Otis Redding - Live in London and Paris

Release Date: Sep 23, 2008
Recording Date: Mar 17, 1967,Mar 21, 1967
When the Love Generation (which, truthfully, did no better with that emotion than any other generation) got its first real glimpse of soul giant Otis Redding at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 backed by Booker T. & the MG's, a powerhouse band if there ever were one, they saw love with a capital L, because Redding sang love songs like the world was about to end, wringing the emotion out of them like a soulful, urgent hurricane. He was, simply put, an unstoppable force on-stage, taking all the energy of gospel and upping the ante until it seemed like the very sky itself was about to fly off into space from the very power of it. Redding was soul, and soul in every fiber of his being. The two sets included here, which predate the Monterey performance by a couple of months, were recorded in London (March 17) and Paris (March 21) on the Stax/Volt package tour of Europe in 1967, and they just might be even more astounding (particularly the Paris night) than the Monterey set. Working again with the MG's, with the horns of the Mar-Keys along for extra kick, Redding burns the house down in both of these sets, wringing every last bit of energy out of Sam Cooke's "Shake" until it seems the universe is about to come off its hinges, turning "Try a Little Tenderness" into a silken caress, making "I've Been Loving You Too Long" into an anthem for the hopeless arc of love, and taking "Day Tripper" to places the Beatles could only dream about, all with the MG's and the Mar-Keys churning behind him like a huge, funky turbine. This was Stax soul in all its ragged, vital glory. The original tapes of these sets (Atlantic issued an LP of the London show in 1967) have been reassembled and restored for this release, and the end result is a stunning reminder of what a giant Redding was. You want to know about love? Drop this in your player.

Track list:

01.Introduction
02.Respect
03.My Girl
04.Shake
05.Day Tripper
06.Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)
07.(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
08.Try a Little Tenderness
09.Introduction
10.Respect
11.I Can't Turn You Loose
12.I've been Loving You Too Long
13.My Girl
14.Shake
15.(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
16.Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)
17.These Arms of Mine
18.Day Tripper
19.Try a Little Tenderness

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Jackie DeShannon - Me About You [1968]

Release Date: Mar 1968Jackie DeShannon's Me About You album contains four originals, two co-written with producer Jack Nitzsche, and interpretations of material by such diverse songwriters as Holland-Dozier-Holland, Jimmy Webb, Carole Bayer Sager, Tim Hardin, two from the team of Gary Bonner and Alan Gordon, Van Dyke Parks, the Lovin' Spoonful's John Sebastian, and others. It's quite a crew, and the 13 songs make for a satisfying collection displaying both sides of DeShannon, the songwriter and the singer. As Harriet Schock was inspired by the film All About Eve for her American Romance album, DeShannon seems enamored of the 1961 Natalie Woods film which was Warren Beatty's debut. Her "Splendor in the Grass" should have been considered for the 1981 made-for-TV remake; it has a grand presentation, the originals holding up the serious side of the album. But for fans of her 1965 hit "What the World Needs Now Is Love," the songs that have that Top 40 flair are the Motown chestnut "I'll Turn to Stone" and an exquisite reading of John Sebastian's "Didn't Want to Have to Do It," which really should have made the songwriter proud. The tune would have been nice on New Arrangement, the singer's Columbia recording released in a time when adult contemporary ruled for Kenny Rogers, Olivia Newton-John, and, of course, Kim Carnes. Turtles/Helen Reddy/Earth, Wind & Fire producer Joseph Wissert must've brought the Alan Gordon/Gary Bonner material in, those two having written "Happy Together" along with other songs for Gary Lewis, Three Dog Night, and Lesley Gore. Their "I'm With You" is good sandwiched in between Jack and Jackie's (that is, Nitzsche and DeShannon, not to be confused with the president and the first lady) "I Keep Wanting You" and title track "Me About You." The originals have an edge over this particular Gary Bonner/Alan Gordon song, but what the album does display is a unique snapshot of a variety of 1960s songwriters, big production, and Jackie DeShannon's distinctive voice. Me About You comes in "...visual sound Stereo," whatever that was, and is a strong album for fans of the veteran performer Tim Hardin's "Baby Close Its Eyes," a lullaby that would have been perfect for Linda Ronstadt's 1996 collection (a duet with DeShannon would have been really nice). But the real gem here is "I'll Turn to Stone," which brings lightheartedness to an album that seems held back by serious tones, and the singer seems to be having the most fun when she's rocking out.

