and the ten-piece studio orchestra -- including session heavyweights Don Fagerquist, Barney Kessel, Bob Enevoldsen, Howard Roberts, Pete Candoli, and Shelly Manne -- isnt given much to work with by conductor Jack Marshall. Scattered moments of brilliance abound, however, including Lees own title song (a staple of her later live show, written with Marshall), the sleepily sensual "Youre Getting to Be a Habit With Me," and "Alright, Okay, You Win," a bluesy lead that became a hit in 1958 alongside "Fever." | ||
 | Album: 5 of 20 Title: Jump for Joy Released: 1958 Tracks: 12 Duration: 29:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Jump for Joy (02:08) 2 Back in Your Own Back Yard (02:26) 3 When My Sugar Walks Down the Street (01:59) 4 I Hear Music (02:07) 5 Just in Time (02:51) 6 Old Devil Moon (02:58) 7 What a Little Moonlight Can Do (02:42) 8 Four or Five Times (02:33) 9 Music! Music! Music! (02:30) 10 Cheek to Cheek (02:38) 11 The Glory of Love (02:38) 12 Aint We Got Fun (02:11) |
| Jump for Joy : Allmusic album Review : The powers that be at Capitol-EMI havent been as thorough with their Peggy Lee reissues as they have been with, say, June Christy (a much less commercially successful artist), not to mention Frank Sinatra or Nat "King" Cole. Luckily, in 2009, the DRG label saw fit to put out domestic U.S. reissues of the previously unavailable THE MAN I LOVE and JUMP FOR JOY, from 1957 and 1958 respectively, complete with two bonus tracks each and informative liner notes by JAZZ SINGING author Will Friedwald. JUMP FOR JOY, Peggy Lees second (and last) album with Nelson Riddle arrangements, was conceived as the extroverted, swinging follow-up to THE MAN I LOVE (which was itself produced and conducted by none other than Sinatra himself to mark her return to Capitol Records after a five-year absence). At the very least, it succeeded in securing Lees status on the label with its solid production, classy arrangements, and, of course, her own masterful singing. JOY is also notable for including a number of older tunes from the 20s and 30s--songs like "Back In Your Own Backyard," the Boswell Sisters "When My Sugar Walks Down The Street," "Aint We Got Fun," Billie Holidays "What A Little Moonlight Can Do," and Fred Astaires "Cheek To Cheek." Far from making the album something of a novelty session--both Lee and Riddle can make any material sound fresh and contemporary, anyway--they only add to the bright, insouciant mood the singer and her arranger are trying to establish here. Apart from Sinatras SONGS FOR SWINGIN LOVERS! and A SWINGIN AFFAIR!, these are some of Nelson Riddles most hard-swinging charts, the brass sounding particularly forceful in the superb stereo recording. Of course, it all comes down to Peggy Lees equally superb vocals--she has never sounded more confident or more in charge, as she looks forward to a renewed and successful association with the label where she first became a major star. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 20 Title: Miss Wonderful Released: 1959 Tracks: 12 Duration: 35:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mister Wonderful (03:21) 2 They Cant Take That Away From Me (02:59) 3 Where Flamingos Fly (02:31) 4 You’ve Got to See Mamma Every Night (Or You Can’t See Mamma at All) (02:47) 5 The Comeback (03:05) 6 Take a Little Time to Smile (02:38) 7 I Dont Know Enough About You (02:59) 8 Joe Sings Joe, Joe, Joey (02:47) 9 Crazy in the Heart (02:58) 10 You Oughta Be Mine (03:09) 11 We Laughed at Love (03:17) 12 Thats Alright, Honey (03:08) |
 | Album: 7 of 20 Title: Beauty and the Beat! Released: 1959 Tracks: 9 Duration: 21:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Do I Love You (03:03) 2 I Lost My Sugar in Salt Lake City (02:27) 3 If Dreams Come Through (02:20) 4 All Too Soon (02:35) 5 Blue Prelude (02:06) 6 You Came a Long Way from St Louis (02:51) 7 Always True to You in My Fashion (01:58) 8 Therell Be Another Spring (02:24) 9 Get Out of Town (01:58) |
