Richard Wright Nowels Jr., better known as Rick Nowels, is an American Grammy award-winning songwriter and producer. He is affiliated with many artists such as Sia, Madonna, Dido and Lana Del Rey. Nowels has been a major collaborator with Del Rey on Born to Die, Paradise, Ultraviolence, Honeymoon, Lust for Life, Norman Fucking Rockwell!, Chemtrails Over The Country Club, and Blue Banisters as well as on various unreleased songs, soundtrack songs and cover songs.
Work with Lana Del Rey[]
Rick Nowels met Del Rey in 2010, in L.A. when she didn't have a record deal yet.[1] While she was travelling back and forth between L.A., New York and London in the process of writing and working with different producers on songs for Born to Die, her debut record. The first song they wrote together was "TV in Black & White",[2] the second was "Summertime Sadness",[1] and while they were recording that song, they wrote "Dark Paradise" in-between takes.[3] They worked again on the follow-up EP Paradise this time around as a lead producer of three tracks; "American", "Cola" and "Body Electric".
"Young and Beautiful", a track scrapped from the Paradise recording sessions would become the theme song for Baz Luhrman's 2013 film adaptation of the novel The Great Gatsby. Nowels and Del Rey wrote several tracks that would eventually become part of Del Rey's album Ultraviolence, including singles "West Coast" and "Shades of Cool". Another scrapped track, this time around from the Ultraviolence recording sessions ("I Can Fly") was reworked to be featured on the Tim Burton's 2014 film Big Eyes.
Honeymoon was the record in which Nowels took the role of executive and only producer of the whole album, along engineer Kieron Menzies. Same role they would reprise on follow-up Lust For Life, recluting Dean Reid on the production team.
About working creatively with Nowels, Del Rey stated "Every day in the studio with him and Kieron [Menzies] is a good day. It's truly my peaceful place and, in a way, my home. I'm so grateful for all of the beautiful ways he dances around my melodies and all of the new melodies that spring from the muse that dance between us".[4][dead link]
Credits[]
Songs from Born to Die (2012)[]
Title | Credited as | Instrumentation | |
---|---|---|---|
Writer | Producer | ||
"Dark Paradise" | Yes | Yes | |
"Summertime Sadness" | Yes | Yes | Additional Strings |
"Lucky Ones" | Yes | Yes[a] | Keyboards |
Songs from Paradise (2012)[]
Title | Credited as | Instrumentation | |
---|---|---|---|
Writer | Producer | ||
"American" | Yes | Yes | Keyboards, Synth [Matrix 1000] |
"Cola" | Yes | Yes | Acoustic Guitar, Drums, Keyboards, Bass [Juno Bass] |
"Body Electric" | Yes | Yes | Piano, Mellotron, Strings |
Songs from The Great Gatsby: Music from Baz Luhrmann's Film (2013)[]
Title | Credited as | Instrumentation | |
---|---|---|---|
Writer | Producer | ||
"Magic Tree and I Let Myself Go" | Yes | No | |
"Young and Beautiful" | Yes | Yes | Piano, Orchestron |
"Young and Beautiful" (DH Orchestral Version) |
Yes | No |
Songs from Ultraviolence (2014)[]
Title | Credited as | Instrumentation | |
---|---|---|---|
Writer | Producer | ||
"Shades of Cool" | Yes | No | |
"West Coast" | Yes | No | |
"Sad Girl" | Yes | Yes[b] | Piano, Mellotron, Strings |
"Black Beauty" | Yes | Yes | Piano |
"Guns and Roses" | Yes | Yes | Keyboards |
"Is This Happiness" | Yes | Yes | Piano |
"West Coast" (Radio Mix) |
Yes | Yes | Chamberlin, Mellotron, Guitar (Mexican Guitar), Bass Guitar |
Songs from Big Eyes: Music from the Original Motion Picture (2014)[]
Title | Credited as | Instrumentation | |
