Read My Lips
Read My Lips is the debut solo album by Tim Curry, released on A&M Records in July 1978.
It was produced by Bob Ezrin with Michael Kamen as the associate producer.
With the success of The Rocky Horror Show in 1974, Curry recorded 9 songs with producer Lou Adler for his label, Ode Records. A slowed-down cover of the Supremes hit Baby Love and a Papa John Phillips-penned rocker called Just 14 about his daughter Mackenzie Phillips were released as both a promo and commercial single, though it failed to make any mark. Promotional copies of We Went As Far As We Felt Like Going from the session surfaced before the project was scrapped (though eventually released in digital format in 2010 via Amazon as Tim Curry From the Vaults). When The Rocky Horror Picture Show became a phenomenon, Curry stepped back into the studio, this time with Kiss producer Bob Erin and arranger Michael Kamen at the helm. The result was his first solo LP, Read My Lips, a collection of eclectic covers with two original tracks; "Alan," (written by Tony Kosinec) and "Sloe Gin" (written by Ezrin and Kamen) released on A&M records. At the time, A&M was the distributor of Ode.
The title was a sly nod to The Lips of Rocky Horror, as evidenced on the LP's back cover, which looks not unlike Dr. Frank N Furter's lab coat in the background.
To promote the album, Curry began a national tour at the Roxy Theatre, playing two shows a night on July 14, 15 and 16. Promotional table-tents announcing the LP's forthcoming release release were placed around the night club and an aggressive marketing campaign followed with advertising in various publications. Record stores were provided with posters of the LP cover art.
The songs "Birds Of A Feather," "I Will," and "Anyone Who Had A Heart" were later issued in 1989 on the Best Of Tim Curry CD. A previously unreleased, live version of "Alan" was also included on the same collection.
Track Listing
Side A
"Birds of a Feather" (Carole Pope, Kevan Staples) - 4:07
"Wake Nicodemus" (Henry Clay Work, originally published in 1864, researched by Betty Thomas) - 4:37
"I Will" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 3:41
"Brontosaurus" (Roy Wood) - 4:38
"Alan" (Tony Kosinec) - 4:25
Side B
"All I Want" (Joni Mitchell) - 4:24
"Sloe Gin" (Bob Ezrin, Michael Kamen) - 5:25
"Harlem on My Mind" (Irving Berlin) - 3:51
"Anyone Who Had a Heart" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) - 3:44
Singles from Read My Lips
"Birds Of A Feather"/"Brontosaurus" (7" Single) A&M Records
"Birds Of A Feather" (7" Promo)
"I Will"/"Brontosaurus" (7" Single) A&M Records
"I Will" (7", Single, Promo)
LP Credits
Tim Curry - vocals
Dick Wagner - lead and rhythm guitar
Nils Lofgren - accordion
Tony Kosinec - acoustic guitar
Bob Babbitt - bass guitar
Allan Schwartzberg - drums
Charles Collins - drums
John Tropea - rhythm guitar
Robin Millar - rhythm guitar, mandolin
Donny Brook (Don F Brooks) - harmonica
Lee Michaels - keyboards
Michael Kamen - keyboards, arrangements
Bob Ezrin - keyboards, percussion, backing vocals, arrangements
Jimmy Maelen - percussion
Ernie Watts - saxophone
Max Kaminsky - trumpet
Joe Venuti - violin
Rudy Toth - dulcimer
Brooks Hunnicutt, Dennis Tufano - backing vocals
Elizabeth Lennard - photography
PRODUCED BY BOB EZRIN IN ASSOCIATION WITH MICHAEL KAMEN, BRIAN CHRISTIAN AND DICK WAGNER FOR MIGRATION RECORDS, INC.
Arranged by Bob Ezrin and Michael Kamen
Recorded by Brian Christian, Ringo Hrycyna, David Gertz, Rick Hart, Jim Frank and David Prentice
Special Recording by John McClure and John Frye
External Links
Tim Curry From The Vaults [1]
Read My Lips at Allmusic [2]
Read My Lips at Discogs[3]
