THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

367-Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood-Some Velvet Morning.

1967-It has never charted in the UK.

Best Bit-At 1.41. Nancy Sinatra once said, ‘I’ve been singing this song for over 20 years, and I still don’t know what the damned thing means.’

Lee Hazlewood (see also best songs 1010-978 and 124) was born Barton Lee Hazlewood on July 9th, 1929, in Mannford, Oklahoma, United States, he died on August 4th, 2007, from renal cancer, at the age of 78. In the late 1950’s, and early 1960’s he found great success when teaming up with the pioneering American guitarist Duane Eddy (1938-2024) to co-write, and produce Rock instrumentals such as ‘Rebel Rouser,’ (1958-Billboard Number 6 & UK Number 19) and (‘Dance With The) Guitar Man’ (1962-Billboard Number 16 & UK Number 4.) He first teamed up with Nancy Sinatra in 1965 when Nancy’s father Frank (see also best songs 877-567-469-120 and 73) stepped in and asked Hazlewood to give his daughters career a boost, which led to Hazlewood writing and producing Nancy’s UK and U.S. Number 1 single ‘These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ (see also best songs 978.) He was also the co-producer of the 1967 UK and U.S. Number 1 single ‘Somethin’ Stupid,’ for Frank and Nancy Sinatra, which is the only father-daughter duo to top the American Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. For the discography of Lee Hazlewood, see best songs 124.

‘Some Velvet Morning’ was written and produced by Lee Hazlewood, and was arranged and conducted by Billy Strange, (1930-2012) and first appeared on Nancy Sinatra’s fourth Album release ‘Movin’ with Nancy,’ from 1967, the Album is the soundtrack to her 1967 ‘NBC’ television special of the same name. The song was next released as a single, reaching Number 26 on Billboard, and Number 36 in Canada, before then appearing on the collaborative studio Album ‘Nancy & Lee,’ in March 1968. Billy Strange was born William Everett Strange, on September 29th, 1930, in Long Beach, California, United States, he died on February 22nd, 2012, at the age of 81. Billy Strange began his musical career as a session musician with ‘The Wrecking Crew,’ (see also best songs 978-846-811-744-672-660-527-486-262-202-197-180-127 and 71) and was inducted into the ‘Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum,’ as a member of that ensemble in 2007. Billy Strange scored for film and television, which includes the television special ‘Movin’ with Nancy,’ (1967) and the film ‘Ocean’s Eleven,’ (2001) he also released at least 20 Albums under his own name.

Nancy Sinatra has said she has no idea what ‘Some Velvet Morning’ is about, and the songs writer Lee Hazlewood has admitted that he is not fully sure about the songs meaning either. The song was definitely inspired by the Greek mythological character ‘Phaedra,’ In Greek mythology Phaedra falls in love with her husbands stepson Hippolytus, who rejects her advances. Her husband Theseus learns of her actions, she lies to her husband that Hippolytus tried to rape her. This angers Theseus who immediately curses his son with one of three wishes granted to him by Poseidon the God of the sea. Hippolytus is torn apart by a bull that rises from the sea, but somehow Phaedra’s treachery is discovered, (unclear how) and to avoid a more painful death she decides to take her own life. Lee Hazlewood has said, ‘It’s not meant to mean so much. I’m not a druggie, so it was never to do with that.’ He has also said, ‘I had problems with people telling me ‘I really like the song you wrote Lee, you can really dance to it,’ I don’t like people dancing to my music, I was very contrary. The next thing I sat down to write what happened to be that song, and I go,-‘Dance to this, sons of bitches.”

‘Some Velvet Morning’ is critically acclaimed. In November 2003, the British newspaper ‘The Daily Telegraph’ placed the song at Number 1 on their ’50 Best Ever Duets’ list, and in 2015, the American musical magazine ‘Rolling Stone’ ranked the song at Number 9 in its ’20 Greatest Duos of All Time.’ In 2021 Nancy Sinatra said, ‘Even though it was years and years later, it’s still nice to be appreciated. And for that record especially nobody’s figured that song out yet. And I still don’t know what it means.’ Lee Hazlewood re-recorded ‘Some Velvet Morning’ for his final studio Album ‘Cake or Death,’ in 2006. This time the song was a duet with himself and his granddaughter, whose birth name is ‘Phaedra.’

‘Some velvet morning when I’m straight, I’m gonna open up your gate, and maybe tell you ’bout Phaedra, and how she gave me life, and how she made it end. Some velvet morning when I’m straight.’