Peter Ivers – Becoming Peter Ivers
Peter Ivers was somewhat of a behind-the-scenes L.A. figure of the ’70s and ’80s best known for writing “In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)” for David Lynch’s directorial debut, Eraserhead. Ivers hosted New Wave Theater, a groundbreaking early syndicated TV show that predated MTV and showcased some of the most important bands from the burgeoning punk and new wave scenes.
Ivers was also an accomplished musician who recorded two albums for Warner Brothers that weren’t commercially successful but have since become cult classics. Tragically, his life was cut short in 1983 when he was brutally murdered in his downtown L.A. apartment. The investigation into Ivers’ murder remains open.
Becoming Peter Ivers collects cassette and reel-to-reel demos made for the two Warner albums, recorded at his Laurel Canyon home and, later, in his Hollywood apartment. Ivers himself said demos were often better than the records, and this compilation makes a strong case for that. These pocket-sized recordings give a feeling of immediacy to Ivers’ boyish voice and effortless performances that were somewhat overshadowed by studio musicians on the albums. The songs range from idiosyncratic pop rock to intimate acoustic confessions. The always reliable RVNG Intl. put years of work into this compilation. It shows, with the project offering a loving assemblage of work from a unique artist who’s voice was silenced far too soon.
– Cole Kinnear
Recommended – A3 Love Is A Jungle, B3 Miraculous Weekend, B5 Audience Of One
A1 Take Your Chances With Me
A2 Eighteen And Dreaming
A3 Love Is A Jungle
A4 Conference Call At Four
A5 Peter
A6 Even Stephen Foster
B1 I’m Sorry Alice
B2 Deborah
B3 Miraculous Weekend
B4 Holding The Cobra
B5 Audience Of One
C1 Alpha Centauri
C2 I’ve Seen Your Face
C3 My Grandmother’s Funeral
C4 In Heaven
C5 My Desire
C6 The Night You Didn’t Come
C7 Untitled
D1 Love In Flight (Piano Overture)
D2 Ain’t That A Kick
D3 Jamaica Moon
D4 Happy On The Grill
D5 Window Washer (w/ Van Dyke Parks)
D6 You Used To Be Stevie Wonder
D7 Nirvana Cuba Waltz
Compiled By, Producer – Matthew Sanders
Edited By [Copy Editing] – Matthew Sanders, Zonder Titel
Liner Notes – Sam Lefebvre, Steven Martin
Mastered By – Bob Weston
Mixed By – Josh Da Costa, Bob Weston
Performer – Alice DeBuhr, Andra Willis, Art Wood, Ben Benay, Billy Osborne, Buell Neidlinger, Carly Simon, David Cohen, David Neuman, Dean Rod, Doug Sax, Elliot Ingber, Gary Wright, Jackie Ward, Kathy Appleby, Lisa Roberts, Lorna Wright, Marti McCall, Marty Krystall, Paul Lenart, Peter Ivers, Rusty Buchanan, Sherlie Matthews, Steve Porcaro, Waddy Wachtel, Wanda Watkins, Willie Weeks
Photography By – Dennis Keeley, John Klein, Steven Martin, Tim Hunter
Photography By– Moshe Brakha
Transferred By – Jason Bitner, Bob Weston
Written-By – Peter Ivers, Van Dyke Parks