Year 1965
Dean Martin LP “Dean Martin Hits Again”
431 Martin, Dean Dean Martin Hits Again Reprise RS 6146 (CAN) 1.1965 You’re nobody ‘til somebody loves you (background piano) – I’ll hold you in my heart (piano) – Have a heart (piano) – My heart is an open book (no piano) – You’ll always be the one I love (piano) – Send me the pillow you dream on (piano) – In the chapel in the moonlight (piano) – Send me some lovin’ (piano) – Wedding Bells (piano) – I’ll be seeing you (piano)-
Leon all over! Ernie Freeman, arr. – Jimmy Bowen, prod.
Rec. date: You’re nobody ‘till somebody loves you - Every minute every hour - (single) – Door still open to my heart (single) – Aug. 7, 1964 – Send me the Pillow - I’ll be seeing you - In the chapel in the moonlight - Dec. 22, 1964 - You’ll always be the one I love - Nov. 3, 1964 – Little ole wine drinker me - June 23, 1967 (single)
Dean Martin LP “I’m The One Who Loves You”
424 Martin, Dean I’m The One Who Loves You Reprise RS 6170 (US) 9.1965 (Remember me) I’m the one who loves you (background piano) – King of the road (no piano-organ?) – Welcome to my world (piano) – My shoes keep walking back to you (faint background piano + outtro) – Born to lose (piano!!) – The birds and the bees (no piano) – Walk on by (background piano) – Red roses for a blue lady (no piano) – Take these chains from my heart (piano!) – Here comes my Baby (piano!!) – I don’t think you love me (no piano) – Bumming around (faint background piano) –
Certainly Leon! Prod. Jimmy Bowen – arr. Ernie Freeman
Rec. date : (Remember me) I’m the one who loves you - Welcome to my world - Mar. 13, 1965 – Bumming around - Mar. 16, 1965 – Born to lose - May 13, 1965 – Houston - July 12, 1965 (single) -
Jewel Akens LP “The Birds And The Bees”
US Promotional release
The US and Canadian release of the hit-single (no. 2 in US), that sold more than a million copies
UK version
615 Akens, Jewell The Birds and The Bees/Tic Tac Toe Era Records 3141 (US) 1965 (1964) 520 Akens, Jewell The Birds and The Bees/Tic Tac Toe Era Records 3141 (CAN) 1965 (1964?)
Leon on organ!
The follow up single “Georgie Porgie” was basically the same melody as “The Birds and the Bees” with new lyrics
758 Akens, Jewell Georgie Porgie/Around the corner Era Records 3142 (US) 1965
Leon organ on 1 and piano on 2
652 Akens, Jewell The Birds And The Bees ERA EL 110 (US) First solo album 1965 Georgie Porgie (organ) – Love Potion no. 9 (no piano) – Sukiyaki (no piano) – The Birds and the Bees (organ) – Michael (Row the boat) (piano) – So this is love (piano) – Around the Corner (piano) – Dear Heart (piano) – Tic Tac Toe (piano background) – King of the road (piano) – It’s the only way to fly (organ) – The Vegetable Love Song (piano)
Leon all over - piano and organ. Recorded at the Gold Star Studio. Carol Kaye on “The Birds and the Bees: They ran my guitar through a Leslie organ speaker cabinet with the blower on for this tune – you had to play very even and strong to trigger the notes just right. An interesting effect. This date was at Gold Star a Don Ralke arrangement (Herb Newman production), later paid as union (first not - one of those "demo" dates most studio musicians did to help a fledgling company get off the ground with, before you insisted they got the Musicians Union license to hire us legally - we got 2 checks for this, the original one and later on, the Union one). Jewell sung live with the small band, he's a very nice fellow, wonderful singer and is still going strong on-tour etc.
1271 Akens, Jewell It’s the only way to fly/You sure know how to hurt a Fella Era 3147 (US) LR? 1965
Another follow up from Akens. Leon should be there, but he is not audible on 1. There is faint piano on 2, which could be Leon (or anybody else.)
Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
The original release where Alpert and the band are equals and a later issue with AM in front of the record number
and from the reissue-series “Memories” ( A taste of honey)
499 Alpert, Herb & The Tijuana Brass Taste of honey/3 rd Man Theme A&M 775 (US) 1965 1273 Alpert, Herb & The Tijuana Brass Taste of honey/3 rd Man Theme A&M 8506-S (US) 19??
Enjoy Leon’s outtro on “Taste Of Honey”!! Count Basie couldn’t have done it better. Three notes to end the proceedings… And he is all over the b-side on organ.
