97-594: Warren William Zevon (January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer and songwriter. His most famous compositions include " Werewolves of London ", " Lawyers, Guns and Money " and " Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner ". All three songs are featured on his third album, Excitable Boy (1978), the title track of which is also well-known. He also wrote major hits that were recorded by other artists, including " Poor Poor Pitiful Me ", " Mohammed's Radio ", " Carmelita " and " Hasten Down
194-654: A B-sides and rarities album. With the demise of the Turtles, White Whale Records lost its biggest moneymaker, had few commercially viable bands, and soon ceased operations. In mid-1970, Kaylan and Volman joined Frank Zappa 's band the Mothers of Invention , with Pons also joining in early 1971. As well as the Turtles' name, Kaylan and Volman were unable to use their real names in billings due to them being prohibited by their contract with their label White Whale Records . Because of this, Volman and Kaylan began performing under
291-604: A Chinese restaurant that was at 15 Gerrard Street in London's Chinatown, which is in the West End of London . It closed in 2008. Egon Ronay 's Dunlop Guide for 1974 discussed the restaurant and said it served Cantonese cuisine . In concerts, Zevon would often change the line "You better stay away from him, he'll rip your lungs out, Jim / I'd like to meet his tailor", to "And he's looking for James Taylor ". Over Zevon's objections, Elektra Records chose "Werewolves of London" as
388-455: A Duo or Group with Vocal. These posthumous awards were the first Grammys of Zevon's thirty-plus year career. Zevon was married to Crystal, and their daughter Ariel Zevon was born in 1976. Ariel Zevon is a singer-songwriter and former café owner in Vermont . Warren Zevon and Marilyn Livingston Dillow had a son, Jordan Zevon , in 1969. Jordan Zevon is a singer, musician, and songwriter. He was
485-503: A Knife Fight: Stories , is composed of retellings of songs by Zevon. In 2012, George Gruel, a photographer who worked as Zevon's aide-de-camp from 1978 to 1983, published a book of photos of Zevon. It is entitled Lawyers, Guns and Photos . Werewolves of London " Werewolves of London " is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Warren Zevon , written by Zevon, LeRoy Marinell and Waddy Wachtel . It first appeared on Excitable Boy (1978), Zevon's third studio album, then it
582-891: A Turtles compilation CD titled Save the Turtles: The Turtles Greatest Hits was issued on their FloEdCo Record label and distributed by Manifesto Records . Starting in the summer of 2010, the Turtles Featuring Flo & Eddie toured throughout the United States as part of the Happy Together: 25th Anniversary Tour, an oldies concert series that retained the "Happy Together" moniker in subsequent years. They performed alongside other 1960s and 1970s pop stars, including Gary Puckett , Mitch Ryder , Mark Lindsay , Mark Farner , Gary Lewis , and Micky Dolenz . The 2015 tour featured
679-558: A Turtles' anthology in the United Kingdom: Happy Together: The Best of the Turtles . In 1993, Rhino Records presented Captured Live , a live album of their 1992 tour. In 1994 Sundazed Records re-released all of the Turtles' original albums, and in 1999 Varèse Sarabande released Happy Together: The Best of White Whale Records , which included many of the Turtles' singles. Original drummer Don Murray died on March 22, 1996, at age 50. In 2002,
776-776: A cancer (usually caused by exposure to asbestos) that affects the pleura , a thin membrane around the lungs and chest lining. Zevon was deeply shaken by the news and began drinking again after 17 years of sobriety. Although Zevon never revealed where he may have been exposed to asbestos, his son Jordan suggests that it came from Zevon's childhood, playing in the attic of his father's carpet store in Arizona. Refusing treatments he believed might incapacitate him, Zevon instead began recording his final album, The Wind , which includes performances by close friends including Springsteen, Browne, Lindley, Thornton, Yoakam, Timothy B. Schmit , Don Henley , Joe Walsh , Emmylou Harris and Tom Petty . At
873-527: A card game, moved from Los Angeles to New York City to become a folk singer. Zevon turned to a musical career early, forming a musical duo with his high school friend, Violet Santangelo, called Lyme & Cybelle. Bones Howe produced their first single, the minor hit "Follow Me", which was written by Zevon and Santangelo and reached number 65 on the Billboard pop charts in April 1966. A follow-up single,
970-587: A cover of Bob Dylan 's " If You Gotta Go, Go Now " flopped, and Zevon left the duo. A third single without Zevon and another session that included him but was not previously released were included on the 2003 compilation The First Sessions . Zevon spent time as a session musician and jingle composer. He wrote several songs for his White Whale labelmates The Turtles ("Like the Seasons" and "Outside Chance"), though his participation in their recording—if any—is unknown. Another early Zevon composition, "She Quit Me",
1067-521: A friend of United States Representative Steve Cohen , at the time a State Senator ; the two attended the 2000 Democratic National Convention together. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon , a biography by his ex-wife, Crystal Zevon, was published in 2007 by Ecco Books . The book is largely an oral history that consists of interviews with Zevon's friends, relatives and associates, as well as excerpts from his diaries. Crystal Zevon said Warren had given her permission to use
