Why Don't You Smile Now: Lou Reed at Pickwick Records 1964 -1965 (Vinyl 2LP)

Light in the Attic, in cooperation with Laurie Anderson and the Lou Reed Archive, is thrilled to announce the forthcoming release of Why Don’t You Smile Now: Lou Reed at Pickwick Records 1964-65. Due out September 27th, the latest installment in LITA’s critically acclaimed Lou Reed Archive Series is a compilation of pop songs penned by Reed during his mid-60s stint as a staff songwriter for the long-defunct label Pickwick Records. The compilation follows on the heels of Lou Reed’s Hudson River Wind Meditations (2023) and Words & Music, May 1965 (2022).

One of the most original and innovative figures in music history, Reed (1942-2013) first gained recognition as co-founder and frontman of the massively influential Velvet Underground. Over the course of his five-decade career, the two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer brought his singular vision to an eclectic expanse of musical endeavors, including era-defining albums like 1972’s Transformer and wildly experimental works like the 1975 avant-garde noise classic Metal Machine Music. But before establishing himself as an enduringly iconic singer, songwriter, musician, and poet, Reed got his start as an in-house songwriter (and occasional session guitarist/vocalist) for Pickwick Records—a label specializing in sound-alike recordings that emulated the major pop hits of the day. Encompassing everything from garage-rock and girl-group pop to blue-eyed soul and teen-idol balladry, Reed’s output for Pickwick ultimately offers
a fascinating early glimpse at his ever-evolving and truly limitless artistry.

Tracklist:

1. The Primitives - The Ostrich  
2. The Beachnuts - Cycle Annie  
3. The Hi-Lifes - I’m Gonna Fight  
4. The Hi-Lifes - Soul City  
5. Ronnie Dickerson - Oh No Don’t Do It  
6. Ronnie Dickerson - Love Can Make You Cry  
7. The Hollywoods - Teardrop In The Sand  
8. The Roughnecks - You’re Driving Me Insane  
9. The Primitives - Sneaky Pete  
10. Terry Philips - Wild One  
11. Spongy And The Dolls - Really - Really - Really - Really - Really - Really Love  
12. The Foxes - Soul City  
13. The J Brothers - Ya Running, But I’ll Getcha  
14. Beverley Ann - We Got Trouble  
15. The All Night Workers - Why Don’t You Smile  
16. Jeannie Larimore - Johnny Won’t Surf No More  
17. Robertha Williams - Tell Mamma Not to Cry  
18. Robertha Williams - Maybe Tomorrow  
19. Terry Philips - Flowers For The Lady  
20. Terry Philips - This Rose  
21. The Surfsiders - Surfin’  
22. The Surfsiders - Little Deuce Coupe  
23. The Beachnuts - Sad, Lonely Orphan Boy  
24. The Beachnuts - I’ve Got a Tiger in My Tank  
25. Ronnie Dickerson - What About Me