The Jack Nitzsche Story - Hearing is Believing: 1962 - 1979

The story of this keyboardist (born Bernard Nitzsche in Chicago on April 22, 1937) has far less to do with personal charted singles (he only had two billed as Jack Nitzsche) but rather far more as a renowned producer, arranger and composer, and that story is told here as only Ace of London can do it, with their usual immaculate sound reproduction and background information in a booklet written by Mick Patrick which also features the personal memories of Jack by some of the artists and producers with whom he worked closely, and infused with vintage photos. . After spending his early life on a farm in Newaygo, Michigan, and attending the Westlake College Of Music, he hit the road to sunny California at age 18 fully intending to pursue a career as a jazz saxophonist. Instead he became gainfully employed as a musical score copyist for Sonny Bono, then serving as the A&M man for Specialty Records and first displayed his writing talents when he and Bono wrote Needles and Pins. This became a minor hit in 1963 for Jackie DeShannon, a bigger one in 1964 for The Searchers, again a minor entry in 1977 for Smokie, and a decent one in 1986 for Tom Petty & Stevie Nicks. Hired by Lee Hazelwood as an arranger, when Lee's partner Leonard Sill later opted to work with Phil Spector on his new Wall Of Sound Concept, he took Nitzsche with him and, for about four years, he had a major part in the arrangements of those memorable Philles hits. He also signed as a solo artist with Sinatra's Reprise label in this period, eventually recording four albums, the first of which produced the hit single The Lonely Surfer. Unlike other surf records cropping up all over the place this was an orchestration featuring strings, French horns and Bill Pittman's 6-string bass, and in August 1963 it reached a modest # 39 Hot 100 on Reprise 20,202 b/w a cover of the 1956 Mitch Miller hit Song For A Summer Night. The B-side is not here. Several months later he had his "big band" version of the Link Wray 1958 hit Rumble top out at # 91 Hot 100 in November on Reprise 20,225 b/w Theme For A Broken Heart (again, only the A-side is here), and that would be it insofar as personal charted singles were concerned. But his work as an arranger/producer would help pay the bills for years to come, serving as the conductor/arranger for a studio group formed by Hal Blaine, The Wrecking Crew, which would, at various times, include some of what would become the biggest names in music (e.g Glen Campbell, Leon Russell, Earl Palmer, Al Casey, James Burton, Plas Johnson, Nino Tempo, Billy Strange, Carol Kaye, Bill Pittman, Barney Kessell, Tommy Tedesco, Ollie Mitchell and Don Peake, among others). They can be heard as backing for groups like The Beach Boys and The Monkees. Nitzsche also played electric piano for the group Crazy Horse. His work on film musical scores is legendary (over 35) some of the most notable being One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, The Exorcist, An Officer And A Gentleman (for which he won an Oscar along with then wife Buffy Sainte-Marie for Up Where We Belong), Stand By Me and The Jewel Of The Nile. He also produced/arranged albums for Bob Lind, The Rolling Stones, The Buffalo Springfield, Neil Young, Graham Parker and Willy De Ville. Personal problems dogged him throughout his life, including an assault charge for beating up girlfriend Carrie Snodgress in 1979 and brandishing a loaded weapon in public in the 1990s. In 1998 he suffered a stroke and two years later died from cardiac arrest while being treated in hospital for a bronchial infection. This is easily the best compilation of just some of his work on the market today.

Jack Nitzsche knew and worked with everyone. His uncanny knack for producing creative arrangements, his "Wall of Sound," his experimentation with unusual instruments, and his magical touch everywhere are a joy to behold here.

A great overview of an artrist who helped shaped the architecture of rock and pop...his closing theme from the soundtrack of "One Flew Over The Cuckoo Nest" is an absolute masterpiece-it's beauty is surpassed only by it's emotional wonder and splendour.What a track!

Read the playlist carefully. When I say all the artists attributed to this album I got starry eyed. But when I listened, I realized most of the songs were duds.

Can hardly make out the words on most trax; mastering attempts to compensate for needle drops onto worn records by excess reverberation electronically. For completists who love distortion only . Bought before samples became available much to my regret.

Excellent, just the job, good service.

Une magnifique compilation réunissant 26 morceaux portant tous la patte de Jack Nitzsche, que ce soit en tant qu'arrangeur, auteur ou producteur. Jack Nitzsche dont il faudra un jour réévaluer la part qui lui revient dans toute l'aventure Spector. Parce que, bon, plus j'écoute ce que le gars Nitzsche a pu pondre, plus je me dis que Spector n'a pas exactement tout inventé dans son fameux Wall Of Sound, une part du mérite revient forcément et pas qu'un peu à l'ami Jack. Alors on ne remerciera jamais assez la maison Ace de nous proposer un panel représentatif du travail de Jack Nitzsche à travers 26 morceaux qui forment un voyage sonique assez ahurissant et férocement jouissif. Et on se dit que, bon sang, que ce soit les violons tourbillonnants ou les batteries pachydermiques qui viennent tout d'un coup exploser et culbuter le morceau, eh bien, c'est pas Spector mais plutôt Nitzsche qui en est le dépositaire. Cette compilation délivre une orgie sonique sur plus d'une heure et quart. C'est constamment surprenant et majestueux, Nitzsche réussissant toujours à enrober le morceau de la plus belle des manières, emballant rondement l'affaire et distillant de parfaits enrichissements qui viennent toujours enrichir le titre, le tirant invariablement vers le haut. Ca commence idéalement par son propre "The Lonely Surfer", mirifique et majestueux, à la grâce éternelle, pour se clore non moins parfaitement sur le rêveur et aérien "One Flew From The Cuckoo's Nest" dont il avait magnifiquement composé la musique. Idyllique. Entre ces deux précieux, on va croiser Jackie DeShannon ou Stevie Wonder mais aussi Frankie Laine ou Doris Day, les Paris Sisters, Lesley Gore ou encore les Righteous Brothers, Dion, P.J. Proby, Tim Buckley, Marianne Faithfull ou Buffy Sainte-Marie, la palette et le spectre sont larges... C'est bien sûr pour tous les morceaux moins connus qu'on jubile et qu'on adhère à cette compilation. Néanmoins, si le travail sur le son est constamment ahurissant sur tous les titres, on peut remarquer que certaines compositions ne sont pas toujours de très haut niveau. Là encore, le morceau est surtout, alors, tiré par le haut grâce au travail fourni par Nitzsche. Les gens de Ace n'ont pas forcément réunis tous les meilleurs titres sur cette compilation, en gardant sous le coude pour d'autres volumes sans doute (ils en ont pour l'heure sorti déjà trois). Si on chipote encore un peu, on peut aussi arguer que certains titres des seventies, moins nombreux cela dit, sont moins parlants tel ce "You Can't Be Too Strong" de Graham Parker évidemment fort délectable mais pas forcément représentatif pour le coup. Très belle compilation tout de même à l'arrivée car un déluge d'arrangements mirifiques, des productions pleines et ahurissantes qui font de chaque morceau un petit monde en soi. D'autant que le son est irréprochable et que le livret est consistant. Une constante chez Ace mais il faut quand-même le signaler.

An amazing compilation of JN work, all styles, all times just unbelievable. Thank you so much for the booklet as well. Cheers