Track list:

01.Me About You

02.I'm With You

03.I Keep Wanting You

04.Didn't Want To Have To Do It

05.Whatever Happened To Happy

06.Baby Close Its Eyes

07.Music Man

08.The Girl Song (Slight Skip)

09.Splendor In The Grass

10.Nobody's Home To Go Home To

11.Nicole

12.High Coin

13.I'll Turn To Stone

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Jackie de Shannon - Her Own Kind of Light [2008]

Release Date: Apr 28, 20082008 collection of Jackie's own versions of the hit songs she wrote for others. From Folk Rock to uptempo soulfulness, from reflective balladry to Laurel Canyon sophistication, Jackie's songwriting has always merged the immediate with the heartfelt, combining melody and lyrics for maximum effect. Which is why a song like 'When You Walk In The Room' became a standard in the hands of The Searchers, and why Kim Carnes' version of 'Bette Davis Eyes' is still a soundtrack staple. 'Breakaway' became an '80s hit for Tracy Ullman, while 'Come And Stay With Me' was a hit for Marianne Faithful and 'Till You Say You'll Be Mine' became Olivia Newton-John's first single. Jackie's original, inspirational, interpretations of these timeless classics are heard here along with songs that equally deserve such status. With specially-written track-by-track annotation by Jackie, Her Own Kind Of Light really is Jackie DeShannon by Jackie DeShannon. Zonophone.

Track list:

01.When You Walk In The Room
02.Should I Cry
03.Breakaway
04.You Won't Forget Me
05.Till You Say You'll Be Mine
06.Don't Turn Your Back On Me
07.I Remember The Boy
08.Splendor In The Grass
09.Find Me Love
10.To Be Myself
11.Where Does The Sun Go (Digitally Remastered 05)
12.I Keep Wanting You
13.Nicole
14.Come And Stay With Me
15.Holly Would
16.Laurel Canyon
17.Put A Little Love In Your Heart
18.River Of Love
19.Love Will Find A Way
20.Brighton Hill
21.West Virginia Mine
22.Salinas
23.Vanilla O'lay
24.Anna Karina
25.Bette Davis Eyes
26.Wings Of Victory

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Jackie DeShannon - You Know Me [2000]

