Pussy Cats

This article is about the Harry Nilsson album. For the album by The Walkmen, see "Pussy Cats" Starring the Walkmen. For other uses, see Pussycat (disambiguation).
Pussy Cats
Studio album by Harry Nilsson
Released August 19, 1974 (US)
August 30, 1974 (UK)
Recorded March–May 1974
Burbank Studios, Los Angeles; Record Plant, New York
Genre Pop, rock
Length 56:08
Label RCA Victor
Producer John Lennon
Harry Nilsson chronology
A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night
(1974)		 Pussy Cats
(1974)		 Duit on Mon Dei
(1975)
Singles from Pussy Cats
  1. "Many Rivers to Cross"
    Released: July 8, 1974 (US); September 13, 1974 (UK)
  2. "Subterranean Homesick Blues"
    Released: October 1, 1974 (US)
  3. "Loop De Loop"
    Released: December 9, 1974 (US)
  4. "Save the Last Dance For Me"
    Released: January 31, 1975 (UK)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Robert ChristgauA−[2]
The Essential Rock Discography6/10[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[4]

Pussy Cats is the tenth album by American singer Harry Nilsson, released in 1974. It was produced by John Lennon during his "Lost Weekend" period. The album title was inspired by the bad press Nilsson and Lennon were getting at the time for being drunk and rowdy in Los Angeles. They also included an inside joke on the cover – children's letter blocks "D" and "S" on either side of a rug under a table − to spell out "drugs under the table" in code.

Recording

The album was started in Los Angeles, but Lennon ultimately finished producing it in New York,[5] where he could better control the sessions. During the recording sessions, Nilsson ruptured one of his vocal cords but chose to keep this from Lennon. He forced himself to push through the sessions, which caused even more damage, that some say he never quite recovered from.

Among the many musicians on Pussy Cats are drummers Ringo Starr, Keith Moon and Jim Keltner, who actually all play together (on three drum kits) on the closing track, "Rock Around the Clock". Other contributors include Jesse Ed Davis, Klaus Voormann, and Bobby Keys.

After the first night of recording, March 28, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder popped into the studio unexpectedly.[6] Bootleg recordings from this session were later released as the album A Toot and a Snore in '74.

A quadrophonic version was released on record and 8-track tape. The songs were treated to special mixes for this issue of the album.

Legacy

In June 1999, a commemorative 25th anniversary edition of Pussy Cats was released.

In October 2006, a track-by-track cover of the album was released by indie rock band The Walkmen. Several covers of the song "Don't Forget Me" have appeared, including Marshall Crenshaw's treatment on the 1995 Nilsson tribute "For the Love of Harry: Everybody Sings Nilsson", alt-country artist Neko Case's March 2009 version on her ANTI- label release, Middle Cyclone, and Mamie Minch's contribution to 2014's tribute to Nilsson by various Indie artists This Is the Town: A Tribute to Nilsson, Vol. 1.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Harry Nilsson except where indicated.

  1. "Many Rivers to Cross" (Jimmy Cliff) – 4:56
  2. "Subterranean Homesick Blues" (Bob Dylan) – 3:17
  3. "Don't Forget Me" – 3:37
  4. "All My Life" – 3:11
  5. "Old Forgotten Soldier" – 4:14
  6. "Save the Last Dance for Me" (Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman) – 4:25
  7. "Mucho Mungo/Mt. Elga" (John Lennon, Harry Nilsson) – 3:43
  8. "Loop De Loop" (Ted Vann) (featuring the Masked Alberts Kids Chorale) – 2:40
  9. "Black Sails" – 3:15
  10. "Rock Around the Clock" (Jimmy DeKnight, Max C. Freedman) – 3:12
Bonus tracks (CD Reissue)
  1. "Down by the Sea" - 5:37
  2. "The Flying Saucer Song" - 6:30
  3. "Turn Out the Light" - 2:32
  4. "Save the Last Dance for Me" (Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman) - 4:26

Personnel

  • Nathalie Altman - Choir, Chorus, Children's Chorus
  • Curtis Armstrong - Liner Notes (Reissue)
  • Kenny Ascher - Piano, Conductor, Orchestration
  • Susie Bell - Choir, Chorus, Children's Chorus
  • Greg Calbi - Mastering
  • Cally - Artwork, Design, Photography
  • Roy Cicala - Engineer, Assistant Producer
  • Gene Cipriano - Saxophone
  • Jesse Ed Davis - Guitar
  • Eddie Eddings - Research
  • Dennis Ferrante - Mixing
  • Chuck Findley - Trombone
  • Troy Germano - Choir, Chorus, Children's Chorus
  • Jane Getz - Piano
  • Mike Hartry - Digital Transfers
  • Jim Horn - Saxophone
  • Jimmy Iovine - Assistant Engineer
  • Jim Keltner - Drums
  • Bobby Keys - Saxophone
  • Sneaky Pete Kleinow - Pedal Steel
  • Danny Kortchmar - Guitar
  • Bill Lacey - Audio Restoration
  • Trevor Lawrence - Saxophone
  • Acy Lehman - Art Direction
  • John Lennon - Producer
  • Keith Moon - Conga, Drums, Wood Block
  • Erik Mueller - Choir, Chorus, Children's Chorus
  • Rachel Mueller - Choir, Chorus, Children's Chorus
  • Keith Munro - Producer, Coordination
  • Harry Nilsson - Piano, Piano (Electric), Vocals, Performer, Author, Adaptation
  • May Pang - Production Assistant
  • Phylida Paterson - Choir, Chorus, Children's Chorus
  • Peri Prestopino - Choir, Chorus, Children's Chorus
  • Andrea T. Sheridan - Liner Notes
  • Willie "The Lion" Smith - Organ
  • Ringo Starr - Drums, Maracas
  • David Steinberg - Choir, Chorus, Children's Chorus
  • Derek Taylor - Liner Notes
  • Cantey Turner - Choir, Chorus, Children's Chorus
  • Kristin Turner - Choir, Chorus, Children's Chorus
  • Damon Vigiano - Choir, Chorus, Children's Chorus
  • Klaus Voormann - Bass
  • Cynthia Webb - Marimba
  • Paul Williams - Tape Research, Reissue Supervisor

See also

References

  1. ↑ link
  2. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Harry Nilsson". Robert Christgau.
  3. ↑ Strong, Martin C. (2006). The Essential Rock Discography. Edinburgh, UK: Canongate. p. 758. ISBN 978-1-84195-827-9.
  4. ↑ Randall, Mac; Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds) (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th edn). New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. p. 586. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  5. ↑ Blaney, John (2005). John Lennon: Listen to This Book (illustrated ed.). [S.l.]: Paper Jukebox. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-9544528-1-0.
  6. ↑ Keith Badman, The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After the Break-Up 1970–2001, Omnibus Press (London, 2001), pp. 121–22.

External links

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