---|---|---|---|
Writer | Producer | ||
"I Can Fly" | Yes | Yes | Piano, Bass, Keyboards |
Songs from Honeymoon (2015)[]
Title | Credited as | Instrumentation | |
---|---|---|---|
Writer | Producer | ||
"Honeymoon" | Yes | Yes | Piano, Bass, Guitar, Organ, Mellotron, Synth [Synth Pad] |
"Music to Watch Boys To" | Yes | Yes | Piano, Synth, Synth [Pads], Electric Guitar |
"Terrence Loves You" | Yes | Yes | Piano, Synth |
"God Knows I Tried" | Yes | Yes | Electric Guitar, Organ, Synth [Pads], Electric Piano, Mellotron |
"High By the Beach" | Yes | Yes | Organ, Synth, Keyboards |
"Freak" | Yes | Yes | Electric Guitar, Synth [Pads], Bass |
"Art Deco" | Yes | Yes | Synth [Pads], Mellotron, Bass |
"Burnt Norton (Interlude)" | No | Yes | |
"Religion" | Yes | Yes | Guitar [Mellotron Guitar], Synth, Synth [Pads], Bass |
"Salvatore" | Yes | Yes | Piano, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Mellotron, Strings, Synth [Pads], Bass, Percussion |
"The Blackest Day" | Yes | Yes | Organ, Synth [Pads] |
"24" | Yes | Yes | Electric Piano [Rhodes], Mellotron, Piano, Synth, Synth [Pads], Bass |
"Swan Song" | Yes | Yes | Organ, Bass, Horns, Synth [Pads] |
"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" | No | Yes | Mellotron, Celesta [Celeste], Organ [Vox Organ], Electric Guitar, Bass |
Songs from Lust for Life (2017)[]
Title | Credited as | Instrumentation | |
---|---|---|---|
Writer | Producer | ||
"Love" | Yes | Yes | Bass, Keyboards, Vibraphone, Mellotron |
"Lust for Life" | Yes | Yes | Piano, Mellotron, Synth [Synth Pads] |
"13 Beaches" | Yes | Yes | Piano, Strings, Synth [Synth Pads] |
"Cherry" | No | Yes | |
"White Mustang" | Yes | Yes | Piano, Synthesizer, Mellotron |
"Summer Bummer" (feat. A$AP Rocky & Playboi Carti) |
No | Yes[c] | Synthesizer |
"Groupie Love" (feat. A$AP Rocky) |
Yes | Yes | Piano, Vibraphone, Mellotron, Synthesizer, Synth [Synth Pads] |
"In My Feelings" | Yes | Yes | Piano, Keyboards, Mellotron [Mellotron Strings] |
"Coachella - Woodstock in My Mind" | Yes | Yes | Celesta [Celeste], Mellotron [Mellotron Organ], Synthesizer |
"God Bless America - and All the Beautiful Women in It" | Yes | Yes | Acoustic Guitar, Synth [Synth Pads], Piano, Mellotron [Mellotron Flute], Drum Machine [808 Bass] |
"When the World Was at War We Kept Dancing" | Yes | Yes | Acoustic Guitar |
"Beautiful People Beautiful Problems" (feat. Stevie Nicks) | Yes | Yes | Piano, Organ, Mellotron [Mellotron Flute], Strings [Solina], Synth [Synth Bass] |
"Tomorrow Never Came" (feat. Sean Ono Lennon) | Yes | Yes | Acoustic Guitar, Organ, Mellotron [Mellotron Bass] |
"Heroin" | Yes | Yes | Electric Piano, Mellotron [Mellotron Choir], Organ |
"Change" | Yes | Yes | Piano, Mellotron, Celesta [Celeste], Bass |
"Get Free" | Yes | Yes | Organ, Keyboards, Bass, Synth [Synth Pads] |
Songs from Unmasked: The Platinum Collection by Andrew Lloyd Webber (2018)[]
Title | Credited as | Instrumentation | |
---|---|---|---|
Writer | Producer | ||
"You Must Love Me" | No | Yes | Piano |
Songs from Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019)[]
Title | Credited as | Instrumentation | |
---|---|---|---|
Writer | Producer | ||
"The Next Best American Record" | Yes | Yes | Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards |
"Bartender" | Yes | Yes | Piano |
"Happiness Is a Butterfly" | Yes | Yes |
Songs from Chemtrails Over the Country Club (2021)[]
Title | Credited as | Instrumentation | |
---|---|---|---|
Writer | Producer | ||
"Yosemite" | Yes | Yes | Bass Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards, Bass |
Songs from Blue Banisters (2021)[]
