Lee Hazlewood

Though he’s perhaps best known for his work with Nancy Sinatra (including writing mega-hit These Boots Are Made For Walking), Hazlewood did stunning work away from that particular glamour queen, and found latter day champions in Beck, Sonic Youth, Jarvis Cocker and Spiritualized. Now, Light In The Attic Records have compiled the best of his classic-era output for LHI Records on the compilation Singles, Nudes & Backsides.

A songwriter and producer by trade, Hazlewood sang the songs that no one else wanted to take from him, never quite achieving the success that others had with his compositions and drawing few royalties from them in comparison. These were the tracks released on his own LHI label: Lee Hazlewood Industries.

A natural wanderer, Lee lived a big life, fighting in the Korean War, working as a radio DJ in Phoenix, Arizona, setting up Viv Records in the ‘50s, working as a big-shot LA producer in the ‘60s, signing Phil Spector to his Trey Records label and prematurely announcing retirement in the wake of the mid-‘60s British invasion. He didn’t: Nancy Sinatra came along, the hits started flowing and he continued producing characterful solo albums into the ‘70s, which saw his move to Sweden. By 2007, Hazlewood was living in Vegas, and begrudgingly enjoying that flurry of latter-day interest in his work. This landmark compilation promises to create many more converts. More gems from the Hazlewood vaults to follow…