Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells A Story
Rod the Mod finds his solo footing, headed for stardom, with the Faces in his wake.
6:00 AM GMT 22/06/2011
Features Disc of the day
Esther Phillips
And I Love Him!
(Atlantic, 1965)
The oft-overlooked soul singer - signed by Ahmet Ertegun, endorsed by The Beatles and plagued by demons...
It's December 1965 and The Music Of Lennon & McCartney - a British TV show due for broadcast the week before Christmas - is being recorded in London. In amongst the top echelon of '60s entertainers (Peter Sellers, Marianne Faithfull, Cilla Black, Lulu) is diminutive Texas native Esther Phillips. At 29, she already has 15 years worth of music behind her, having begun recording R&B sides for Johnny Otis in 1950 under the guise of 'Little' Esther Phillips. She's been flown to the UK at the request of The Beatles and John Lennon is about to introduce her as "someone who has done the best version of one of our songs ever". Grown-up Esther Phillips, it seems, is about to hit the big time. Her performance of the Fabs' song - a soothing Barcharach-esque reading of ballad And I Love Her - is a distillation of why she remains one of the greatest soul singers of the 20th Century.
Possessed of a tremulous, nasal voice that combined jazz fluidity with a frayed blues power, Phillips cut this first album for Atlantic under the watchful eye of super-fan Ahmet Ertegun - a man who called her "one of the best singers I ever heard." The finest moments are couched in Ray Ellis' minimalist, string-filled arrangements. She's gutsy (People), elegant (Moonglow & Theme From Picnic), pouting and bluesy (If You Love Me, Really Love Me) and always, effortlessly cool. Channelling Dinah Washington's swing and Billie Holiday's swoon, Phillips looked like she might capitalise on the success of these mid-'60s recordings, but her heroin use would soon take over. She remerged in the 1970s with the haunting From A Whisper To A Scream and a disco version of What a Diff'rence a Day Makes!, but nothing can beat the songs she recorded for Atlantic.
Ross Bennett
Posted by Ross_Bennett at 6:00 AM GMT 11/01/2011
Further Listening
Esther Phillips – The Country Side Of…(Atlantic, 1966)
Aretha Franklin – Young, Gifted & Black (Atlantic, 1972)
Dinah Washington – What A Diff'rence A Day Makes! (Mercury, 1959)
Previous Disc of the day
-
-
Earl Brutus - Larky
Last salvo of Ginsters Pasty-Warholism from Britpop ramraiders.
12:04 PM GMT 08/06/2011
-
Loudon Wainwright - T-Shirt
An overlooked small wonder from an unpredictable career.
6:00 AM GMT 03/06/2011
-
Landscape - From The Tea-rooms Of Mars… To The Hell-holes Of Uranus
Dry computer club Futurists, upon hitting implausible chart paydirt.
6:00 AM GMT 17/05/2011
-
-
Causa Sui - Summer Sessions Vol 1-3
Epic Danish jams, for when the neighbours get you down.
6:00 AM GMT 12/05/2011
end of body content back to top
Footer
Join us on:
© Copyright Bauer - all
rights reserved.
Reproduction of this
website, in whole or in
part, in any form or
medium without express
written permission from
Bauer is prohibited. All
use is subject to our
Terms of Use
|
|
Comments
Comment on this post
I am so glad to see ESTHER PHILLIPS finally getting some
of the LOVE and attention that she has deserved for how
many years! I just wish she could be hear to realize
this adoration!
I thank you, ROSS BENNNETT, for treating her quite
fairly and kindly!
I like you statement "why she remains one of the greatest
soul singers of the 20th century!"
LOVE & BLESSINGS.
LINDA WARN
Posted by LINDA WARN at 6:07 AM GMT 12/01/2011 Report Abuse
Reply to this post
I am so glad to see ESTHER PHILLIPS finally getting some
of the LOVE and attention that she has deserved for how
many years! I just wish she could be hear to realize
this adoration!
I thank you, ROSS BENNNETT, for treating her quite
fairly and kindly!
I like you statement "why she remains one of the greatest
soul singers of the 20th century!"
LOVE & BLESSINGS.
LINDA WARN
Posted by LINDA WARN at 6:07 AM GMT 12/01/2011 Report Abuse
Reply to this post
i was mesmerized by ESTHER PHILLIPS way back when she was 'LITTLE ESTHER' PHILLIPS doing 'RELEASE ME'; ESTHER appeared on AMERICAN BANDSTAND and was so sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet>>>>>>>>>>.was freaked her records so hard to get where i lived; loved ;AND I LOVE HIM' but never got it when it was out could not find it; then ;WHEN A WOMAN LOVES A MAN' my girlfreind at the time got the last copy here i borrowed her copy two weeks had to give it back; when she re-surfaced with ;WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES' i went nuts loooooooooooooved it; finally got her lp and went from there; got all her recods now; she is the TRUE QUEEN OF MYY TURNTABLE; was and always will be my queen!
Posted by Anonymous at 5:22 PM GMT 12/01/2011 Report Abuse
Reply to this post
RE: Anonymous
Thank you for your genuine LOVE for ESTHER PHILLIPS
and making her "The QUEEN of your TURNTABLE!"
Posted by LINDA WARN at 8:20 PM GMT 12/01/2011 Report Abuse
Reply to this post
RE: Anonymous
Thank you for your genuine LOVE for ESTHER PHILLIPS
and making her "The QUEEN of your TURNTABLE!"
Posted by LINDA WARN at 8:20 PM GMT 12/01/2011 Report Abuse
Reply to this post
BLESS YOU for your genuine LOVE of ESTHER PHILLIPS
and making her 'THE QUEEN of your TURNTABLE!"
Posted by LINDA WARN at 8:24 PM GMT 12/01/2011 Report Abuse
Reply to this post
BLESS YOU for your genuine LOVE of ESTHER PHILLIPS
and making her 'THE QUEEN of your TURNTABLE!"
Posted by LINDA WARN at 8:24 PM GMT 12/01/2011 Report Abuse
Reply to this post
Comment on this post