Lady Sings the Blues (soundtrack) explained

Lady Sings the Blues
Type:soundtrack
Artist:Diana Ross
Cover:Dianaladyblues.jpg
Released:October 1972
Recorded:1972; MoWest Studios, Los Angeles, California; Glen Glenn Sound, Hollywood, California
Genre:R&B, vocal jazz
Length:57:10
Label:Motown
M 758-D
Producer:Gil Askey
Prev Title:Surrender
Prev Year:1971
Next Title:Greatest Hits
Next Year:1972

Lady Sings the Blues is the soundtrack to the Billie Holiday biopic of the same name, which starred Diana Ross in her 1972 screen debut. It became Ross' fourth #1 album (eventually selling over 2 million US copies), though the only one as a solo artist. It was certified gold in the UK for sales of over 100,000 copies.[1] It was the fourth best-selling R&B album and fifth best-selling Pop album of 1973 in the US.

Music writers said Ross emulated Billie Holiday's voice while retaining her own individual sound. This soundtrack album was the only Motown album to have a special designed label to match the album cover on the vinyl release, rather than Motown's usual "Map of Detroit" design. This label design would also turn up on the single releases from the soundtrack.

Track listing

Side one

  1. "The Arrest" – 0:15
  2. "Lady Sings the Blues" – 1:03
  3. "Baltimore Brothel" – 0:25
  4. "Billie Sneaks into Dean and Dean's/Swinging Uptown" – 0:49
  5. "'Taint Nobody's Bizness If I Do" – 1:06
  6. "Big Ben/C.C. Rider" – 1:06
  7. "All of Me" – 2:19
  8. "The Man I Love" – 2:27
  9. "Them There Eyes" – 1:03
  10. "Gardenias from Louis" – 2:03
  11. "Cafe Manhattan/Had You Been Around/Love Theme" – 2:03

Side two

  1. "Any Happy Home" – 0:37
  2. "I Cried for You" – 0:37
  3. "Billie and Harry/Don't Explain" – 0:37
  4. "Mean to Me" – 1:18
  5. "Fine and Mellow" – 0:45
  6. "What a Little Moonlight Can Do" – 2:09
  7. "Louis Visits Billie on Tour/Love Theme" – 0:45
  8. "Cafe Manhattan Party" – 1:37
  9. "Persuasion/'Taint Nobody's Bizness If I Do" – 3:48
  10. "Agent's Office" – 1:09
  11. "Love Is Here to Stay" – 2:01

Side three

  1. "Fine and Mellow" – 2:54
  2. "Lover Man" – 3:22
  3. "You've Changed" – 2:34
  4. "Gimme a Pigfoot (And a Bottle of Beer)" – 2:06
  5. "Good Morning Heartache" – 2:21
  6. "All of Me" – 2:04

Side four

  1. "Love Theme" – 2:53
  2. "My Man" – 3:26
  3. "Don't Explain" – 2:10
  4. "I Cried for You" – 2:13
  5. "Strange Fruit" – 3:35
  6. "God Bless the Child" – 2:42
  7. "Closing Theme" – 1:08

Personnel

Production

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: UK Certified Awards Search > Diana Ross . . 2012-02-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130115055129/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx . 2013-01-15 . dead .
  2. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 281.