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This 23-track compilation is one of two very generous, mostly overlapping Irma Thomas collections out there -- the other is Razor & Tie's Sweet Soul Queen of New Orleans: The Irma Thomas Collection. The order here is strictly chronological, mostly going A-side by A-side on the Minit and Imperial singles, with some occasional leaps to the B-sides where they're relevant (and a lot of Thomas' B-sides were). All of it shows off the then twenty-something Thomas extending her range by leaps and bounds with each succeeding side, a level of subtle nuance added here, a prodigious burst of lung power there -- in the latter department, "Break-A-Way" and "Time Is on My Side" still comprise one of the great one-two punches in any artist's repertory. But the A-side of that last (which puts the Stones' version to shame), "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)," isn't to be missed, either. The second half of this collection is an overview of what should have been -- Thomas' early Imperial sides were her biggest, most recognizable hits, but the material that follows is definitely not filler, and why those songs never sold is anyone's guess. What's more, overlooking the unaccountably modest performance of records such as "He's My Guy" and "I'm Gonna Cry Till My Tears Run Dry," there's just no explaining why the brace of unissued sides here, including her version of the Chantels' "Maybe," the Pomus-Shuman co-authored "Think Again," and the Bacharach-David "Live Again," never made it out the door. The latter song, in particular, could have given Thomas the mainstream success that eluded her after 1963. As it is, there's not a song here that doesn't hold up magnificently five decades later, even as the whole collection only whets the appetite for more of Thomas' music.
© Bruce Eder /TiVo
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Irma Thomas, MainArtist - Allen Toussaint, Composer, Producer
℗ 1961 Capitol Records, LLC
Irma Thomas, MainArtist - Allen Toussaint, Producer - Deborah Chessler, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1961 Capitol Records, LLC
Irma Thomas, MainArtist - Allen Toussaint, Producer - Naomi Neville, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1962 Capitol Records, LLC
Irma Thomas, MainArtist - Allen Toussaint, Producer - Ron McMaster, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Naomi Neville, Composer
℗ 2002 Capitol Records, LLC
Irma Thomas, MainArtist - Allen Toussaint, Producer - Naomi Neville, Composer
℗ 1964 Capitol Records, LLC
Irma Thomas, MainArtist - Allen Toussaint, Producer - Ron McMaster, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Naomi Neville, Composer
℗ 2002 Capitol Records, LLC
Randy Newman, Composer - Irma Thomas, MainArtist - Eddie Ray, Producer
℗ 1964 Capitol Records, LLC
Irma Thomas, Composer, MainArtist - Eddie Ray, Producer
℗ 1964 Capitol Records, LLC
Sharon Sheeley, Composer - Jackie DeShannon, Composer - Irma Thomas, MainArtist - Eddie Ray, Producer
℗ 1964 Capitol Records, LLC
H.B. BARNUM, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - JERRY RAGOVOY, ComposerLyricist - Irma Thomas, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Eddie Ray, Producer
℗ 1964 Capitol Records, LLC
Randy Newman, Composer - Irma Thomas, MainArtist - Jeannie Seeley, Composer - Judith Arbuckle, Composer - Pat Sheeran, Composer - Eddie Ray, Producer
℗ 1966 Capitol Records, LLC
Nick DeCaro, Producer - Irma Thomas, MainArtist - J.D. Willingham, Composer - H Beery, Composer
℗ 1964 Capitol Records, LLC
Nick DeCaro, Producer - Unknown, Composer - Irma Thomas, MainArtist
℗ 1992 Capitol Records, LLC
Nick DeCaro, Producer - Burt Bacharach, Composer - Hal David, Composer - Kevin Reeves, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ron Furmanek, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Irma Thomas, MainArtist
℗ 1992 Capitol Records, LLC
Van McCoy, Composer - Nick DeCaro, Producer - Irma Thomas, MainArtist
℗ 1964 Capitol Records, LLC
Van McCoy, Composer - Nick De Caro, Producer - Irma Thomas, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1964 Capitol Records, LLC
Nick DeCaro, Producer - Unknown, Composer - Irma Thomas, MainArtist
℗ 1992 Capitol Records, LLC
Doc Pomus, Composer - Mort Shuman, Composer - JERRY RAGOVOY, Producer - Irma Thomas, MainArtist - Fagin, Composer
℗ 1965 Capitol Records, LLC
JERRY RAGOVOY, Producer - Irma Thomas, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Alfred Roy, Composer
℗ 1965 Capitol Records, LLC
Burt Bacharach, ComposerLyricist - Hal David, ComposerLyricist - JERRY RAGOVOY, Producer - Irma Thomas, MainArtist
℗ 1965 Capitol Records, LLC, Licensed courtesy of EMI Commerical Markets
Van McCoy, Composer - Irma Thomas, MainArtist - Ron McMaster, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1986 Capitol Records, LLC
Van McCoy, Composer - JERRY RAGOVOY, Producer - Irma Thomas, MainArtist
℗ 1966 Capitol Records, LLC
Irma Thomas, MainArtist - Ron McMaster, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Naomi Neville, Composer
℗ 1986 Capitol Records, LLC
Album review
This 23-track compilation is one of two very generous, mostly overlapping Irma Thomas collections out there -- the other is Razor & Tie's Sweet Soul Queen of New Orleans: The Irma Thomas Collection. The order here is strictly chronological, mostly going A-side by A-side on the Minit and Imperial singles, with some occasional leaps to the B-sides where they're relevant (and a lot of Thomas' B-sides were). All of it shows off the then twenty-something Thomas extending her range by leaps and bounds with each succeeding side, a level of subtle nuance added here, a prodigious burst of lung power there -- in the latter department, "Break-A-Way" and "Time Is on My Side" still comprise one of the great one-two punches in any artist's repertory. But the A-side of that last (which puts the Stones' version to shame), "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)," isn't to be missed, either. The second half of this collection is an overview of what should have been -- Thomas' early Imperial sides were her biggest, most recognizable hits, but the material that follows is definitely not filler, and why those songs never sold is anyone's guess. What's more, overlooking the unaccountably modest performance of records such as "He's My Guy" and "I'm Gonna Cry Till My Tears Run Dry," there's just no explaining why the brace of unissued sides here, including her version of the Chantels' "Maybe," the Pomus-Shuman co-authored "Think Again," and the Bacharach-David "Live Again," never made it out the door. The latter song, in particular, could have given Thomas the mainstream success that eluded her after 1963. As it is, there's not a song here that doesn't hold up magnificently five decades later, even as the whole collection only whets the appetite for more of Thomas' music.
© Bruce Eder /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 23 track(s)
- Total length: 01:00:48
- Main artists: Irma Thomas
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92)
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B R&B
© 1992 Capitol Records, LLC This Compilation ℗ 1992 Capitol Records, LLC
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