Jack Nitzsche
Encyclopedia
Bernard Alfred "Jack" Nitzsche (22 April 1937 – 25 August 2000) was an arranger, producer, songwriter, and film score
composer
. He first came to prominence in the late 1950s as the right-hand-man of producer Phil Spector
, and went on to work with the Rolling Stones, Neil Young
and others. He also worked extensively in film scores, winning a song of the year Oscar in 1983 for co-writing "Up Where We Belong
" (from An Officer and a Gentleman
.)
, Nitzsche moved to Los Angeles, California
in 1955 with ambitions of becoming a jazz
saxophonist. He found work copying musical scores, where he met Sonny Bono
, with whom he wrote the song "Needles and Pins
" for Jackie DeShannon
, later covered by Cher
, The Searchers
, The Ramones, Crack the Sky
and Willy DeVille
and Tom Petty with Stevie Nicks (Pack up the Plantation). His own instrumental composition "The Lonely Surfer" became a minor hit, as did a big-band swing arrangement of Link Wray
's "Rumble".
He eventually became arranger and conductor for producer Phil Spector
, and orchestrated the ambitious Wall of Sound
for the song "River Deep, Mountain High" by Ike and Tina Turner.
Besides Spector, he worked closely with West Coast session musicians such as Leon Russell
, Roy Caton, Glen Campbell
, Carol Kaye
, and Hal Blaine
in a group known as The Wrecking Crew
. They created backing music for numerous sixties pop recordings by various artists such as The Beach Boys
and The Monkees
. Nitzsche also arranged the title song of Doris Day
's Move Over, Darling
that was a successful single on the pop charts of the time.
Nitzsche also was the producer and arranger for two of Bob Lind
's albums: Don't Be Concerned and Photographs of Feeling; a compilation disc entitled Elusive Butterfly: The Complete 1966 Jack Nitzsche Sessions, issued in 2007, contains the material on these two albums.
While organizing the music for The T.A.M.I. Show
television special in 1964, he met The Rolling Stones
, and went on to contribute the keyboard textures to their albums The Rolling Stones, Now!
(or The Rolling Stones No. 2
in the UK), Out of Our Heads
, Aftermath and Between the Buttons
, as well as the hit singles "Paint It Black" and "Let's Spend the Night Together
" and the choral arrangements for "You Can't Always Get What You Want
". In 1968, Nitzsche introduced the band to slide guitarist Ry Cooder
, a seminal influence on the band's 1969-1973 style.
Some of Nitzsche's most enduring rock productions were conducted in collaboration with Neil Young
, beginning with his production and arrangement of Buffalo Springfield
's "Expecting To Fly", considered by many critics to be a touchstone of the psychedelic era. In 1968, he produced Young's eponymously titled solo debut with David Briggs
. Even as the singer's style veered from the baroque to rootsy hard rock, Young continued to work with Nitzsche on some of his most commercially successful solo recordings, most notably Harvest. Nitzsche played electric piano with Crazy Horse
throughout 1970 (a representative performance can be heard on the Live at the Fillmore East
album) and went on to produce their sans-Young debut album a year later.
While prolific and hard working throughout the 1970s, he began to suffer from depression
and problems connected with substance abuse
. After he castigated Young in a drunken 1974 interview, the two men became estranged for several years and would only collaborate sporadically thereafter; later that year, he was dropped from Reprise Records
' roster after recording a scathing song criticizing executive Mo Ostin
. This culminated in his arrest for a violent assault on longtime girlfriend Carrie Snodgress
, formerly Young's companion, in 1979.
In 1979, he produced Graham Parker
's album Squeezing Out Sparks
. Nitzsche produced three Willy DeVille
albums beginning in the late 1970s: Cabretta
(1977), Return to Magenta
(1978), and Coup de Grâce
(1981). Nitzsche said that DeVille was the best singer he had ever worked with.
