 First time ever on CD for these two great Mercury albums from 1977 and 1978 by this much-loved song stylist
• The late, great ESTHER PHILLIPS was one of the most distinctive vocalists in contemporary music, so accomplished in R&B, soul, blues and jazz that she defied easy categorization
• After her global success in the mid-‘70s with a remake of “What A Diff’rence A Day Makes,” Esther signed a four-album deal with Mercury Records, recording home to her primary musical influences, Dinah Washington
• Her Mercury debut (“You’ve Come A Long Way Baby”) was produced by her then-musical director, Pee Wee Ellis (the famed former James Brown sideman) and featured a dazzling diversity of material, from the blues tune, “You’ve Been A Good Ole Wagon” to Van Morrison’s “Into The Mystic”and a disco remake of The Platters’ “My Prayer,” a previously unreleased 9:07 mix of which is being made available for the first time on the CD!
• Esther’s second Mercury LP (“All About Esther”) was produced by Wayne Henderson (of The Jazz Crusaders), featured a number of star players and includes a great cover of Odyssey’s “Native New Yorker.”
* The albums contain two of Esther's brilliant trademark monologues/raps on "I've Never Been A Woman Before" and "There You Go Again" which give a real insight into a woman who was witty, sharp and earthy
• Notes by Soul Music.com founder David Nathan, who knew Esther well and interviewed her many times, include quotes from producers Ellis and Henderson.
About the Writer
David Nathan is the founder and CEO of SoulMusic.com and began his writing career in 1965; beginning in 1967, he was a regular contributor to Blues & Soul magazine in London before relocating to the U.S. in 1975 where he served as U.S. editor for the publication for several decades and began being known as 'The British Ambassador Of Soul.' From 1988 to 2004, he wrote prolifically for Billboard, has penned bios, produced and written liner notes for box sets and reissue CDs for over a thousand projects. He returned to London in 2009 where he has helped create SoulMusic.com Records as a leading reissue label.
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