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Language available : english
Etta James is one of the towering figures of the blues, the foremost female blues vocalist of the second half of the 20th century, and the foundation of her legacy is her recordings for Chess Records in the '60s. Despite her reputation and enduring popularity, Etta didn't receive a box set retrospective between 1988 and 1990, the time when Chess was honoring such heavyweights as Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Bo Diddley, and Willie Dixon with multi-disc retrospectives. They eased away from box sets during the '90s, only issuing a comprehensive double-disc Little Walter set early in the decade, but they finally returned to the sets in 2000 with a long-overdue Chess Box for Etta James. Like before, when they assembled terrific sets on Berry and Waters, they got it right. Collectors may find a favorite side missing, but the great majority of her best work for Argo, Cadet, and Chess is here. Although there are a handful of unreleased tracks, the point behind this set is to provide a thorough overview of the most pivotal years in James' career, and on that level, it succeeds tremendously. Like many career-spanning sets, it does dip slightly in quality on the last disc, but not enough to make this anything less than an essential addition to a thorough blues library, since even on the lesser material, she sounds terrific. As a matter of fact, it's rather astonishing how strong all these recordings are, from her terrific vocals to the songs themselves. It's a shame it didn't come out with the first round of Chess Boxes, but it was worth the wait.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Berry Gordy Jr., ComposerLyricist - Gwen Gordy Fuqua, ComposerLyricist - Billy Davis, ComposerLyricist - Riley Hampton, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1960 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Riley Hampton, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, MainArtist - Edward Bocage, ComposerLyricist - Paul Gayten, ComposerLyricist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1960 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Riley Hampton, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - HARVEY FUQUA, Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Riley Hampton Orchestra, Orchestra - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1960 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, ComposerLyricist - Riley Hampton, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Riley Hampton Orchestra, Orchestra - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1960 UMG Recordings, Inc.
SONNY THOMPSON, ComposerLyricist - Riley Hampton, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1960 Geffen Records
Riley Hampton, Conductor, Artist, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, MainArtist - Michael Angelo Graham, ComposerLyricist - Mark Silverman, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1960 UMG Recordings, Inc.
WILLIE DIXON, ComposerLyricist - Riley Hampton, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - HARVEY FUQUA, MainArtist - Etta James, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1960 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Barbara Belle, ComposerLyricist - Anita Leonard, ComposerLyricist - Stan Rhodes, ComposerLyricist - Louis Prima, ComposerLyricist - Riley Hampton, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1960 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Harry Warren, ComposerLyricist - Mack Gordon, ComposerLyricist - Riley Hampton, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1960 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Harold Arlen, ComposerLyricist - Ted Koehler, ComposerLyricist - Riley Hampton, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1960 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Milton Ager, Composer - Jean Schwartz, Composer - Riley Hampton, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Ned Wever, Author - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1960 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Saul Bernie, ComposerLyricist - Stella Unger, ComposerLyricist - Riley Hampton, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - James P. Johnson, ComposerLyricist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1961 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Riley Hampton, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Floyd Hunt, ComposerLyricist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1961 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Johnny Mercer, ComposerLyricist - Harold Arlen, ComposerLyricist - Riley Hampton, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1961 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Burt Bacharach, ComposerLyricist - Bob Hilliard, ComposerLyricist - Riley Hampton, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1961 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Duke Ellington, ComposerLyricist - Bob Russell, ComposerLyricist - Riley Hampton, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, MainArtist
℗ 1961 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Leroy Kirkland, ComposerLyricist - Pearl Woods, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1962 Geffen Records
Unknown, ComposerLyricist - John Young, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Reggie Boyd, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Tyler Murphy, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2000 Geffen Records
Leroy Kirkland, ComposerLyricist - Pearl Woods, ComposerLyricist - Al Duncan, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - John Young, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Reggie Boyd, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Mcauley Murphy, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1961 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Leroy Kirkland, ComposerLyricist - Pearl Woods, ComposerLyricist - Fred Johnson, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - RALPH BASS, Producer - Freddy Johnson, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1962 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Jack Strachey, ComposerLyricist - Harry Link, ComposerLyricist - Holt Marvell, ComposerLyricist - Riley Hampton, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, MainArtist - RALPH BASS, Producer
℗ 1962 UMG Recordings, Inc.
DON D. ROBEY, ComposerLyricist - Riley Hampton, Conductor, Vocals, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, MainArtist
℗ 2000 Geffen Records
Riley Hampton, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - RALPH BASS, Producer - Savannah Churchill, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1962 Geffen Records
Russ Columbo, ComposerLyricist - Leo Robin, ComposerLyricist - Clarence Gaskill, ComposerLyricist - Riley Hampton, Conductor, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, MainArtist - RALPH BASS, Producer
℗ 1962 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Bert Keyes, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Billy Davis, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Clarke, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1962 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Gene Autry, ComposerLyricist - FRED ROSE, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, MainArtist
℗ 1962 UMG Recordings, Inc.
