VARIOUS ARTISTS – WHY DON’T YOU SMILE NOW: LOU REED AT PICKWICK RECORDS 1964-65 – 2-LP – VINYL LP

Description

Light in the Attic, in cooperation with Laurie Anderson and the Lou Reed Archive, is thrilled to announce the forthcoming release of Why Don’t You Smile Now: Lou Reed at Pickwick Records 1964-65. Due out September 27th, the latest installment in LITA’s critically acclaimed Lou Reed Archive Series is a compilation of pop songs penned by Reed during his mid-60s stint as a staff songwriter for the long-defunct label Pickwick Records. The compilation follows on the heels of Lou Reed’s Hudson River Wind Meditations (2023) and Words & Music, May 1965 (2022). One of the most original and innovative figures in music history, Reed (1942-2013) first gained recognition as co-founder and frontman of the massively influential Velvet Underground. Over the course of his five-decade career, the two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer brought his singular vision to an eclectic expanse of musical endeavors, including era-defining albums like 1972’s Transformer and wildly experimental works like the 1975 avant-garde noise classic Metal Machine Music. But before establishing himself as an enduringly iconic singer, songwriter, musician, and poet, Reed got his start as an in-house songwriter (and occasional session guitarist/vocalist) for Pickwick Records-a label specializing in sound-alike recordings that emulated the major pop hits of the day. Encompassing everything from garage-rock and girl-group pop to blue-eyed soul and teen-idol balladry, Reed’s output for Pickwick ultimately offers a fascinating early glimpse at his ever-evolving and truly limitless artistry. The album has been restored and remastered by GRAMMY-nominated mastering engineer John Baldwin. Both the 2xLP & CD editions feature in-depth booklets with unseen photos, liner notes by Richie Unterberger (renowned music journalist and author of such acclaimed titles as White Light/White Heat: The Velvet Underground day-by-day), and an essay by Lenny Kaye (the legendary guitarist, Patti Smith Group co-founder, writer, producer, and curator of seminal garage-rock anthology Nuggets). The double-LP package is designed by multi-GRAMMY-winning artist Masaki Koike and pressed at world-renowned plant Optimal (Germany). A special color vinyl edition is pressed on “Oxblood” wax (A/B side) and “Gold” wax (C/D side). This release marks the first official anthology of Lou Reed’s work for Pickwick Records and features rarities, cult classics (The Primitives’ “The Ostrich”), & previously unreleased material (The Beachnuts’ “Sad, Lonely Orphan Boy”)

• 1The Primitives – the Ostrich
• 2The Beachnuts – Cycle Annie
• 3The Hi-Lifes – I’m Gonna Fight
• 4The Hi-Lifes – Soul City
• 5Ronnie Dickerson – Oh No Don’t Do It
• 6Ronnie Dickerson – Love Can Make You Cry
• 7The Hollywoods – Teardrop in the Sand
• 8The Roughnecks – You’re Driving Me Insane
• 9The Primitives – Sneaky Pete
• 10Terry Philips – Wild One
• 11Spongy and the Dolls – Really – Really – Really – Really – Really – Really Love
• 12The Foxes – Soul City
• 13The J Brothers – Ya Running But I’ll Getcha
• 14Beverley Ann – We Got Trouble
• 15The All Night Workers – Why Don’t You Smile
• 16Jeannie Larimore – Johnny Won’t Surf No More
• 17Robertha Williams – Tell Mamma Not to Cry
• 18Robertha Williams – Maybe Tomorrow
• 19Terry Philips – Flowers for the Lady
• 20Terry Philips – This Rose
• 21The Surfsiders – Surfin’
• 22The Surfsiders – Little Deuce Coupe
• 23The Beachnuts – Sad Lonely Orphan Boy
• 24The Beachnuts – I’ve Got a Tiger in My Tank
• 25Ronnie Dickerson – What About Me