In the 1970s he began to concentrate more on film music rather than pop music, and became one of the most prolific film orchestrators in Hollywood in the period, winning an Academy Award for Best Song for co-writing with Buffy Sainte-Marie
"Up Where We Belong
" from 1982's An Officer and a Gentleman
. (Nitzsche had already worked with Sainte-Marie on She Used to Wanna Be a Ballerina
in the early 1970s.) Nitzsche had also worked on film scores throughout his career, such as his contributions to the Monkees movie Head
, the theme music from Village of the Giants
(recycling an earlier single, "The Last Race"), and the distinctive soundtracks for Performance
, The Exorcist
, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
, Hardcore (1979), The Razor's Edge
(1984), and Starman
(also 1984).
At the start of the next decade, he scored Revenge
(1990). On Revenge he worked with Joanna St. Claire
, who wrote, recorded and produced the original song "Are You Ready" for the film's soundtrack. Nietzsche called St. Claire "one of the most phenomenal singers I have heard or had the pleasure to work with”, and “a great, innovative songwriter”.
His intensive output declined somewhat during the rest of the decade. In the mid-1990s, a clearly inebriated Nitzsche was seen in an episode of the reality show COPS
, being arrested in Hollywood after brandishing a gun at some youths who had stolen his hat. In attempting to explain himself to the arresting officers he is heard exclaiming that he was an Academy Award winner. In 1997, he expressed interest in producing a comeback album for Link Wray
, although this never materialized due to their mutually declining health.
In 1983, he married Canadian/First Nations
folk singer/songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie
. His first wife was blue-eyed soul
singer Gracia Ann May; they divorced in 1974. In the 1990s, he was frequently seen once more in the company of Snodgress.
Nitzsche suffered a stroke
in 1998 that effectively ended his career. He died in Hollywood's Queen of Angels Hospital in 2000 of cardiac arrest
brought on by a recurring bronchial infection. The R.E.M.
instrumental b-side "2JN" was written by guitarist Peter Buck
the week Nitzsche died, and the title uses his initials in tribute.
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. He first came to prominence in the late 1950s as the right-hand-man of producer Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
, and went on to work with the Rolling Stones, Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
and others. He also worked extensively in film scores, winning a song of the year Oscar in 1983 for co-writing "Up Where We Belong
Up Where We Belong
"Up Where We Belong" is a song from the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman. Written by Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie, with lyrics by Will Jennings, it was performed by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes.-Charts and awards:...
" (from An Officer and a Gentleman
An Officer and a Gentleman
A Officer and a Gentleman is a 1982 American drama film that tells the story of a U.S. Navy aviation officer candidate who comes into conflict with the Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant who trains him. It was written by Douglas Day Stewart and directed by Taylor Hackford...
.)
Biography
Born in Chicago, Illinois and raised on a farm in Newaygo, MichiganNewaygo, Michigan
Newaygo is a city in Newaygo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,976 at the 2010 census. The character of the town is quite rural.-Geography:...
, Nitzsche moved to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in 1955 with ambitions of becoming a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
saxophonist. He found work copying musical scores, where he met Sonny Bono
Sonny Bono
Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono was an American recording artist, record producer, actor, and politician whose career spanned over three decades.-Early life:...
, with whom he wrote the song "Needles and Pins
Needles and Pins (1963 song)
"Needles and Pins" is a song written by Jack Nitzsche and Sonny Bono. In his autobiography, Bono states that he sang along with Nitzsche's guitar-playing, thus creating both the tune and the lyrics, being guided by the chord progressions....
" for Jackie DeShannon
Jackie DeShannon
Jackie DeShannon is an American singer-songwriter with a string of hit song credits from the 1960s onwards. She was one of the first female singer-songwriters of the rock 'n' roll period.- Life and early career :...
, later covered by Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
, The Searchers
The Searchers (band)
The Searchers are an English beat group, who emerged as part of the 1960s Merseybeat scene along with The Beatles, The Fourmost, The Merseybeats, The Swinging Blue Jeans, and Gerry & The Pacemakers....
