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Like its predecessor, RCA Victor Presents Eartha Kitt, Eartha Kitt's second album, That Bad Eartha, also released in 1953, became a Top Five hit in a year when the curiosity about this exotic creature seemed to be limitless. Although she was actually from South Carolina by way of Harlem, Kitt came across as an international chanteuse, which spending a few years in Paris, among other places, will do for you. Her recording of "C'est Si Bon (It's So Good)," included here, had reached the Top Ten in August, preceded by a minor chart entry in "Uska Dara -- A Turkish Tale" and followed by another, "I Want to Be Evil." Both were also included. In addition to French and Turkish, Kitt sang in Spanish and Swahili, which was more than enough to justify her image as a classy import. Another part of that image was her somewhat predatory sex appeal, which was explored fully in "I Want to Be Evil" and two Cole Porter favorites, "Let's Do It" and "My Heart Belongs to Daddy." Of course, there was sleight-of-hand going on there, too, but Kitt didn't suffer from having a wholly contrived persona, because she let her listeners in on the joke. It wasn't accidental that the title of the album had quotes around it. And in the same way, her relatively limited vocal range didn't matter because she acted her way through her performances as if they were short plays. The only problem, in fact, was that Kitt defined herself so well she was ultimately one-dimensional. It was not surprising when the hits dried up within a year, since she came across on records as a novelty act; but she had developed an act she could keep playing for the rest of her life. And that's exactly what she did.
© William Ruhlmann /TiVo
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Eartha Kitt, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Raymond Taylor, Composer, Lyricist - Lester Judson, Composer, Lyricist - Henri Rene & His Orchestra, Associated Performer
Originally released 1956. All rights reserved by RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Eartha Kitt, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Jerry Seelen, Composer, Lyricist - Andre Hornez, Composer, Lyricist - Betti, Composer, Lyricist - Henri Rene & His Orchestra, Associated Performer
Originally released 1956. All rights reserved by RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Eartha Kitt, Associated Performer, Main Artist - M. Alvarez Maciste, Composer, Lyricist - A. Eloy Blanco, Composer, Lyricist - Henri Rene & His Orchestra, Associated Performer
Originally released 1956. All rights reserved by RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Eartha Kitt, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Jacques Larue, Composer, Lyricist - Paul Ferrado, Composer, Lyricist - Henri Rene & His Orchestra
Originally released 1956. All rights reserved by RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Eartha Kitt, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Henri Rene & His Orchestra, Associated Performer - Cole Porter, Composer, Lyricist
Originally released 1956. All rights reserved by RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Eartha Kitt, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Cole Porter, Composer, Lyricist - Henri Rene & His Orchestra, Associated Performer
Originally released 1956. All rights reserved by RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Eartha Kitt, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Traditional, Composer, Lyricist - Henri Rene & His Orchestra, Associated Performer
Originally released 1956. All rights reserved by RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Eartha Kitt, Associated Performer, Main Artist - William Greaves, Composer, Lyricist - Henri Rene & His Orchestra, Associated Performer
Originally released 1956. All rights reserved by RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Eartha Kitt, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Raymond Scott, Composer, Lyricist - Bert Hanighen, Composer, Lyricist - Henri Rene & His Orchestra, Associated Performer
Originally released 1956. All rights reserved by RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Eartha Kitt, Associated Performer, Main Artist - James Shelton, Composer, Lyricist - Henri Rene & His Orchestra
Originally released 1956. All rights reserved by RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Eartha Kitt, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Cochran, Composer, Lyricist - Scotto, Composer, Lyricist - Rodor, Composer, Lyricist - Henri Rene & His Orchestra, Associated Performer
Originally released 1956. All rights reserved by RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Eartha Kitt, Associated Performer, Main Artist - Otto Harbach, Composer, Lyricist - Jerome Kern, Composer, Lyricist - Henri Rene & His Orchestra, Associated Performer
Originally released 1956. All rights reserved by RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Album review
Like its predecessor, RCA Victor Presents Eartha Kitt, Eartha Kitt's second album, That Bad Eartha, also released in 1953, became a Top Five hit in a year when the curiosity about this exotic creature seemed to be limitless. Although she was actually from South Carolina by way of Harlem, Kitt came across as an international chanteuse, which spending a few years in Paris, among other places, will do for you. Her recording of "C'est Si Bon (It's So Good)," included here, had reached the Top Ten in August, preceded by a minor chart entry in "Uska Dara -- A Turkish Tale" and followed by another, "I Want to Be Evil." Both were also included. In addition to French and Turkish, Kitt sang in Spanish and Swahili, which was more than enough to justify her image as a classy import. Another part of that image was her somewhat predatory sex appeal, which was explored fully in "I Want to Be Evil" and two Cole Porter favorites, "Let's Do It" and "My Heart Belongs to Daddy." Of course, there was sleight-of-hand going on there, too, but Kitt didn't suffer from having a wholly contrived persona, because she let her listeners in on the joke. It wasn't accidental that the title of the album had quotes around it. And in the same way, her relatively limited vocal range didn't matter because she acted her way through her performances as if they were short plays. The only problem, in fact, was that Kitt defined herself so well she was ultimately one-dimensional. It was not surprising when the hits dried up within a year, since she came across on records as a novelty act; but she had developed an act she could keep playing for the rest of her life. And that's exactly what she did.
© William Ruhlmann /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 00:37:18
- Main artists: Eartha Kitt
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: RCA - Legacy
- Genre: Jazz
Originally released 1956. All rights reserved by RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
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