John Lennon on Unreleased Beatles Tracks, Producing, Touring – Interview (1974)

Fascinating interview with telling the truth about what he really thought about Pete Best. He covers the early days with some great anecdotes. He then discusses the album he 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 say he never quite recovered from. Among the many musicians on Pussy Cats are drummers Ringo Starr, Keith Moon and Jim Keltner, who actually all play together (on three drum kits) on the closing track, “Rock Around the Clock“. Other contributors include Jesse Ed Davis, Klaus Voormann, and Bobby Keys. After the first night of recording, March 28, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder popped into the studio unexpectedly. Bootleg recordings from this session were later released as the album A Toot and a Snore in ’74. A quadrophonic version was released on record and eight-track tape. The songs were treated to special mixes for this issue of the album. In June 1999, a commemorative 25th-anniversary edition of Pussy Cats was released. In October 2006, a track-by-track cover of the album was released by indie rock band The Walkmen. Several covers of the song “Don’t Forget Me” have appeared, including Marshall Crenshaw’s treatment on the 1995 Nilsson tribute For the Love of Harry: Everybody Sings Nilsson, alt-country artist Neko Case’s March 2009 version on her ANTI- label release, Middle Cyclone, and Mamie Minch’s contribution to 2014’s tribute to Nilsson by various Indie artists This Is the Town: A Tribute to Nilsson, Vol. 1. Nathalie Altman – Choir, Chorus, Children’s Chorus Curtis Armstrong – Liner Notes (Reissue) Kenny Ascher – Piano, Conductor, Orchestration Susie Bell – Choir, Chorus, Children’s Chorus Greg Calbi – Mastering Cally – Artwork, Design, Photography Roy Cicala – Engineer, Assistant Producer Gene Cipriano – Saxophone Jesse Ed Davis – Guitar Eddie Eddings – Research Dennis Ferrante – Mixing Chuck Findley – Trombone Troy Germano – Choir, Chorus, Children’s Chorus Jane Getz – Piano Mike Hartry – Digital Transfers Jim Horn – Saxophone Jimmy Iovine – Assistant Engineer Jim Keltner – Drums Bobby Keys – Saxophone Sneaky Pete Kleinow – Pedal Steel Danny Kortchmar – Guitar Bill Lacey – Audio Restoration Trevor Lawrence – Saxophone Acy Lehman – Art Direction John Lennon – String Arrangements, Producer Keith Moon – Conga, Drums, Wood Block Erik Mueller – Choir, Chorus, Children’s Chorus Rachel Mueller – Choir, Chorus, Children’s Chorus Keith Munro – Producer, Coordination Harry Nilsson – Piano, Electric Piano, Vocals, Performer, Author, Adaptation May Pang – Production Assistant Phylida Paterson – Choir, Chorus, Children’s Chorus Peri Prestopino – Choir, Chorus, Children’s Chorus Andrea T. Sheridan – Liner Notes Willie “The Lion” Smith – Organ Ringo Starr – Drums, Maracas David Steinberg – Choir, Chorus, Children’s Chorus Derek Taylor – Liner Notes Cantey Turner – Choir, Chorus, Children’s Chorus Kristin Turner – Choir, Chorus, Children’s Chorus Damon Vigiano – Choir, Chorus, Children’s Chorus Klaus Voormann – Bass Cynthia Webb – Marimba Paul Williams – Tape Research, Reissue Supervisor