Peggy Lee's MY GUITAR À LA LEE EP Unveils Unreleased Quincy Jones Tracks
Holly Foster Wells, Lee's granddaughter, reflects on the newly remastered Capitol session recordings.
Sixty years after Peggy Lee released her landmark 1966 Capitol Records album Guitars à la Lee, a new digital EP reveals, for the first time, the early recordings that trace the evolution of 'My Guitar' before it appeared on the album.
Capitol Records and Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), in conjunction with Peggy Lee Associates, are celebrating the 60th anniversary of Guitars à la Lee with the release of My Guitar à la Lee, a five-song EP featuring two previously unreleased recordings of 'My Guitar,' arranged and conducted by Quincy Jones during the album sessions for Lee's 1961 If You Go. Newly remastered by Robert Vosgien of RV Mastering from the original 1961 Capitol session tapes, these performances have remained unheard for more than six decades.
Recorded at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, the two distinct interpretations of 'My Guitar' were ultimately left off If You Go. Five years later, in 1966, Lee returned to the song while creating Guitars à la Lee, a concept album celebrating the expressive possibilities of the guitar, reimagining it with a substantially different arrangement by legendary guitarist Bob Bain.
Heard together for the first time, these previously unreleased recordings trace the song's creative evolution, offering an intimate glimpse into Lee's process and revealing how she continued to reshape it before its eventual appearance on Guitars à la Lee.
Alongside the two versions of 'My Guitar,' the EP revisits three standout performances from Guitars à la Lee: the breezy Brazilian rhythms of 'Sweet Happy Life,' the effortless swing of 'Nice 'n' Easy,' and Lee's elegant interpretation of Tony Hatch's 'Call Me.'
Released in 1966, Guitars à la Lee found Lee at the height of her artistic powers. Pairing her with a formidable lineup of seven guitarists, including Bob Bain, Laurindo Almeida, Herb Ellis, Al Hendrickson, and other leading West Coast studio musicians, the album explored the guitar across a sophisticated blend of jazz, Brazilian and Latin influences, bossa nova, contemporary pop, and standards.
Rather than simply showcasing virtuoso guitar performances, Lee placed the instrument front and center as an expressive partner to her singular vocal style, creating one of the most imaginative and underappreciated albums in her Capitol catalog.
'These recordings show my grandmother still searching for the song's final shape, five years before she found it. Hearing both takes side by side is like watching her think,' says Holly Foster Wells, Lee's granddaughter and president of Peggy Lee Associates.
My Guitar à la Lee Track Listing
1. My Guitar (1961, Version #1)
2. Sweet Happy Life
3. Nice 'n' Easy
4. Call Me
5. My Guitar (1961, Version #2)
About Peggy Lee
One of the most important musical influences of the 20th century, Peggy Lee wrote over 270 songs, recorded over 1,100 masters, and had over 100 chart hits throughout her seven-decade career. As one of the earliest female contemporary singer-songwriters, she co-wrote and sang many of her own hits, most notably 'He's a Tramp' for Disney's Lady and the Tramp, as well as 'Mañana' and 'It's a Good Day.' She's best known for hits 'Why Don't You Do Right?,' 'Fever,' 'I'm a Woman,' and 'Is That All There Is?' for which she won the GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Female Vocal Performance. A 13-time GRAMMY nominee, she received Lifetime Achievement Awards from NARAS, ASCAP, and the Society of Singers, was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in Pete Kelly's Blues. For more information, visit peggylee.com.