, The Ramones, Crack the Sky
Crack the Sky
Crack the Sky is an American progressive rock band formed in Weirton, West Virginia in the early 1970s. In 1975, Rolling Stone Magazine declared their first album "debut album of the year", and in 1978, Rolling Stone Record Guide compared them to Steely Dan; their first three albums charted on the...
and Willy DeVille
Willy DeVille
Willy DeVille was an American singer and songwriter. During his thirty-five year career, first with his band Mink DeVille and later on his own, Deville created original songs rooted in traditional American musical styles. He worked with collaborators from across the spectrum of contemporary...
and Tom Petty with Stevie Nicks (Pack up the Plantation). His own instrumental composition "The Lonely Surfer" became a minor hit, as did a big-band swing arrangement of Link Wray
Link Wray
Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray Jr was an American rock and roll guitarist, songwriter and occasional singer....
's "Rumble".
He eventually became arranger and conductor for producer Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
, and orchestrated the ambitious Wall of Sound
Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California, during the early 1960s...
for the song "River Deep, Mountain High" by Ike and Tina Turner.
Besides Spector, he worked closely with West Coast session musicians such as Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
, Roy Caton, Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
, Carol Kaye
Carol Kaye
Carol Kaye is an American musician, best known as one of the most prolific and widely heard bass guitarists in history, playing on an estimated 10,000 recording sessions in a 55 year career....
, and Hal Blaine
Hal Blaine
Hal Blaine is an American drummer and session musician. He is most known for his work with the Wrecking Crew in California. Blaine played on numerous hits by popular groups, including Elvis Presley, John Denver, the Ronettes, Simon & Garfunkel, the Carpenters, the Beach Boys, Nancy Sinatra, and...
in a group known as The Wrecking Crew
The Wrecking Crew (music)
The Wrecking Crew was a nickname coined by the drummer Hal Blaine after the fact for a group of session musicians in Los Angeles, California, who earned wide acclaim in the 1960s. They backed dozens of popular singers, and were one of the most successful "groups" of studio musicians in music history...
. They created backing music for numerous sixties pop recordings by various artists such as The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
and The Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
. Nitzsche also arranged the title song of Doris Day
Doris Day
Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
's Move Over, Darling
Move Over, Darling
Move Over, Darling is a 1963 remake of the 1940 screwball comedy My Favorite Wife that starred Irene Dunne, Cary Grant and Gail Patrick. The remake stars Doris Day, James Garner, and Polly Bergen.-Plot:...
that was a successful single on the pop charts of the time.
Nitzsche also was the producer and arranger for two of Bob Lind
Bob Lind
Bob Lind is an American folk music singer-songwriter who reached the height of his success during the 1960s...
's albums: Don't Be Concerned and Photographs of Feeling; a compilation disc entitled Elusive Butterfly: The Complete 1966 Jack Nitzsche Sessions, issued in 2007, contains the material on these two albums.
While organizing the music for The T.A.M.I. Show
The T.A.M.I. Show
T.A.M.I. Show is a 1964 concert film, released by American International Pictures. It includes performances by numerous popular rock and roll and R&B musicians from the United States and England...
television special in 1964, he met The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, and went on to contribute the keyboard textures to their albums The Rolling Stones, Now!
The Rolling Stones, Now!
-Personnel:The Rolling Stones*Mick Jagger – lead vocals, harmonica, tambourine, and percussion*Keith Richards – guitar and backing vocals*Brian Jones – guitar and slide guitar, harmonica and backing vocals...
(or The Rolling Stones No. 2
The Rolling Stones No. 2
-Personnel:*Mick Jagger – lead vocals, harmonica, tambourine, percussion*Keith Richards – guitars, backing vocals*Brian Jones – guitar, slide guitar, backing vocals*Charlie Watts – drums, percussion...
in the UK), Out of Our Heads
Out of Our Heads
- American release:Initially issued in July 1965 in America - American release:Initially issued in July 1965 in America - American release:Initially issued in July 1965 in America (featuring a shot from the same photo session that graced the cover of 12 X 5 and The Rolling Stones No...
