Bobby Hatfield - Stay With Me: The Richard Perry Sessions

Unfinished lost album from former tenor of blue-eyed soul duo The Righteous Brothers.

In 1971, record producer Richard Perry was at the beginning of his long ascent into superstardom as one of popular music’s most legendary and successful producers. During the previous 12 months, Perry had struck gold with Barbra Streisand (Stoney End), produced two albums by the seminal all female rock band Fanny, and finished his masterwork, Harry Nilsson’s Nilsson Schmilsson, an album that would receive worldwide critical and commercial success with Top 10 singles (“Without You,” “Coconut”), Grammy® awards and Gold and Platinum records.

Bobby Hatfield had achieved huge success as a member of The Righteous Brothers. In the mid-’60s, with partner Bill Medley, Hatfield scored numerous Top 10 records, most produced by iconic producer Phil Spector and sang on one of rock’s true great standards, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” a song that has amassed a record 8 million performances according to BMI. By early ’71 Hatfield had left The Righteous Brothers looking to establish himself as a solo artist.

So it was fortuitous that these two popular music heavyweights should meet and record together. Unfortunately, most of what they did in the studio did not see the light of day—until now. Omnivore Recordings is proud to announce the release of Stay With Me: The Richard Perry Sessions, a collection of material recorded by Hatfield and produced by Perry that was primarily recorded at Apple Studios in December of 1971 with an all-star cast of musicians that include Ringo Starr, Klaus Voormann, and Al Kooper.

The two singles that were released in the spring and fall of 1972 (“Stay With Me” and “Oo Wee Baby, I Love You”) are included here in addition to multiple takes of six additional songs. Here rhythm and blues tinged versions of George Harrisons’ “What Is Life” and “Sour Milk Sea,” a cover of Marvin Gaye’s “Baby Don’t You Do It,” and a stunningly gorgeous version of the Cole Porter classic “In The Still Of The Night.”

Stay With Me: The Richard Perry Sessions is primarily a collection of previously unissued work. Some tracks are complete, some are works in progress. But the record gives the listener an opportunity to be a fly on the wall while great music is being made. So sit back, and return to December, 1971—you are there!