''Jim Webb Sings Jim Webb'' is the debut album by American singer-songwriter

Jimmy Webb Jimmy Layne Webb (born August 15, 1946) is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He achieved success at an early age, winning the Grammy Award for Song of the Year at the age of 21. During his career, he established himself as one of Am ...

, released in 1968 on

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...

Background

The album consists of a set of early demo recordings, redubbed and orchestrated by Epic Records without Webb's participation or consent. None of Webb's hit songs from that period appear on the album, and the sound quality of the recording is inferior. Webb later denounced the release in the strongest terms:

Critical reception

Webb strongly disliked the album. In his review for ''Allmusic'', Bruce Eder wrote that Epic was "looking for the same effect as those early

Randy Newman Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter, arranger, pianist, composer, conductor and orchestrator. He is known for his non-rhotic Southern American English, Southern-accented singing style, early America ...

albums on Warner Bros. with far less success, artistic or commercial". Eder concluded that the album is of "purely historical interest".

Track listing

Personnel

;Music * Jimmy Webb – vocals, piano
Elton "Skip" Mosher
– backing vocals * Jim Stotler – backing vocals * Greg Waitman – backing vocals ;Production * Hank Levine – producer, orchestra arrangements and conductor * Jimmy Webb – song arrangements * Bob Breault – recording engineer * Sy Mitchell – recording engineer * Sid Maurer – cover painting

References

{{Authority control 1968 debut albums Jimmy Webb albums Epic Records albums