, Aftermath and Between the Buttons
Between the Buttons
- American release:In the US, the album was released by London Records on February 11, 1967 . "Let's Spend the Night Together" and "Ruby Tuesday" were slotted onto the album while "Back Street Girl" and "Please Go Home" were removed ...
, as well as the hit singles "Paint It Black" and "Let's Spend the Night Together
Let's Spend the Night Together
"Let's Spend the Night Together" is a song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and originally released as a single by The Rolling Stones in 1967...
" and the choral arrangements for "You Can't Always Get What You Want
You Can't Always Get What You Want
"You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a song by The Rolling Stones released on their 1969 album Let It Bleed. Written primarily by Mick Jagger with assistance from Keith Richards, it was named as the 100th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone in its 2004 list of "500 Greatest Songs of All...
". In 1968, Nitzsche introduced the band to slide guitarist Ry Cooder
Ry Cooder
Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder is an American guitarist, singer and composer. He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in roots music from the United States, and, more recently, his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.His solo work has been eclectic, encompassing...
, a seminal influence on the band's 1969-1973 style.
Some of Nitzsche's most enduring rock productions were conducted in collaboration with Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, beginning with his production and arrangement of Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield is a North American folk rock band renown both for its music and as a springboard for the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Jim Messina. Among the first wave of North American bands to become popular in the wake of the British invasion, the group combined...
's "Expecting To Fly", considered by many critics to be a touchstone of the psychedelic era. In 1968, he produced Young's eponymously titled solo debut with David Briggs
David Briggs
David Briggs may refer to:*David Briggs , American record producer*David Briggs , American keyboardist and record producer*David Briggs , English organist and composer...
. Even as the singer's style veered from the baroque to rootsy hard rock, Young continued to work with Nitzsche on some of his most commercially successful solo recordings, most notably Harvest. Nitzsche played electric piano with Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse (band)
Crazy Horse is an American rock band best known for its association with Neil Young. It has been co-credited on a number of albums throughout Young's career and has released five albums of its own.-Early years:...
throughout 1970 (a representative performance can be heard on the Live at the Fillmore East
Live at the Fillmore East (Neil Young album)
Live at the Fillmore East is a live album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse featuring guitarist Danny Whitten. In February and March 1970, Young and Crazy Horse went on tour to support Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. Live at the Fillmore East, released in 2006, features performances from the tour...
album) and went on to produce their sans-Young debut album a year later.
While prolific and hard working throughout the 1970s, he began to suffer from depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
and problems connected with substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
. After he castigated Young in a drunken 1974 interview, the two men became estranged for several years and would only collaborate sporadically thereafter; later that year, he was dropped from Reprise Records
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
' roster after recording a scathing song criticizing executive Mo Ostin
Mo Ostin
Mo Ostin is a record executive who has worked for several companies, including Verve, Reprise Records, Warner Bros. Records, and DreamWorks. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 by Paul Simon, Neil Young, and Lorne Michaels...
. This culminated in his arrest for a violent assault on longtime girlfriend Carrie Snodgress
Carrie Snodgress
Caroline "Carrie" Snodgress was an American actress.-Biography:Snodgress was born in Park Ridge, Illinois. She attended Maine Township High School East in Park Ridge then Northern Illinois University before leaving to pursue acting. Snodgress trained for the stage at the Goodman Theatre, in Chicago...
, formerly Young's companion, in 1979.
In 1979, he produced Graham Parker
Graham Parker
Graham Parker is a British rock singer and songwriter, who is best known as the lead singer of the popular British band Graham Parker & the Rumour.-Early career :...
's album Squeezing Out Sparks
Squeezing Out Sparks
Squeezing Out Sparks is a 1979 album by Graham Parker and the Rumour. It was voted album of the year in the 1979 Village Voice Pazz & Jop Critics Poll and, in 2003, was ranked number 335 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time...