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#17327808959311164-429: A large settlement, setting a legal precedent, and causing the music industry to begin carefully crediting (and paying royalties for) sampled works on future rap music and other recordings in general. As they explained: "We don't hate sampling; we like sampling. If we don't get credit, we sue, and all that stuff (a share of the royalties plus punitive damages) comes back to us!" It was incorrectly reported in 2009 that Volman
1261-495: A lifelong phobia of doctors and said he seldom consulted one. He had started working out, and he looked physically fit. Shortly before playing at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival in 2002, he started feeling dizzy and developed a chronic cough. After a period of suffering with pain and shortness of breath, Zevon was encouraged by his dentist to see a physician; he was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma ,
1358-539: A lucrative year for the Turtles. A follow-up, the brassy " She'd Rather Be with Me ", reached No. 3 on the US charts in late spring and actually out-charted "Happy Together" overseas, reaching No. 4 in the UK. Two successive Top 15 songs followed: " You Know What I Mean " and " She's My Girl ". Both 45s showed a psychedelic side in the band's style. During that year, the band released two albums, Happy Together and Golden Hits ,
1455-462: A music video from a new compilation, Reconsider Me: The Love Songs . The video, titled "She's Too Good for Me", aired every hour on the hour throughout the day. Re-issues of the albums Stand in the Fire and The Envoy were released on March 27, 2007, by Rhino Records, alongside a re-issue of Excitable Boy , with the three CDs having four unreleased bonus tracks each. Noteworthy rarities include
1552-682: A new audience by teaming up with members of R.E.M. in the blues rock outfit Hindu Love Gods for a 1990 album release, although no tour followed. In 2023, Zevon was nominated for inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . Known for his dry wit and acerbic lyrics, he was a frequent guest on Late Night with David Letterman and the Late Show with David Letterman . On Zevon's last appearance , Letterman asked him if he had learned anything about matters of life and death. Zevon said he'd learned "How much you're supposed to enjoy every sandwich." Zevon
1649-467: A novelty." The song had a resurgence in popularity in 1986 due to its use in a scene in The Color of Money , where Tom Cruise dances and lip-syncs to the song in a scene in which Cruise "displayed the depths of his talents at the billiards game of 9-ball ." After Zevon's death in 2003, Jackson Browne stated that he interpreted the song as describing an upper-class English womanizer: "It's about
1746-915: A really well-dressed, ladies' man, a werewolf preying on little old ladies. In a way it's the Victorian nightmare, the gigolo thing." Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. The Turtles The Turtles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles , California in 1965. The band achieved several Top 40 hits throughout the latter half of the 1960s, including " It Ain't Me Babe " (1965), " You Baby " (1966), " Happy Together " (1967), " She'd Rather Be with Me " (1967), " Elenore " (1968), and " You Showed Me " (1969). The original six members were Howard Kaylan , Mark Volman , Al Nichol, Jim Tucker, Chuck Portz, and Don Murray , with subsequent members being Chip Douglas , Joel Larson , Johnny Barbata , Jim Pons , and John Seiter . As
1843-512: A rehab clinic in Minnesota. His relationship with Gevinson ended shortly thereafter. Zevon retreated from the music business for several years, except for playing live solo shows; during this time he finally overcame severe alcohol and drug addictions. During this time, Zevon collaborated with Bill Berry , Peter Buck and Mike Mills (of R.E.M. ) and backup vocalist Bryan Cook to form a minor project called Hindu Love Gods . The group released
1940-476: A session musician, jingle composer, songwriter, touring musician, musical coordinator, and bandleader. However, he struggled to break through with a solo career until Linda Ronstadt performed his music on her 1976 album Hasten Down the Wind . It launched a cult following that lasted 25 years, with Zevon making occasional returns to album and single charts until his death from mesothelioma in 2003. He briefly found
2037-450: A tactical error in not going to a physician for 20 years." It was during this broadcast that, when asked by Letterman if he knew something more about life and death now, he first offered his oft-quoted insight that people need to "enjoy every sandwich." He also thanked Letterman for his years of support, calling him "the best friend my music's ever had". For his final song of the evening, and his final public performance, Zevon performed "Roland
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#17327808959312134-446: A television broadcast of the 1935 film Werewolf of London and "suggested to Zevon that he adapt the title for a song and dance craze." Zevon played with the idea with his band members LeRoy P. Marinell and Waddy Wachtel , who wrote the song together in about 15 minutes, all contributing lyrics that were transcribed by Zevon's wife Crystal. However, none of them took the song seriously. Soon after, Zevon's friend Jackson Browne saw
2231-586: A turning point for both the Turtles and for Chip Douglas, who provided the arrangement. The single replaced the Beatles' " Penny Lane " at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the spring of 1967. The Turtles' only No. 1 remained there for three weeks. An album of the same name followed and peaked at No. 25. "Happy Together" reached No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart . This same year saw
