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 | Pussy Cats {Japanese CD Reissue} | |
|  Japan
CD
BMG
July 2002 Produced by John Lennon, Pussy Cats was recorded during John's "lost weekend" in Los Angeles, California.Downloads:
Credits:| Bass: | Klaus Voormann |
| Choir, Chorus: | Damon Vigiano |
| Choir, Chorus: | Kristin Turner |
| Choir, Chorus: | Cantey Turner |
| Choir, Chorus: | David Steinberg |
| Choir, Chorus: | Peri Prestopino |
| Choir, Chorus: | Phylida Paterson |
| Choir, Chorus: | Rachel Mueller |
| Choir, Chorus: | Erik Mueller |
| Choir, Chorus: | Troy Germano |
| Choir, Chorus: | Susie Bell |
| Choir, Chorus: | Nathalie Altman |
| Drums: | Ringo Starr |
| Drums: | Keith Moon |
| Drums: | Jim Keltner |
| Guitar: | Jesse Ed Davis |
| Guitar: | Danny Kootch |
| Marimbas: | Cynthia Webb |
| Pedal Steel Guitar: | Sneaky Pete Kleinow |
| Piano: | Jane Getz |
| Saxophone: | Gene Cipriano |
| Saxophone: | Jim Horn |
| Saxophone: | Bobby Keyes |
| Saxophone: | Trevor Lawrence |
| Trombone: | Chuck Findley |
Tracks:Variations: |
| Album Ratings/Reviews |
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| Pussy Cats {US Deluxe CD Reissue} | |
| United States
CD
BMG Buddha
99615
June 15, 1999 Produced by John Lennon, Pussy Cats was recorded during John's "Lost Weekend" in Los Angeles, California.
Harry injured his vocal cords during the recording sessions.
After recording A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night Harry announced that he would record an album of songs by Allen Toussaint. Instead, he and John recorded Pussy Cats.
Curtis Armstrong told us of the reissue of Pussy Cats in May of 1999. The following is how the announcement was released in the Harry Nilsson web pages.
May 1999
RCA, Nilsson's label for most of his recording career, has announced a 25th Anniversary reissue of the John Lennon-produced Nilsson album, Pussy Cats.
The announcement came just months after RCA deleted virtually all Nilsson albums from its catalog.
The re-release will be available on RCA's new Special Products label, Buddha Records, headed by Alex Miller
with support and encouragement from RCA archivist Glenn Korman. Both men are avowed Nilsson fans and hope that this re-issue will just be the first in a larger re-release series.
is scheduled for release on Harry Nilsson's birthday, June 15, 1999. The album will include all the original art work, new liner notes and bonus tracks. Curtis Armstrong has been assisting RCA in the selection of bonus tracks.
The four bonus tracks have already been selected:
- "Turn Out The Lights" - Harry's stripped down demo of a song which finally appeared on the Duit on Mon Dei album. Far from the exuberant, steel-drum-laden version we know, the demo is more of a quirky lullaby. This version is from the two-inch tapes of these sessions. On the multi-tracks, "Turn Out The Lights" was one of five songs from this period from which Harry's vocal had been mysteriously wiped.
- "The Flying Saucer Song" - Of at least three unreleased versions of Harry's infamous shaggy-drunk story, this appears to be the only one produced by John Lennon. Among other arrangement differences, the song-within-a-song is more produced, with multi-tracked harmonies.
- "Down By the Sea" - Another song which surfaced on the Duit on Mon Dei album. A totally different take on the song, complete with "Island"-style pedal guitar from Sneaky Pete, piano by Jane Getz, Ringo Starr on drums, Keith Moon on percussion and a host of other regulars. A really fun track.
- "Save the Last Dance for Me" - Arguably the gem of this collection. Harry's keyboard/vocal demo was done early in the sessions, before his vocal chords ruptured. The result is one of his best vocals from this period. His electric piano playing leaves a little to be desired, but his singing is spine-tingling.
A fifth bonus track, "Many Rivers to Cross" was considered but dropped at the last minute. It is an early mix of the Jimmy Cliff tune. No strings, no horns, no echo - like many of Harry's demos from the archives,
this version is, in some respects, superior to the final version. The lead vocal is the same, but the sparce
arrangement allows the listener to really hear it for the first time.
