VA - The Girls With Soul - Five Classic Albums Plus (Saved / Gee Whiz / The Electrifying / The One Who Really Loves You / Release Me!) (2024)

For our first artist on this superb five album set, we welcome back the first artist to appear on our Avid R&B label (AMSC1258), Rock n Roll Hall of Famer, Miss LaVern Baker. LaVern Baker signed to Atlantic Records in 1953 and had a series of R&B hits over the next few years including “Tweedle Dee”, “Bop Ting A Ling” and the all-time classic, “Jim Dandy” which would sell a million copies and go on to be voted Number 343 in Rolling Stones Top 500 All Time Greatest Songs as well as being voted as one of the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame’s greatest songs to have shaped Rock N Roll! Next up Carla Thomas, queen of Memphis soul to Otis’ king! Here we feature Carla’s very first album which includes the smash hit she wrote when she was only 15 years old “Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes)”. Our next artist really needs no introduction at all, the fabulous Queen Of Soul, Aretha Franklin. Recorded at Columbia studios in July 1962 our selection finds Aretha in fine form in the hands of legendary producer John Hammond. Mary Wells of course is best known for her massive 1964 hit ‘My Guy’ on Tamla Motown. However we have gone for her fine second album release featuring the songwriting talents of Motown stalwart Smokey Robinson. The break-out single, Smokey’s “The One Who Really Loves You” became Mary’s first hit while her next smash, another Smokey classic and a number 1 single, “You Beat Me To The Punch” was nominated for a Grammy in 1963 making Mary the first Motown star to ever be nominated. We conclude our survey of the girls with soul with the unique voice of Miss Esther Phillips. Esther, born in 1935, found early success in the 1950s with a string of hits which were sadly to dry up by the mid ‘50s partly due to her drug habit. She was re-discovered in 1962 by none other than Kenny Rogers singing in a Houston club and would go on to record our featured album “Release Me” for Rogers’ brothers record label Lenox Records in the same year. Sadly her career was undoubtedly affected by her long term drug abuse and she would pass away at 48 years of age. Esther did have a career resurgence in the 1970s with a couple of absolute classic songs, Gil Scott Heron’s “Home Is Where The Hatred Is” and a remake of the Dinah Washington hit, “What A Difference A Day Makes”. As with all AVID releases, we hope you enjoy this classic set and check out our extensive catalogue for more great music across R&B, Pop, Easy Listening, Rock n Roll, Jazz, and many other musical genres.