Title | Credited as | Instrumentation | |
---|---|---|---|
Writer | Producer | ||
"Cherry Blossom" | Yes | Yes | Piano. |
Covers (2013)[]
Title | Credited as | Instrumentation | |
---|---|---|---|
Writer | Producer | ||
"Summer Wine" (feat. Barrie James O'Neill) |
No | Yes |
Stand-alone singles (2023)[]
Title | Credited as | Instrumentation | |
---|---|---|---|
Writer | Producer | ||
"Say Yes to Heaven" | Yes | Yes | Electric Guitar, Hammond Organ |
Songs currently unreleased[]
Title | Credited as[d] | Alternate title(s) | |
---|---|---|---|
Writer | Producer | ||
"Angels Forever, Forever Angels" | Yes | Yes | "Angels Forever" "Forever Angels" "AFFA" |
"Crazy for You" | No | Yes | |
"Cult Leader"[S 1] | No | Yes | |
"Dragonslayer" | No | Yes | "Dragon Slayer" |
"Everything I Do" | No | Yes | |
"Fine China" | Yes | Yes[c] | |
"Hollywood" | No | Yes | |
"If I Die Young" | No | Yes | "On & On & On" "Going On & On" |
"JFK" | No | Yes | |
"Lake Placid" | No | Yes | "Black Leather Moonlight" "Tonight" "I Don't Wanna Go (Demo)" |
"Roses Bloom for You" | No | Yes | |
"Serene Queen" | No | Yes | |
"Starry Eyed" | No | Yes | |
"TV in Black & White" | Yes | Yes | "Living Without You" |
"Your Girl" | Yes | Yes |
Demos[]
Title | Credited as[d] | Alternate title(s) | |
---|---|---|---|
Writer | Producer | ||
"Black Beauty" | Yes | Yes | |
"Dark Paradise" | Yes | Yes | |
"Freak" | Yes | Yes | "Freak Like Me" |
"God Knows I Tried" | Yes | Yes | "God Knows" |
"Lucky Ones" | Yes | Yes | |
"Lust for Life" (Demo version 1) |
Yes | Yes | |
"13 Beaches" | Yes | Yes | "Something Real" |
"Summertime Sadness" | Yes | Yes | |
"West Coast" | Yes | Yes | |
"Young and Beautiful" | Yes | Yes | "Young and Beautiful" (Paradise Version) |
Notes[]
Production team[]
Songwriting[]
- Rick Nowels – Songwriter.
- Born to Die (2012)
- Paradise (2012)
- Ultraviolence (2014)
- Honeymoon (2015)
- Lust For Life (2017)
- Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019)
- Chemtrails Over the Country Club (2021)
- Kieron Menzies – Songwriter.
- Honeymoon (2015)
- Lust For Life (2017)
Production[]
- Blaise Thomas – Producer assistant, co-producer.
- "Young and Beautiful" (2013) – From The Great Gatsby: Music from Baz Luhrmann's Film
- Ultraviolence (2014)
- Dean Reid – Producer.
- Lust For Life (2017)
- Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019)
- Devrim Karaoglu (Sometimes credited as DK) – Co-producer.
- Born to Die (2012)
- Paradise (2012)
- Kieron Menzies – Producer.
- Honeymoon (2015)
- Lust For Life (2017)
- Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019)
- Mighty Mike – Additional producer, co-producer.
- Lust For Life (2017)
- Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019)
- STINT – Producer
- Honeymoon (2015)
- Demos
- Honeymoon (2015)
Musicians[]
- Aaron Sterling – Instrumentalist.
- Lust For Life (2017)
- Chemtrails Over the Country Club (2021)
- Brian Griffin – Instrumentalist.
- Ultraviolence (2014)
- Honeymoon (2015)
- Curt Bisquera – Instrumentalist.
- Honeymoon (2015)
- David Levita – Instrumentalist.
- Honeymoon (2015)
- Lust For Life (2017)
- Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019)
- "You Must Love Me" (2018) – From Unmasked: The Platinum Collection by Andrew Lloyd Webber (2018)
- Dave Palmer – Instrumentalist.
- Lust For Life (2017)
- Dean Reid – Instrumentalist.
- Born to Die (2012)
- Lust For Life (2017)
- Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019)
- Chemtrails Over the Country Club (2021)
- Derek "DJA" Allen – Instrumentalist.
- Honeymoon (2015)
- Devrim Karaoglu (Sometimes credited as DK) – Instrumentalist.
