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 | Arthur Lee |
A Tribute to Arthur Lee
"I said August is all that I know
It's with me wherever I go
It's with me when I need a friend
It brings me good weather
It keeps me together
It picks me up when I'm down"- Arthur Lee ("August" 1968)
Arthur Lee, one of the L.A. music scene's driving forces during the 1960s, passed away one year ago on August 3, 2006. He was 61. Founder of the influential Folk-rock and psychedelic band Love, Lee lost a battle with acute myelogenous leukemia.
Born in Memphis in 1945, Lee grew up in Los Angeles, where a wide variety of music drew Arthur into performing. By the early '60s he'd managed to get records out with a couple of bands (The L.A.G.'s, The American Four), and placed some of his songs with artists like R&B vocalist Rosa Lee Brooks and Ronnie And The Pomona Casuals. But Arthur Lee truly made his mark as leader of the band Love.
Part of the class of 1966, Arthur Lee and Love's music quickly moved from gritty garage ("My Flash On You"), bluesy-folk ("Signed D.C.") and apocolyptic rock ("7 & 7 Is") to such beautiful and complex compositions as "Andmoreagain" and "You Set The Scene." The band's bold experimentalism and Lee's idiosyncratic lyrical outlook met with only mild chart success but neverthless left an indelible mark on rock music.
Love continued to record off and on through the mid-'70s with different Lee-led line-ups, and Arthur also issued solo albums (including a self-titled effort for Rhino). In the early '90s, Lee's audience of admirers grew as his performances with alternative pop groups Shack and Baby Lemonade put him back in the spotlight. Unfortunately Lee lost some momentum in 1996, when he was sent to prison on a firearms charge as a part of California's three strikes law.
Arthur reemerged in 2001 and began performing Forever Changes in its entirety to considerable acclaim. Tours in Europe and the United States proved that Arthur was every bit the showmen and singer that magically shook the Sunset Strip a generation before. However by 2005, Lee decided it was time to return to Memphis and his performing days ended. When Lee's health took a downward turn, artists such as Robert Plant, Ian Hunter, Ryan Adams, and Yo La Tengo turned out at a NYC tribute concert in support of his cause. A year after his untimely demise, his musical influence endures. A documentary covering the career of Love is due for release in 2008.
The Catalog
Rhino is proud to be home to Love Albums.