 | Album: 8 of 20 Title: Christmas Carousel Released: 1960-10 Tracks: 12 Duration: 29:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Like a Sleighride (Jingle Bells) (02:05) 2 The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You) (02:31) 3 Don’t Forget to Feed the Reindeer (02:47) 4 The Star Carol (02:41) 5 The Christmas List (02:39) 6 Christmas Carousel (02:23) 7 Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (02:18) 8 The Christmas Waltz (02:53) 9 The Christmas Riddle (03:19) 10 The Tree (01:44) 11 Deck the Halls (02:10) 12 White Christmas (02:08) |
| Christmas Carousel : Allmusic album Review : This is the classic Christmas sound of Peggy Lee during her peak recording years. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 20 Title: Sugar ’n’ Spice Released: 1962 Tracks: 12 Duration: 31:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Aint That Love (02:01) 2 The Best Is Yet to Come (03:22) 3 I Believe in You (02:48) 4 Embrasse-moi (03:35) 5 See See Rider (02:35) 6 Teach Me Tonight (02:24) 7 When the Sun Comes Out (02:48) 8 Tell All the World About You (02:33) 9 I Dont Wanna Leave You Now (02:22) 10 The Sweetest Sounds (01:52) 11 Ive Got the World on a String (02:20) 12 Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now) (02:39) |
| Sugar ’n’ Spice : Allmusic album Review : Peggy Lee is in fine voice throughout this jazz-flavored set, backed by ensembles arranged by Benny Carter, Billy Byers, Billy May, and Shorty Rogers. The program (which has been expanded from 12 songs to 15 for this reissue) only includes two performances over three minutes in length, so there is not much for the backup bands to do. However, the material is mostly pretty strong, with the highlights including "See See Rider," "When the Sun Comes Out," "Ive Got the World on a String," and "Big Bad Bill Is Sweet William Now." One of Peggy Lees better recordings from the early 60s. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 20 Title: Blues Cross Country Released: 1962 Tracks: 12 Duration: 31:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Kansas City (02:30) 2 Basin Street Blues (03:05) 3 Los Angeles Blues (02:38) 4 I Left My Sugar (In Salt Lake City) (02:53) 5 The Grain Belt Blues (01:52) 6 New York City Blues (03:22) 7 Goin to Chicago Blues (02:37) 8 San Francisco Blues (02:38) 9 Fishermans Wharf (03:12) 10 Boston Beans (02:05) 11 The Train Blues (02:43) 12 St. Louis Blues (02:16) |
| Blues Cross Country : Allmusic album Review : One of Peggy Lees most intriguing concept LPs of the 50s and 60s, Blues Cross Country teams her with the Quincy Jones Orchestra on a set of swinging blues set all over America, almost like a continental version of Sinatras "Come Fly with Me." She balances standards like "Basin Street Blues," "St. Louis Blues," "I Left My Sugar (In Salt Lake City)," and "Goin to Chicago Blues" alongside collaborations with Jones on "Los Angeles Blues," "New York City Blues," and "The Train Blues." (She is also the lyricist of four other songs on the album.) Though Jones arrangements are often a touch brassier than the blues standards can handle, Lee contributes just the right blend of vigor and feeling to the songs. Blues Cross Country also includes her first waxing of the Leiber & Stoller song "Kansas City," which looks forward to her successful performances of their "Im a Woman," "Is That All There Is?," and the Mirrors album. At a little over half-an-hour, it is a brief LP, and the 1999 CD reissue has two additional tracks. From the same spring 1961 sessions that produced the album came Lees single recording of Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leighs "Hey! Look Me Over," the most popular song to emerge from the 1960 Broadway musical Wildcat, also arranged by Quincy Jones. Skipping ahead five years, there was another Lee single, "The Shining Sea," which she wrote with Johnny Mandel, who also arranged it. Neither song fits in with the albums concept, but they at least add more than four minutes to its running time. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 20 Title: Mink Jazz Released: 1963 Tracks: 12 Duration: 28:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Its a Big Wide Wonderful World (01:36) 2 Whisper Not (02:20) 3 My Silent Love (02:31) 4 The Lady Is a Tramp (02:31) 5 Days of Wine and Roses (03:11) 6 As Long as I Live (01:59) 7 I Wont Dance (02:02) 8 Cloudy Morning (02:43) 9 I Could Write a Book (02:07) 10 I Never Had a Chance (02:36) 11 Close Your Eyes (02:15) 12 Where Can I Go Without You? (02:45) |