- Born to Die (2012)
- Paradise (2012)
- "Young and Beautiful" (2013) – From The Great Gatsby: Music from Baz Luhrmann's Film
- Gary Ferguson – Instrumentalist.
- Lust For Life (2017)
- Leon Michels (Sometimes miscredited as Leon Michaels) – Instrumentalist.
- Ultraviolence (2014)
- Honeymoon (2015)
- Maria Vidal (Rick Nowels' wife) – Backing vocalist.
- Born to Die (2012)
- Mighty Mike – Instrumentalist.
- Lust For Life (2017)
- Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019)
- Patrick Warren – Instrumentalist.
- Born to Die (2012)
- Paradise (2012)
- Ultraviolence (2014)
- Honeymoon (2015)
- Lust For Life (2017)
- Per Eklund – Instrumentalist.
- Born to Die (2012)
- Ultraviolence (2014)
- Roger Joseph Manning Jr. – Instrumentalist.
- Honeymoon (2015)
- Rusty Anderson – Instrumentalist.
- Honeymoon (2015)
- Sean Hurley – Instrumentalist.
- Lust For Life (2017)
- STINT – Instrumentalist.
- Ultraviolence (2014)
- "West Coast (Radio Mix)"
- "I Can Fly" (2014) – From Big Eyes: Music from the Original Motion Picture.
- Ultraviolence (2014)
- Symbolic One – Instrumentalist.
- "I Can Fly" (2014) – From Big Eyes: Music from the Original Motion Picture.
- Tim Pierce – Instrumentalist.
- Paradise (2012)
- Tom Herbert – Instrumentalist.
- Trevor Yasuda – Instrumentalist.
- "Young and Beautiful" (2013) – From The Great Gatsby: Music from Baz Luhrmann's Film
- Ultraviolence (2014)
- "I Can Fly" (2014) – From Big Eyes: Music from the Original Motion Picture.
- Honeymoon (2015)
- Lust For Life (2017)
- Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019)
- Chemtrails Over the Country Club (2021)
- Zac Rae – Instrumentalist.
- Paradise (2012)
- Lust For Life (2017)
- Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019)
- "You Must Love Me" (2018) – From Unmasked: The Platinum Collection by Andrew Lloyd Webber (2018)
External links[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 ricknowels (March 14, 2021). "In 2011 I met Lana Del Rey. She was not yet signed to a record contract. We wrote together for 3 days. The second song we wrote was “Summertime Sadness”. It was the beginning of a very creative and deep collaboration on many beautiful songs. From her historic debut album “Born to Die”. Which to date has spent over 300 weeks on the @billboard Album Chart @billboardcharts A record that has only been matched by Carole King “Tapestry” and Adele “21.” “Summertime Sadness" Written by @lanadelrey and Rick Nowels Produced by @emilehaynie and Rick Nowels #cowrittenbyricknowels #summertimesadness #borntodie #lanadelrey #ricknowels". Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CMYhQs8Hm4H/. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ↑ Kawashima, Dale (June 11, 2015). "Hit Writer/Producer Rick Nowels Talks About His Great Career, Working With Lana Del Rey, John Legend, Madonna and Santana". SongwriterUniverse. https://www.songwriteruniverse.com/rick-nowels-2015.htm. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ↑ ricknowels (March 14, 2021). "Lana and I have always written very quickly. We were doing overdubs on "Summertime Sadness" and Lana got inspired for a new song. We stopped the overdubs and wrote "Dark Paradise." As soon as one song ended another began. This was the third song we wrote together. The night of the day we wrote "Summertime Sadness". "Dark Paradise" Written by @lanadelrey and Rick Nowels Produced by @emilehaynie and Rick Nowels From the album "Born to Die" #cowrittenbyricknowels #darkparadise #summertimesadness #borntodie #lanadelrey #ricknowels". Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CMYhxjPHySl/. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ↑ Honeymoon. (@honeymoon). "Meet my dear friend and producer, Rick Nowels. Every day in the studio with him and Kieron is a good day. It's truly my peaceful place and in a way, my home. I'm so grateful for all of the beautiful ways he dances around my melodies, and all of the new melodies that spring from the muse that dances between us.". Instagram. Access date: March 24, 2021
Notes[]
- ↑ This is speculation and should not be relied upon. It has not been confirmed by any official source, but is considered widespread knowledge within the community.