News

Producer/Musician John Simon Interview Coming Soon!

Michael Fremer  |  Oct 26, 2013

Among the many iconic records John Simon has produced: Leonard Cohen's Columbia Records debut Songs of Leonard Cohen, Blood Sweat & Tears debut album Child is Father to the Man and of course Music From Big Pink and The Band.

Analogplanet.com will soon post an interview with John Simon conducted at his upstate N.Y. home. Stay tuned!

COMMENTS
Stu Morgenstern's picture
Submitted by Stu Morgenstern on Sat, 2013-10-26 19:42

who came up with that creepy cover?

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Sun, 2013-10-27 08:49

No doubt Al Kooper. Check out his cover for "Act Like Nothing's Wrong". Now THAT'S creepy!

Stu Morgenstern's picture
Submitted by Stu Morgenstern on Sun, 2013-10-27 10:23

Ironically, on the cover of Naked Songs, he is fully clothed.

Roy Edelsack's picture
Submitted by Roy Edelsack on Mon, 2013-10-28 06:07

I know John Simon had an ambivalent relationship with the Big Brother album, "Cheap Thrills." He produced it but his name doesn't appear on the album jacket. The fact is, all these years later he had nothing to be ashamed of. The band was not very good but the concert experience was often exciting. He captures that excitement whatever one might think of the technical abilities of the band.

Simon's solo work is simply wonderful. I'm particularly fond of "Journey." The music is first rate (featuring Howard Johnson, Dave Holland, Billy Mundi, Randy Brecker, and Dave Sanborn among others) and the lyrics are just as good. Sample from "King Lear's Blues (Cordelia)":

"Fell into a trance and I started to dance and imagine myself King Lear,

Alone on a heath with trembling teeth and nothing but fear to fear.

Cordelia, Cordelia, my darling daughter don't you recognize your old man?

I suffered for sure when I froze on the moor so give me all the sympathy you can."

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