Release Date: Sep 26, 2000It takes a few spins to understand, and it is one of this prolific singer's many, many recordings, but when you spend some quality time with You Know Me, it starts unraveling its secrets in ways that only a truly great recording can. "Any Heart" is pure power, with the band weaving textures around Jackie DeShannon's distinctive vocal, the guitar relentless as it sustains the wall of sound. A true labor of love, few artists can produce a song this strong, and the fact that it follows three equally powerful compositions is evidence of the majesty that sweeps across all 14 tracks. "Steal the Thunder" opens the album with authority -- the resonating grandeur Eric Carmen's "Hungry Eyes" contained, with a better hook. DeShannon places everything in perfect order, the vocal gliding over a groove that is rock-solid. "Wing Ryder" changes the pace, and you get the idea that this major songwriter is building an album more complex than Carole King's Tapestry -- sheer art for art's sake. It ebbs and flows with an elegance younger musicians are too impetuous to seek out. The keyboards and guitars in "Wing Ryder" fuse styles that Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles were employing. And that's the secret here: DeShannon hasn't made another singer/songwriter album, she has shouldered a project akin to filming a major motion picture. "Somewhere in America" has a smart guitar riff and a wailing sax in the distance for one of the few ecology songs that isn't hampered by bulky words. "Song for Sandra Jeanne (Rites of Passage)" is for the singer's poet mom. It's just beautiful, the album changing moods like a photo album with pages turning before you on the silver screen. Each song is an episode, with the title track a defiant affirmation of someone who has been with listeners through the years, from "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" to "Bette Davis Eyes." While Lou Adler's sparse production on Tapestry allowed Carole King to bare her soul, DeShannon gives us a dense production, thick and rich, a wide range of sounds that could reinvent AAA radio if given the chance to be heard with the same presence as her best-known tunes. "Just How Right You Are" and "Red Montana Sky" are both driving and two of the more commercial tracks, with subtle hints of past work slipping into the lyrics. At close to 60 minutes, the 14 tracks are very much like a double LP. "There Goes the One" is a pensive recommitment, as graceful saxophone blends with the keyboards and the charming line, "I love the books that he reads." "Vanished in Time" is clear and measured, a youthful exuberance embracing the wisdom of years. This is a transformation for the veteran songwriter, and she seems to be driven more by her incredible instincts than by record company mandate. Where You're the Only Dancer, To Be Free, and earlier albums had an agenda most artists have to deal with, "Raze" is sound and performance, which shows real control. The drums drive the vocals and guitar backs DeShannon up with more dominance than maybe any album she's ever made. "Red Montana Sky" keeps surfacing as the tune that should be embraced by radio. "Here On" seems out of place, the reggae too dramatic a departure for all the elements that came before. It throws the listener for a loop and has a different character than all the other tracks on You Know Me, but that's either the luxury or the downside of artistic freedom, take your pick. Covering the Beach Boys' "Trader," however, is a perfect conclusion, and a perfect vehicle for Jackie DeShannon's timeless voice on an album that may take years before it is fully appreciated.

Track list:

01.Steal the Thunder

02.Wing Ryder

03.Somewhere In America

04.Any Heart

05.Song For Sandra Jeanne (Rites Of Passage)

06.You Know Me

07.Just How Right You Are

08.There Goes the One

09.Vanished In Time

10.Keeper Of the Dream

11.Raze

12.Red Montana Sky

13.Here On

14.Trader

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Jackie DeShannon - Jackie [Jackie...Plus] (BONUS TRACKS) [2004]

Release Date: Jan 1, 2004Recording Date: Apr 11, 1973-Sep 27, 1973The first of two albums on Atlantic records for the singer with an immaculate voice, Jackie was produced by Arif Mardin, Tom Dowd, and Jerry Wexler, one less producer than her What the World Needs Now Is Love album had helping craft the sounds. The festivities start off with John Prine's song "Paradise," a folksy title, not to be confused with the Perry Botkin, Jr./Harry Nilsson/Gil Garfield tune that Bette Midler and the Ronettes covered as the Jackie album tends to stay in an interesting space that could be described as "adult contemporary folk." "Vanilla 'Olay" moves brightly, a rare spirited pop vocal which is one of four compositions by the singer/songwriter here, two-thirds of the 12 selections coming from a dizzying array of songwriters. John Hurley and Ron Wilkins' "Heavy Burdens Me Down" is a beautiful gospel number, and the version of Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" is one of the album's highlights. It certainly is interesting hearing someone with a traditional voice putting some polish on a Neil Young staple. This album is as smooth and dreamy as Dusty Springfield's Cameo, though the three producers don't let the singer break out of the controlled mood they've set. DeShannon's original "Laid Back Days" tries to escape those confines, and "Vanilla 'Olay" actually does, John Stewart's xylophone bringing the latter to another level. Steve Goodman's "Would You Like to Learn to Dance" has ace Bee Gees co-producer Albhy Galuten adding a distinguished harpsichord -- it really is special, and what the album cries out for is one of those extraordinary songs that the Bee Gees gave to so many artists, from Samantha Sang to Dionne Warwick and Rare Earth. Galuten could have made this very good album even better had he contributed his production skills. Cissy Houston adds some magic to the Donna Weiss/Mary Unobsky composition "I Won't Try to Put Chains on Your Soul," more gospel-pop which is another notable track here. Weiss would of course go on to co-write "Bette Davis Eyes" with DeShannon when the singer moved on to Columbia records for the adult contemporary album New Arrangement. Unlike the string of albums on Imperial where this extraordinary talent got to try new things and get into a groove, this '70s period has work spread across multiple labels, and as the music changed hands the sounds took bigger leaps than they might have had all this activity progressed under a single record company umbrella. Van Morrison's "I Wanna Roo You" works, as do the two Jackie DeShannon originals that conclude the album, "Peaceful in My Soul" and "Anna Karina." DeShannon plays acoustic guitar on "Anna Karina," "Laid Back Days," "Vanilla 'Olay," and "I Wanna Roo You," adding her personality to the musical mix. Jackie is an interesting and worthwhile collection of 12 songs falling stylistically somewhere between her albums What the World Needs Now Is Love from the '60s and You Know Me from the '90s. Her voice is in great shape, and the music is created with loving care, making for a satisfying chapter in the singer's impressive body of work. [Rhino Handmade's 2004 reissue included 12 bonus tracks.]

