| Author | Message | ||
  kamasu (kamasu) 6-Zenith Username: kamasu Post Number: 8416 Registered: 3-2005 |
Remembering the first time you heard a female vocalist that stunned or wowed you. Memorable debut albums by female artists. Here are four to start: First Take, Roberta Flack Whitney Houston, Whitney Houston Aretha, Aretha Franklin Woman To Woman, Shirley Brown Solo debuts by Beyonce, Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, Martha Reeves, Patti Labelle, Lauryn Hill, Jean Terrell, Gladys Knight don't count because their voices were always out front even when they sang in groups/bands. Don't get me wrong, they did deliver some good solo debuts but their voices had always been out front and their first or debut solo albums were really extensions of what they had always done. We are really talking first times here. (Message edited by kamasu on July 23, 2010) | ||
Kdubya (paladin) 6-Zenith Username: paladin Post Number: 6151 Registered: 5-2004 |
Ledisi/Soulsinger The Revival Sade/Diamond Life | ||
Davie Gordon (davie_gordon) 6-Zenith Username: davie_gordon Post Number: 1777 Registered: 4-2004 |
Regina Belle Phyllis Hyman | ||
kamasu (kamasu) 6-Zenith Username: kamasu Post Number: 8419 Registered: 3-2005 |
I have a question about Aretha's first album. A Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll says there was a gospel album on Chess that was issued in 1959 before her debut for Columbia in Sixty-One. I always thought these Chess gospel albums were issued after Aretha's success on Atlantic. | ||
ladyvanaye (ladyvanaye) 6-Zenith Username: ladyvanaye Post Number: 7572 Registered: 12-2004 |
K Dub - on that Ledisi...<daps>...  Linda Jones - need I say more? Rachelle Ferrelle from her first LP to now... Jennifer Holiday | ||
Davie Gordon (davie_gordon) 6-Zenith Username: davie_gordon Post Number: 1780 Registered: 4-2004 |
Kamasu, Rolling Stone are confused. Aretha recorded tracks for Joe Van Battle's JVB label around 1956/7 some of which were issued as singles on JVB and later on Chess "Never Grow Old" (Checker 861, April '57) "Precious Lord" (Checker 941, Feb.'60) The first LP appearances of some of these tracks were on albums on the Battle label credited to her father Rev. C.L.Franklin - that was in 1962. Checker compiled all the Aretha JVB tracks and issued them as Checker LP10009 "Songs of Faith :The Gospel Soul of Aretha Franklin" issued in 1965 - that's the first LP appearance under Aretha's name rather than as additions to albums credited to her father. | ||
Davie Gordon (davie_gordon) 6-Zenith Username: davie_gordon Post Number: 1781 Registered: 4-2004 |
Here it is ...  | ||
Reese (reese) 6-Zenith Username: reese Post Number: 2540 Registered: 4-2004 |
CIRCLE OF ONE by Oleta Adams. Re Aretha's Chess albums, the SONGS OF FAITH album was later reissued under the title THE GOSPEL SOUL OF ARETHA FRANKLIN, and there were at least three different covers. | ||
DavidDesper (daviddesper) 6-Zenith Username: daviddesper Post Number: 727 Registered: 8-2005 |
For me, the biggest first impression would be Phyllis Hyman. I saw her "Somewhere in My Lifetime" album in a record store, had not heard the title cut or anything else from it. So I asked the impossible of the clerk...to try to describe her to me. (I guess in those days there was no way to sample an LP.) I just decided to buy it anyway, since you could get an album those days for 4 or 5 bucks, and was hooked for good. I had a similar experience with Ann Peebles. I didn't know her music at all, but on a whim, I picked up her "Handwriting is on the Wall" album in a 50 cent bargain bin. The first cut "Old Man with Young Ideas" immediately grabbed me and to this day I remain a fan of hers as well. | ||
daddyacey (daddyacey) 6-Zenith Username: daddyacey Post Number: 2829 Registered: 11-2005 |
If you mean from first hearing the artist and the initial reaction was "Dayum" ,I would have to start from wayyyy back in the day, for me it was Linda Jones and Aretha ,Minnie ,Niecey , Chaka ,Joycelyn Brown ,Martha and Izora , Lauren Hill, Joss Stone ,(The Choking Kind ,was the first track I heard from her ,my jaw hit the floor), Lisa Stansfield and recently ,Sharon Jones. | ||
Marv (marv2) 6-Zenith Username: marv2 Post Number: 4272 Registered: 11-2008 |
I'm with daddyacey. Two that come to mind immediately that had the "Dayum" effect upon first hearing them were Chaka Khan - "Tell Me Something Good (1974) and Jennifer Holiday -"And I Am Telling You..." (1982). There are some others but these two ladies blew me away. | ||
BigSexee (mzmusik) 5-Doyen Username: mzmusik Post Number: 383 Registered: 5-2004 |
LINDA JONES!!!! | ||
TOPDIVA (york) 3-Pundit Username: york Post Number: 393 Registered: 5-2009 |
Phoebe Snow Brenda Russell Esther Phillips Laura Nyro Dee Dee Sharpe Basha Nina Simone Dionne Warwick Leslie Uggams Karen Carpenter | ||
Motown_Fan (motown_fan) 6-Zenith Username: motown_fan Post Number: 4598 Registered: 9-2006 |
One album that comes to mind is Inseparable by Natalie Cole. It was an unexpected surprise. Like a lot of people, I had these ideas about the offspring of some famous singers following in their parent's footsteps. Liza Minnelli had done well, but not Frank Sinatra Jr., Lorna Luft or Billy Eckstine's kids. Natalie had gotten a few Jet covers before she released her album but I didn't expect her to be any good. I thought Capitol signed her because it had to our of obligation to her dad. Boy was I wrong. Natalie looked a little like her dad, but I was surprised at how funky and soulful she was. She was herself, not Nat's daughter riding his coattails. Over the years, I've bought Natalie's debut LP many times over on vinyl, eight track and digital disc. Another amazing first was Phoebe Snow's debut on Shelter. I didn't know if Phoebe was white or black (and I didn't care). Her debut LP is still a favorite. Bette Midler's first album on Atlantic was very good too. There was a lot of variety on it...something for everybody. I think atlantic issued "Do You wanna Dance" before middle America really knew who or what Bette Midler was. Black radio picked up on it. Bette got some airplay on soul radio. (Message edited by motown_fan on July 28, 2010) | ||
ckbronte (ckbronte) 5-Doyen Username: ckbronte Post Number: 192 Registered: 5-2005 |
The one that stopped me in my tracks is Etta James. |
