Perhaps the most famous album in the Peggy Lee canon is one that few people have ever heard! Culled from three nights of a three-week April run at the Copa during which Peggy played two shows per night (and three on Saturd... more »ay), Two Shows Nightly was pressed and ready to go to retail in November 1968 when Peggy, unhappy with the mix (she was notoriously picky about the sound on her recordings), pulled the release on the eve of its street date. That set off a four decade-long collector feeding frenzy that persists to this day, as the very few promo copies of this album that have surfaced go for megabucks. Now, 41 years later, Peggy s estate has consented to our releasing this long-lost album and, not only that, they re letting us put it out with a dozen bonus tracks! Includes from the original album Do I Hear a Waltz; By the Time I Get to Phoenix; Reason to Believe; Didn t Want to Have to Do It; Personal Property; Hand on the Plow; Until It s Time for You to Go; Something Stupid; What Is a Woman; Alright, Okay, You Win; Here s to You, and Come Back to Me. Bonus tracks include the unreleased Money and I Wound It Up as well as the rare single sides Stay with Me; Happy Feet; That Man; I Feel It; The Lonesome Road; Misty Roses; It ll Never Happen Again; Reason to Believe, and Didn t Want to Have to Do It, as well as the obscure Make Believe. New liner notes from Peggy Lee discographer Ivan Santiago tell the fascinating story behind this release. It s the pop vocal collector find of the year, a Collectors Choice Music exclusive!« less
Perhaps the most famous album in the Peggy Lee canon is one that few people have ever heard! Culled from three nights of a three-week April run at the Copa during which Peggy played two shows per night (and three on Saturday), Two Shows Nightly was pressed and ready to go to retail in November 1968 when Peggy, unhappy with the mix (she was notoriously picky about the sound on her recordings), pulled the release on the eve of its street date. That set off a four decade-long collector feeding frenzy that persists to this day, as the very few promo copies of this album that have surfaced go for megabucks. Now, 41 years later, Peggy s estate has consented to our releasing this long-lost album and, not only that, they re letting us put it out with a dozen bonus tracks! Includes from the original album Do I Hear a Waltz; By the Time I Get to Phoenix; Reason to Believe; Didn t Want to Have to Do It; Personal Property; Hand on the Plow; Until It s Time for You to Go; Something Stupid; What Is a Woman; Alright, Okay, You Win; Here s to You, and Come Back to Me. Bonus tracks include the unreleased Money and I Wound It Up as well as the rare single sides Stay with Me; Happy Feet; That Man; I Feel It; The Lonesome Road; Misty Roses; It ll Never Happen Again; Reason to Believe, and Didn t Want to Have to Do It, as well as the obscure Make Believe. New liner notes from Peggy Lee discographer Ivan Santiago tell the fascinating story behind this release. It s the pop vocal collector find of the year, a Collectors Choice Music exclusive!
CD Reviews
Sometimes the music vaults really do hide treasures - this i
Mark D. Prouse | Riverdale (Bronx), NY | 01/29/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It's so interesting to me that of all the singers of the Big Band Era, Peggy Lee was one of the few who paid attention to the younger generations as she and her contemporaries got older. Yes, some might cover the odd Beatles song or begrudgingly consent to an album of (fake) duets with the younger set (Sinatra), or attempt to rock once in awhile (Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald), but for the most part, the old-timers kept their distance (until recently). Adult contemporary singers making their marks in the fifties and sixties, like Andy Williams, Tony Bennett and Jack Jones tackled contemporary material, but always seemed most comfortable in the standards arena (Bennett has stepped up to the plate with the younger set in more recent times, with often impressive results) Mel Tormé, a great singer, to be sure, made numerous comments in his memoir, My Singing Teachers, putting down and dissing the music of the sixties and beyond, even though he was not above recording material by The Beatles, Donovan and The Turtles. One must conclude he was coerced into covering those tunes! Just as some young people snub their noses at the music of bygone eras, some seniors can't seem to acclimate to the modern.