Track list:

01.Paradise

02.Heavy Burdens Me Down

03.Brand New Start

04.Only Love Can Break Your Heart

05.Laid Back Days

06.Full Time Woman

07.Vanilla O'Lay

08.Would You Like to Learn to Dance

09.I Won't Try to Put Chains on Your Soul

10.I Wanna Roo You

11.Peaceful in My Soul

12.Anna Karina

13.When I'm Gone

14.Drift Away

15.All the Love That's In You

16.Speak Out to Me

17.Hydra

18.Your Old Lady's Leaving

19.Grand Canyon Blues

20.Sweet Sixteen

21.Flamingos Fly

22.Santa Fe

23.The Wonder of You

24.Through the Gates of Gold

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Jackie DeShannon - What The World Needs Now Is Love [1968]

Jackie DeShannon's exquisite "What the World Needs Now Is Love" leads off this collection, and it's quickly followed by a cover of the Dusty Springfield hit "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me," as well as a version of "It's All in the Game," making for a very recognizable three songs in a row on this 1968 release featuring as its title her 1965 Top Ten hit, originally on the This Is Jackie DeShannon album. What THIS is, is another stellar set of vocal performances with DeShannon being produced and arranged by a dazzling array of industry names. "So Long Johnny" is a pop tune by Burt Bacharach and Hal David which sounds so much like their Dionne Warwick work it is interesting to hear another great singer in that setting. "Windows and Doors" follows the same formula, while "Changing My Mind" could have been straight from the session that produced Petula Clark's "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love." Bacharach tracked the hit on his own, while Calvin Carter, who produced the For You album, collaborates with Bacharach and David on a number of songs here. Dick Glasser's production of "Little Yellow Roses" is the only one of the dozen songs with his participation; the country ballad is a real departure from the rest of the album, even with the arrangement by Jack Nitzsche. There are five arrangers in all, and an interesting cover concept. Jackie DeShannon appears on the front barefoot against a tree, holding a bouquet, while on the back cover she holds the bouquet with two boys, a Caucasian and an African American. It wasn't something you saw often in the '60s, and truly held with the sentiment of the title track. Tony Hatch's "Call Me" ends the album, and you knew from "Changin' My Mind" that those involved here were listening to Hatch's work, his influence among the many in the grooves of this fine recording. The interesting thing here is that Arthur Wright's sweeping arrangement sounds less like the work of Tony Hatch than Clydie King's ideas on the previously mentioned "Changin' My Mind." This version of "Call Me" fades too fast, and has that big band sound DeShannon employed on the For You album. "A Lifetime of Loneliness" recalls the sounds on popular Gene Pitney records, while Bob Crewe's "Everything Under the Sun" is a perfect Phil Spector-style pop ballad. What the World Needs Now Is Love offers many moods and sounds from the '60s through the voice of DeShannon. Not only is the title track one of her most recognizable hits, this album is a precious look at more of DeShannon's interpretation of other songwriters. Her only composition here is "Where Does the Sun Go?," while Bacharach and David get five of the seven titles. Their "Too Wait for Love" is more of the laid-back West Coast pop that they did so well and is a nice addition to the DeShannon catalog.

