Etta James

Posted by: Wolf on 03 July 2006

I'm getting bored with no new topoics in this music site. Just wondering if anyone has her in their collections? I read her biography 10 years ago and really enjoyed it. But now she's turned into a ballad singer with a great sultry voice. She's even popped up on American TV commercials.

Years ago in grad school I brought in a tape that her singing At Last. Everyone liked it but no one knew her music. One woman about 4 years later used it at her wedding as the first dance song. A perfect choice.

I have her CD Mysterious Lady, Songs of Billie Holiday. It's perfect low light make out music. An aphrodisiac par excellance (at least the last time I tried it).
Anybody?
Posted on: 04 July 2006 by Peter Stockwell
Wolf,

I think I have one Etta James CD in the rack, that I haven't listened to in a long time, it's in her blues shouter mode, don't think it'll help me make out!
Posted on: 05 July 2006 by jcs_smith
I've got a few of her records but I hadn't listened to them for yonks. Your post made me dig them out - thanks for that. My favourite is The second time around, an early one on the Chess label
Posted on: 05 July 2006 by cdboy
Hi. Love's Been Rough On me is an essential listen - a true education of how the blues can be sung by a true blues artist. (1997 Prmiate Music/BMG)
Posted on: 06 July 2006 by Wolf
She said in her bio she wanted to be a bad girl, and she ws only in her teens on a bus tour. Then a gay friend helped her dye her hair blonde, but not her eyebrows. be bad girl. she loved to rock out. Later in life her producer suggested doing At Last but in a sultry way. she didn't want to, but it becme her biggest hit. So then on he found her one or two ballads for her records. She took a turn for the worse with drugs and money problems. but came out of that and did her first album of ballads for her mother because she grew up with Billie Holiday on the stereo. Now she's done several CDs and she's matured nicely, she admits she'll never do them note perfect immitating Billie. She likes to mess with them which is alright by me. I'll have to look into Love's Been Rough on Me. thanks CDboy
Posted on: 07 July 2006 by Sir Crispin Cupcake
Seven Year Itch is worth checking out if you haven't already. There's some storming stuff on it, I'll give it another listen when I get home.

Cheers,

Rich
Posted on: 07 July 2006 by Max Bass
I don't have any of her earlier work, and I suppose that "At Last" would be the obvious choice for a classic album of her R&B & blues work. But I do have a couple of her later albums that I think are really good and worth checking.
Lets Roll & Blues to the Bone.

Max