Glen Campbell, Billy Strange, Howard Roberts – The Big Guitars
1002 Campbell, Glen (The Big Guitars) The Big Guitars - Surrey SS-1014 (US) 1965 The Twelve String Story, Volume 1 Horizon SWP-1626 (US) The Twelve String Story, Volume 2 Horizon SWP-1634 (US) Daddy roll ‘em (no piano) – Sangaree (no piano) – Blues wail (no piano) – Nashville blues ramble (no piano) – Cottonfields (no piano) – Hooten’ Part One (harpsichord)+ - Get The Bird Flyin’ (no piano)+ – Bulldurem (no piano)+ – Color him folky (harpsichord) – Shindiggin’ (Hooten Part Two) (no piano)+ –
Musicians: Billy Strange – Howard Roberts – Glen Campbell (+ Drums & bass here and there). The tracks with+ are from the same session. Leon plays harpsichord on only two tracks. Howard Roberts is playing a 12 string and is featured on Cottonfileds and Color Him Folky, the latter song also being penned by him.
Frankie Avalon single
993 Avalon, Frankie Moon River/Every girl should get married United Artists 800 (US) 1965
LR very audible on 1 (electric piano?) and background piano and organ on 2
Apple Pie ’n’ Stover - single
Promotional release
1132 Apple Pie ’n’ Stover The Blue ‘Shadow/You’re Doin’ Alright Era 103 (US) 1965
Fine and heavy piano (but in the background) on 1 – 100% our boy Leon! Some organ on 2, that could be him also. Side 1 arr. by Jimmy Haskell and side 2 by Dick Parker – both prod. by Herb Newman.
Keely Smith – LP “That old black magic”
989 Smith, Keely That old black magic Reprise RS 6175 (US) 1965 That old black magic Reprise DL-74660 (US) 1965 I’ve got the world on a string (little piano) – Medley: When you’re smiling (no piano)/The sheik of Araby (no piano) – I gotta right to sing the blues (piano!!) – The birth of the blues (piano!) – Oh, Baby (no piano) – That old black magic (piano!) – Medley: Just a gigolo (no piano)/I ain’t got nobody (no piano) – Autumn leaves (piano!!) – Buona sera (piano!) – Pennies from heaven (no piano) –
Leon plays piano on most tracks.
Keely Smith was a great Las Vegas act with her then husband Louis Prima. They recorded several hit songs. Keely rerecorded several of them solo for this album. (Born Dorothy Jacqueline Keely, 9 March 1932. First married to Louis Prima, later Jimmy Bowen)
Jimmy Boyd - single
571 Boyd, Jimmy Lazy Me/I Would Never Do That Imperial 66166 (US)
Both sides prod. & arr. by Leon (with Snuff Garrett). The melody for “Lazy me” is clean rip off from Bo Diddley’s “Who do you love”, but has four fathers here: John Cale – Tommy Leslie “Snuff” Garret - Leon Russell and Jimmy Boyd. No Leon piano on either of them.
Audition Record
692 Boyd, Jimmy I would never do that/So Young and So Fine Imperial 66233 (US)
“I would never do that” arr. by Leon and prod. by Leon and Snuff Garrett. It sounds like Leon on piano on “So young and so fine”. I wonder why Imperial bothered to re-release the single with a new b-side so quick, maybe the “melody-theft” was the reason?
Hoyt Axton single
Promotional copy
530 Axton, Hoyt Speed Trap (I’m the cop in a little bitty town)/Soldier’s Last Letter Colpix CP 802 (US) 1965?
Prod. and arr. by David Gates. Leon piano all over the tear jerker “Soldier’s Last Letter” and a little piano on the first - a funny song with lots of effects. Axton re-recorded the hit “Speed Trap” in 1975 with no Leon participation.
Steve Alaimo – LP
6-track mini LP
1137 Alaimo, Steve Where the action is (7” 6-track 33 1/3 LP) ABC LP-ABCS-531 (US) LR?? 1965 Where the action is (background piano) Sweet little sixteen (lots of piano but mixed down) 500 miles (no piano) Papa’s got a brand new bag (no piano) Personality (no piano) Blowin’ in the wind (no piano)
Steve Alaimo - the original host of the TV-show “Where the action is” (along with Linda Scott and produced by Dick Clark) - sings and it sure sounds like Leon is playing the piano on the first two tracks. The six tracks are taken from the album of the same name (11 tracks). Paul Revere and the Raiders was the house band of the TV-show. This record remains a “maybe Leon”.
Glen Campbell – LP and single – as Mr. 12 String Guitar
Audition Record (promotional copy)
1090 Mr. 12 String Guitar All I Really Want To Do/Subterranean Homesick Blues World Pacific 77803 (US) 1965
This is just one of many Glen Campbell guitar releases. Leon is on harpsichord or organ on “All I Really Want To Do”. Prod. Richard Bock and arr. by Glen Campbell. Both tracks are of course Dylan-penned and from the album: Mr. 12 String Guitar - World Pacific WP-1835.
Freddy Cannon LP and single
German single
300 Cannon, Freddy Action/Beachwood City WB A-5645 (D) 1965
Two nice rockers from youngster Cannon. Leon is in the forefront on both. Nice intro and piano all over 1. The organ on 2 sounds like what you hear in a Circus!