Peggy Lee Shares Previously Unreleased Track ‘Since You Have Gone’
The long-lost Capitol master was discovered in the label’s vault after more than six decades.
More gems from Peggy Lee’s vault have been uncovered. A previously unreleased original, “Since You Have Gone,” has now debuted more than six decades after it was recorded.
The song is the title track of a new digital EP of the same name, which pairs the newly discovered recording with three of Lee’s signature performances: “Big Spender,” “Fever,” and “Why Don’t You Do Right?”
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“Since You Have Gone” was recorded at the Capitol Tower in Hollywood on November 2, 1963, during sessions for Lee’s 1964 Capitol album In Love Again!. The recording features a cinematic arrangement by West Coast jazz pioneer Shorty Rogers and was produced by Dave Cavanaugh.
Seven takes of the song were recorded during the session, with the final take ultimately designated as the Capitol master. The completed recording then remained unheard for nearly 63 years before more extensive archival research was done on Lee’s body of work.
“Finding an unknown Peggy Lee recording is always exciting, but discovering a new original song that she wrote is something else altogether,” said Holly Foster Wells, Lee’s granddaughter and president of Peggy Lee Associates. “And then you hear Shorty Rogers’ incredible arrangement, with this dramatic, almost James Bond-like quality. That was such an unexpected bonus!”
The recording also highlights a lesser-known side of Lee’s artistry. She became renowned as one of the defining vocalists of the 20th century, but she also took songwriting just as seriously, writing more than 270 tunes. “Since You Have Gone” is particularly notable because Lee is credited as the sole author of both its words and music, with records showing that she registered the song with the U.S. Copyright Office in February 1964.
The newly discovered song follows a series of recent projects shining a light on Lee’s extensive catalog. In August, My Guitar à la Lee celebrated the 60th anniversary of her 1966 album Guitars à la Lee with two previously unheard versions of “My Guitar,” recorded with Quincy Jones in 1961. The release followed a new remix of Lee’s “Big Spender” by electronic producer duo Girl Math, which marked the song’s 60th anniversary.