. Nitzsche produced three Willy DeVille
Willy DeVille
Willy DeVille was an American singer and songwriter. During his thirty-five year career, first with his band Mink DeVille and later on his own, Deville created original songs rooted in traditional American musical styles. He worked with collaborators from across the spectrum of contemporary...
albums beginning in the late 1970s: Cabretta
Cabretta
Cabretta, known as Mink DeVille in the United States, was the 1977 debut album by Mink DeVille. It peaked at number 186 on the Billboard 200 chart and was voted the 29th best album of 1977 in the Village Voices Pazz & Jop critics' poll...
(1977), Return to Magenta
Return to Magenta
Return to Magenta, issued in 1978, is the second album by the rock band Mink DeVille. The album was the last to feature all the original members of the band. For this album, the band was joined by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Steve Douglas on sax and, on piano, Dr...
(1978), and Coup de Grâce
Coup de Grace (Mink DeVille album)
Coup de Grâce, issued in 1981, is the fourth album by the rock band Mink DeVille. The album represented a departure for the band, as frontman Willy DeVille dismissed the only other remaining original member of the band, guitarist Louis X. Erlanger, and hired Helen Schneider's backup band to record...
(1981). Nitzsche said that DeVille was the best singer he had ever worked with.
In the 1970s he began to concentrate more on film music rather than pop music, and became one of the most prolific film orchestrators in Hollywood in the period, winning an Academy Award for Best Song for co-writing with Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie, OC is a Canadian Cree singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. Throughout her career in all of these areas, her work has focused on issues of Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Her singing and writing repertoire includes...
"Up Where We Belong
Up Where We Belong
"Up Where We Belong" is a song from the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman. Written by Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie, with lyrics by Will Jennings, it was performed by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes.-Charts and awards:...
" from 1982's An Officer and a Gentleman
An Officer and a Gentleman
A Officer and a Gentleman is a 1982 American drama film that tells the story of a U.S. Navy aviation officer candidate who comes into conflict with the Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant who trains him. It was written by Douglas Day Stewart and directed by Taylor Hackford...
. (Nitzsche had already worked with Sainte-Marie on She Used to Wanna Be a Ballerina
She Used to Wanna Be a Ballerina
She Used to Wanna Be a Ballerina was the seventh album by Buffy Sainte-Marie, released in 1971.Her previous album Illuminations having sold so poorly as to lose Vanguard a considerable sum of money, the label placed considerable pressure on Sainte-Marie to come up with something that would sell in...
in the early 1970s.) Nitzsche had also worked on film scores throughout his career, such as his contributions to the Monkees movie Head
Head (film)
Head is a 1968 psychedelic comedy-adventure major motion picture, starring TV group The Monkees , and distributed by Columbia Pictures...
, the theme music from Village of the Giants
Village of the Giants
Village of the Giants is a 1965 science-fiction/comedy movie with many elements of the beach party film genre. It was produced, directed and written by Bert I. Gordon, and based loosely on H.G. Wells's book The Food of the Gods...
(recycling an earlier single, "The Last Race"), and the distinctive soundtracks for Performance
Performance (soundtrack)
Performance is a 1970 soundtrack album to the film Performance by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg. It features music from Randy Newman, Merry Clayton, Ry Cooder, Jack Nitzsche, Buffy Sainte-Marie, The Last Poets and Mick Jagger....
, The Exorcist
The Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a 1975 American drama film directed by Miloš Forman and based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Ken Kesey....
, Hardcore (1979), The Razor's Edge
The Razor's Edge (1984 film)
The Razor's Edge is the second film version of W. Somerset Maugham's 1944 novel. The film was released in 1984 and stars Bill Murray, Theresa Russell, Catherine Hicks, Denholm Elliott and James Keach...
