By the time 1970 rolled around, Peggy Lee had been making records for nearly thirty years, been nominated for an Academy Award, and several Grammy Awards. She took home a Grammy in 1969, for Best Contemporary Vocal Performance, Female for "Is That All There Is?"
Having accomplished so much and with musical tastes changing so rapidly, Peggy's fans probably would have understood if the singer had settled for singing hits from her large catalog of recorded music for the rest of her career.
However, Lee seemed eager to embrace the musical style of a new generation of songwriters. She released Make It With You in 1970, an album that includes songs by Lennon and McCartney, Paul Anka, and David Gates of Bread among others. In 1971, Peggy followed that with Where Did They Go featuring songs written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, Kris Kristofferson, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, Stephen Sondheim, George Harrison, and other top songwriters of the day.
Both of these albums had been out of print for many years, until Collector's Choice Music recently released newly remastered versions of both albums, available on CD for the first time.Make It With You begins with the Neil Sedaka/Howard Greenfield composition, "One More Ride on the Merry-Go-Round." The melancholy lyrics highlight Peggy's ability to evoke a sad, emotional feeling in her singing style. The Lennon/McCartney song, "The Long and Winding Road" has been covered by countless artists. However, few of them have been able to avoid over the top lyrical readings that sound pained or orchestral arrangements with so many strings the lyrics get lost. Peggy's reading of the song is controlled, but strong and conductor/arranger Benny Golson lets Peggy's voice guide the strings, instead of making the strings the primary instrument.
Next, Peggy took on the Paul Anka composition, "That's What Living's About." A song about loosening up and having fun, Miss Lee's singing has a persuasive quality. After listening to this track a couple of times, I started to think about mundane activities in a whole new light. Make It With You takes a decidedly darker turn with the haunting "The No-Color Time of Day." At once beautiful and aloof, Peggy's delivery speaks to everyone's feelings of loneliness that crop up at some point in life. Like Peggy's signature song "Fever," "The No-Color Time of Day" has aged well. The lyrics are as poignant today as they were in 1970.
Article comments
1 - Holly A Hughes
I remember when these songs came out -- it seemed profoundly irritating that someone of Lee's generation would be trying to act hip by covering the "now" music. Now I realize she was a big enough star that she didn't need to piggyback on anybody else's art. I'm still not convinced she brought the right sensibility to the table for some of this material, but at least I admire her for wanting to explore new territory. You wouldn't have caught Sinatra, for example, stepping outside of his comfort zone like that.
2 - Leslie Bohn
Ms Hughes:
You would have caught him. Sinatra recorded songs by almost all of the songwriters mentioned: Kristofferson, Lennon/McCartney, Harrison, Gates, Sondheim, Bacahrach/David, Anka, off the top of my head. Not sure he ever recorded anything by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Can't think of any.