12 Songs (Randy Newman album)
Encyclopedia
12 Songs is a 1970 album by singer/songwriter Randy Newman
. His second album, 12 Songs received much better reviews than his first
. On 12 Songs Newman collaborates with Clarence White
and Ry Cooder
. The album set the stage for Newman's later career with songs sung from the point of view of different characters. Whereas most of his songwriting contemporaries wrote confessional songs, Newman chose a different path, writing first-person character sketches instead. And on this album some of those characters include low-lifes, losers, racists, and drunks. These picaresques were often used by Newman to satirize conventional song lyrics. For instance, on this album he deconstructed the conventions of the love song on tracks like "Have You Seen My Baby?," "Suzanne," and "Lucinda."
Some of the targets of Newman's satire
on this album (which he would return to on future albums) include racism
("Yellow Man"), L.A.'s rock scene ("Mama Told Me Not to Come
"), and the South ("Old Kentucky Home"). The songs on the album cover a wide range of styles, including rock 'n roll, R & B, folk, jazz, blues and country.
As with all of Newman's early albums, several of its songs had been previously recorded by other artists. In this case, "Mama Told Me Not To Come" had originally been recorded in 1967 by Eric Burdon
, and "Yellow Man" had been covered by Harry Nilsson
on his album Nilsson Sings Newman
, issued just a few months prior to the release of 12 Songs. Fats Domino also issued his version of "Have You Seen My Baby" just prior to this album's release.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 354 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
. In his original review for the album, critic Robert Christgau
called it "a perfect album".
Randy Newman
Randall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....
. His second album, 12 Songs received much better reviews than his first
Randy Newman (album)
Randy Newman is the debut recording by Randy Newman, released in 1968. Unlike his later albums which featured Newman and his piano backed by guitar, bass guitar and drums, Randy Newman was highly orchestral and aimed to blend the orchestra with Newman's voice and piano. Randy Newman is the debut...
. On 12 Songs Newman collaborates with Clarence White
Clarence White
Clarence White was a guitar player for Nashville West, The Byrds, Muleskinner, and the Kentucky Colonels. His parents were Acadians from New Brunswick, Canada...
and Ry Cooder
Ry Cooder
Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder is an American guitarist, singer and composer. He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in roots music from the United States, and, more recently, his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.His solo work has been eclectic, encompassing...
. The album set the stage for Newman's later career with songs sung from the point of view of different characters. Whereas most of his songwriting contemporaries wrote confessional songs, Newman chose a different path, writing first-person character sketches instead. And on this album some of those characters include low-lifes, losers, racists, and drunks. These picaresques were often used by Newman to satirize conventional song lyrics. For instance, on this album he deconstructed the conventions of the love song on tracks like "Have You Seen My Baby?," "Suzanne," and "Lucinda."
Some of the targets of Newman's satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
on this album (which he would return to on future albums) include racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
("Yellow Man"), L.A.'s rock scene ("Mama Told Me Not to Come
Mama Told Me Not to Come
"Mama Told Me " is a song by Randy Newman written for Eric Burdon's first solo album in 1966. Three Dog Night's 1970 cover of the song topped the U.S. pop singles charts.-Newman original and first recordings:...
"), and the South ("Old Kentucky Home"). The songs on the album cover a wide range of styles, including rock 'n roll, R & B, folk, jazz, blues and country.
As with all of Newman's early albums, several of its songs had been previously recorded by other artists. In this case, "Mama Told Me Not To Come" had originally been recorded in 1967 by Eric Burdon
Eric Burdon
Eric Victor Burdon is an English singer-songwriter best known as a founding member and vocalist of rock band The Animals, and the funk rock band War and for his aggressive stage performance...
, and "Yellow Man" had been covered by Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
on his album Nilsson Sings Newman
Nilsson Sings Newman
Nilsson Sings Newman is an album of Randy Newman compositions sung by Harry Nilsson, with Newman on piano. The record was not a great commercial success, but it was critically praised, and helped Newman gain notice...
