Spanish Moon

"Spanish Moon" was written and sung by guitarist Lowell George, who was a creative powerhouse in the early years of Little Feat. The song is about a fictional place called the Spanish Moon - a seedy club with whiskey and bad cocaine, but a girl singer that made it worth it. There are many dangers at the Spanish Moon, but the ones likely to do you in are the women.

Lowell George was an excellent storyteller and created the Spanish Moon from his imagination, but he lived through the vices he describes in the song, especially cocaine. Around this time, his addictions were starting to overpower him, his health started failing, and he developed hepatitis. Feats Don't Fail Me Now was the last Little Feat album where he was clearly the leader; his contributions to the band slowly tailed off, and in 1979 he released a solo album. While on tour supporting it, he died of a heart attack at 34.

"Spanish Moon" is the only Little Feat song produced by Van Dyke Parks, famous for his work with The Beach Boys. Parks was friends with Lowell George, who wanted him to produce the Feats Don't Fail Me Now album. The band, though, was struggling financially and held on a tight leash by their record company, Warner Bros., which wasn't thrilled with Parks, known for blowing budgets quickly with his elaborate productions. They recorded "Spanish Moon" with Parks in the Sound Factory studios in Los Angeles, but after that recording, the band members dispersed to work as sidemen so they could earn a living: George went to New Orleans to work on Robert Palmer's album; keyboard player Bill Payne hooked on with The Doobie Brothers; and other members recorded for the reggae star Johnny Nash. The band pulled back together when one of their managers got them cheap studio time at a studio in Maryland that had just opened up. They completed the album there and got some money in their pockets when it did well. "Spanish Moon" was released as a single and became one of their most popular songs.