DISC 2
Cliff Parman, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer - Bob Forshee, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1962 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Don Gibson, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, MainArtist
℗ 1962 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Billy Davis, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, MainArtist
℗ 1963 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Billy Davis, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, MainArtist - Tony Clarke, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1963 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Harry Warren, ComposerLyricist - Mack Gordon, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, MainArtist - RALPH BASS, Producer - The Kinfolks, Ensemble, Artist
℗ 2000 Geffen Records
Jimmy Reed, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, MainArtist - RALPH BASS, Producer - The Kinfolks, Ensemble - Dana King, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1963 UMG Recordings, Inc.
James Mitchell, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Chess, Producer - Phil Chess, Producer
℗ 1964 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Irma Thomas, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, MainArtist - Leonard Chess, Producer
℗ 1964 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Ed Townsend, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Leonard Chess, Producer
℗ 1964 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Billy Davis, Producer - Etta James, MainArtist - Terry Vail, ComposerLyricist - Maurice McAllister, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1965 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Unknown, ComposerLyricist - Billy Davis, Producer - Etta James, MainArtist
℗ 2000 Geffen Records
Billy Davis, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Raynard Miner, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Carl William Smith, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Sugar Pie DeSanto, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1966 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Jimmie Davis, ComposerLyricist - Jimmy Sherman, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, MainArtist - RALPH BASS, Producer - Roger Ramirez, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1995 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Billy Davis, Producer - Etta James, MainArtist - Sugar Pie DeSanto, MainArtist - Peylia Parham, ComposerLyricist - Shena Dermell, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1965 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - RALPH BASS, Producer - Monk Higgins, Producer, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Maurice Dollison, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1966 Geffen Records
Billy Foster, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, MainArtist - RALPH BASS, Producer - Monk Higgins, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Maurice Dollison, ComposerLyricist - Chuck Benard, ComposerLyricist - Chuck Bernard, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1967 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Billy Foster, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, MainArtist - RALPH BASS, Producer - Monk Higgins, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Maurice Dollison, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1967 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Billy Foster, ComposerLyricist - Ellington Jordan, ComposerLyricist - Rick Hall, Producer, Engineer, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Gene "Bowlegs" Miller, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Charles Chalmers, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - FLOYD NEWMAN, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - David Hood, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Aaron Varnell, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Dewey Oldham, Organ, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Ray Johnson, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Carl Banks, Organ, AssociatedPerformer - Albert Lowe, Jr., Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Roger Dawkins, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1967 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Wilbur Terrell, ComposerLyricist - Marcus Lewis Daniel, ComposerLyricist - Rick Hall, Producer, Engineer, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Gene "Bowlegs" Miller, Trumpet, AssociatedPerformer - Clarence Carter, ComposerLyricist - Charles Chalmers, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - FLOYD NEWMAN, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - David Hood, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Aaron Varnell, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Dewey Oldham, Organ, AssociatedPerformer - Etta James, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Ray Johnson, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Carl Banks, Organ, AssociatedPerformer - Albert Lowe, Jr., Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Roger Dawkins, Drums, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1967 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Rick Hall, Producer - Chips Moman, ComposerLyricist - Dan Penn, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1993 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Rick Hall, Producer, Recording Engineer, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Otis Redding, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Margaret Wesson, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1967 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Spooner Oldham, ComposerLyricist - Rick Hall, Producer - Dan Penn, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, MainArtist
℗ 1968 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Rick Hall, Producer - Unknown, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2000 Geffen Records
Glenn Sutton, ComposerLyricist - Rick Hall, Producer, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - BILLY SHERRILL, ComposerLyricist - Etta James, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Billy N. Sherrill, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1968 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Albumbeschreibung
Etta James is one of the towering figures of the blues, the foremost female blues vocalist of the second half of the 20th century, and the foundation of her legacy is her recordings for Chess Records in the '60s. Despite her reputation and enduring popularity, Etta didn't receive a box set retrospective between 1988 and 1990, the time when Chess was honoring such heavyweights as Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Bo Diddley, and Willie Dixon with multi-disc retrospectives. They eased away from box sets during the '90s, only issuing a comprehensive double-disc Little Walter set early in the decade, but they finally returned to the sets in 2000 with a long-overdue Chess Box for Etta James. Like before, when they assembled terrific sets on Berry and Waters, they got it right. Collectors may find a favorite side missing, but the great majority of her best work for Argo, Cadet, and Chess is here. Although there are a handful of unreleased tracks, the point behind this set is to provide a thorough overview of the most pivotal years in James' career, and on that level, it succeeds tremendously. Like many career-spanning sets, it does dip slightly in quality on the last disc, but not enough to make this anything less than an essential addition to a thorough blues library, since even on the lesser material, she sounds terrific. As a matter of fact, it's rather astonishing how strong all these recordings are, from her terrific vocals to the songs themselves. It's a shame it didn't come out with the first round of Chess Boxes, but it was worth the wait.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 3 disc(s) - 72 track(s)
- Total length: 03:48:35
- Main artists: Etta James
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Geffen
- Genre: Blues/country/folk Blues
© 2000 UMG Recordings, Inc. This Compilation ℗ 2000 UMG Recordings, Inc.
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