Silk ‘N Honey: LITA’s Lee Hazlewood Archive Series Continues With “Honey Ltd.”

Light in the Attic has a taste of Honey for you – Honey Ltd., that is.

The latest release in the label’s Lee Hazlewood Archive Series, The Complete LHI Recordings brings together the complete LHI Records output (1968-1969) of the girl group produced by Hazlewood and Mike Post, and arranged by Ian Fairbairn-Smith and Jack Nitzsche.  The 13-track anthology is available now.

Laura Polkinghorne, Marsha Jo Temmer and sisters Joan and Alexandra Silwin first raised their voices in song at Detroit’s Wayne State University.  Joan and Alexander had sung in church choirs since they were children, while Polkinghorne and Temmer met in junior high school and had performed together in local talent shows.  As The Mama Cats, the quartet came to the attention of Bob Seger’s manager Punch Andrews, and soon, they were playing clubs alongside the young Glenn Frey.  The Mama Cats and the future Eagle were even drafted to contribute backing vocals to Seger’s “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” and “Heavy Music.”  Seger, in turn, wrote the Mama Cats’ single of “My Boy” and “Miss You.”

In 1967, like so many before them, The Mama Cats headed to Los Angeles in search of fame and fortune.  Their first meeting was with one Barton Lee Hazlewood, then riding high from his Reprise Records production work with Nancy Sinatra and her famous pop.   His LHI label signed the group, rechristening them the far groovier Honey Ltd. and introducing them to the Hollywood pop elite.  Though the busy Hazlewood didn’t write any of Honey Ltd.’s material, his signing led to the release of the single “Tomorrow Your Heart” b/w “Come Down” and to appearances on television alongside Andy Williams, Joey Bishop and Ed Sullivan.

After the jump: what will you find on Honey Ltd.: The Complete LHI Recordings?