VA: Mama's Got a Bag of Her Own (2006)

Mama's Got a Bag of Her Own features female acts, both solo and groups, and the twenty five tracks are excellent examples of the diversity to be found in '60s and '70s soul. Anna King supplies the funky title track, obviously a reply to her former employer James Brown's 'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag'. This was her first recording after being part of the James Brown Revue. Soul with a flavour of jazz is represented by three singers. Nancy Wilson covering Ashfords & Simpsons classic 'You're All I Need to Get By', Esther Philips distinctive voice adorns 'Nobody But You' - a fingersnapper written by Chicago soul stalwarts Gerald Sims and Floyd Smith - while Marlena Shaw give us a smooth as silk reading of 'Feel Like Making Love'. One of Dusty Springfield's favourite singers, Baby Washington, chips in with the atmospherically orchestrated 'I'm on the Outside (Looking In)'. Bettye Lavette and Irma Thomas are both represented here with two great classics, 'Let Me Down Easy' and 'Some Things You Never Get Used To', big US hits for the ladies. The same unfortunately can't be said about Tina Britt, who plunges in at the deeper end of the soul pool, with the ballad 'I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know'. Ann Cole's 'Don't Stop the Wedding' and Dee Dee Warwick's 'You're No Good' come from the very early '60s, when soul music was being born out of '50s style R&B. Clydie King has not recorded for many years but, in-between being one of Ray Charles Raelettes and doing session work for the likes of The Rolling Stones, Van Morrisson and Steely Dan, she made records the calibre of 'One of Those Good for Crying Over You Days'. Fans of the soul that was branded Northern by the British are treated to 'Groovin at the Go Go', by the Four Larks. The Southern USA has its own brand of soul and that is represented by Ann Sexton with 'Loving You, Loving Me' and a lady who is still performing great live shows, Gwen McCrae, with 'It Keeps on Raining' recorded in Florida with the great Clarence Reid. Other titles include 'I'm My Own Doctor' by Debbie Dovale, 'You Got 'Em Beat' by the Soul Sisters, 'Hard to Handle' by Patti Drew, 'Beatmaker' by Doris, 'There's So Much Love All Around Me' by the Three Degrees, 'I'm Just Not Ready for Love' by the Ikettes, and 'Just Not Ready' by the Exciters. So Mama's got a very mixed bag of soul by a bunch of female artists, most of whom have deserved their individual posting in this blog (seek and you will find!!). By the way, this is for you, DEE, as you got here Margo Thunder's version of 'Expressway to Your Heart' you requested from my playlist. Enjoy, my friend! http://www.designermagazine.org/

aa

aa

Bettye LaVette on a re-recording of one of the greatest soul songs ever, 'Let Me Down Easy':

aa