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) â 2:26
- "Tra La La" (Johnny Parker) â 2:12
- "I Can't Love You Enough" (LaVern Baker, Dorian Burton, and Howard Plummer) â 2:37
- "Get Up, Get Up (You Sleepy Head)" (Jim Breedlove and Joan White) â 2:13
- "That's All I Need" (Baker, Howard Biggs, and Chase) â 2:32
- "Bop-Ting-A-Ling" (Winfield Scott) â 2:55
- "Tweedlee Dee" (Scott) â 2:25
- "Still" (Burton and Plummer) â 2:16
- "Play It Fair" (Bill Campbell) â 2:55
- "Tomorrow Night" (Sam Coslow and Will Gross) â 3:03
- "That Lucky Old Sun" (Haven Gillespie and Beasley Smith) â â 2:52
- "Soul On Fire" (Baker and Jermet [collective pseudonym of Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler]) â 2:51
- "My Happiness Forever" (Doc Pomus) â 2:39
- "How Can You Leave a Man Like This?" (Baker and Wexler) â 2:37
Personnel
- LaVern Baker â vocals
- Mickey Baker â guitar on "ThatâÂÂs All I Need", "Bop-Ting-A-Ling"
- George Barnes â guitar on "Tra La La", "Get Up You Sleepy Head"
- Emmett Berry â trumpet
- Lawrence Brown â trombone
- Shad Collins â trumpet
- Walter DeVenne â instrumentation
- Ray Ellis â arrangement on "Still", conducting on "Still"
- Ahmet Ertegun â production
- The Gliders â choir/chorus vocals on "Jim Dandy", "ThatâÂÂs All I Need", "Bop-Ting-A-Ling", and "Tomorrow Night"
- Marvin Israel â cover
- Hank Jones â piano
- Connie Kay â drums on "ThatâÂÂs All I Need", "Bop-Ting-A-Ling", and "Tomorrow Night"
- Jimmy Lewis â guitar
- Dave McRae â baritone saxophone
- Freddie Mitchell â tenor saxophone
- Sylvester "Vess" Payne â drums
- Gene Redd â arrangement, conducting
- Guy Remark â liner notes
- Sam "The Man" Taylor â tenor saxophone on "ThatâÂÂs All I Need", "Bop-Ting-A-Ling", and "Tomorrow Night"
- Lloyd Trotman â double bass
- Jerry Wexler â production
- Pinky Williams â baritone saxophone
See also
References
External links