2328-611: A two-CD set attributed to the Wrockers, containing rock covers and originals by many of the Remainders authors plus such notables as Norman Mailer and Maya Angelou . Zevon oversaw music for the short-lived revival of the NBC series Route 66 (1993), contributing that show's main title theme, "If You Won't Leave Me I'll Find Somebody Who Will". His music was also featured in the four William Shatner TekWar movies in 1994. Zevon
2425-578: A two-disc anthology of Zevon demos and alternate versions culled from 126 pre-1976 recordings that had been kept in a suitcase. The album contains five previously unreleased songs: "Empty Hearted Town", "Going All the Way", "Steady Rain", "Stop Rainin' Lord" and "The Rosarita Beach Cafe", along with Zevon's original demo of "Studebaker". Selections from an interview of Zevon by the Austin -based radio personality Jody Denberg are blended with about 40 minutes of music on
2522-522: Is listed as "theme music composer" in the opening credits. His song "Real or Not" was used as the show's end credit theme song. The song appeared on Zevon's 2-CD set, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (An Anthology) . In the accompanying booklet, Zevon wrote, "I wrote this song for the William Shatner TV movies based on his novels. He is Captain Kirk, rest assured. He'd call me at home and demand to hear
2619-645: The Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake . In 1980, Flo and Eddie performed backing vocals on Alice Cooper 's Flush the Fashion and sang backup on Bruce Springsteen 's " Hungry Heart " from his album The River . 1982 saw the re-release of the Turtles' original albums through Rhino Records . In 1983, they also contributed backing vocals to the self-titled debut album of British New wave band Espionage , produced by Roy Thomas Baker and released by A&M Records . Also in 1983, Howard Kaylan appeared in
2716-476: The Larry Sanders Show on HBO , in 1993, playing himself promoting Learning to Flinch . Zevon also played himself on two episodes of Suddenly Susan in 1999, along with singer and actor Rick Springfield . After another five-year layoff, Zevon signed with industry veteran Danny Goldberg's Artemis Records and again rebounded with the mortality-themed 2000 release Life'll Kill Ya , containing
2813-606: The Rolling Stone Record Guide (1979) called it "a masterpiece". The guide's latest edition (2004) calls it Zevon's "most realized work". Representative tracks include the junkie's lament "Carmelita"; the Copland -esque outlaw ballad "Frank and Jesse James"; "The French Inhaler", a scathing look at life and lust in the L.A. music business (which was actually about Marilyn Livingston, his long-time girlfriend and mother of his son, Jordan ); and " Desperados Under
2910-581: The Billboard Top 10 in the late summer of 1965, and was the title track of the band's first album . " Let Me Be ", their second single, reached the Top 30, and " You Baby " charted in the Top 20 in early 1966. "You Baby", with its intricate vocal harmonies and upbeat tempo, was influential in the band's sound as it departed from the political, Byrds-type folk rock; the band's new sound ranged from chamber pop to straightforward pop music . You Baby ,
3007-615: The Late Night band and a spoken vocal from David Letterman ) and the ballad "Genius", written with Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon . At about this time, he and the actor Billy Bob Thornton formed a close friendship, catalyzed by their common experiences with obsessive-compulsive disorder and the fact they lived in the same apartment building. Zevon appeared with Thornton in Dwight Yoakam 's movie South of Heaven, West of Hell (2000). In interviews, Zevon described
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3104-491: The Sentimental Hygiene sessions, Zevon also participated in an all-night jam session with Berry, Buck and Mills, as they worked their way through rock and blues numbers by artists including Bo Diddley , Muddy Waters , Robert Johnson and Prince . Though the sessions were not initially intended for release, they eventually were as Hindu Love Gods' sole album . The immediate follow-up to Sentimental Hygiene
3201-676: The Bands , in which the group pretended to be 11 different bands (with fanciful names including the Bigg Brothers, Nature's Children, the US Teens featuring Raoul, and the Fabulous Dawgs), each with a song in a different genre. The album yielded two singles: " Elenore " and " You Showed Me ", both peaking at No. 6. "Elenore" also reached No. 7 in the UK chart. Although both singles were successful, they did not help to boost
3298-756: The Buckinghams , the Cowsills , the Grass Roots , and the Association . In 2016, the complete output of the Turtles was reissued as two box sets, titled The Complete Original Album Collection and All the Singles . The expanded editions of the six albums contained in the former were issued separately in 2017. In 2018, since Kaylan required heart and back surgery, he was told by his doctors to cease touring, so Ron Dante (a prolific session musician of
3395-507: The City". In spite of Turtle Soup ' s positive reception from the music press, its commercial success was marginal, and the band began to disintegrate. Long disillusioned with their record label and its growing financial problems by this time, Kaylan and Volman resisted White Whale's efforts to turn the Turtles into something approaching an assembly-line pop act, like the early Monkees. The label apparently encouraged Kaylan and Volman to fire
