Elton John idolised her and she wrote hits for the likes of Barbra Streisand, but her musical ambitions were out of sync with the times. Now a new collection reveals her intense originality in full we are thrilled to announce “Hear My Song: The Collection 1966-1995”. A new 19-CD Box Set out December 6, 2024!
Collecting together all 10 of Laura’s studio albums alongside 6 live albums including 2 previously unreleased, her 1966 demo tape and an additional disc of rarities. At the centre of the set is a 90-page hardback coffee table book with liner notes from Vivien Goldman, foreword from Elton John and words from Charlie Calello, Jackson Browne, Clive Davis, Lou Adler, Randy Brecker, Bernard Purdie, Will Lee and many more.
The deepest dive yet into the phenomenal creativity of an idiosyncratic, unmistakable musical force. Nyro transformed a range of influences into her own kind of art song. She made vertiginous shifts from hushed reveries to ecstatic gospel-driven shout-ups with an intensity and a courage that, as Elton John would point out, left its mark on many contemporaries who achieved greater commercial success. As a teenager, she wrote “And When I Die” and “Stoney End”, songs that became hits for other artists. Her own enigmatically titled albums – “Eli and the Thirteenth Confession”, “New York Tendaberry”, “Christmas and the Beads of Sweat” – showed a precociously sophisticated sensibility.
“She wrote songs that had no kind of fixed compass point. They remain as unique and absolutely spellbinding to this day as when I first heard them in the 1960s.” – Sir Elton John, 2024
Contains 10 original studio albums, 6 live albums (including 2 previously unreleased live concerts), Laura’s original demo tape from 1966 and a bonus disc of rarities including mono versions, alternative versions and live tracks. She made her anticipated UK debut at London’s Royal Festival Hall in 1971, with her then-boyfriend, Jackson Browne, as the support act. Her final visit, 23 years later, was to the Union Chapel in Islington, a more intimate affair, where she performed as if to family or friends, bathed in an outpouring of warmth.
“Eli and the Thirteenth Confession” (1968)
After a somewhat conservative debut album, her second effort – abetted by arranger and co-producer Charlie Calello – was an unstoppable display of musical and verbal fireworks, exploring the emotional extremes.
“New York Tendaberry” (1969)
To the hardcore fan, her masterpiece. The mood is darker, the arrangements more minimalist, highlighting the sense of desperation fuelling a soul-baring urban song-cycle. The finest distillation of her allure.
“Gonna Take a Miracle” (1971)
After four albums of original material, she and Labelle settled into Philadelphia’s Sigma Sound to record a joyful series of cover versions. Just hear how they turn the Originals’ The Bells into a soaring aria.
“Walk the Dog and Light the Light” (1993)
More measured in its maturity but still filled with spirit and urgency, the last studio album released during her lifetime reflects her new range of feminist and ecological concerns.
“The Loom’s Desire” (2002)
Recorded in front of adoring audiences at New York’s Bitter End in 1993-94, with a harmony trio providing support, this double set captures the warmth and intimacy of her final performances.
“American Dreamer” is released by Madfish
Presented in a lift-off lid box with 94-page coffee table book. All housed in a deluxe 12” sized box.
The Fat Angel Sings 