I've been searching for a dedicated thread about Peggy's time at Capitol, and didn't see one (if there is one, please feel free to admonish me or merge threads). I figured it was a good a time as any to start one. Since some of Peggy's albums have been released in recent memory; such as DRG's release of The Man I Love and Jump For Joy, not to mention Capitol Jazz/ Blue Note releases of the 1990's and the EMI Two-fer series of her classic albums from the Capitol years and of course, the excellent, marvelous, Steve Hoffman remastered S&P release of Latin ala Lee! This came to mind as I just picked up a CD copy of Basin Street East Proudly Presents Miss. Peggy Lee from 1995. Which was remixed by a name I haven't seen on a release before, Mark Chalecki. Are there any pictures of Peggy working in the Capitol Studios out there? I invite you to discuss your favorite Peggy Lee albums and well, all things Peggy.
Peggy Lee has always been a favorite of mine. Here's a photo of her alongside Nelson Riddle during the recording sessions for the Jump For Joy album.
Funny thing...I was literally listening to "Jump for Joy" when this thread appeared. :-0 Peggy herself seemed quite fond of her Capitol recordings:
I love anything by Peggy Lee ''and everything about her'' from the 40s on, she's an artist whose work i came to late but now can't get enough of, favorite albums '' Rendezous With Peggy Lee, Black Coffee, Latin A La Lee, Mink Jazz, Basin Street East, Beauty And The Beat, Things Are Swingin, The Fabulous Miss Lee et...'', the early stuff with husband Dave Barbour is terrific, she really was fabulous.
Love Peggy Lee, a special favorite of mine is the superb "Latin A La Lee" which I did lots of stretching to as a little boy with clubfeet. Still love the lady even if my feet still have their bad days. Love all her nice records.
I have two records of Miss Lee's in my main collection that emphasize how her style had evolved over her long career: a 78 of perhaps her biggest hit, "Mañana (Is Soon Enough For Me)" from 1948, and her 1969 Top 20 hit "Is That All There Is?"* (not only written/produced by Leiber/Stoller, but also arranged by Randy Newman [later of "Short People" and "I Love L.A." fame]). Don't have "Fever," though. * Original coupling with "Me and My Shadow" on the flip.
Also . . . remember she had two stints with Capitol, as from 1952-57 she was on Decca (which would be a thread in and of itself) . . .
I prefer her more jazzy stuff to the straighahead pop stuff. "Things Are Swingin'" is a terrific album, and recorded in beautiful 1950s stereo by Capitol. I have a nice 1960s German pressing of "In the Name of Love." The title track is almost rock'n'roll, with great bluesy guitar!
That's the one with "Till There Was You," right? The Beatles created their version from Peggy's record. John Lennon once referred to Peggy Lee as "Peg Leg."
Yes Iv's discography is the most amazing labor of love you'll find on the internetz! Peggy Lee fans are kinda terrific people! I came across this just the other day - wish I could credit the anonymous writer. Of the millions of words I've read about the sublime and stupendously brilliant Peggy Lee, this really sums her up best: Peggy Lee is one of the greatest of all popular singers of the century. Her voice, with the texture of a sugared almond, is recognizable within a few syllables and she has an intelligent feel for language: Peggy lets the lyric work for her, and never loads it with false drama. Her singing style is the result of a perfect blend of instinct and experience. She keeps her vibrato spare and her volume low. She avoids long notes and glissandos - and sends her feelings down the quiet center of her notes. And above all: she is a rhythm singer, who moves all around the beat and swings intensely. She did close to 40 albums for Capitol and there isn't one I don't treasure!~
For the rockin' side of Peggy Lee check out her criminally underrated 1965 album ''Pass Me By'' and the tracks '' Sneakin' Up On You, That's What It Takes'' and her terrific cover of The Beatles ''A Hard Day's Night''.
I was at a party a few years ago where the median age was probably well below 30. I was 33 or 34 at the time, and I was one of the older ones there. In any case, a much-younger English friend showed up in a schoolgirl-gone-bad costume, plaid skirt and fishnets, etc. - all topped off with a fake mole on her cheek. "Just like Cindy Crawford," she explained to me. "Or Peggy Lee," I said. No one else in the room knew who Peggy Lee was. That is a tragedy. My personal favorites are her earliest recordings, with Benny Goodman (on Columbia/Okeh). But I have at least half a dozen of her Capitol albums and I love every one of them. I think she's probably #5 or so on my iTunes in terms of the number of songs I have. Must complete the collection one of these days.
The two albums she collaborated on with Quincy Jones are also really something to behold. If You Go is a melancholy, good scotch in your glass kind of album, late at night and Blues Cross Country is a big band swinger.
Worth adding that it includes a page with photos of every original album that Peggy did for Capitol: http://www.peggyleediscography.com/p/photosCapitol.php And also a page specifically for her Capitol compilations: http://www.peggyleediscography.com/p/PhotosCompsCap.php
That would be fantastic, or even if Collector's Choice decided to re-release her entire Capitol catalog.
I've long believed the only way forward with Peggy Lee's recorded legacy is a major Capitol prestige project that collects everything, and once and for all remixes and remasters absolutely everything from the second Capitol period. And I mean properly. Dump the ridiculous fake girly echo. Remix the vocals to the center - half 'em are slammed overloaded to the left. Quit the NR. The UK 2-fers are generally dreadful. Big picture? For an artist of her stature, what's been available is substandard. I don't think Bear Family would do the audio properly. I want impeccable stereo that sounds analog more than I want completism...to the point of alternate versions and backing tracks and 1700-page picture books. Essential reading here is Search /Peggy Lee / Posted by: Steve Hoffman. Four pages of highly informative stuff!
Capitol really needs to do that with a lot of their vintage roster. I would love to see George Shearing's albums remastered and re-released from Capitol Records, the Toshiba/EMI CD's are so expensive, unless you get lucky. Peggy's albums really could benefit from a total going-over and re-release, it might even help to introduce her music to a younger audience.