3492-625: The Crossfires signed to the newly formed White Whale Records . Adhering to the prevailing musical trend, the group rebranded itself as a folk rock band under the name the Tyrtles , an intentionally stylized misspelling inspired by the Byrds and the Beatles . However, the trendy spelling did not survive long, and they had to name themselves the Turtles . Because of the stylistic change from "Surf music" to "Folk rock", Kaylan and Volman dropped
3589-492: The Eaves ", a chronicle of Zevon's increasing alcoholism. In 1978, Zevon released Excitable Boy (produced by Jackson Browne and guitarist Waddy Wachtel ) to critical acclaim and popular success. The title tune is about a juvenile sociopath 's murderous prom night and referred to "Little Susie", the heroine of the song " Wake Up Little Susie " made famous by his former employers The Everly Brothers. Other songs, such as "Roland
3686-453: The Flo & Eddie name. Volman and Kaylan sang backing vocals on several recordings by the band T. Rex , including their worldwide 1971 hit " Get It On (Bang a Gong) " and the albums Electric Warrior and The Slider . When White Whale's master recordings were sold at auction in 1974, the duo won the Turtles' masters, making them the owners of their own recorded work. They promptly licensed
3783-569: The Headless Thompson Gunner ". By September 1975 Zevon had returned to Los Angeles, where he roomed with Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac . There he collaborated with Jackson Browne , who produced and promoted Zevon's self-titled major-label debut in 1976. Contributors to the album included Nicks, Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood , John McVie , members of the Eagles , Carl Wilson , Linda Ronstadt and Bonnie Raitt . Ronstadt elected to record many of his songs, including "Hasten Down
3880-428: The Headless Thompson Gunner" and " Lawyers, Guns and Money ", used deadpan humor to wed geopolitical subtexts to hard-boiled narratives. The single " Werewolves of London ", featuring McVie, Fleetwood and Zevon's signature macabre humor, reached No. 21 on the charts. Dave Marsh called Zevon "one of the toughest rockers ever to come out of Southern California". Rolling Stone record reviews editor Paul Nelson called
3977-781: The Headless Thompson Gunner" at Letterman's request. In the green room after the show, Zevon presented Letterman with the guitar that he always used on the show, with a single request: "Here, I want you to have this, take good care of it." Zevon died of mesothelioma on September 7, 2003, aged 56, at his home in Los Angeles. His body was cremated , and his ashes were scattered into the Pacific Ocean near Los Angeles. Zevon's friend Stephen King says: "His albums are dense with stories and brilliant images." King dedicated his novel Doctor Sleep to Zevon. Bruce Springsteen says Zevon "would write something that had real meaning, and it
Warren Zevon - Misplaced Pages Continue
4074-523: The Turtles embarked on a U.S. Happy Together tour with Gary Puckett & the Union Gap , Spanky & Our Gang and the Association . In 1987, Kaylan and Volman appeared in a music video of their 1967 song " Happy Together " to promote the romantic comedy Making Mr. Right . That year also saw the debut of the previously unreleased Shell Shock album, as well as a new retrospective CD 20 Greatest Hits , both released by Rhino. The latter compilation
4171-695: The Turtles performing the title song (composed by John Williams with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse ) for the Twentieth Century-Fox bedroom farce A Guide for the Married Man . Impressed by Chip Douglas's studio arrangements, Michael Nesmith approached him after a Turtles show at the Whisky a Go Go and invited him to become the Monkees ' producer as that band wanted to break out of their "manufactured" studio mold. Douglas accepted and left
4268-420: The Turtles' commercial success waned by the end of the 1960s, they became plagued with management issues, lawsuits and conflicts with their label, White Whale Records , leading the group to break up in 1970. Kaylan and Volman then joined Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention , where, for contractual reasons, they performed under the name Flo & Eddie (Volman as Flo, Kaylan as Eddie). After leaving Zappa at
4365-450: The Turtles, producing the Monkees' next three albums: Headquarters ; Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. (both 1967); and The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees (1968), the last of which he co-produced with the band. Meanwhile, the Turtles continued with new bassist Jim Pons replacing Douglas. Other hits, all written by Gordon/Bonner, followed "Happy Together", making 1967
4462-471: The Wind ". Per The New York Times , "Mr. Zevon had a pulp-fiction imagination" which yielded "terse, action-packed, gallows-humored tales that could sketch an entire screenplay in four minutes and often had death as a punchline. But there was also vulnerability and longing in Mr. Zevon's ballads, like 'Mutineer,' 'Accidentally Like a Martyr' and 'Hasten Down the Wind.'" Zevon had early music industry successes as
4559-514: The Wind", " Carmelita ", " Poor Poor Pitiful Me " and " Mohammed's Radio ". Zevon's first tour, in 1977, included guest appearances in the middle of Jackson Browne concerts, one of which is documented on a widely circulated bootleg recording of a Dutch radio program under the title The Offender Meets the Pretender . Produced by Browne, Warren Zevon (1976) was his first album to chart in the United States, peaking at No. 189. The first edition of