| Mink Jazz : Allmusic album Review : Although raved about in the liner notes and a strong seller at the time, this outing by Peggy Lee (which was reissued in 1998 on CD, augmented by five additional selections) is a fairly safe set from the singer. Only two of the 17 selections are over three minutes (both just barely). With arrangements by Benny Carter and some very short spots for trumpeter Jack Sheldon, the backup group did not have to work too hard, and Lee mostly just swings the melodies. She sounds fine on such numbers as "Whisper Not," "As Long as I Live," "I Could Write a Book" and "Ill Get By," but the brevity of the tracks (probably designed for radio airplay) keep anything unexpected from occurring. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 20 Title: In the Name of Love Released: 1964 Tracks: 11 Duration: 26:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 In the Name of Love (02:03) 2 My Sin (02:17) 3 The Boy From Ipanema (02:23) 4 Shangri-La (02:30) 5 Talk to Me Baby (02:46) 6 There’ll Be Some Changes Made (02:07) 7 After You’ve Gone (02:24) 8 The Right to Love (Reflections) (02:54) 9 Theme From ‘Joy House’ (Just Call Me Love Bird) (02:09) 10 Senza Fine (02:28) 11 When in Rome (I Do As the Romans Do) (02:01) |
| In the Name of Love : Allmusic album Review : Peggy Lee works with arrangers Billy May, Dave Grusin, and Lalo Schifrin on this disparate collection of new songs and evergreens. Whether or not shes taking into consideration the new rock revolution led by her new labelmates the Beatles, she often has her chartmakers come up with light jazz-rock backgrounds, starting with the title song. Lee has long since demonstrated her credentials in the field of Latin music, so she doesnt seem to have felt the need to treat "The Girl from Ipanema" as a samba; instead, May conceives a swinging rhythm for the tune. Although there are ballads, including delicate versions of "My Sin" and "Shangri-La," many of these tracks are uptempo, including Lees own contribution, her co-write with Schifrin on the movie song "Theme from Joy House (Just Call Me Love Bird)." It all culminates in an excellent new song by old Lee compatriot Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh, "When in Rome (I Do as the Romans Do)." | ||
 | Album: 13 of 20 Title: Big $pender Released: 1966 Tracks: 11 Duration: 26:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Come Back to Me (02:19) 2 You’ve Got Possibilities (02:14) 3 It’s a Wonderful World (01:51) 4 I’ll Only Miss Him When I Think of Him (02:52) 5 Big Spender (02:07) 6 I Must Know (02:30) 7 Alright, Okay, You Win (02:29) 8 Watch What Happens (03:12) 9 You Don’t Know (02:55) 10 Let’s Fall in Love (02:06) 11 Gotta Travel On (01:44) |
| Big $pender : Allmusic album Review : Blending a couple of then-current show tunes with older classics of the big band form, Peggy Lees 1966 LP Big $pender occasionally rose its head above the level of kitsch -- and much more so than 1965s Pass Me By. Its tough to blame Lee herself; while the arrangements (including work by Dave Grusin and Bill Holman) are mostly successful, again and again the accompaniment descends into rote repetition of the usual rock motifs. The blaring brass of the title track make it a highlight, though, and Lee sounds positively jubilant while singing a genuine standard ("Lets Fall in Love") over a conservative arrangement. A few pearls among the swine are hardly enough to recommend this record. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 20 Title: Is That All There Is? Released: 1969 Tracks: 10 Duration: 32:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Is That All There Is? (04:22) 2 Love Story (03:32) 3 Me and My Shadow (03:08) 4 My Old Flame (04:30) 5 I’m a Woman (02:10) 6 Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show (03:08) 7 Something (03:12) 8 Whistle for Happiness (02:13) 9 Johnny (Linda) (02:47) 10 Don’t Smoke in Bed (03:12) |
