Fever – Peggy Lee

Fever is one of the most sensual songs ever committed to vinyl. Peggy Lee (pictured) recorded her version in May 1958 in Hollywood. She significantly altered the lyrics adding historical invocations, including the verses beginning “Romeo loved Juliet,” and “Captain Smith and Pocahontas”.

With Jack Marshall, Peggy Lee arranged a slow, sultry version of Fever. Her vocal was accompanied by bass, limited drums, and finger snaps, Peggy Lee adding some of the finger snaps. The song was her 118th single in a career that featured over 1,000 masters and 270 compositions.

Peggy Lee was born on 26 May 1920 in North Dakota. Her ancestors were Scandinavian – Swedish and Norwegian immigrants. Her mother died when Peggy was four, and this resulted in a difficult childhood.

As a teenager, Peggy Lee appeared on local radio stations. Engagements in California and Chicago followed, and they brought her to the attention of band leader Benny Goodman. Goodman and Peggy recorded together, producing a string of hits, including How Deep is the Ocean and My Old Flame.

In 1943, Peggy left Benny Goodman’s band. She enjoyed further success as a singer and composer, and also featured in movies including The Jazz Singer (1953) and Pete Kelly’s Blues (1955), earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

In 1955, Peggy Lee wrote He’s a Tramp for the movie Lady and the Tramp. Indeed, she co-wrote all the original songs in that film. She also provided the voices for the dog Peg and the Siamese cats. 

Despite poor health in later life, Peggy Lee continued to perform and record. However, Fever, the record she made with Jack Marshall and her ex-husband Dave Barbour, remained as her signature song.

When you listen to Peggy Lee’s recordings and witness her performances, it’s easy to understand why she was regarded as “The Queen of American Pop Music.”

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