Pussy Cats is the tenth album by American singer Harry Nilsson, released by RCA Records in 1974. It was produced by John Lennon during his "Lost Weekend" period. The album title was inspired by the bad press Nilsson and Lennon were getting at the time for being drunk and rowdy in Los Angeles. They also included an inside joke on the cover – children's letter blocks "D" and "S" on either side of a rug under a table − to spell out "drugs under the table" as a rebus.

Recording and development

The album was started in Los Angeles, but Lennon ultimately finished producing it in New York, where he could better control the sessions. During the recording sessions, Nilsson ruptured one of his vocal cords but chose to keep this from Lennon. He forced himself to push through the sessions, which caused even more damage, that some (including The Monkees' Micky Dolenz) say he never quite recovered from. The vocal strain is most evident on "Old Forgotten Soldier" (where he is noticeably off-key on some lines of the song, despite his slow and low bluesy vocals) and "Loop de Loop", on the latter of which Nilsson's vocals are heavily masked by backing vocals, which take the lead role towards the end.

The album's intended original title, Strange Pussies, was rejected by RCA Records and modified to Pussy Cats. Bootleg recordings from the session were later released as the album A Toot and a Snore in '74. It is the only known instance of Lennon and McCartney recording together since the break-up of the Beatles.

Release

The album was released August 19, 1974, in the US and August 30, 1974, in the UK.

Longtime Beatles publicist Derek Taylor, who produced A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night, wrote the liner notes for the original Pussy Cats pressing. In it, he referred to the album's notorious recording background and quipped, "Harry, and John [...] have been living a vampire turntable recently but have sucked no blood except each other's and not so much of that, [...] Anyway, the cross-transfusion works, so what the hell."

Track listing

Personnel

  • Harry Nilsson – vocals, piano (3, 5), electric piano (8, 10), clavinet (2), arrangements (3–10)
  • Jesse Ed Davis – guitar (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10)
  • Danny Kortchmar – guitar (1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10)
  • Sneaky Pete Kleinow – pedal steel guitar (1, 2, 4, 6)
  • Ken Ascher – piano (1, 4, 7), electric piano (2), orchestration, conducting
  • Jane Getz – piano (6, 8, 10)
  • Willie Smith – organ (1)
  • Klaus Voormann – bass guitar (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10)
  • Jim Keltner – drums (1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10)
  • Ringo Starr – drums (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10), maracas (7)
  • Keith Moon – drums (8, 10), congas (7), Chinese wood blocks (4)
  • Doug Hoefer – snare drum (2)
  • Cynthia Webb – maracas (7)
  • Bobby Keys – saxophone (1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10)
  • Trevor Lawrence – saxophone (2, 6, 7, 8, 10)
  • Jim Horn – saxophone (8, 10)
  • Gene Cipriano – saxophone (6)
  • Tony Terran – trumpet (8, 10)
  • Chuck Findley – trumpet (8, 10)
  • The Masked Alberts Orchestra – strings (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9)
  • Nathalie Altman, Susie Bell, Troy Germano, Erik Mueller, Rachel Mueller, Phylida Paterson, Peri Prestopino, David Steinberg, Cantey Turner, Kristin Turner, Damon Vigiano – the Masked Albert Kids Chorale (8)

Production and technical personnel

  • John Lennon – producer, arrangements (1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10)
  • Roy Cicala – engineer, assistant producer
  • Jimmy Iovine – assistant engineer
  • Mal Evans – production assistant
  • Ringo Starr – production assistant
  • Dennis Ferrante – Editing mixing
  • Tom Rabstenak, Greg Calbi – mastering
  • Cally – artwork, design, photography
  • Acy R. Lehman – art direction
  • Andrea T. Sheridan – liner notes
  • Derek Taylor – liner notes
  • Eddie Eddings – research
  • Mike Hartry – digital transfers
  • Bill Lacey – audio restoration
  • Keith Munro – producer, coordination
  • Curtis Armstrong – liner notes (reissue)

Charts

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

|+Chart performance for Pussy Cats

!scope="col"|Chart (1974)

!scope="col"|Peak<br />position

|-

!scope="row"|Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)

| style="text-align:center;"|45

|-

|}

See also

  • Rock 'n' Roll

References

  • Pussy Cats at The Harry Nilsson Website