Soundtrack Album: You Are What You Eat

[LP cover]

In 1967, John Simon engaged the Hawks to work on the soundtrack for Peter Yarrow's (of Peter, Paul and Mary) weird "rockumentary" movie You Are What You Eat. Earlier in the year, Bob Dylan had met the freakish falsetto singer Tiny Tim and invited him to Woodstock. Tiny Tim was let loose by John Simon to do pop classics like the Ronette's "Be My Baby" and Sonny and Cher's "I Got You, Babe" for the movie soundtrack. All he needed was a band, which was how the Hawks found themselves playing behind one last frontman - the strangest yet - before breaking out on their own as the Band.
-- Barney Hoskyns, Across the Great Divide

The album is a soundtrack by various artists, the Hawks back up Tiny Tim on his two tracks, "Be My Baby" and "I Got You Babe." On the latter, Tiny's girl friend Eleanor Baruchian, who also appeared in the fim, shares vocal duties with Tim. The album was produced by John Simon, Peter Yarrow, and Phil Ramone. Two more songs with Tiny Tim and The Band/Hawks, "Memphis, Tennesse," and "Sonny Boy," can be found on the bootleg CD Down in the Basement.

You Are What You Eat was re-released on CD by Sony, Japan in 1997. The Japanese CD liner notes contains an interview with John Simon, and also give detailed musician credits for each track.

Tracks

1. Teenage Fair
   By John Simon/Peter Yarrow. Rosco (narration), John Simon (ondiolin, organ, vocal), Peter Yarrow (vocal), Nancy Pliday (vocal), Bill Crow (bass), Bill Lavorgna (drums).

2. Moments of Soft Persuasion
   By John Simon/Peter Yarrow. Peter Yarrow (vocal, acoustic guitar), John Simon (electric piano).

3. Silly Girl
   By John Simon/Peter Yarrow. Peter Yarrow (vocal, acoustic guitar), John Simon (organ), Bill Crow (bass), Unknown (2nd guitar).

4. Desert Moog Music
   By John Simon. John Simon (moog, ondiolin, percussion), Peter Yarrow (percussion), Al Gorgoni (guitar), Unknown (2nd guitar).

5. Be My Baby (2.9MB)
   By J. Barry/E. Greenwitch/P. Spector. Tiny Tim (vocal), Robbie Robertson (guitar), Garth Hudson (organ), Richard Manuel (piano), Rick Danko (bass), Unknown (drums).

6. The Family Dog
   By John Simon. John Herald (vocal), John Simon (piano, back-up vocal), Peter Yarrow (back-up vocal), Bill Crow (bass), Bill Lavorgna (drums), Unknown (guitar), Unknown (guitar).

7. The Nude Dance
   By Hamsa El Din. Hamsa El Din (uood)

8. My Name Is Jack
   By John Simon. John Simon (vocal, Wurlitzer piano), Paul Griffin (Wurlitzer piano solo), Bill Crow (bass), Bill Lavorgna (drums), All stuffs in A&R Studio (back-up vocals), Unknown (guitar).

9. I Got You Babe (2.9MB)
   By Sonny Bono. Tiny Tim (vocal), Elaenor Baruchian (vocal), Robbie Robertson (guitar), Garth Hudson (organ), Richard Manuel (piano), Rick Danko (bass), Unknown (drums).

10. You Are What You Eat
    By John Simon/Peter Yarrow. Paul Butterfield (vocal, harp), Paul Griffin (organ), Bill Crow (bass), Bill Lavorgna (drums), Unknown (guitar), Unknown (guitar).

11. Beach Music
    By John Simon. John Simon (piano), Bill Crow (bass), Bill Lavorgna (drums), Unknown (guitar).

12. Wabe
    By John Simon/Peter Yarrow. Peter Yarrow (vocal), John Simon (vocal), Paul Griffin (organ), Bill Crow (bass). The song was named after the first verse of Jabberwocky. The lyrics to the song and the poem are: "'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves/ Did gyre and gimble in the wabe./ All mimsy were the borogoves,/ And the mome raths outgrabe."

13. Don't Remind Me Now of Time
    By John Simon/Peter Yarrow. Peter Yarrow (vocal, acoustic guitar), John Simon (harpsicord).

14. Painting for Freakout
    By John Simon. John Simon (piano), Bill Crow (bass), Bill Lavorgna (drums), Unknown (guitar), Marvin Stamm? (trumpet), Artie Koplan? (tenor sax).

15. Freakout
    By John Simon, performed by "John Simon & The Electric Flag". John Simon (moog, ondiolin), Mike Bloomfield (guitar) Harvey Brooks (bass), Buddy Miles (drums), Herbie Rich (tenor sax, organ) Marcus Doubleday (trumpet), Stemsy Hunter (alto sax).

Soundtrack Album - You Are What You Eat - 1968 - Columbia OS-3240
Compact Disc: Sony Records, Japan, SRCS-8522 (1997)