Elusive dreams (Nancy and Lee) (LP 1096)

Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood   Nancy and Lee (Vinyl, Reprise Records, 1968) ****  

Genre: Easy listening  

Places I remember: Vikings' Haul (Woodville)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Summer Wine

Gear costume: Jackson

Active compensatory factors: I had been searching for a clean copy of this one for a while and lo and behold, there it was in a secondhand shop in Woodville.

I guess this was a big party record in hip New Zealand circles back in 1968 because up to this point each copy I had found had been in really rough condition.

My copy isn't mint, it has a couple of jumps, but generally it's in good condition.

This has become something of a classic because the two stars are perfect foils for each other. Their duet style is perfect for 1968 and still sounds retro cool in 2023.

The highlights are many - Some Velvet Morning, You've Lost That Loving Feeling and those two above are perfect. High praise I know.

Jackson is interesting because I mainly know it from the Johnny Cash and June Carter version - which isn't raunchy at all! June gives as good as she gets. Instead, Nancy plays it with a knowing coquettishness that also suits the song.

Where do they all belong? It's in the Easy Listening section because that's where I put Nancy's solo album from my dad's collection.

Day tripper (The Beatles) (LP 420)

 

Nancy Sinatra Boots (Vinyl, Reprise, 1966) ***

Genre: Easy listening

Places I remember: Graham Purdy collection. 

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: These Boots Are Made For Walkin' - Nancy goes for the sex kitten look in this great video - a precursor to Madonna, and the ensemble dance routine - a precursor to Michael Jackson and others. Pretty racy for the mid sixties!

Gear costume:  As Tears Go By, Lies 

Active compensatory factors: This album has always been in my consciousness - I can remember seeing this cover in my dad's record collection since I was 9 years old. It had zero impact on me! Just an album dad owned and a music style that I never liked.

Day Tripper is a good example: her version is Las Vegas lounge - dinner and a show style. An afront to the original. Zero sexuality!

This was her debut - an album that included Beatle/Stones/Dylan and three (THREE) Lee Hazlewood covers.

All are rended in that trademark cabaret style (the Dylan is a particularly uneasy version of It Ain't me, Babe);

Why Dad (or mum?) liked it, I'm not sure. I don't recall him playing the album but he must have at some stage.

Listening to it again in 2020, I remain unmoved, although I get the camp appeal. The back cover liner notes by Stan Cornyn are a hoot and although 'of their time', a great accompaniment to the hip sounds on offer.

Where do they all belong? It resides in the Easy Listening section along with dad's other albums.