Track list:

01.What The World Needs Now Is Love
02.You Don't Have To Say You Love Me (Io Che Non Vivo) (Senza Te)
03.It's All In The Game
04.So Long Johnny
05.Changin' My Mind
06.Windows And Doors
07.A Lifetime Of Loneliness
08.Everything Under The Sun
09.To Wait For Love
10.Where Does The Sun Go
11.Little Yellow Roses
12.Call Me

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Jackie DeShannon - Laurel Canyon [1968]

Laurel Canyon wonderfully captures the natural, idyllic vibe of its titular setting, the creative nexus of the late-'60s Los Angeles music scene. Swapping the polished pop approach of Jackie DeShannon's past hits for an appealingly rough-edged country-soul sensibility, the record celebrates a place and time that transcended the physical world to signify a virtual Garden of Eden for the flower-power generation. Featuring extensive contributions from pianist Mac "Dr. John" Rebennack and guitarist Russ Titleman, Laurel Canyon boasts a swampy, lived-in charm that perfectly complements DeShannon's sexily gritty vocals. Her soulful reading of the Band's "The Weight" anticipates Aretha Franklin's like-minded cover, but most impressive are originals like "Holly Would" and the title cut, which eloquently articulate the rustic beauty of their creator's environs.

Track list:

01.Laurel Canyon

02.Sunshine Of Your Love

03.Crystal Clear

04.She's My Best Friend

05.I Got My Reason

06.Holly Would

07.You've Really Got A Hold On Me

08.The Weight

09.Bitter Honey

10.Come And Stay With Me

11.L.A.

12.Too Close

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Jackie DeShannon - The Best of Jackie DeShannon [RHINO_1991]

Release Date: Feb 1, 1991Recording Date: Oct 1962-May 1976This album is a fine roundup of her best moments as a singer and a writer.

Track list:

01.When You Walk Into The Room
02.Needles And Pins
03.You Won't Forget Me
04.Hold Your Head High
05.Don't Turn Your Back On Me
06.Be Good Baby
07.What The World Needs Now Is Love
08.Where Does The Sun Go
09.Love Is Leading Me
10.Splendor In The Grass
11.Laurel Canyon
12.L.A.
13.Put A Little Love In Your Heart
14.Love Will Find A Way
15.Laid Back Days
16.Vanilla Olay
17.Bette Davis Eyes
18.All Night Desire
19.Boat To Sail

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Nancy Sinatra - Sheet Music [1998]

Release Date: Jun 9, 1998

Sheet Music finds Nancy Sinatra giving luxurious, laid-back readings of a variety of romantic songs. She concentrates on '60s pop and pop/rock songs, from "Light My Fire" and "Something" to "Tired of Waiting for You" and "Shadow of Your Smile," throwing in some traditional pop tunes like "In the Wee Small Hours" along the way. Sinatra never had a terrific voice, but it was charming, and that was enough to sustain her through her '60s records. As she aged, it grew weaker, but on Sheet Music, she's carried by the lush arrangements, which draw attention away from her thinning voice. It's enough to make the record a pleasant experience for her longtime fans.

Track list:

01.Light My Fire

02.Something

03.Fell In Love With A Poet

04.In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning

05.Kind Of A Woman

06.Kinky Love

07.Easy Evil

08.Imaginary Lover

09.California Dreamin'

10.Tired Of Waiting For You

11.Call Me

12.Nice 'n' Easy

13.Until It's Time For You To Go

14.Here In The Palm Of Your Hand

15.True Love

16.The Shadow Of Your Smile

17.When I Look In Your Eyes

18.I'm Just In Love

19.Maybe I'm Amazed

20.Flowers

21.We Can Make It

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V.A. - Lady Sings the Blues [2CD 2002]

Release Date: Mar 5, 2002
American Capitol or British EMI usually issues excellent torch-song anthologies, since it holds in its vault a fount of great material. Lady Sings the Blues expands the template of jazz-driven torch songs to embrace soul and '60s pop as well, thus its success at presenting a compilation with depth and variety.
CD covers included