(1984), and Starman
Starman (film)
John Carpenter's Starman is a 1984 science-fiction fantasy film directed by John Carpenter that tells the story of an alien who has come to Earth in response to the invitation found on the gold phonograph record installed on the Voyager 2 space probe.The screenplay was written by Bruce A. Evans,...
(also 1984).
At the start of the next decade, he scored Revenge
Revenge (film)
Revenge is a 1990 crime-drama-thriller directed by Tony Scott, starring Kevin Costner, Anthony Quinn, Madeleine Stowe, Miguel Ferrer and Sally Kirkland. Some scenes were filmed in Mexico. The movie is a production of New World Pictures and Rastar Films and released by Columbia Pictures...
(1990). On Revenge he worked with Joanna St. Claire
Joanna St. Claire
Joanna St. Claire is a singer, songwriter, composer, and music producer born in the state of California and active in Los Angeles.Joanna St. Claire's projects fall into several categories. As a rock artist, she toured with the Lee Daniels Band in the United States and Canada...
, who wrote, recorded and produced the original song "Are You Ready" for the film's soundtrack. Nietzsche called St. Claire "one of the most phenomenal singers I have heard or had the pleasure to work with”, and “a great, innovative songwriter”.
His intensive output declined somewhat during the rest of the decade. In the mid-1990s, a clearly inebriated Nitzsche was seen in an episode of the reality show COPS
COPS (TV series)
Cops is an American documentary/reality television series that follows police officers, constables, and sheriff's deputies during patrols and other police activities...
, being arrested in Hollywood after brandishing a gun at some youths who had stolen his hat. In attempting to explain himself to the arresting officers he is heard exclaiming that he was an Academy Award winner. In 1997, he expressed interest in producing a comeback album for Link Wray
Link Wray
Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray Jr was an American rock and roll guitarist, songwriter and occasional singer....
, although this never materialized due to their mutually declining health.
In 1983, he married Canadian/First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
folk singer/songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie, OC is a Canadian Cree singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. Throughout her career in all of these areas, her work has focused on issues of Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Her singing and writing repertoire includes...
. His first wife was blue-eyed soul
Blue-eyed soul
Blue-eyed soul is a media term that was used to describe rhythm and blues and soul music performed by white artists, with a strong pop music influence. The term was first used in the mid-1960s to describe white artists who performed soul and R&B that was similar to the music of the Motown and...
singer Gracia Ann May; they divorced in 1974. In the 1990s, he was frequently seen once more in the company of Snodgress.
Nitzsche suffered a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
in 1998 that effectively ended his career. He died in Hollywood's Queen of Angels Hospital in 2000 of cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
brought on by a recurring bronchial infection. The R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
instrumental b-side "2JN" was written by guitarist Peter Buck
Peter Buck
Peter Lawrence Buck , is an American rock guitarist who is best known for playing in and co-founding alternative rock band R.E.M....
the week Nitzsche died, and the title uses his initials in tribute.
Discography
- 1963: The Lonely Surfer
- 1964: Dance To The Hits Of The Beatles
- 1966: Chopin '66
- 1972 : St. Giles Cripplegate
- 1978 : OSR Blue CollarBlue Collar (film)Blue Collar is a 1978 film; the directorial debut of screenwriter Paul Schrader. This drama stars Richard Pryor, Harvey Keitel and Yaphet Kotto.-Plot:...
- 1980 : Promises "Promises" - Capitol Unreleased in U.S.
- 1984 : OSR The Razor's EdgeThe Razor's Edge (1984 film)The Razor's Edge is the second film version of W. Somerset Maugham's 1944 novel. The film was released in 1984 and stars Bill Murray, Theresa Russell, Catherine Hicks, Denholm Elliott and James Keach...
- 1991 : OSR The Indian RunnerThe Indian RunnerThe Indian Runner is a 1991 drama film written and directed by Sean Penn. It is based on Bruce Springsteen's song, "Highway Patrolman".-Plot:...
with David LindleyDavid Lindley (musician)David Perry Lindley is an American musician who is notable for his work with Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, and other rock musicians. He has worked extensively in other genres as well, performing with artists as varied as Curtis Mayfield and Dolly Parton...