If all goes as planned (i.e. if Pussy Cats sells well enough), the next albums being considered for the
deluxe re-issue treatment will be, in no particular order, Nilsson Sings Newman, Pandemonium Shadow Show, Aerial Ballet,
and Aerial Pandemonium Ballet. The last three albums are particularly rich in unreleased material, while Nilsson Sings Newman
could at least boast "Snow", possibly the greatest unreleased Nilsson track from any period.
Alex Miller maintains that the main object of Buddha records will be "to get these albums out and keep them out.
None of this making them available for 18 months and then pulling them."
On June 1, 1999, we received some updated news from Curtis Armstrong.
Update - June 1, 1999
A message from Curtis Armstrong:
Got some happy news from Buddha records this morning. The pre-orders for the
upcoming re-release of Pussy Cats have exceeded the company's
expectations. For an artist of Harry's stature, pre-orders averaging 5000
units is considered doing very well indeed. With the re-release of Pussy Cats still a couple of weeks away, pre-orders are already at 6500. Alex Miller, the head of Buddha records said that this makes his job easier, and
we are beginning preliminary work on the next two titles to receive the
deluxe treatment: Nilsson Sings Newman and Aerial Pandemonium Ballet. In
addition, Barnes and Noble will be featuring a Pussy Cats display in their
stores during the month of June. Also, Warner/Chappell is publishing a
Nilsson Song Book, called The Nilsson Anthology, which will feature music and lyrics
of 25 of Nilsson's best songs.
Downloads:
Credits:| Bass: | Klaus Voormann |
| Choir, Chorus: | Damon Vigiano |
| Choir, Chorus: | Kristin Turner |
| Choir, Chorus: | Cantey Turner |
| Choir, Chorus: | David Steinberg |
| Choir, Chorus: | Peri Prestopino |
| Choir, Chorus: | Phylida Paterson |
| Choir, Chorus: | Rachel Mueller |
| Choir, Chorus: | Erik Mueller |
| Choir, Chorus: | Troy Germano |
| Choir, Chorus: | Susie Bell |
| Choir, Chorus: | Nathalie Altman |
| Drums: | Ringo Starr |
| Drums: | Keith Moon |
| Drums: | Jim Keltner |
| Guitar: | Jesse Ed Davis |
| Guitar: | Danny Kootch |
| Marimbas: | Cynthia Webb |
| Pedal Steel Guitar: | Sneaky Pete Kleinow |
| Piano: | Jane Getz |
| Saxophone: | Gene Cipriano |
| Saxophone: | Jim Horn |
| Saxophone: | Bobby Keyes |
| Saxophone: | Trevor Lawrence |
| Trombone: | Chuck Findley |
Tracks:Variations: |
| Album Ratings/Reviews |
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| Pussy Cats {US CD Reissue} | |
| United States
CD
RCA
07863 50570-2
1996 Produced by John Lennon, Pussy Cats was recorded during John's "Lost Weekend" in Los Angeles, California.
Harry injured his vocal cords during the recording sessions.
After recording A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night Harry announced that he would record an album of songs by Allen Toussaint. Instead, he and John recorded Pussy Cats. Downloads:
Credits:| Bass: | Klaus Voormann |
| Choir, Chorus: | Rachel Mueller |
| Choir, Chorus: | Susie Bell |
| Choir, Chorus: | Troy Germano |
| Choir, Chorus: | Erik Mueller |
| Choir, Chorus: | Phylida Paterson |
| Choir, Chorus: | Peri Prestopino |
| Choir, Chorus: | David Steinberg |
| Choir, Chorus: | Cantey Turner |
| Choir, Chorus: | Kristin Turner |
| Choir, Chorus: | Damon Vigiano |
| Choir, Chorus: | Nathalie Altman |
| Drums: | Jim Keltner |
| Drums: | Keith Moon |
| Drums: | Ringo Starr |
| Guitar: | Jesse Ed Davis |
| Guitar: | Danny Kootch |
| Marimbas: | Cynthia Webb |
| Pedal Steel Guitar: | Sneaky Pete Kleinow |
| Piano: | Jane Getz |
| Saxophone: | Gene Cipriano |
| Saxophone: | Jim Horn |
| Saxophone: | Bobby Keyes |
| Saxophone: | Trevor Lawrence |
| Trombone: | Chuck Findley |
| Vocals: | Harry Nilsson |
Tracks:Variations: |
| Album Ratings/Reviews |
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| Pussy Cats {Edsel CD} | |
|  United Kingdom
CD
Edsel
CD 337
1991 Produced by John Lennon, Pussy Cats was recorded during John's "Lost Weekend" in Los Angeles, California.
Harry Nilsson injured his vocal cords during the recording sessions.