Track list:
101.Norah Jones - Don't Know Why
102.Randy Crawford - Rainy Night In Georgia
103.Aretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
104.Dusty Springfield - The Look Of Love
105.Peggy Lee - Fever
106.Etta James - I Just Wanna Make Love To You
107.Ella Fitzgerald - Night And Day
108.Billie Holiday - That Ole Devil Called Love
109.Dinah Washington - Mad About The Boy
110.Dionne Warwick - Walk On By
111.Nancy Wilson - All Night Long
112.June Christy - Something Cool
113.Sarah Vaughan - Misty
114.Erma Franklin - Piece Of My Heart
115.Bobbie Gentry - Son Of A Preacher Man
116.Julie London - Cry Me A River
117.Dinah Shore & Andre Previn - My Funny Valentine
118.Ella Fitzgerald - Summertime
119.Nina Simone - I Loves You Porgy
120.Julie London - 'Round Midnight

201.Ella Fitzgerald - Every Time We Say Goodbye
202.Julie London - Fly Me To The Moon
203.Dinah Washington - Call Me Irresponsible
204.Lena Horne, Ray Ellis & Orchestra - In Love In Vain
205.Tina Turner - Night Time Is The Right Time
206.Bonnie Raitt - I Can't Make You Love Me
207.Erma Franklin - Light My Fire
208.Aretha Franklin - Today I Sing The Blues
209.Janis Joplin - Me And Bobby McGee
210.Dianne Reeves - In A Sentimental Mood
211.Nancy Wilson - Wives And Lovers
212.Nina Simone - Wild Is The Wind
213.Kay Starr - Baby Won't You Please Come Home
214.Sue Raney - When Your Lover Has Gone
215.Peggy Lee - The Man I Love
216.Sarah Vaughan, Jimmie Jones & Orchestra - Stormy Weather
217.Betty Lavette - Let Me Down Easy
218.Irma Thomas - Wish Someone Would Care
219.Betty Swann - Tell It Like It Is
220.Billie Holiday With The Paul Whiteman Orchestra - Trav'lin Light
221.Cassandra Wilson - Time After Time
222.Lisa Ekdahl - Daybreak


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The Mamas & the Papas - California Dreamin / Monday Monday [CDS 2002]

Release Date: Apr 24, 2002One for the collector's... Japan only 2 track single is b/w 'Monday Monday'. Released there to support their 2002 Japan only Best Of entitled 'California Dreamin'.

Track list:

01. California Dreamin
02. Monday Monday

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Nancy Sinatra - Lightning's Girl (1997)

Release Date: Feb 11, 1997

Though a little harder to find for North American and European consumers than Rhino's The Hit Years, this 26-track, single-disc Australian best-of has virtually everything from the Rhino compilation and then some. Besides all 18 songs from The Hit Years except "Tony Rome," this has eight additional tracks, making this the best-value Nancy Sinatra anthology. It should be noted that most of the additional nine tracks are not among Sinatra's very best efforts, several of them being country-flavored duets with producer Lee Hazlewood. Still, among those extras, the Sinatra-Hazlewood duets "Sundown, Sundown," "Paris Summer," and "Down from Dover" (the last of them a Dolly Parton cover) are good, and "Sand" -- the most notable omission from the Rhino set -- is one of the best and spookiest songs to feature both Sinatra and Hazlewood on vocals. Also among the extras is one of her better solo outings, "This Town." In fact, the only real disadvantage of this set is the absence of original release date and label information. Otherwise, it's a fine summary of the best work of a singer (and producer and songwriter) who put out some of the best pop-rock-country-folk kitsch of the 1960s, or of any other decade for that matter.

