Tribute: Judee Sill (1944-1979)

Subject: Judee Sill - Belated Commemoration
From: cptsnapper
Date: 28 Nov 06 - 02:03 AM

Judee Sill - 7th. October 1944 / 23rd. November 1979. In my opinion an amazing talent who shouldn't be forgotten.

Subject: RE: Judee Sill - Belated Commemoration 1944-79
From: DriveForever
Date: 28 Nov 06 - 02:43 AM

Absolutely ! Wonderful singer & songwriter, some of the most beautiful & soulful songs I've ever heard.

Subject: RE: Judee Sill - Belated Commemoration 1944-79
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 28 Nov 06 - 09:35 PM

I should know her, but I can't recall anything other than that her name seems familiar. Please remind me!?

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Judee Sill - Belated Commemoration 1944-79
From: Amos
Date: 28 Nov 06 - 09:51 PM

From an online review:

"Judee Sill was a true original. A singer-songwriter with a wealth of influences and a fascination with religion, she referred to her work as "country-cult-baroque." She was the first artist signed to David Geffen's Asylum label, and, along with Joni Mitchell and Carole King, exemplified the breezy "Laurel Canyon Sound" of the early '70s. Sill scored moderate hits with "Lady-O" (originally written for The Turtles) and "Jesus Was A Cross Maker" and released two albums -- 1971's Judee Sill and 1973's Heart Food -- before suffering chronic pain and eventually dying of a drug overdose at age 35.

Sill grew up in Oakland, California, and began playing piano at age three. A troubled family life and brushes with the law landed her in reform school, where, as church organist, she developed the gospel style that would characterize her future recordings. After a stint in college and three down-and-out years of addiction, she cleaned up and began work on her dream of becoming a songwriter. She spent a short time penning songs for The Turtles' production company before signing her own deal with Asylum.

For her self-titled debut, Sill gathered a production team that included Jim Pons and John Beck of The Leaves, as well as engineer/producer Henry Lewy, known for his work with Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Leonard Cohen. Her guitar playing provides the foundation for most of the songs, joined by various combinations of pedal steel, strings, and brass. "Jesus Was A Cross Maker," built on a bed of Sill's gospel-flavored piano, was produced by Graham Nash and crafted as a single. Rich with cosmic imagery and ambiguously spiritual lyrics, the songs on Judee Sill often blur the line between the earthly and the divine.

This Rhino Handmade release of Judee Sill has been remastered from original source materials and expanded with ten bonus tracks. "The Pearl" and "The Phoenix," which appear in more produced versions on Sill's second album, Heart Food, are included here in their original form. Also included are a home demo of "Jesus Was A Cross Maker" and a complete October 1971 performance at the Boston Music Hall.

Judee Sill is available as an individually numbered limited edition of 5,000 copies.

TRACK LISTING
WITH QUICKTIME AUDIO SAMPLES
JUST CLICK ON THE BEFORE EACH TITLE TO LISTEN
ALL TIMES APPROXIMATE
TRACK LISTING

   CRAYON ANGELS    (2:35)
   THE PHANTOM COWBOY    (1:40)
   THE ARCHETYPAL MAN    (3:35)
   THE LAMB RAN AWAY WITH THE CROWN    (3:10)
   LADY-O    (3:10)
   JESUS WAS A CROSS MAKER    (3:20)
   RIDGE RIDER    (4:28)
   MY MAN ON LOVE    (3:23)
   LOPIN' ALONG THRU THE COSMOS    (3:00)
   ENCHANTED SKY MACHINES    (2:40)
   ABRACADABRA    (1:54)
   THE PEARL (Original Version)    ()
   THE PHOENIX (Original Version)    ()
   INTRO/THE VIGILANTE    ()
   LADY-O    ()
   ENCHANTED SKY MACHINES    ()
   THE ARCHETYPAL MAN    ()
   CRAYON ANGELS    ()
   THE LAMB RAN AWAY WITH THE CROWN    ()
   JESUS WAS A CROSS MAKER    ()
   JESUS WAS A CROSS MAKER (Home Demo)    () "

If you click the link above you can go to this page and hear samples of the listed cuts in her unusual, sweet voice.