4656-485: The ad-hoc rock music group the Rock Bottom Remainders , a collection of writers performing rock-and-roll standards at book fairs and other events. The group included Stephen King , Dave Barry , Matt Groening and Amy Tan , among other popular writers; it has continued to perform one benefit concert per year since Zevon's death. Zevon played on and wrote liner notes for Stranger Than Fiction (1998),
4753-593: The album "one of the most significant releases of the 1970s" and placed Zevon alongside Jackson Browne, Neil Young , and Bruce Springsteen as the four most important new artists to emerge in the decade. On May 11, 1980, Zevon and Willie Nile appeared on the King Biscuit Flower Hour . Zevon followed Excitable Boy with Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School (1980). The album was dedicated to Ken Millar, better known under his nom-de-plume as
4850-511: The album's first single (he preferred "Johnny Strikes Up the Band" or "Tenderness on the Block"). The song was a quick hit, staying in the Billboard Top 40 chart for over a month. BBC Radio 2 listeners rated it as having the best opening line in a song: "I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand". Zevon later said of the song, "I don't know why that became such a hit. We didn't think it
4947-532: The album's sales, which peaked at No. 128 on the Billboard Pop Albums. The 1969 hit "You Showed Me" had been written by the Byrds' Gene Clark and Roger (then Jim) McGuinn in 1964. It was their last Top 10 single. Television appearances included a February 1968 spot on The Mike Douglas Show , to which they returned in April 1969. 1969 saw the band undergo another personnel change, with drummer John Barbata being replaced by John Seiter . Towards
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#17327808959315044-452: The band because John Lennon was rude to him, as Kaylan later suggested. "Sound Asleep" and "The Story of Rock and Roll", the first two singles in 1968, stalled somewhere in the middle of the Top 100. The band's fortunes changed when former member Chip Douglas returned to work with them as a producer. Late in 1968 the band released a concept album called The Turtles Present the Battle of
5141-603: The band's second album, failed to reach Billboard ' s Top LPs chart, and of several singles released in 1966, " Grim Reaper of Love " and "Can I Get to Know You Better" barely entered the Billboard Hot 100 . One single, the tough "Outside Chance", written by Warren Zevon , did not chart. In 1966, the Turtles made an appearance in Universal 's film Out of Sight , singing "She'll Come Back" on screen. In early 1966, drummer Don Murray and bassist Chuck Portz quit
5238-696: The collection's second disc. The Wind was certified gold by the RIAA in December 2003, and Zevon received five posthumous Grammy nominations, including Song of the Year for the ballad "Keep Me in Your Heart". The Wind won two Grammys, with the album itself receiving the award for Best Contemporary Folk Album, while "Disorder in the House", Zevon's duet with Bruce Springsteen, was awarded Best Rock Performance by
5335-509: The comedy film Get Crazy , starring Malcolm McDowell and Daniel Stern : Kaylan played the part of Captain Cloud, a spiritual guru, leader of a caravan of time-lost hippies . In the same year, Kaylan and Volman legally regained the use of "the Turtles" name and began touring as the Turtles Featuring Flo and Eddie; instead of trying to reunite with their earlier bandmates, they began featuring sidemen who had played with different groups. In 1984,
5432-451: The detective novelist Ross Macdonald , one of Zevon's literary heroes. Millar and Zevon first met in an intervention organized by Nelson, which helped Zevon temporarily curtail his addictions. Featuring a modest hit with the single "A Certain Girl" (Zevon's cover of an R&B record by Ernie K-Doe ) which reached No. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, the album sold briskly but
5529-630: The end of 1969, the group released its next album, Turtle Soup , a critically well-received LP produced by Ray Davies of the Kinks . Inspired by the revered 1968 concept album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society , this was Davies's only released production work for another band (but Davies had previously produced demo recordings for the Iveys ). Notable tracks include "Somewhere Friday Nite" and "Love in
5626-440: The end of 1971, Kaylan and Volman continued to perform under the Flo & Eddie name, becoming popular as a comedy rock act, and also went onto long-lasting success as session musicians . In 1983, Kaylan and Volman began touring as The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie . Kaylan ceased touring in 2018, while Volman continues to tour with the Turtles. In early 1963, New Yorker Howard Kaylan and Californian Mark Volman attended
5723-436: The film Adaptation used their song "Happy Together" extensively as a device to portray the closeness of the two brothers Kaufman, both played by Nicolas Cage ; this film closes with the Turtles' version over the final credit scroll and time lapse photography. Also the 2005 film Imagine Me & You , the title of which was taken from the first line of the song "Happy Together", used this song in its end credits. In 2009,
5820-551: The first of Zevon's two musical reactions to the death of Elvis Presley . The album also contains the first of Zevon's writing collaborations with respected writers of fiction: "The Overdraft", co-written with Thomas McGuane . The title track was dedicated to Philip Habib , U.S. special envoy to the Middle East during the early 1980s. Zevon stated that after the song came out, Habib sent him "a very nice letter of appreciation on State Department stationery". In 1983 Zevon, who
