LaVern Baker (album) explained
| LaVern Baker |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | LaVern Baker |
| Cover: | LaVern Baker - LaVern Baker.jpg |
| Alt: | A dark teal and white striped background with an inset red-tinted photo of Baker smiling |
| Recorded: | - February 20, 1955 ("That’s All I Need" and "Bop-Ting-A-Ling")
- December 21, 1955 ("Jim Dandy")
- January 10, 1956 ("Tra La La")
|
| Language: | English |
| Label: | Atlantic |
| Producer: |
|
| Prev Title: | LaVern |
| Prev Year: | 1956 |
| Next Title: | LaVern Baker Sings Bessie Smith |
| Next Year: | 1958 |
LaVern Baker is the second studio album from American rhythm and blues singer LaVern Baker, released by Atlantic Records in 1957. This release was part of Atlantic Records' 8000 Series, a collection of self-titled budget albums by R&B artists, made to allow retailers to easily introduce audiences to popular singers. This was one of the first albums to collect popular singles from a single artist.
Reception
Editors at AllMusic rated this album 3.5 out of 5 stars, with critic Richie Unterberger writing that it has "generally decent quality" and features "energetic" songs of the "R&B turning into rock & roll" period. A 1998 repackaging of this with 1957's LaVern received 4.5 out of 5 stars, with critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine writing that "both records are excellent" and recommending it to listeners because it collects hard-to-find tracks, but complains that "a couple of cuts fall a little flat" and "the remastering and packaging aren't quite up to the standard of the music itself". In the 2004 edition of The New Rolling Stone Album Guide, the two-album compilation was rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and the editors write that this material features Baker with a "perky, wailing style" to her voice that complements her shift from blues-based singing to pop music. George Starostin noted "the super-catchy novelty numbers" and speculates that Baker "seems overqualified for this business".
Track listing
- "Jim Dandy" (Lincoln Chase) – 2:26
- "Tra La La" (Johnny Parker) – 2:12
- "I Can't Love You Enough" (LaVern Baker, Dorian Burton, and Howard Plummer) – 2:37
- "Get Up, Get Up (You Sleepy Head)" (Jim Breedlove and Joan White) – 2:13
- "That's All I Need" (Baker, Howard Biggs, and Chase) – 2:32
- "Bop-Ting-A-Ling" (Winfield Scott) – 2:55
- "Tweedlee Dee" (Scott) – 2:25
- "Still" (Burton and Plummer) – 2:16
- "Play It Fair" (Bill Campbell) – 2:55
- "Tomorrow Night" (Sam Coslow and Will Gross) – 3:03
- "That Lucky Old Sun" (Haven Gillespie and Beasley Smith) – – 2:52
- "Soul On Fire" (Baker and Jermet [collective pseudonym of [[Ahmet Ertegun]] and Jerry Wexler]) – 2:51
- "My Happiness Forever" (Doc Pomus) – 2:39
- "How Can You Leave a Man Like This?" (Baker and Wexler) – 2:37
Personnel
- LaVern Baker – vocals
- Mickey Baker – guitar on "That’s All I Need", "Bop-Ting-A-Ling"
- Emmett Berry – trumpet
- Lawrence Brown – trombone
- Shad Collins – trumpet
- Walter DeVenne – instrumentation
- Ray Ellis – arrangement on "Still", conducting on "Still"
- Ahmet Ertegun – production
- The Gliders – choir/chorus vocals on "Jim Dandy", "That’s All I Need", "Bop-Ting-A-Ling", and "Tomorrow Night"
- Marvin Israel – cover
- Hank Jones – piano
- Connie Kay – drums on "That’s All I Need", "Bop-Ting-A-Ling", and "Tomorrow Night"
- Jimmy Lewis – guitar
- Dave McRae – baritone saxophone
- Freddie Mitchell – tenor saxophone
- Sylvester "Vess" Payne – drums
- Gene Redd – arrangement, conducting
- Guy Remark – liner notes
- Sam "The Man" Taylor – tenor saxophone on "That’s All I Need", "Bop-Ting-A-Ling", and "Tomorrow Night"
- Lloyd Trotman – double bass
- Jerry Wexler – production
- Pinky Williams – baritone saxophone
See also
- List of 1957 albums
- Atlantic Records' 8000 Series:
