Various Artists - Why Don't You Smile Now: Lou Reed at Pickwick Records 1964 -1965 [2LP Oxblood]

Light In The Attic

£52.18

Format: 2LP (OXBLOOD)
Catalogue No.: LITA21211
Barcode: 826853212113
Release Date: 27 Sep 2024
Genre: Garage-Rock/Girl-Group Pop/Soul/Teen-Idol Balladry

- First official anthology of Lou Reed’s work for Pickwick Records 1964-1965.
- Features rarities, cult classics (The Primitives’ “The Ostrich” (the track credited with bringing The Velvet Underground together), & previously unreleased material (The Beachnuts' "Sad, Lonely Orphan Boy").
- Produced in partnership with Laurie Anderson and the Lou Reed Archive.
- INDIES ONLY OXBLOOD & GOLD VINYL PLUS BLACK VINYL - GATEFOLD and BOTH NON-RETURNABLE.
- 20-page LP book/40-page CD book featuring unseen photos and essays by Lenny Kaye & Richie Unterberger.
- Remastered by GRAMMY®-nominated engineer John Baldwin.
- Art Direction & Design by multi-GRAMMY®-winning artist Masaki Koike at Phyx Design.
- CD layout by Darryl Norsen at D.Norsen Design.
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”).

Tracklist:
The Primitives - The Ostrich; The Beachnuts - Cycle Annie; The Hi-Lifes - I'm Gonna Fight; The Hi-Lifes - Soul City; Ronnie Dickerson - Oh No Don't Do It; Ronnie Dickerson - Love Can Make You Cry; The Hollywoods - Teardrop in the Sand; The Roughnecks - You're Driving Me Insane; The Primitives - Sneaky Pete; Terry Philips - Wild One; Spongy and the Dolls - Really - Really - Really - Really - Really - Really Love; The Foxes - Soul City; The J Brothers - Ya Running but I'll Getcha; Beverley Ann - We Got Trouble; The All Night Workers - Why Don't You Smile; Jeannie Larimore - Johnny Won't Surf No More; Robertha Williams - Tell Mamma Not to Cry; Robertha Williams - Maybe Tomorrow; Terry Philips - Flowers for the Lady; Terry Philips - This Rose; The Surfsiders - Surfin'; The Surfsiders - Little Deuce Coupe; The Beachnuts - Sad Lonely Orphan Boy; The Beachnuts - I've Got a Tiger in My Tank; Ronnie Dickerson - What About Me

MOJO ‘REISSUE OF THE MONTH’ WITH 4/5 REVIEW: ‘WHY DON'T YOU SMILE NOW DEFINITIVELY ADDRESSES AND ILLUMINATES THE WEIRDEST PART OF THE VELVET UNDERGROUND’S ORIGIN STORY. THIS IS THE BEST OF THE MADNESS AND MINUTIAE THAT HAPPENED ALONG THE WAY. DIG IN WITH A SMILE.’