5917-476: The former reaching the Top 30 and the latter reaching the Top 10. The similar album covers for Golden Hits and its 1970 companion More Golden Hits were designed by Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean . By the end of 1967 the band were reduced to a five-piece, when rhythm guitarist Jim Tucker departed, citing the pressure of touring and recording new material. He moved to Grass Valley, California where he became an electrical contractor. He has denied that he left
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#17327808959316014-430: The group changed its name to the Crossfires in the same year. After high school graduation, the band continued on while its members attended area colleges, picking up rhythm guitarist Jim Tucker as a sixth member along the way. They released a single, "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" b/w "Fiberglass Jungle", on the local "Capco Records" label, always in 1963. With the help of KRLA and KFWB DJ and club owner Reb Foster ,
6111-406: The group. Murray was replaced by Joel Larson for a few months, before John Barbata became the band's new drummer in late 1966. Portz was replaced by Chip Douglas on bass. " Happy Together ", the first of several key Turtles singles co-written by Garry Bonner and Alan Gordon , had been rejected by countless performers. "Happy Together", both their biggest hit and their signature song, signaled
6208-529: The hymn-like "Don't Let Us Get Sick" and an austere version of Steve Winwood 's 1980s hit "Back in the High Life Again". With record sales brisk and music critics giving Zevon his best notices since Excitable Boy , Life'll Kill Ya is seen as his second comeback. He followed with the album My Ride's Here (2002), with its morbid prescience of things to come; the album included "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)" (co-written by Albom and featuring Shaffer,
6305-532: The journal excerpts and instructed her to present an unvarnished portrayal of his life that did not sanitize his many struggles. George Plasketes, a professor at Auburn University , wrote a critical study of Zevon's music in 2016, Warren Zevon, Desperado of Los Angeles . Zevon was also the subject of Michael Flood's essay "Lord Byron's Luggage: Warren Zevon and the Redefinition of Literature Rock". A collection of short stories by Kelly Lynn Thomas, Miss Gun to
6402-518: The live album Learning to Flinch (1993) documents such a tour. Zevon often played in Colorado to allow for an opportunity to visit with his longtime friend Hunter S. Thompson . A lifelong fan of hardboiled fiction , Zevon was friendly with several well-known writers, who also collaborated on his songwriting during this period, including Thompson, Carl Hiaasen and Mitch Albom . Zevon also served as musical coordinator and occasional guitarist for
6499-531: The live album Stand in the Fire , recorded over five nights at the The Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles and dedicated to Martin Scorsese . Zevon's 1982 release The Envoy returned to the high standard of Excitable Boy but was not a commercial success. It was an eclectic but characteristic set that included such compositions as "Ain't That Pretty at All", "Charlie's Medicine" and "Jesus Mentioned",
6596-682: The lyrics and thought "Werewolves of London" had potential and began performing the song during his own live concerts. T Bone Burnett also performed the song, on the first leg of Bob Dylan 's Rolling Thunder Revue tour in the autumn of 1975. Burnett's version of the song included alternate or partially improvised lyrics mentioning stars from classical Hollywood cinema , along with mentions of vanished labor leader Jimmy Hoffa , and adult film stars Marilyn Chambers and Linda Lovelace . "Excitable Boy" and "Werewolves of London" were considered for, but not included on, Zevon's second album Warren Zevon in 1976. According to Wachtel, "Werewolves of London"
6693-600: The next several years of his career were dominated by session work with other musicians. During the early 1970s, Zevon toured regularly with The Everly Brothers as keyboard player, band leader, and musical coordinator. Later that decade, he toured with Don Everly and Phil Everly separately as they tried to launch solo careers after their breakup. He worked particularly closely with Phil, arranging and playing keyboards on his solo albums Star Spangled Springer (1973) and Mystic Line (1975) and co-writing tracks on Phil's Diner (1974) and Mystic Line . Zevon's song " Carmelita "
6790-600: The nicknames the Phlorescent Leech & Eddie or Flo & Eddie for short. Kaylan, Volman, and Pons worked with Zappa until December 1971, when the infamous attack on Zappa at the Rainbow Theatre in London left him no choice but to cease touring for a while. During their time together the former Turtles appeared on several Zappa albums, as well as starring in his 1971 film 200 Motels . Volman and Kaylan then went on to make several duo albums, still using
6887-803: The non-charting single "Narrator" for IRS Records in 1984, then went into abeyance for several years. Berry, Buck and Mills served as the core of Zevon's next studio band when he re-emerged in 1987 by signing with Virgin Records and recording the album Sentimental Hygiene . The release, hailed as his best since Excitable Boy , featured a thicker rock sound and taut, often humorous songs like "Detox Mansion", "Bad Karma" (featuring R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe on backup vocals) and "Reconsider Me". Included were contributions from Neil Young, Bob Dylan , Flea , Brian Setzer and George Clinton , as well as Berry, Buck and Mills. Also on hand were Zevon's longtime collaborators Jorge Calderón and Waddy Wachtel . During
