Night Walker: The Jack Nitzsche Story, Vol. 3

by N/A

Overview

The third volume of Ace's ongoing Jack Nitzche anthology ditches chronology from the get-go, opening with the frenzied voodoo rock of C.C. Adcock's "Castin' My Spell," taken from the last session Nitzche ever produced. Soon afterward, Night Walker snaps back to 1970 for "Poor White Hound Dog," a selection from the Performance soundtrack, and the rest of the 26-track compilation winds up bouncing between sounds, eras, and styles, a move that's all the better to emphasize the common threads in Nitzche's work. Whether he's working with girl groups (the Ronettes), renegade rockers (Mink Deville), legends (the Everly Brothers), teen idols (Lou Christie), folkies (Modern Folk Quintet), or psychedelic mavericks (Buffalo Springfield), his ear for cinematic soundscapes is intact, and that gives Night Walker cohesion no matter how many years it skips between tracks. Another distinguishing factor of Night Walker is how Ace now has the ability to license tracks that were previously unavailable to the label. Chief among these, of course, are sides released on Phil Spector's Philles label, and their inclusion winds up giving Night Walker depth, suggesting just how rich and varied Nitzche's talents were. There aren't many big hits here -- the Springfield's "Expecting to Fly" is a major item, the Alley Cats' "Puddin' N' Tain" was a bit of a hit -- but that emphasis on lesser-known selections helps put the spotlight on Nitzche's studio skills, which sound perhaps even more majestic with time. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	07/08/2014
Label:	Ace
UPC:	0029667059923
Rank:	81287

Tracks

1. Castin' My Spell  - C.C. Adcock
2. Poor White Hound Dog  - Jack Nitzsche
3. A Long Way to Be Happy  - Darlene Love
4. Night Time Girl  -  Modern Folk Quintet
5. Expecting to Fly  -  Buffalo Springfield
6. If My Car Could Only Talk  - Lou Christie
7. Night Walker  - Jack Nitzsche
8. Every Window in the City  - Jerry Cole
9. Little Boy  -  Crystals
10. Just Your Friends  -  Mink DeVille
11. Louie Louie  -  Honey Ltd.
12. Lower California  - Jack Nitzsche
13. Is This What I Get for Loving You  -  Ronettes
14. Come Softly to Me  -  Fleetwoods
15. June Is as Cold as December  -  Everly Brothers
16. Daddy You Just Gotta Let Him In  -  Satisfactions
17. Try to Forget Him  - Jackie DeShannon
18. Educated Fool  - Billy Storm
19. What About You  - Ramona King
20. Puddin N' Tain  -  Alley Cats
21. Victim of Romance  - Michelle Phillips
22. Yes Sir, That's My Baby  -  Hale & The Hushabyes
23. The Wayward Wind  -  Vince Howard & the Vinettes
24. I Still Love You  -  Righteous Brothers
25. Here I Stand  -  Rip Chords
26. Bongo Bongo Bongo  - Preston Epps

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Everly Brothers   Primary Artist
Vince Howard & the Vinettes   Primary Artist
Jack Nitzsche   Primary Artist
Jackie DeShannon   Primary Artist
The Crystals   Primary Artist
Jerry Cole   Primary Artist
Ramona King   Primary Artist
Preston Epps   Primary Artist
The Righteous Brothers   Primary Artist
The Ronettes   Primary Artist
Mink DeVille   Primary Artist
Darlene Love   Primary Artist
C.C. Adcock   Primary Artist
The Fleetwoods   Primary Artist
Lou Christie   Primary Artist
The Satisfactions   Primary Artist
Michelle Phillips   Primary Artist
The Rip Chords   Primary Artist
Buffalo Springfield   Primary Artist
Hale & The Hushabyes   Primary Artist
The Alley Cats   Primary Artist
Honey Ltd.   Primary Artist
Modern Folk Quintet   Primary Artist
Billy Storm   Primary Artist