Nancy & Lee

Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood teamed up in the swinging sixties with arranger Billy Strange to concoct some seriously potent musical potions. Casting groovy spells while taking a page from the tried-and-true book of Johnny and June Cash, the two sang suggestive songs full of winking innuendo. The status of Nancy and Lee’s relationship though, was left to the imagination. Some think that made their music more compelling. Indeed, an air of mystery is certainly attractive to some. Not me--I just dig the tunes. They’re kind of psychedelic-country-lounge-pop. Initially, Hazlewood just wrote and produced Sinatra’s material, singing with her on only a handful of tracks. But sensing their chemistry, they ended up collaborating on several records and making two albums together as Nancy & Lee. Major success eluded them but, over the years, the music gained a cult following. This could be due to the dynamic between the two, which was curiously peculiar. Hazlewood, a country boy, played the role of weary cowboy, sounding as if he’d just smoked a pack of unfiltered cigarettes or gargled with gravel while Sinatra convincingly played his naïve, young counterpart. In sharp contrast to his leering, assured growl, her supple voice purred with a breathy, come-hither tone. Their appearances differed greatly too. He had a shaggy mane and bushy moustache and dressed simply; she wore hip, urban clothes and had flowing blond locks and feminine curves. Next to the coy, delicate beauty, Hazlewood sounded like he reveled in their differences. Even though the two were as unlikely a pair as any, together they made endearing music that highlighted their respective traits, resulting in a markedly unique finished product. Songs like “Some Velvet Morning” and “Summer Wine” were bathed in Strange’s lush orchestration and tinged with Hazlewood’s country inclinations. Coupled with Nancy and Lee’s lyrical tone and style of singing, the tracks could be interpreted as either light and innocent or highly sexual. It’s cool stuff, man.

LISTEN TO SUMMER WINE, SOME VELVET MORNING AND DID YOU EVER or CHECK OUT NANCY’S EARLY LEE-WRITTEN/PRODUCED STUFF