6984-465: The outtakes "Word of Mouth" and "The Risk" from the Envoy sessions and "Frozen Notes (Strings Version)", a melancholy outtake from Excitable Boy performed on acoustic piano with a string quartet. Ammal Records was a new label started up as a partnership with New West Records by Zevon's former boss at Artemis, Danny Goldberg . On May 1, 2007, Ammal released Preludes: Rare and Unreleased Recordings ,
7081-404: The request of VH1 , documentarian Nick Read was given access to the sessions and made the television film Inside Out: Warren Zevon . On October 30, 2002, Zevon was featured alone on an episode of the Late Show with David Letterman . The band played "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" as his introduction. Zevon performed several songs and spoke at length about his illness. He noted, "I might have made
7178-415: The rest of the band, tour with hired musicians and make records by adding their vocals to backing tracks recorded by Memphis session players . Such pressure convinced the band to record a single called "Who Would Ever Think That I Would Marry Margaret?", which they disowned after its release. The Turtles wound down their career in 1970 with More Golden Hits , a second compilation album, and Wooden Head ,
7275-481: The same school, Westchester High in Los Angeles (Kaylan had moved from New York City as a child). The two sang in the school's a cappella choir, where Volman soon heard about Kaylan's instrumental surf music band, the Nightriders , which included Kaylan on saxophone and choir members Al Nichol on lead guitar, Don Murray on drums and Chuck Portz on bass. Volman joined the group as a saxophonist, just before
7372-432: The saxophones to become the band's vocalists. Kaylan became the group's lead singer, and keyboardist (although he would give up most of the keyboard parts to Nichol in their hits). Volman began to harmonize with Kaylan's lead singing becoming a third guitarist, as well as a percussionist, for the band. As with the Byrds, the Turtles achieved breakthrough success with a cover of a Bob Dylan song. " It Ain't Me Babe " reached
7469-419: The song in progress, then he'd say "We need more guitars! More driving guitars!" It was cool. The track reflected my secret fondness for sleazy English techno records." Occasionally between 1982 and 2001, Zevon filled in for Paul Shaffer as bandleader on Late Night with David Letterman and later the Late Show with David Letterman . In 1995, Zevon released the self-produced Mutineer . The title track
7566-740: The title of Gary Fleder 's film of the same name ; after some skirmishing over the unauthorized use of Zevon's song title, the Zevon track was licensed to play over the film's end credits. Zevon also sang lead vocals on the song "Casey Jones" from the Grateful Dead tribute album Deadicated , with regular collaborator David Lindley. Zevon toured the United States (with the Odds ), Europe, Australia and New Zealand during this period. Owing to his reduced circumstances, his performances were often true solo efforts with minimal accompaniment on piano and guitar;
7663-558: The title song, "Splendid Isolation", "Run Straight Down" (which had a promotional video that featured Zevon singing in a factory while Gilmour played guitar solos), and "They Moved the Moon" (one of Zevon's eerier ballads). Transverse City was a commercial disappointment, and Zevon was dropped by Virgin Records soon after the album's release. He almost immediately contracted, however, with Irving Azoff 's new label Giant Records . The first release under Zevon's contract with his new distributor
7760-547: The tracks to Sire Records , which issued them as a compilation album titled Happy Together Again . In the mid-1970s, Volman and Kaylan started their syndicated radio show titled Flo & Eddie by the Fireside , which originated from KMET in Los Angeles. In the 1980s, the duo began hosting their radio show on KROQ-FM in Los Angeles and WXRK in New York City and recorded soundtrack music for children's shows like
7857-408: Was "the hardest song to get down in the studio I've ever worked on." However, Wachtel "laid down his solo in one take." They tried at least seven different configurations of musicians in the recording studio before being satisfied with McVie and Fleetwood's contributions. Bob Glaub and Russ Kunkel were among the several musicians who auditioned; Zevon rejected them because he thought their playing
7954-436: Was "too cute". Although 59 takes were recorded, Browne and Zevon selected the second take for the final mix. Wachtel recalled that the session began in the evening and went into the next morning. The protracted studio time and musicians' fees led to the song eating up most of the album's budget. The song's lyrics "He was looking for the place called Lee Ho Fook's / Gonna get a big dish of beef chow mein" refer to Lee Ho Fook ,
8051-467: Was 1989's Transverse City , a futuristic concept album inspired by Zevon's interest in the work of cyberpunk science fiction author William Gibson . It featured guests including Little Feat drummer Richie Hayward , Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna bassist Jack Casady , noted jazz keyboardist Chick Corea and various guitarists, including Wachtel, David Lindley , Jerry Garcia , Jorma Kaukonen , David Gilmour and Neil Young. Key tracks include
8148-551: Was also recorded by Canadian singer Murray McLauchlan on his self-titled album of 1972. These small successes were not particularly rewarding financially, and Zevon's dissatisfaction with his career (and a lack of funds) led him to briefly move to Spain in the summer of 1975. He lived and played in the Dubliner Bar, a small tavern in Sitges , near Barcelona , owned by mercenary David Lindell. Together they composed " Roland
