At Last!

Limited LP: Picture Disc

This masterpiece remains to this day, one of the best soul/R&B albums ever. Here, Etta James was comfortable and convincing, singing pop standards as she did on the magnificent title track, which was written in 1941 and originally recorded by Glenn Miller’s orchestra. “At Last” became Etta’s signature song. It reached number two on the R&B chart and number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her powerhouse contralto voice was matched with the sumptuous, bluesy string arrangements of Riley Hampton, and James truly came into her own as a singer. ”After spending a few years in limbo after scoring her first R&B hits ‘Dance With Me, Henry’ and ‘Good Rocking Daddy,’ Etta James returned to the spotlight in 1961 with her first Chess release, At Last! James made both the R&B and pop charts with the album’s title cut, ‘All I Could Do Was Cry,’ and ‘Trust in Me.’ What makes At Last! a great album is not only the solid hits it contains, but also the strong variety of material throughout. On this album one hears the singer at her peak in a swinging and varied program of blues, R&B, and jazz standards.” ***** - AllMusic, Stephen Cook

Anything To Say You’re Mine / My Dearest Darling / Trust In Me / A Sunday Kind Of Love / Tough Mary / Don’t Cry Baby / You Know What I Mean / I Just Want To Make Love To You / At Last / All I Could Do Was Cry / Stormy Weather / Girl Of My Dreams / I’ll Dry My Tears / Seven Day Fool