A

Subject: RE: Judee Sill - Belated Commemoration 1944-79
From: MAG
Date: 28 Nov 06 - 11:31 PM

Ginny Clemens did a couple of her songs, Art; notably "Lady-O."

Subject: RE: Judee Sill - Belated Commemoration 1944-79
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 29 Nov 06 - 10:16 PM

MAG,

That's right! I knew I'd heard some of her music once upon a time...

Ginni! Of course!! --- She, too, went way before she shoulda. It's calming just to remember Ginni...

Thanks.

Art

Subject: RE: Judee Sill - Belated Commemoration 1944-79
From: Wacko Jacko
Date: 10 Dec 06 - 06:48 AM

Have a look on myspace, key Judee Sill in and there's some mp3's you can download. Steve

Subject: Judee Sill 30th. Anniversary
From: cptsnapper
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 05:13 PM

It's 30 years since Judee Sill died: her music still touches me.

Subject: RE: Judee Sill 30th. Anniversary
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 23 Nov 09 - 05:39 PM

Me too - a unique talent -her vulnerabilty shone through her music. Such a sad life.

Subject: RE: Judee Sill 30th. Anniversary
From: GUEST,Clive Pownceby
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 02:59 PM

The BBC 'live' recordings album has just been made available again at mid-price. Features interview with Bob Harris. Wasn't she just the best? What depth of feeling in her voice and what mystical/spiritual lyrics.

Subject: RE: Judee Sill 30th. Anniversary
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 04:24 PM

Much respect.

For those who don't know:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0feFedDW_iQ

Subject: RE: Judee Sill 30th. Anniversary
From: Wesley S
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 04:43 PM

She was underated and underexposed.

Subject: RE: Judee Sill 30th. Anniversary
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 04:54 AM

Another great piece of footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp1qAh4n128

Subject: RE: Judee Sill (1944-1979)
From: DaveRo
Date: 28 Jan 20 - 02:54 PM

A belated obit in the NYT:

Overlooked No More: Judee Sill, Singer Whose Life Was Cut Short

I remember hearing her on the radio in the 70's, here in the UK, and wondered for years who she was and what had happened to her.

Subject: RE: Tribute: Judee Sill (1944-1979)
From: Mrrzy
Date: 24 Nov 22 - 03:11 PM

A search for her name brings up several threads but this was the longest, so I picked it.

Lovely article from the Guardian, apparently there is a new documentary.

Subject: RE: Tribute: Judee Sill (1944-1979)
From: DaveRo
Date: 24 Nov 22 - 03:19 PM

https://www.docnyc.net/film/lost-angel-the-genius-of-judee-sill/
"This film will be available to stream only in the US and US territories."

Subject: RE: Tribute: Judee Sill (1944-1979)
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 25 Nov 22 - 09:16 AM

Judee Sill top tracks on YouTube    https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Judee+Sill+top+tracks

Subject: RE: Tribute: Judee Sill (1944-1979)
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 12 Apr 24 - 09:59 PM

NEW YORK TIMES April 12, 2024 The Amplifier
Judee Sill Primer

https://messaging-custom-newsletters.nytimes.com/dynamic/render?campaign_id=295&emc=edit_amp_20240412&free_trial=0&instance_id=120025&isViewInBrowser=true&nl=the-amplifier&paid_regi=1®i_id=13064722&segment_id=163323&te=1&uri=nyt%3A%2F%2Fnewsletter%2Fe74c7403-8c97-597f-a5c3-201754757c08&user_id=ddcb2b85aa1e6d173455944824a42b16

Thomas.

Subject: RE: Tribute: Judee Sill (1944-1979)
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 12 Apr 24 - 10:43 PM

sorry for the mess above

Judee Sill Primer

hope this is correct.
Thomas.

Subject: RE: Tribute: Judee Sill (1944-1979)
From: GeoffLawes
Date: 19 Apr 24 - 06:53 PM

Judy Sill: all tracks on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Judee+Sill+all+tracks