Filmography
- Girls! Girls! Girls!Girls! Girls! Girls!Girls! Girls! Girls! is a 1962 musical comedy film starring Elvis Presley as a penniless Hawaiian fisherman who loves his life on the sea and dreams of owning his own boat. "Return to Sender", which reached #2 on the Billboard pop singles chart, is featured in the movie...
(1962) - Village of the GiantsVillage of the GiantsVillage of the Giants is a 1965 science-fiction/comedy movie with many elements of the beach party film genre. It was produced, directed and written by Bert I. Gordon, and based loosely on H.G. Wells's book The Food of the Gods...
(1965) - PerformancePerformance (film)Performance is a 1968 British crime drama film; the film was produced in 1968 but not released until 1970. Directed by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg, Performance stars James Fox and Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones in his film acting debut.-Plot:...
(1970) - Greaser's PalaceGreaser's PalaceGreaser's Palace is a 1972 American cult film directed by underground filmmaker Robert Downey, Sr. A parable based on the life of Christ, it is full of references about the destruction of the world.-Plot:...
(1972) - Sticks and BonesSticks and Bones (film)Sticks and Bones is a television film adapted from the Tony Award-winning play of the same title by David Rabe. The black comedy focuses on David, a blind Vietnam War veteran who finds himself unable to come to terms with his actions on the battlefield and alienated from his family because they...
(1973) - The ExorcistThe Exorcist (film)The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
(1973) - Moment to Moment (1975)
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's NestOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a 1975 American drama film directed by Miloš Forman and based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Ken Kesey....
(1975) - HeroesHeroes (film)Heroes is a 1977 comedy drama film directed by Jeremy Kagan and starring Henry Winkler and co-starring Sally Field and Harrison Ford...
(1977) - Blue CollarBlue Collar (film)Blue Collar is a 1978 film; the directorial debut of screenwriter Paul Schrader. This drama stars Richard Pryor, Harvey Keitel and Yaphet Kotto.-Plot:...
(1978) - Hardcore (1979)
- When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? is a play by Mark Medoff.The setting is Foster's Diner, a New Mexico rest stop that lost most of its clientele when a new highway bypass opened. Employees include restless cook Stephen , mousy waitress Angel, and their no-nonsense boss Clark...
(1979) - CruisingCruising (film)Cruising is a 1980 film directed by William Friedkin and starring Al Pacino. The film is loosely based on the novel of the same name, by New York Times reporter Gerald Walker, about a serial killer targeting gay men, in particular those associated with the S&M scene.Poorly reviewed by critics,...
(1980) - Heart Beat (1980)
- Cutter and Bone a.k.a. Cutter's WayCutter's WayCutter's Way is a 1981 thriller directed by Ivan Passer. The film stars Jeff Bridges, John Heard, and Lisa Eichhorn. The screenplay was by Jeffrey Alan Fiskin, based on the novel Cutter and Bone by Newton Thornburg....
(1981) - Personal Best (1982)
- Cannery RowCannery Row (film)Cannery Row is the title of a 1982 film directed by David S. Ward. It stars Nick Nolte and Debra Winger.Like the 1955 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Pipe Dream, the movie is adapted from John Steinbeck's novels Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday and contains many of the same plot elements...
(1982) - An Officer and a GentlemanAn Officer and a GentlemanA Officer and a Gentleman is a 1982 American drama film that tells the story of a U.S. Navy aviation officer candidate who comes into conflict with the Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant who trains him. It was written by Douglas Day Stewart and directed by Taylor Hackford...
(1982) - Without a TraceWithout a Trace (film)Without a Trace is a 1983 dramatic film. It is based on the Beth Gutcheon novel Still Missing, which is loosely-based on the real-life disappearance of Etan Patz. The film stars Kate Nelligan, Judd Hirsch, David Dukes and Stockard Channing.-Plot:...
