Anna King: Back to Soul (1964) ... plus

The James Brown Revue has included numerous 'feature' female singers through the decades, from Tammy Montgomery (Terrell), Sugar Pie DeSanto and Vicki Anderson to Yvonne Fair and Lynn Collins, but while Mr Brown included most of these ladies in 'live' LPs, and others had solo contracts with his label, only Anna King enjoyed the privilege of James Brown producing an album for her. Anna was initially a gospel singer, but her big break came when she auditioned for Brown searching for Tammi Terrell’s replacement, in 1963. He noted the quality of Anna's stirring, soulful vocals, had her sign with Smash and produced the Back to Soul LP. The album included Anna's distinctive versions of several soul and blues hits and some Brown originals written under various pseudonyms, plus a storming duet with Bobby Byrd, 'Baby Baby Baby', which took her into the R&B top 50 early in 1964 and 'bubbling under' the Billboard Hot 100. Anna left the James Brown revue in late 1964 to go her own way, although still contracted to him, releasing two more Smash singles. Finally free from James Brown, she released an answer record to ‘Papa's Got a Brand New Bag’, called ‘Mama's Got a Bag of Her Own’ (which I added here as a bonus track), on End Records, 1964. Oddly enough this would be her last secular recording. She retired from the business; her entire recording career lasted just over a year. A few years later she got a call from Duke Ellington to sing his sacred concerts. In the mid 1970’s she became a minister, but by then she was done singing professionally. She was still ministering when she died in Philadelphia on October 21, 2002. http://www.cherryred.co.uk/, http://www.amoeba.com
aa