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SoulMusic Records is proud to present a first-of-its-kind compilation of recordings by renowned singer/songwriter Barbara Lewis spanning her six years with Atlantic Records (1962-1968) and her brief one-year tenure with Reprise Records (1972). Known the world over in particular for her timeless classics, ‘Hello Stranger’ and ‘Baby, I’m Yours’, the Michigan-born chanteuse’s distinctive brand of sweet soul brought her much acclaim in the mid-60s, resulting in a total of five Atlantic albums. This beautifully-packaged collection, sequenced in chronological order of recording session, includes the first CD release of a number of tracks from both the 1964 LP “SNAP YOUR FINGERS (BARBARA LEWIS SINGS THE GREAT SOUL TUNES)” and the 1966 album, “IT’S MAGIC”.
With a total of (68) tracks, including seven non-album singles/B-sides, one previously unreleased cut from 1968 and both sides of Barbara’s sole Reprise single, “Don’t Forget About Me” features an extensive essay by renowned UK writer Charles Waring with quotes from a rare 2020 interview with Barbara specifically for this box set and comments by Billy Vera and Sharon McMahan, two songwriters who penned respectively ‘Make Me Belong To You’ and ‘Someday We’re Gonna Love Again’. Superb artwork by Roger Williams and great remastering by Nick Robbins, this stellar reissue, produced by SoulMusic.com founder David Nathan, includes recording session dates, location and personnel (if known).
Disc One begins with Barbara’s first of many sessions produced by Detroit music entrepreneur Ollie McLaughlin, initially a single released on his Karen label before Atlantic Records took over distribution of the 45 and subsequently all of Barbara’s recordings until 1968. Recorded at Chess Records’ studios in Chicago with background vocals supplied by hit-making group The Dells, Barbara’s self-penned ‘Hello Stranger’ became a US R&B chart topper and Top 5 pop hit in 1963 paving the way to her first full LP of the same name. Working with famed arranger/conductor Riley Hampton, Barbara’s sophomore set “Snap Your Fingers” features her covers of thirteen hits by male artists such as Ray Charles, Chuck Jackson, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke and Jimmy Reed among others and is included in its entirety here.
Disc Two finds Barbara switching recording location to New York and working with top arrangers such as Teacho Wiltshire, Artie Butler and Jimmy Wisner in a variety of different settings from the pop/soul flavour of tracks like Van McCoy’s ‘Baby, I’m Yours’ (under the direction of Bert Berns), one of Barbara’s most successful and memorable hits which became the title track for her third LP to a set of ‘60s tunes (including ‘Yesterday’, ‘Let It Me Be’ and ‘The Shadow Of Your Smile’) and jazz and pop standards such as ‘Since I Fell For You’ and ‘It’s Magic’, the latter the title for Barbara’s fourth LP.
Disc Three completes Barbara’s association with Atlantic Records and includes key cuts included on her 1968 swansong LP for the label, “WORKIN’ ON A GROOVY THING,” the title cut co-written by Neil Sedaka; her last two Atlantic hit singles 1965’s ‘Make Me Your Baby’ and 1966’s ‘Make Me Belong To You’; the UK Northern soul-scene long-time favourite, ‘I Remember The Feeling’; and one previously unissued track, ‘You Put A Song In My Heart’ from Barbara’s one-off 1967 recording date with producers Lou Courtney & Bob Bateman that also yielded the popular ‘Thankful For What I Got’. After cutting one LP for the Stax/Enterprise label in 1970, Barbara signed with Reprise Records in 1972 and included here are both sides of the lone single recorded in Muscle Shoals, ‘Rock And Roll Lullaby’ (penned by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil) and ‘I’m So Thankful’.
Tracklist
DISC ONE
PUPPY LOVE
KAREN/ATLANTIC RECORDINGS
1. THE LONGEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR (MONO SINGLE)
2. MY HEART WENT DO DAT DA (MONO SINGLE) ATLANTIC RECORDINGS
3. MY MAMA TOLD ME (aka ‘MY MOMMA TOLD ME’)
4. GONNA LOVE YOU TILL THE END OF TIME
5. PUPPY LOVE
6. HELLO STRANGER
7. THINK A LITTLE SUGAR
8. MY HEART WENT DO DAT DA
9. THE LONGEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR
10. LOVE IS A CASTLE
11. WE'RE TOO YOUNG TO MARRY
12. DOES ANYONE WANT A LOVER
13. ON BENDED KNEES
14. WOULD YOU LOVE ME
15. STRAIGHTEN UP YOUR HEART
16. IF YOU LOVE HER
17. I SAY LOVE
18. WHAT'D I SAY
19. BABY, WORKOUT
20. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE
21. IF YOU NEED ME
22. STAND BY ME
23. TURN ON YOUR LOVE LIGHT
24. JUST A MATTER OF TIME
25. I'LL BRING IT BACK HOME TO YOU
26. I DON'T WANT TO CRY
27. SNAP YOUR FINGERS
28. FRISCO BLUES
29. TWIST AND SHOUT
30. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME
DISC TWO
SOMEDAY WE’RE GONNA LOVE AGAIN
1. HOW CAN I SAY GOODBYE
2. SPEND A LITTLE TIME
3. SOMEDAY WE'RE GONNA LOVE AGAIN
4. PUSHING A GOOD THING TOO FAR
5. COME HOME
6. BABY, I'M YOURS
7. STOP THAT GIRL
8. MAKE ME YOUR BABY
9. LOVE TO BE LOVED
10. DON'T FORGET ABOUT ME
11. SORROW (aka BETTER NOT BELIEVE HIM)
12. HE'S SO BAD
13. THE SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE
14. A TASTE OF HONEY
15. QUIET NIGHTS
16. IT'S MAGIC
17. SINCE I FELL FOR YOU
18. LET IT BE ME
19. YESTERDAY
20. WHO CAN I TURN TO
21. I ONLY MISS HIM WHEN I THINK OF HIM
DISC THREE
THANKFUL FOR WHAT I GOT
1. GIRLS NEED LOVING CARE
2. MAKE ME BELONG TO YOU
3. BABY, WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO
4. I REMEMBER THE FEELING
5. I'LL MAKE HIM LOVE ME
6. ONLY ALL THE TIME
7. LOVE MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND
8. FOOL FOOL FOOL (LOOK IN THE MIRROR)
9. YOU PUT A SONG IN MY HEART (PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED)
10. WORKIN' ON A GROOVY THING
11. THANKFUL FOR WHAT I GOT
12. SHO-NUFF (IT'S GOT TO BE YOUR LOVE)
13. I'LL KEEP BELIEVIN'
14. YOU'RE A DREAM MAKER
15. I'M ALL YOU'VE GOT
REPRISE RECORDINGS
16. ROCK AND ROLL LULLABY
17. I’M SO THANKFUL