| Is That All There Is? : Allmusic album Review : When Peggy Lee became well-known in the 1940s, swing and jazz-influenced pop dominated the musical landscape. In the 1960s, however, it was a whole new world in popular music. The British Invasion and Motown -- not big bands -- were mainstream, and to the Baby Boomer youths of the 1960s, Lee was part of "our parents music." But the singer had a major hit with 1969s Is That All There Is?, one of the best-selling albums of her career. While this isnt a rock album per se -- Lees foundation was still jazz-influenced pop -- it acknowledges pop-rock tastes of the 1960s without being unfaithful to her history. Everything on this LP is a gem, and that includes a moody remake of Lees 1940s hit "Dont Smoke in Bed" as well as classic arrangements of George Harrisons "Something," Neil Diamonds "Brother Loves Traveling Salvation Show," Leiber & Stollers "Im a Woman," and Randy Newmans "Love Story." The LPs centerpiece, however, is Newmans hit arrangement of Leiber & Stollers title song, which was covered by P.J. Harvey in the 1990s. Influenced by German cabaret, this half-spoken, half-sung treasure is as hauntingly soulful as it is maudlin. The songs outlook is far from optimistic; essentially, its saying that we might as well grab our moments of pleasure and enjoyment where we can find them because ultimately, life is nothing more than a meaningless series of disappointments. But theres nothing disappointing about Is That All There Is?, an LP that is most certainly among Lees finest accomplishments. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 20 Title: Let’s Love Released: 1974 Tracks: 11 Duration: 38:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Lets Love (01:20) 2 He Is the One (04:23) 3 Easy Evil (04:36) 4 Dont Let Me Be Lonely (04:07) 5 Always (03:54) 6 You Make Me Feel Brand New (05:57) 7 Sweet Lovliness (03:54) 8 The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (03:07) 9 Sweet Talk (03:26) 10 Sometimes (02:26) 11 Lets Love (reprise) (01:26) |
| Let’s Love : Allmusic album Review : Norma Deloris Egstrom from Jamestown, North Dakota had turned out to be the final album of Peggy Lees lengthy tenure at Capitol Records, and 16 months after its release the 54-year-old singer returned to the record racks on Atlantic Records with Lets Love, touted as a comeback assisted by a former Capitol labelmate, former Beatle Paul McCartney, who wrote and produced the title song especially for her. That may have been the headline grabber, but the LP that was bookended by the song "Lets Love" and its reprise actually was more the product of Lee and Dave Grusins efforts, under the auspices of Atlantic executive Nesuhi Ertegun. Lee and Grusin co-produced the rest of the tracks, adopting a sophisticated contemporary pop/jazz sound. Grusin was an expert at this sort of fusion style, incorporating elements of gospel, R&B;, and funk, and Lee was very much on board with the approach. As on her later Capitol albums, she presented her versions of recent hits like James Taylors "Dont Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" and the Stylistics "You Make Me Feel Brand New." When she and Grusin did essay a standard like the ones she had been singing for 30 years, they made a point of transforming it. Irving Berlins "Always" may have a 1925 copyright, but here it sounds like the Pointer Sisters "Yes We Can Can." The co-producers also included a couple of string-filled ballads to make old fans welcome, however, with Lee adding lyrics to Grusins movie theme "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" and doing Karen Carpenter one better on Henry and Felice Mancinis "Sometimes." As for "Lets Love" itself, its a fairly typical McCartney effort of the period, not as bombastic as "My Love," but in the same vein with some obvious arranging tricks that do not detract from its appeal, and Lee, as she does with all the material here, sings it effectively. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 20 Title: You Can Depend On Me Released: 1981 Tracks: 14 Duration: 35:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 You Can Depend on Me (01:28) 2 Ive Had My Moments (03:01) 3 Sugar (That Sugar Baby of Mine) (02:38) 4 I Should Care (03:39) 5 Someday Sweetheart (02:13) 6 September in the Rain (03:12) 7 That Old Gang of Mine (02:37) 8 Nice Work If You Can Get It (02:22) 9 Im Beginning to See the Light (02:38) 10 Gone With the Wind (01:56) 11 Don’t Blame Me (02:47) 12 Baby Wont You Please Come Home (01:51) 13 My Last Affair (02:51) 14 Im Confessin (That I Love You) (02:36) |