Track list:

01.Lightning's Girl

02.These Boots Are Made For Walki

03.How Does That Grab You Darling

04.Good Time Girl

05.You Only Live Twice

06.The Last Of The Secret Agents

07.So Long Babe

08.Sugar Town

09.Fridays Child

10.Jackson

11.Did You Ever

12.Summer Wine

13.Lady Bird

14.Some Velvet Morning

15.Sand

16.Love Eyes

17.Drummer Man

18.Somethin' Stupid

19.I've Been Down For So Long

20.Sundown Sundown

21.Down From Dover

22.One Hundred Years

23.Paris Summer

24.Hook And Ladder

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Nancy Sinatra - Sugar [1967]

Even major Nancy fans may find their patience taxed by this album, on which she concentrates on non-rock popular standards by the likes of Irving Berlin, complete with weak vaudevillian MOR arrangements. Highlights are the Hazlewood-penned Top Ten hit "Sugar Town," and the two CD bonus tracks, taken from singles: "Somethin' Stupid" and the dramatic, almost menacing "Love Eyes."

CD covers included

Track list:

1 Sweet Georgia Brown 3:56

2 Vagabond Shoes 1:59

3 Oh! You Beautiful Doll 2:49

4 Hard Hearted Hannah 3:32

5 All By Myself 3:01

6 Coastin' 2:42

7 Mama Goes Where Papa Goes 2:31

8 Let's Fall In Love 3:34

9 What'll I Do 2:57

10 Limehouse Blues 2:58

11 Sugar Town 2:23

12 Button Up Your Overcoat 2:23

13 My Buddy 2:59

14 Love Eyes 2:35

15 Something Stupid 2:39

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V.A. - Night Train to Nashville Music City Rhythm & Blues, 1945-1970

Release DateFeb 24, 2004
Release Date: Feb 24, 2004
Issued to coincide with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's historic exhibit of the same name, this two-CD set is a treasure-trove of hits, misses, rarities, and smoking grooves. Certainly Nash Vegas is the capital of country music, but in its day it also boasted a wealth of stomping rhythm and blues music that flourished in the city for the better part of three decades, until the bulldozers of "urban renewal" destroyed much of its cultural base and forced it from its terrain. With 35 tracks, plus a pair of bonus tracks that are commercials, this set is an affordable, indispensable introduction to a nearly forgotten part of American musical history. The labels represented here are a cross-section of the great regional independents that were so numerous n the '40s, '50s and '60s. Imprints such as Do-Ra-Mi, who recorded Audrey Bryant, Excello, Champion, Sun, Hickory, Bullet, Dial, A-Bet, Elf, and Sound Stage recorded both luminaries and nobodies. Here are early sides by Hank Crawford when he was in a jump band, the wild and wooly Esquerita, Joe Tex, Arthur Alexander, Roscoe Shelton, Joe Simon, Etta James, Johnny Adams, and Christine Kittrell. And there are cuts by cats like Johnny Jones, Nashville's premier blues guitar slinger, Audrey Bryant, the city's Sarah Vaughan, and others who scored big on Nashville radio and jukeboxes, such as Peggy Scott and Jo Jo Benson, Clifford Curry, and Robert Knight. While some of these names might not mean much to causal listeners of old rhythm and blues and soul, connoisseurs will be delighted to find these sides, many of them on CD for the first time. However, the appeal of this collection should not be limited to aficionados, as virtually every track is crackling with energy, verve, and raw immediate soul. Sound is better than decent, the selection is impeccable, and the track notes by Michael Gray are top-notch.

Track list:
101.Cecil Gant - Nashville Jumps
102.Rudy Green & His Orchestra - Buzzard Pie
103.Kid King's Combo - Skip's Boogie
104.Christine Kittrell - L&N Special
105.Christine Kittrell - Sittin' Here Drinking
106.The Prisonaires - Just Walkin' in the Rain
107.The Varieteers - If You and I Could be Sweethearts
108.Arthur Gunter - Baby Let's Play House
109.Little Hank [Crawford] & the Rhythm Kings - Christene
110.Louis Brooks & His Hi-Toppers with Earl Gaines - It's Love Baby (24 Hours a Day)
111.The Marigolds - Rollin' Stone
112.Gene Allison - You Can Make It If You Try
113.Esquerita - Rockin' the Joint
114.Audry Bryant - Let's Trade a Little
115.Roscoe Shelton - Say You Really Care
116.Larry Birdsong - Somebody, Somewhere
117.Jimmy Beck & His Orchestra - Pipe Dreams
118.Little Richard - WLAC commercial
119.Earl Gaines - White Rose (theme)