After recording A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night Harry announced that he would record an album of songs by Allen Toussaint. Instead, he and John recorded Pussy Cats. Downloads:
Credits:| Bass: | Klaus Voormann |
| Choir, Chorus: | Damon Vigiano |
| Choir, Chorus: | Kristin Turner |
| Choir, Chorus: | Cantey Turner |
| Choir, Chorus: | David Steinberg |
| Choir, Chorus: | Peri Prestopino |
| Choir, Chorus: | Phylida Paterson |
| Choir, Chorus: | Rachel Mueller |
| Choir, Chorus: | Erik Mueller |
| Choir, Chorus: | Troy Germano |
| Choir, Chorus: | Susie Bell |
| Choir, Chorus: | Nathalie Altman |
| Drums: | Ringo Starr |
| Drums: | Keith Moon |
| Drums: | Jim Keltner |
| Guitar: | Jesse Ed Davis |
| Guitar: | Danny Kootch |
| Marimbas: | Cynthia Webb |
| Pedal Steel Guitar: | Sneaky Pete Kleinow |
| Piano: | Jane Getz |
| Saxophone: | Gene Cipriano |
| Saxophone: | Jim Horn |
| Saxophone: | Bobby Keyes |
| Saxophone: | Trevor Lawrence |
| Trombone: | Chuck Findley |
Tracks:Variations: |
| Album Ratings/Reviews |
| |
| Pussy Cats {Stereophonic LP} | |
| United States
LP
RCA
CPL1-0570
1974 Produced by John Lennon, Pussy Cats was recorded during John's "lost weekend" in Los Angeles, California.
Harry injured his vocal cords during the recording sessions.
After recording A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night Harry announced that he would record an album of songs by Allen Toussaint. Instead, he and John recorded Pussy Cats. Downloads:
Credits:| Bass: | Klaus Voormann |
| Choir, Chorus: | Damon Vigiano |
| Choir, Chorus: | Kristin Turner |
| Choir, Chorus: | Cantey Turner |
| Choir, Chorus: | David Steinberg |
| Choir, Chorus: | Peri Prestopino |
| Choir, Chorus: | Phylida Paterson |
| Choir, Chorus: | Rachel Mueller |
| Choir, Chorus: | Erik Mueller |
| Choir, Chorus: | Troy Germano |
| Choir, Chorus: | Susie Bell |
| Choir, Chorus: | Nathalie Altman |
| Drums: | Ringo Starr |
| Drums: | Keith Moon |
| Drums: | Jim Keltner |
| Guitar: | Jesse Ed Davis |
| Guitar: | Danny Kootch |
| Marimbas: | Cynthia Webb |
| Pedal Steel Guitar: | Sneaky Pete Kleinow |
| Piano: | Jane Getz |
| Saxophone: | Gene Cipriano |
| Saxophone: | Jim Horn |
| Saxophone: | Bobby Keyes |
| Saxophone: | Trevor Lawrence |
| Trombone: | Chuck Findley |
Tracks:Variations: |
| Album Ratings/Reviews |
| |  Timothy Craig |   (2.0 / 4.0) | Not a lot of original material here. Harry tries to sound too much like John Lennon on "Many Rivers to Cross". | | lauri t | (1.0 / 4.0) | | David Allen Jones | (4.0 / 4.0) | It seems a lot of people can't see the forest for the trees with this one. The reason why it's so wonderful is the reason why some (not all) critics dismissed it...it's ragged, unkempt, sloppy...all those things that rock and roll is supposed to be. Yet on the other hand, despite the slovenly treatment, all the beauty inherent in such songs as "Many Rivers to Cross" and "Save the Last Dance for Me" shines through. Produced in that beloved (by me, anyway) mid-range heavy sound by John Lennon, it gives a manic edge to the skonking good "Subterranean Homesick Blues", and "Rock Around the Clock". So it's mostly covers. So what? Harry was as good an interpreter as he was a songwriter, and this album is a fine example of that. And among the originals, "All My Life" is an underrated gem. "Black Sails In The Moonlight" isn't half bad either.