8245-541: Was born in Chicago , the son of Beverly Cope (née Simmons) and William Zevon. His father was a Jewish immigrant from Ukraine , whose original surname was Zivotofsky. William Zevon worked as a bookie who handled volume bets and dice games for the notorious Los Angeles mobster Mickey Cohen . He worked for years in the Cohen gang, in which he was known as Stumpy Zevon, and was best man at Cohen's first wedding. Warren's mother
8342-421: Was followed in 1988 with Turtle Wax: The Best of the Turtles, Vol. 2 , which featured the best of their "album tracks" and previously neglected single B-sides. The 1989 debut album by hip hop combo De La Soul , 3 Feet High and Rising , featured an uncredited sample from the Turtles (specifically, the introduction to "You Showed Me"), in the song "Transmitting Live from Mars." Kaylan and Volman sued, winning
8439-430: Was frequently covered by Bob Dylan on his U.S. fall tour in 2002. Zevon's cover of cult artist Judee Sill 's "Jesus Was a Crossmaker" predated the wider rediscovery of her work a decade later. The album, however, had the worst sales of Zevon's career, in part because of lack of promotion from his label, Giant. Rhino Records released a Zevon "best-of" compilation in 1996, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead . Zevon also appeared on
8536-408: Was from a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints family and of English descent. They later moved to Fresno, California , and by the age of 13, Zevon was an occasional visitor to the home of Igor Stravinsky , where he briefly studied modern classical music alongside Robert Craft . Zevon's parents divorced when he was 16 years old. He soon quit high school and, driving a sports car William won in
8633-400: Was funny, too. I always envied that part of his ability and talent." David Crosby says: "He was and remains one of my favourite songwriters. He saw things with a jaundiced eye that still got the humanity of things." Zevon said that, with his last recordings, he wanted to remind people that "This was a nice deal: life." A tribute album titled Enjoy Every Sandwich: The Songs of Warren Zevon
8730-399: Was included in the soundtrack for the film Midnight Cowboy (1969); to suit its place in the film, the song was re-recorded by Leslie Miller as "He Quit Me". Zevon's debut solo album, Wanted Dead or Alive (1970), was spearheaded by 1960s cult figure Kim Fowley but received almost no attention and did not sell well. Though Zevon continued to play occasional live dates as a solo artist,
8827-456: Was involved in another lawsuit against rapper Gucci Mane for an unauthorized sample; the sample of "Keep It Warm" used in Mane's "Lemonade" was cleared legitimately before the release of the song. Also in 1989, the Turtles' recording of Happy Together was featured in the eponymous romantic comedy film Happy Together as well as in the film soundtrack album. In 1991 Music Club Records released
8924-501: Was recently divorced, became engaged to Philadelphia disc jockey Anita Gevinson and moved to the East Coast. After The Envoy was poorly received by critics, Asylum Records ended their business relationship with Zevon, which Zevon discovered only when he read about it in the "Random Notes" column of Rolling Stone . Following these career setbacks, he relapsed into drug and alcohol abuse. In 1984, he voluntarily checked himself into
9021-443: Was released October 19, 2004. Zevon's son, Jordan Zevon , was the executive producer of the album and performed "Studebaker", a previously unfinished composition by his father. A second tribute album, Hurry Home Early: The Songs of Warren Zevon ("hurry home early" is from the song "Boom Boom Mancini", on the album Sentimental Hygiene ) was released by Wampus Multimedia on July 8, 2005. On February 14, 2006, VH1 Classic premiered
9118-693: Was released as a single by Asylum Records in March 1978, becoming a Top 40 US hit, the only one of Zevon's career , reaching No. 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in May. Inspired by Phil Everly , it includes Fleetwood Mac 's Mick Fleetwood on drums and John McVie on bass. The song began as a joke by Phil Everly (of the Everly Brothers ) to Zevon in 1975, over two years before the recording sessions for Excitable Boy . Everly had watched
9215-399: Was suitable to be played on the radio. It didn't become an albatross . It's better that I bring something to mind than nothing. There are times when I prefer that it was " Bridge Over Troubled Water ", but I don't think bad about the song. I still think it's funny." He also described "Werewolves of London" as a novelty song , "[but] not a novelty the way, say, Steve Martin 's " King Tut " is
9312-482: Was the album Hindu Love Gods , recorded during the Sentimental Hygiene sessions. The album included a cover of Prince's " Raspberry Beret ", which became a number 23 Modern Rock hit in the United States. In 1991, Zevon, once again a solo artist, released Mr. Bad Example . The album featured the modest pop hit "Searching for a Heart" and the rocker "Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead", later used as
9409-484: Was uneven, and represented a decline rather than commercial and critical consistency. It contained a collaboration with Springsteen on "Jeannie Needs a Shooter". The ballad "Empty-Handed Heart" (featuring a descant sung by Linda Ronstadt ), is about Zevon's divorce from his wife, Crystal, the mother of his daughter Ariel. (Zevon was in a long-term relationship with Marilyn "Tule" Livingston, the mother of his son, Jordan , but they never married.) Later in 1980, he released
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