Description
Tim Buckley – Lady, Give Me Your Keys – Vinyl Record
Lady, Give Me Your Key by Tim Buckley is a posthumous (2016) collection of solo acoustic demos and unreleased songs recorded in 1967 — a fascinating document that captures Buckley at a raw and formative moment in his artistic development.
At this point in 1967, Buckley was preparing material for his second album, Goodbye and Hello, but many songs on Lady, Give Me Your Key never made it to a studio pressing. The record features 13 tracks, including early solo versions of some songs that would appear on Goodbye and Hello — alongside a number of previously unheard compositions.
Listening to this album is like hearing the sketches behind a painting: stripped to just guitar and voice, Buckley’s artistry feels vulnerable, unsettled, and exploratory. His vocals — airy, yearning, occasionally tentative — sit front and center, revealing how his phrasing and intensity would evolve wildly over the next few years. The arrangements are minimal, often just his 12-string guitar and a single melodic vocal line, giving the songs an intimate, almost diary-like feel.
What makes Lady, Give Me Your Key compelling — even if imperfect — is the window it provides into Buckley’s transition from folk‑pop hopeful to restless, genre‑fluid innovator. Some songs show promise but also the limitations of a young artist still finding his voice; others resonate with surprising beauty, hinting at the emotional depth and adventurous spirit that would define his later, more experimental records.
This album is not a polished studio statement, and it’s not the “definitive” Tim Buckley — but it is essential for understanding his growth as a songwriter and vocalist. It reveals the roots of his genius and the fragility of the man behind the legend. If you’re interested in the genesis of Buckley’s sound — before the embellishments, before the genre shifts — Lady, Give Me Your Key is a raw, beautiful, and often haunting listen.
Original producer in 1967 of the demo tape and acetate was Jerry Yester.
3 previously unissued solo acoustic demos. Remastered from the original analog tapes and acetate.
4 pages-booklet includes in-depth interview with Buckley’s lyricist Larry Beckett.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
The Demo Tape
Sixface
Contact
Lady, Give Me Your Key
Once Upon A Time
Once I Was
I Never Asked To Be Your Mountain
Pleasant Street
The Acetate
Knight-Errant
Marigold
Carnival Song
No Man Can Find The War
I Can’t Leave You Lovin’ Me
She’s Back Again