This was the first Harry LP I ever owned, and I've always had a soft spot for it, even more so now that I know more about its history. Despite the fact that Harry's voice was mostly shot, I think it's one of his most beautiful vocal performances, and certainly one of his gutsiest.
I always recommend this to Replacements fans, and anyone who loves good ol' sloppy rock 'n' roll. | | Tony Muscarella | (1.0 / 4.0) | In one sense, I hate Harry Nilsson for making this album. By rupturing his vocal chords, and making this album before letting his vocal chords properly heal, he permanently wrecked his singing voice, one of America's great natural treasures, if you ask me. On the other hand, that boozy sound in his voice makes some of these tracks an interesting listen.
"Save the Last Dance for Me" is the best song on this album, and probably would have been the first single, if it wasn't for The Difranco Family releasing a version of it just a couple of months before Pussy Cat's release.
"Old Forgotten Soldier" and "Mucho Mungo/Mount Elba" are other Harry originals and both are standouts. Most of the other songs are covers, and don't do much for me, although "Subterranean Homesick Blues" is pretty cool with it drum emphasis. "Many Rivers to Cross" is pretty but, Jeez, if they slowed down the song any more, he would have sung it backwards. And it wouldn't be a later-day Harry record without one piece of dreck, "Black Sails" which is about vericose veins.
Lastly, John Lennon's production is entirely forgettable, unless you're one of the 12 people who actually liked his Rock and Roll album. | | Andreas Hedler | (4.0 / 4.0) | THIS was THE album through which I came to Harry! Thanks to John Lennon! ;-) | | Raymond Rehayem | (4.0 / 4.0) | I'm a big fan of this site, but I only registered to offer an alternate, glowing opinion of this album! Sure, it may be limited by Harry's disturbingly close imitation of Lennon, but that beats him doing "Mother Nature's Son"! Seriously, Harry's particular blend of beauty and cynicism reaches an apex with "Don't Forget Me" perhaps his finest moment. The pairing with Lennon (in many ways this is more like a Lennon lp) is only natural and the fantastic 1999 BMG issue bonus cuts show Harry with voice intact- The alt. take of "Save the Last Dance" shreds the lp version because Harry's voice ain't shredded! It is stunningly lovely. Lots of covers, but surely Harry's most rock and roll album. If you love John's work and Harry's work you'll either love this or be miffed. The bonus tracks are a must- don't get an older issue unless, of course, you find the lp. It sounds great and the cover's a winner. | | Al Casey | (4.0 / 4.0) | As a John Lennon fan I bought this record many many years ago and I loved it. It introduced me to Harry and from that point I became a fan. Harry oes a good job of sounding like John but with a trist - as he did with the Newman record. Enjoyed all the songs. |
[Add Your Rating/Review For This Album] |
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| Pussy Cats {Quad LP} | |
|  United States
Quad LP
RCA
APD1-0570
1974 Quadraphonic release.
Produced by John Lennon, Pussy Cats was recorded during John's "Lost Weekend" in Los Angeles, California.
Harry injured his vocal cords during the recording sessions.
After recording A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night Harry announced that he would record an album of songs by Allen Toussaint. Instead, he and John recorded Pussy Cats. Downloads:
Credits:| Bass: | Klaus Voormann |
| Choir, Chorus: | Damon Vigiano |
| Choir, Chorus: | Kristin Turner |
| Choir, Chorus: | Cantey Turner |
| Choir, Chorus: | David Steinberg |
| Choir, Chorus: | Peri Prestopino |
| Choir, Chorus: | Phylida Paterson |
| Choir, Chorus: | Rachel Mueller |
| Choir, Chorus: | Erik Mueller |
| Choir, Chorus: | Troy Germano |
| Choir, Chorus: | Susie Bell |
| Choir, Chorus: | Nathalie Altman |
| Drums: | Ringo Starr |
| Drums: | Keith Moon |
| Drums: | Jim Keltner |
| Guitar: | Jesse Ed Davis |
| Guitar: | Danny Kootch |
| Marimbas: | Cynthia Webb |
| Pedal Steel Guitar: | Sneaky Pete Kleinow |
| Piano: | Jane Getz |
| Saxophone: | Gene Cipriano |
| Saxophone: | Jim Horn |
| Saxophone: | Bobby Keyes |
| Saxophone: | Trevor Lawrence |
| Trombone: | Chuck Findley |
Tracks:Variations: |
| Album Ratings/Reviews |
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