(1983) - BreathlessBreathless (1983 film)Breathless is a 1983 American drama film starring Richard Gere and Valérie Kaprisky. It is a remake of the 1960 French film À bout de souffle and was released in France under the title A Bout de Souffle Made in USA. The original film is about an American girl and a French criminal in Paris...
(1983) - Windy City (1984)
- The Razor's EdgeThe Razor's Edge (1984 film)The Razor's Edge is the second film version of W. Somerset Maugham's 1944 novel. The film was released in 1984 and stars Bill Murray, Theresa Russell, Catherine Hicks, Denholm Elliott and James Keach...
(1984) - StarmanStarman (film)John Carpenter's Starman is a 1984 science-fiction fantasy film directed by John Carpenter that tells the story of an alien who has come to Earth in response to the invitation found on the gold phonograph record installed on the Voyager 2 space probe.The screenplay was written by Bruce A. Evans,...
(1984) - The Jewel of the NileThe Jewel of the NileThe Jewel of the Nile is a 1985 romantic adventure film, and a sequel to the 1984 film Romancing the Stone, with Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito reprising their roles...
(1985) - Stripper (1986)
- 9½ Weeks9½ Weeks9½ Weeks is a 1986 erotic drama film directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger. It is based on the novel of the same name by Elizabeth McNeill....
(1986) - Stand by MeStand by Me (film)Stand by Me is a 1986 American drama film directed by Rob Reiner. Based on the novella The Body by Stephen King, the film takes its title from the Ben E. King song of the same name, which plays over the end credits.-Plot:...
(1986) - The Whoopee Boys (1986)
- Streets of GoldStreets of Gold (film)Streets of Gold is a 1986 American dramatic film starring Klaus Maria Brandauer, Wesley Snipes, and Adrian Pasdar and directed by Joe Roth.-Plot:...
(1986) - The Seventh SignThe Seventh SignThe Seventh Sign is a 1988 apocalyptic drama film written by Clifford and Ellen Green and directed by Carl Schultz.-Plot:Signs of the apocalypse are appearing, along with a mysterious wanderer. Father Lucci is the Vatican official investigating them...
(1988) - Next of KinNext of Kin (1989 film)Next of Kin is a 1989 American action film directed by John Irvin and starring Patrick Swayze and Liam Neeson. The screenplay was based on a story of the same title, both written by Michael Jenning.-Plot:...
(1989) - RevengeRevenge (film)Revenge is a 1990 crime-drama-thriller directed by Tony Scott, starring Kevin Costner, Anthony Quinn, Madeleine Stowe, Miguel Ferrer and Sally Kirkland. Some scenes were filmed in Mexico. The movie is a production of New World Pictures and Rastar Films and released by Columbia Pictures...
(1990) - The Last of the Finest (1990)
- The Hot SpotThe Hot SpotThe Hot Spot is a 1990 American drama film directed by Dennis Hopper and based on the 1952 book Hell Hath No Fury by Charles Williams. It stars Don Johnson, Virginia Madsen, and Jennifer Connelly, and features a score by Jack Nitzsche played by John Lee Hooker, Miles Davis, Taj Mahal and Roy...
(1990) - MermaidsMermaids (film)Mermaids is a 1990 comedy-drama film directed by Richard Benjamin and starring Cher, Bob Hoskins, Winona Ryder , and Christina Ricci in her first film role...
(1990) - The Indian RunnerThe Indian RunnerThe Indian Runner is a 1991 drama film written and directed by Sean Penn. It is based on Bruce Springsteen's song, "Highway Patrolman".-Plot:...
(1991) - Blue Sky (1994)
- The Crossing GuardThe Crossing GuardThe Crossing Guard is a 1995 independent film directed and written by American actor Sean Penn. It stars Jack Nicholson, David Morse, Anjelica Huston and Robin Wright Penn.- Plot :...
(1995)