 | Album: 17 of 20 Title: Peggy Sings the Blues Released: 1988 Tracks: 12 Duration: 47:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 See See Rider (05:06) 2 Basin Street Blues (03:10) 3 Squeeze Me (02:47) 4 You Dont Know (04:09) 5 Fine and Mellow (05:13) 6 Baby Please Come Home (03:25) 7 Kansas City (03:43) 8 Birmingham Jail (04:15) 9 Love Me (04:10) 10 Beale Street (02:52) 11 Taint Nobodys Bizness (05:45) 12 God Bless the Child (03:14) |
| Peggy Sings the Blues : Allmusic album Review : By 1988, 68-year-old Peggy Lee did not have much of a voice left. Although she was still determined, physical problems had weakened her, and despite Gene Lees absurd raving in the liner notes ("Her work has never flagged, the quality of it has never faltered"), this set finds her way past her prime. Actually, the material (only half of which is actually blues) is pretty strong -- mostly standards from the 1920s and 30s -- and the backup group (a quintet with pianist Mike Renzi and guitarist John Chiodini) does a good job of supporting Lees quiet and often weak voice. This is one of the better releases from Peggy Lees later years, but it still pales next to her 1950s recordings. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 20 Title: Fever and Other Hits Released: 1990 Tracks: 10 Duration: 25:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Fever (03:21) 2 I’m a Woman (02:10) 3 Is That All There Is? (04:21) 4 (You Gotta Have) Heart (01:56) 5 My Man (02:13) 6 A Doodlin’ Song (02:07) 7 Hallelujah I Love Him So (02:29) 8 Big Spender (02:07) 9 Alright, Okay, You Win (02:54) 10 The Alley Cat Song (02:13) |
 | Album: 19 of 20 Title: The Peggy Lee Songbook: Therell Be Another Spring Released: 1992-05-01 Tracks: 13 Duration: 45:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Circle in the Sky (02:58) 2 I Just Want to Dance All Night (04:01) 3 Hes a Tramp (02:34) 4 Therell Be Another Spring (04:19) 5 Johnny Guitar (05:22) 6 Fever (03:24) 7 Ill Give It All to You (02:34) 8 Sans Souci (03:10) 9 Where Can I Go Without You? (04:53) 10 Boomerang (03:30) 11 Things Are Swingin (02:31) 12 Over the Wheel (03:30) 13 The Shining Sea (02:35) |
 | Album: 20 of 20 Title: Love Held Lightly: Rare Songs by Harold Arlen Released: 1993-02-16 Tracks: 14 Duration: 47:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Look Whos Been Dreaming (02:40) 2 Love Held Lightly (04:18) 3 Buds Wont Bud (03:30) 4 Can You Explain (03:39) 5 Waitll It Happens to You (02:31) 6 Come On, Midnight (04:38) 7 Happy With the Blues (04:25) 8 Bad for Each Other (03:27) 9 Loves No Stranger to Me (02:49) 10 I Could Be Good for You (02:39) 11 Got to Wear You Off My Weary Mind (04:13) 12 I Had a Love Once (02:44) 13 Loves a Necessary Thing (03:38) 14 My Shining Hour (02:35) |
| Love Held Lightly: Rare Songs by Harold Arlen : Allmusic album Review : In 1988, Peggy Lee was persuaded to leave her casual retirement by the promise of recording some recently unearthed Harold Arlen songs. Her voice was far less attractive and vivacious than it had been even in the 70s, and health problems forced her to record everything from a wheelchair; whats more, when she heard the results, she refused to let the record be released for another three years. Nevertheless, Love Held Lightly is an important album, not just because it saves a few Arlen compositions from the brink of disaster, but also because Lees unpretty voice serves this material well. When she sings "Come on, Midnight" or "I Had a Love Once," she sings the twilight years with as much poignancy as she sang middle age on her 60s hit, "Is That All There Is?" Her group featured sensitive accompaniment from Ken Peplowski on tenor and Keith Ingham on piano (the latter also arranged and directed). Another highlight, "Buds Wont Bud," blossoms from just another saloon song into a playful, what-the-hell romp. Eight of the songs received their first recording here, including a Lee/Arlen collaboration from decades previously. The only standard, "My Shining Hour" (lyric by Johnny Mercer), comes last, thus allowing Lee to end on a wise, confident note, accompanied only by acoustic guitar. | ||