When Peggy Lee wasn't writing her own hits, she was always looking for good songs, and she not only dipped into contemporary waters, she dove right into the waves. This live collection and its included bonus tracks, is a real find, proving that she truly embraced her younger peers, and was quite comfortable doing just about any kind of music (but then we Peggy Lee fans always knew this). Here, Ms. Lee does, indeed, do it all: she rocks, she swings, she croons and she belts. She does folk tunes (the rousing "Hand On The Plow," Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Until It's Time For You To Go," which has become a standard), she positively makes love to the pop/rock tune "I Didn't Want To Have To Do It" and sings to a unique arrangement of "Reason To Believe." There are big band ravers like "Do I Hear A Waltz?" and "Come Back To Me." Whether Peggy was covering the Lovin' Spoonful or Kern & Hammerstein, she seemed to be equally at home. There's barely a misstep here (I'm not sure I needed "Something Stupid" yet again), and yet the extra studio singles and previously unreleased bonus tracks add even more luster to one delightful and unexpected CD. Some of the songs done live on TWO SHOWS NIGHTLY are repeated here in studio single versions. There are also some fine Lee originals.
The instrumental backup and arrangements are solid, there is an informative booklet about the sessions that produced the album, and the sound is clear and sharp; the "Live at The Copa" portion has been remastered, and I think Ms. Lee might approve this time around (it was Peggy herself, as noted elsewhere on these pages, who blocked the album's release, originally). I'm glad we get to hear it now, as it was well worth the wait!"
Really fine album
Hoc Stercus | Hudson, NY USA | 01/28/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Being aware that this album was withdrawn from production back in 1968, I had serious questions about the desirablity of acquiring this CD. I'm glad I ordered it, because it turned out to be a truly fine collection. Peggy Lee is in her prime and is backed up by a group of exceptionally talented musicians. The upbeat numbers really cook, and the ballads are sensitively and tastefully arranged. It seems that performing before a live audience brings out a lot more energy and commitment than doing the same material in a recording studio. Overall I found this disc downright enjoyable. There's some good bonus material retrieved "from the vaults;" although half of these extras should be classified as cute "novelty tunes" rather than songs for the ages. If you are a Peggy Lee fan, you will be glad you purchased this CD."
Wonderful, But Not A True Live Album
A. Mcintyre | 01/30/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I am glad that this wonderful album has been released with such astonishing sound quality.
I loved "By the Time I Get to Phonix," "Something Stupid, and especially "What is a Woman."
The bonus track are superb. I recommend this CD highly.
Two previous reviewers have called Two Shows Nightly a live album. There may be some live tracks here, but all of Peggy Lee's comments to the audience were obviously recorded in the studio, as I believe many of the songs were as well. In a live Peggy Lee performance, she interacted with her audience with asides during the songs. That doesn't happen in this recording ever. To be fair, many live albums from this period were actually recorded in the studio, with the audience applause added, so Lee is just doing what many others did as well."
Two Shows Nightly ... And Then Some!
Ernest C Tong | Portland, Oregon United States | 03/01/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"My treasured copy of Two Shows Nightly arrived promptly from Amazon a few days within its advertised release date. The recording has occupied most of my musical listening for the past month. The uniformly excellent reviews are in and once again Miss Lee is burning up the charts.
The first half of the disc, the long-awaited Copacabana concert, is a lovely confection of Peggy's nightclub act circa 1968. The vocals are sublime, the instrumental mix crystalline and it's fascinating to hear the actual musical arrangements she used in live shows. The robotic audience applause remains, although toned down considerably. Most of the time I listen through the phony applause, thrilling to the newness of these sounds and the virtuosity of Peggy's stylized performances.
The rarely heard and previously unreleased Peggy-in-her-prime comprises the second half of the disk. If you long to hear more of Peg as she sounded in the swinging '60s, these songs alone are worth the price of admission. "Money" immediately strikes as a minor Lee classic worthy of a single release. The bewitching "Stay with Me" conjures up images of Tequila Sunsets for two and I am absolutely crazy about the Zen-like humor of her jazz waltz, "I Wound It Up."
Ivan Santiago's comprehensive liner notes are a joy to read and there is a lovely picture of Peggy floating around the nightclub floor like a high priestess of pop, borrowing from Gene Lees.
Congratulations to all involved for seeing this project through to fruition!
"
Great disc by a great lady
ANCHEL S. SAMUELS | Savannah, Georgia USA | 05/09/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"this disc is great in every way. Not only is Miss Peggy Lee in great voice but the musicians who back her up are equal to the occasion. I can't stop playing the disc and wishing for more. I know that there are other unreleased discs and I hope they will be available soon."
Track Listings (24) - Disc #1