Etta James, Phil Chess & Riley Hampton 1960
Introduction
Etta James released her debut album in 1960, a classic album that signaled the start of a long career.
Etta James
Jamesetta Hawkins was born on January 25, 1938, as the daughter of a 14-year-old girl. As a result, she spent much of her childhood in foster care and never experienced a truly safe or stable home. Even some of the people who discovered her early singing talent treated her violently.
At age 14, she met musician Johnny Otis, who heard her sing with her group The Creolettes. Otis signed them to Modern Records and suggested that Hawkins adopt the stage name Etta James. Starting in 1954, James released several singles under her own name, earning modest success. In 1960, she signed with Chess Records, where her musical direction began to shift. The label believed James had strong ‘cross-over appeal’, meaning her music was expected to also resonate on the mainstream pop charts.
Etta James – At Last!
At Last!
On November 15, Etta James released her debut album, At Last!, on the Chess sublabel Argo Records. The album was produced by Phil and Leonard Chess. To give the album broader pop appeal, many songs were made more accessible, or sweeter, through lush string arrangements and orchestration by Riley Hampton and his orchestra.
Musically, At Last! showcased a wider range than James’s earlier work, blending soul, gospel, blues, rhythm and blues, and jazz. What remained unchanged were her powerful performances, which were full of conviction, emotion, and raw energy.
Liner Notes
The original album included uncredited liner notes, which are reproduced below.
If in popular music, as in most sports, there was an award for the comeback of the year, 1960’s trophy would surely have to go to Etta James.
After making one of the biggest hit records of the year in 1955, with her great version of Dance With Me, Henry, then following with Good Rockin’ Daddy and Crazy Feeling, Etta couldn’t seem to do a thing right and drifted into virtual obscurity.
Her remarkable singing talent was undiminished, yet nothing went right recordingwise and she, to all outward appearances, had had it.
But then, after five long struggling years, she signed with Argo Records. Lightning struck immediately. Her very first record for Argo, All I Could Do Was Cry, zoomed to the top of every chart in the country and Miss James was off and singing once more. Her next disc was the famed duet with Harvey Fuqua, If I Can’t Have You, another hit.
Then came her Dearest Darling, another chart-topper, and at last, this, her first album.
“I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” says Etta. “I want very much to be known as a pop singer who can do songs like Stormy Weather and Sunday Kind Of Love as well as rock ballads, and I hope I’ve begun to prove my point here.”
There can be little doubt that she has, for her performances on those ongs in this album, as well as on At Last and Trust in Me, are sparkling highlights that we are sure listeners will turn to again and again.
Etta, born 22 years ago in Los Angeles, is another in a long line of current top artists whose start came by singing in spiritual and gospel groups. Others who can attribute some of their stylistic background to church music include Dinah Washington, Della Reese, Brook Benton, Sam Cooke, and many more.
When she was 17, however, Etta auditioned for Johnny Otis, long the leader of one of the top bands in the country. He was so impressed with her talents that he immediately got her to a recording contract and the result was Dance With Me, Henry.
Since All I Could Do Was Cry became a hit, Etta’s life has been a succession of personal appearances in theatres like the Apollo in New York, the Regal in Chicago, and the Howard in Washington, tours with concert packages, and several appearances on the Dick Clark show.
It appears that never again will it be necessary for Etta James to make a comeback. She’s on top now and is going to stay there.
Etta James At Last!, liner notes
Etta James – At Last! – Re-release
Reception
At Last! received strong critical acclaim and, eventually, commercial success as well, although it took some time to build. James won a Grammy Award for the album in 2003, an incredible 43 years after its original release. The album continues to appear on ‘best of all time’ lists around the world.
Review
At Last! remains a timeless classic. It presents Etta James in a slightly softer style but still utterly convincing. Her voice shines throughout, particularly on up-tempo tracks like Tough Mary and the doo-wop gem Girl of My Dreams — yet it’s I Just Want To Make Love To You that leaves the deepest impression. Nowadays it’s considered a standard, but back then, its title and message were downright scandalous, especially coming from a woman, a black woman no less.
The ballads are sweet, sometimes even syrupy, but James’s voice carries them beautifully. The 1999 reissue, featuring four bonus tracks, is the best version to own. It includes duets with Harvey Fuqua, her romantic partner at the time, which are dynamic, passionate, and raw, with a more direct and explosive sound.
Singles
The album produced four singles, released between 1960 and 1961: All I Could Do Was Cry, My Dearest Darling, At Last, and Trust in Me, all of which reached the Top 5 on the Billboard charts. However, the hoped-for crossover never quite materialized, the singles performed best on the Billboard R&B chart rather than the mainstream pop chart.
Etta James – At Last! – Back cover
Songs
Composers are listed in parentheses after each title.
- Anything To Say You’re Mine (Sonny Thompson)
- My Dearest Darling (Edwin “Eddie Bo” Bocage, Paul Gayten)
- Trust In Me (Milton Ager, Jean Schwartz, Ned Wever)
- A Sunday Kind Of Love (Louis Prima, Barbara Belle, Anita Leonard, Stan Rhodes)
- Tough Mary (Etta James, Joe Josea)
- I Just Want To Make Love To You (Willie Dixon)
- At Last (Mack Gordon, Harry Warren)
- All I Could Do Was Cry (Billy Davis, Gwen Fuqua, Berry Gordy)
- Stormy Weather (Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler)
- Girl Of My Dreams (Charles “Sunny” Clapp)
In 1999, the album was re-released with four additional tracks, duets by Etta James and Harvey Fuqua.
- My Heart Cries (Harvey Fuqua, Etta James)
- Spoonful (Willie Dixon)
- It’s a Crying Shame (Harvey Fuqua, Etta James)
- If I Can’t Have You (Harvey Fuqua, Etta James)
Personnel
- Etta James – vocals
- Riley Hampton – arranger, conductor
- Leonard Chess, Phil Chess – producers
- Harvey Fuqua – vocals (on the additional tracks from the 1999 reissue)
Etta James 1967
After At Last!
Etta James continued recording and performing thrilling live shows until around 1980. Personally, however, her life was turbulent, marked by heartbreak, addiction, financial struggles, several arrests (and prison time), and psychiatric treatment. Things grew so difficult that she eventually stopped recording and performing. Between 1980 and 1989, she disappeared from the public eye entirely.
Then, in 1989, she made a stunning comeback. Recognition for her earlier work and her renewed career brought her more acclaim than ever before. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Blues Hall of Fame, and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. She won a Grammy Award and was named Soul/Blues Female Artist of the Year several times by the Blues Foundation. In November 2011, she released her final album and announced her retirement from touring. By that time, James had been battling dementia and leukemia for some years. She passed away on January 20, 2012, in the hospital.
In Conclusion
What do you think of Etta James and At Last!? Let us know!
Video/Spotify
This story contains an accompanying video. Click on the following link to see it: Video: Etta James At Last!. The A Pop Life playlist on Spotify has been updated as well.
