Lenny Kaye’s Nuggets Live at the BBC
(IN.2 Records)
10′ Vinyl
Aviailable 18th April 2024
American guitarist and composer Lenny Kaye, best known for his work with Patti Smith and Her Band, has announced details of his first release for Johnny Depp’s new record label, IN.2 Records.
The four-track EP, Lenny Kaye’s Nuggets Live At the BBC will be released on Record Store Day and available as a special 10” vinyl only, limited to 1000 copies, 500 of which are black, and 500 of which are blue. The tracks come from a session recorded live at BBC Maida Vale Studios on 4th April 2024, and broadcast on Riley and Coe’s 6 Music show a couple of weeks later.
Historically, Kaye is the brains behind the Nuggets series, and the collection that kicked off the series, Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, the compilation of American psychedelic and garage rock singles that were released during the mid-to-late 1960s. The album was created by Kaye and produced under the supervision of Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman. Released on LP by Elektra in 1972 with liner notes by Kaye that contained one of the earliest known uses of the term ’punk rock’.
The compilation, which featured tracks by 13th Floor Elevators, the Electric Prunes, and the Seeds amongst others, is widely considered to be one of the greatest records of all time, and has a strong claim to being considered the most influential compilation album ever, since Television would start covering 13th Floor Elevators when they heard it, Ramones would quickly begin to ape the short, sharp, shock tactics of the psychedelic era – they also covered a Seeds song for their psych-rock tribute album, Acid Eaters, in 1993 – and it would serve to be a primary influence for much of the punk era that arrived seemingly fully formed in the mid 1970s.
Interestingly, the Electric Prunes, I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night was the first track on the ground-breaking Nuggets is also the first track to kick off Lenny Kaye’s Nuggets Live At the BBC. The 10″ also includes a cover of Van Morrison’s Gloria, the Burt Bacharach and Hal David penned My Little Red Book (originally covered by Manfred Mann in 1965, before Love made it famous a year later) plus Lil Bit Of Soul, a song written by John Carter and Ken Lewis in 1964, that became a huge hit for The Music Explosion in 1967, and was covered by Ramones on their 1983 Subterranean Jungle album.
Players on the recording include Lenny Kaye (guitar/vocals), Dave Tregunna (Sham 69 /The Lords of the New Church) on bass/vocals, the Damned’s Rat Scabies (billed as Nick Detroit) and Marty Love on drums with Greg Rice on keyboards. Clive Jackson and Alan Clayton provide more vocals. The session was arranged by Jim Jones, and produced by Andy Rogers.
Speaking of the release, 79 year old Lenny says, ‘It is an unceasing wonder to me that the album I instinctively put together over half a century ago continues to be a source of inspiration and immediacy, keeping alive the yearning that impels one to pick up an electric guitar, mash a keyboard, pound drums, yowl into a microphone, and embark on becoming. While the original Nuggets in 1972 was meant to reflect the American response to the Brit invasion, as well as the rapidly expanding artistic consciousness of rock in the 1960s, I never dreamed that its impact would prove even greater overseas, where many of the included artists and their songs had yet to be heard, their influence felt. So it was in April of 2024 that I journeyed across the ocean to London to return the favour, keeping alive a slew of great songs that have become classics over the years.’
IN.2 Records, launched in late 2025, a label set up to release a wide range of music, from new artists to classic re-releases and film soundtracks on vinyl, CD and digital, curated by Johnny Depp. The label is set to be a home for a diverse range of artistic creations, from original artist singles and albums to film soundtracks and DVDs, all personally curated by Depp, the man himself stating, ‘This label is a celebration of artistry and creativity, working with incredible musicians I’ve admired for years, collaborating with friends and discovering new voices. This is just the beginning.’
The first release on the label was the soundtrack to Depp’s directorial effort, the film Modigliani – Three Days on the Wing of Madness. The soundtrack is a curated mix of influential music featuring tracks from legendary artists such as Tom Waits, Carla Morrison, The Tiger Lillies, and The Velvet Underground & Nico, alongside original score composed by Sacha Puttnam.
Lenny Kaye can be found here
IN.2 Records can be found here
Photo supplied by Jane Savidge
All words by Iain Key. See his author profile here or find him via his LinkTree
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