THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Why Don’t You Smile Now: Lou Reed at Pickwick Records 1964-65 is the latest installment in the critically acclaimed Lou Reed Archive Series. The set compiles pop songs penned by Reed during his mid-’60s stint as a staff songwriter for the long-defunct label Pickwick Records. It follows on the heels of 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 And Roll Hall of Fame inductee 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 — a label specializing in soundalike 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.
The album has been restored and remastered by Grammy-nominated mastering engineer John Baldwin. This release marks the first official anthology of Reed’s work for Pickwick and features rarities, cult classics (The Primitives’ The Ostrich) and previously unreleased material (The Beachnuts’ Sad, Lonely Orphan Boy).”
