Biography
Curtis Lee emerged during the stretch of rock and roll history that ran from Buddy Holly’s death to the Beatles’ arrival, a stretch routinely labeled the “lost years” because, aside from the Beach Boys, most of its performers dropped from the charts without leaving a lasting mark on the era that followed. Lee followed the same pattern, yet his two recordings, “Pretty Little Angel Eyes” and “Under the Moon of Love,” still summon clear memories of that era’s romantic innocence.
Born in Arizona, Lee cut three tracks for minor labels while still a teenager. Ray Peterson, already known for “Tell Laura I Love Her,” had recently launched his own Dunes imprint and, after hearing Lee, urged him to travel to New York for a demo session. By the time Lee reached New York in late 1960, he had begun writing songs with his friend Tommy Boyce, who would later become half of the Boyce & Hart songwriting, production, and vocal team.
Lee’s first two Dunes singles, “Special Love” and “Pledge of Love,” offered sincere but undistinguished performances that failed to chart. For his third release, however, the label approved the Lee-Boyce original “Pretty Little Angel Eyes.” Phil Spector, who had already produced a hit for Peterson with “Corinna, Corinna,” supervised the session and piled on orchestral and choral parts, the latter deliberately cast in a late-’50s doo-wop mold. The single climbed into the Top Ten and remained Lee’s biggest success.
Lee and Boyce next delivered the sprightly “Under the Moon of Love,” which replaced the doo-wop emphasis with a thick saxophone sound and a soaring girl chorus; the record entered the charts in late 1961. It proved to be Lee’s final hit. No further singles charted, and Lee soon left the music business. “Pretty Little Angel Eyes” continues to receive airplay on oldies stations for its distinctive texture, and both songs are now regarded as prime examples of Phil Spector’s early production style.
Born in Arizona, Lee cut three tracks for minor labels while still a teenager. Ray Peterson, already known for “Tell Laura I Love Her,” had recently launched his own Dunes imprint and, after hearing Lee, urged him to travel to New York for a demo session. By the time Lee reached New York in late 1960, he had begun writing songs with his friend Tommy Boyce, who would later become half of the Boyce & Hart songwriting, production, and vocal team.
Lee’s first two Dunes singles, “Special Love” and “Pledge of Love,” offered sincere but undistinguished performances that failed to chart. For his third release, however, the label approved the Lee-Boyce original “Pretty Little Angel Eyes.” Phil Spector, who had already produced a hit for Peterson with “Corinna, Corinna,” supervised the session and piled on orchestral and choral parts, the latter deliberately cast in a late-’50s doo-wop mold. The single climbed into the Top Ten and remained Lee’s biggest success.
Lee and Boyce next delivered the sprightly “Under the Moon of Love,” which replaced the doo-wop emphasis with a thick saxophone sound and a soaring girl chorus; the record entered the charts in late 1961. It proved to be Lee’s final hit. No further singles charted, and Lee soon left the music business. “Pretty Little Angel Eyes” continues to receive airplay on oldies stations for its distinctive texture, and both songs are now regarded as prime examples of Phil Spector’s early production style.
Albums
Singles