, issued just a few months prior to the release of 12 Songs. Fats Domino also issued his version of "Have You Seen My Baby" just prior to this album's release.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 354 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
. In his original review for the album, critic Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
called it "a perfect album".
Track listing
All tracks composed by Randy Newman; except where indicated- "Have You Seen My Baby?" – 2:32
- "Let's Burn Down the Cornfield" – 3:03
- "Mama Told Me Not to ComeMama Told Me Not to Come"Mama Told Me " is a song by Randy Newman written for Eric Burdon's first solo album in 1966. Three Dog Night's 1970 cover of the song topped the U.S. pop singles charts.-Newman original and first recordings:...
" – 2:12 - "Suzanne" – 3:15
- "Lover's Prayer" – 1:55
- "Lucinda" – 2:40
- "Underneath the Harlem Moon" (Mack GordonMack GordonMack Gordon was an American composer and lyricist of songs for the stage and film. He was nominated for the best original song Oscar nine times, including six consecutive years between 1940 and 1945, and won the award once, for "You'll Never Know"...
, Harry Revel) – 1:52 - "Yellow Man" – 2:19
- "Old Kentucky Home" – 2:40
- "Rosemary" – 2:08
- "If You Need Oil" – 3:00
- "Uncle Bob's Midnight Blues" – 2:15
Personnel
- Randy Newman – vocals, piano
- Clarence WhiteClarence WhiteClarence White was a guitar player for Nashville West, The Byrds, Muleskinner, and the Kentucky Colonels. His parents were Acadians from New Brunswick, Canada...
– guitar - Ron ElliottRon Elliott (musician)Ron Elliott on October 21, 1943) is an American musician, composer and producer, best known as songwriter and lead guitarist of rock band The Beau Brummels. Elliott wrote or co-wrote the band's 1965 U.S...
– guitar - Ry CooderRy CooderRyland Peter "Ry" Cooder is an American guitarist, singer and composer. He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in roots music from the United States, and, more recently, his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.His solo work has been eclectic, encompassing...
– slide guitar - Lyle Ritz – bass
- Gene ParsonsGene ParsonsGene Victor Parsons is an American drummer, banjo player, guitarist, singer-songwriter, and innovative engineer, best known for his work with The Byrds from 1968 to 1972. Parsons has also released solo albums and played in bands including Nashville West, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Parsons Green...
– drums - Jim GordonJim Gordon (musician)James Beck "Jim" Gordon is an American recording artist, musician and songwriter. The Grammy Award winner was one of the most requested session drummers in the late 1960s and 1970s, recording albums with many well-known musicians of the time, and was the drummer in the blues-rock supergroup Derek...
– drums - Roy Harte – percussion
- Al McKibbonAl McKibbonAl McKibbon was an American jazz double bassist, known for his work in bop, hard bop, and Latin jazz.In 1947, after working with Lucky Millinder, Tab Smith, J. C. Heard, and Coleman Hawkins, he replaced Ray Brown in Dizzy Gillespie's band, in which he played until 1950...
– bass - Douglas Botnick – engineer
- Lee Herschberg – engineer
- Milt HollandMilt HollandMilt Holland was an American drummer, percussionist, ethnic musicologist, and writer in the Los Angeles music scene who pioneered the use of African, South American, and Indian percussion styles in jazz, pop and film music, traveling extensively on those continents to collect instruments and to...
– percussion - Lenny WaronkerLenny WaronkerLenny Waronker is a record producer for Warner Bros. Records.-Career:He produced recording sessions for Nancy Sinatra, The Everly Brothers, Van Dyke Parks, The Beau Brummels, Harpers Bizarre, Randy Newman, Ry Cooder, Arlo Guthrie, Maria Muldaur, Gordon Lightfoot, Rickie Lee Jones, James Taylor, ...
– producer