201.John Richbourg - WLAC Air Check - Shy Guy Douglas - Monkey Doin' Woman
202.Etta James - What'd I Say (Live)
203.Johnny Jones & the Imperial 7 - Really (Part 1)
204.Frank Howard & the Commanders - Just Like Him
205.Arthur Alexander - Anna (Go to Him)
206.Joe Henderson - Snap Your Fingers
207.Ruth Brown - Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean (Nashville Version)
208.Sam Baker - Something Tells Me
209.Bobby Hebb - Sunny
210.Joe Tex - I Want To (Do Everything for You)
211.The Hytones - Bigger and Better
212.The Avons - Since I Met You Baby
213.Joe Simon - The Chokin' Kind
214.Clifford Curry - She Shot a Hole in My Soul
215.The Valentines - Gotta Get Yourself Together
216.Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson - Soul Shake
217.Johnny Adams - Reconsider Me
218.Robert Knight - Everlasting Love

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Eddie Hinton - Very Extremely Dangerous [LOSSLESS]

In his book Sweet Soul Music, Peter Guralnick described Eddie Hinton as "the last of the great white soul singers," and his debut album, 1978's Very Extremely Dangerous, sounds like a glorious throwback to the salad days of the Muscle Shoals, AL, R&B hit factory of the 1960s, where Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin cut some of their most memorable songs. Hinton had already earned an estimable reputation as a session guitarist by the time he finally got to step up to the mic as a solo artist, and Very Extremely Dangerous features him backed up by the always-expert Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, and Hinton's strong and wiry guitar runs fit the group's emphatic support like a glove. (Hinton and his friends also knew how to bring a solid rock drive to these songs without losing their soulful groove in the process.) As a singer, Hinton was never afraid to step on the gas, and if his vocals are sometimes a bit over the top, they're also consumed with a raw and sweaty joy; like Wilson Pickett, Hinton is able to bring a surprising musicality to a shouting style that can express the pleasures of a hard-partying Saturday night ("Shout Bamalama") as well as the tender agony of love ("I Got the Feeling"). It was Eddie Hinton's poor fortune to cut a great blue-eyed soul album just as disco and funk had bumped deep soul off the charts, but Very Extremely Dangerous still stands as a fine example of latter-day soul at its most accomplished.

Track list:
1. You Got Me Singing
2. Concept World
3. I Got the Feeling
4. Shout Bamalama
5. Get off in It
6. Brand New Man
7. Shoot the Moon
8. We Got It
9. Yeah Man!
10. I Want It All

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Irma Thomas - The Story Of My Life [1997]

The Story of My LIfe stands out among latter-day Irma Thomas albums not only because she gives a consistently excellent performance, but because the record boasts three new songs from Dan Penn, who wrote some of the greatest soul songs of the '60s. While his new songs ("Hold Me While I Cry," "I Count the Teardrops," "I Won't Cry for You") aren't quite as strong as his best, they are nevertheless wonderful contemporary soul numbers, and they help make the record, the remainder of which is comprised of covers and slightly weaker new numbers, one of Thomas' best latter-day albums.

Track list:

01.No Use Talkin'
02.The Story Of My Life
03.I Count The Teardrops
04.Cried Too Long
05.Love Don't Get No Better Than This
06.Hold Me While I Cry
07.I Won't Cry For You
08.We All Need Love
09.Get Here
10.Keep The Faith
11.Dr.Feelgood

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Michelle Phillips - Victim of Romance (stereo lp) [1978]

Produced by Jack Nitzsche (except for "Lady of Fantasy" produced by John Phillips)
Track list:
1. Aching Kind
2. Let the Music Begin
3. Victim of Romance
4. Trashy Rumors
5. There She Goes
6. Paid the Price
7. Baby as You Turn Away
8. Lady of Fantasy
9. Just One Look

10. Where's Mine?
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