Sings the Blues is an album by singer/pianist/songwriter Nina Simone. This was Simone's first album for RCA Victor after previously recording for Colpix Records and Philips Records. The album was also reissued in 2006 with bonus tracks, and reissued in 1991 by RCA/Novus as a 17-track compilation under the title The Blues.
| Nina Simone Sings the Blues | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January?, 1967 | |||
| Recorded | December 19, 1966 - January 5, 1967 | |||
| Studio | RCA Victor, New York City, New York | |||
| Genre | Blues, soul, jazz, pop, folk | |||
| Length | 32:35 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Producer | Danny Davis | |||
| Nina Simone chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [1] |
| All About Jazz |  [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A–[3] |
| PopMatters | 7/10[4] |
| Tom Hull | B[5] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [6] |
Song information
edit- "My Man's Gone Now," from the opera Porgy & Bess by George Gershwin.
- "Backlash Blues," one of Simone's civil rights songs. The lyrics were written by her friend and poet Langston Hughes.
- "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl," based on a song by Simone's great example, Bessie Smith, but with somewhat different lyrics.
- "The House of the Rising Sun" was previously recorded live by Simone in 1962 on Nina at the Village Gate. After its cover by The Animals became a hit, she recorded it in studio. The fast-paced version on this album is very different from the slow, intimate version on Nina at the Village Gate.
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Do I Move You?" | Nina Simone | 2:46 |
| 2. | "Day and Night" | Rudy Stevenson | 2:35 |
| 3. | "In the Dark" | Lil Green | 2:57 |
| 4. | "Real Real" | Nina Simone | 2:21 |
| 5. | "My Man's Gone Now" | George Gershwin, DuBose Heyward | 4:16 |
| 6. | "Backlash Blues" | Langston Hughes, Nina Simone | 2:31 |
| 7. | "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl" | Nina Simone | 2:32 |
| 8. | "Buck" | Andy Stroud | 1:52 |
| 9. | "Since I Fell for You" | Buddy Johnson | 2:52 |
| 10. | "The House of the Rising Sun" | Traditional | 3:53 |
| 11. | "Blues for Mama" | Nina Simone, Abbey Lincoln | 4:00 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Do I Move You?" (Second version) | Nina Simone | 2:17 |
| 13. | "Whatever I Am" | Willie Dixon | 2:35 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "The Pusher" (from It Is Finished) | Hoyt Axton | 4:50 |
| 13. | "Turn Me On" (from Silk & Soul) | John D. Loudermilk | 2:24 |
| 14. | "It's Nobody's Fault But Mine" (from Nina Simone and Piano) | Blind Willie Johnson | 2:59 |
| 15. | "Go to Hell" (from Silk & Soul) | Morris Bailey, Jr. | 2:46 |
| 16. | "I Shall Be Released" (from To Love Somebody) | Bob Dylan | 3:51 |
| 17. | "Gin House Blues" (from 'Nuff Said!) | Fletcher Henderson, Henry Troy | 3:08 |
Personnel
editTracks 1-12
- Nina Simone - vocals, piano
- Eric Gale - guitar
- Rudy Stevenson - guitar
- Ernie Hayes - organ
- Bob Bushnell - bass
- Bernard Purdie - drums, timpani
- Buddy Lucas - harmonica, tenor saxophone
Track 13
- Nina Simone - vocals, piano
- Eric Gale - guitar
- Everett Barksdale - guitar
- Weldon Irvine - organ
- Richard Tee - organ
- Jerry Jemmott - bass
- probably Bernard Purdie - drums
- Specs Powell - vibes, percussion
- Montego Joe - percussion
- George Devens - percussion
- Joe Shepley, Jimmy Nottingham, Harold Johnson, Wilbur Bascomb - trumpets
- Jimmy Cleveland, Richard Harris - trombones
- Seldon Powell, George Coleman, Norris Turney, Haywood Henry - saxophones
- Ralph H. Fields, Eileen Gilbert, Jerome Graff, Milt Grayson, Hilda Harris, Noah Hopkins, Maeretha Stewart, Barbara Webb - vocals
- Arranged and conducted by Weldon Irvine
Charts
edit| Chart (1967) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot R&B LPs | 29[7] |
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
| US Jazz Albums | 37[8] |
References
edit- ^ "Nina Simone Sings the Blues - Nina Simone | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ "Nina Simone: Nina Simone Sings the Blues album review". Allaboutjazz.com. 10 January 2006. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ Browne, David (January 27, 2006). "We review four Nina Simone albums". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ^ "Nina Simone: Sings the Blues and others | PopMatters". Archived from the original on 2013-04-24. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
- ^ Hull, Tom (n.d.). "Jazz/Pop Vocals (1950s-70s)". Tomhull.com. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
- ^ "Nina Simone - Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ "Nina Simone - Chart History (Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 14, 2021.