LET IT ALL-SELECTED SINGLES 1961/1978

Description

“Icon” is an overused term to describe singers and musicians, but when it comes to Nina Simone, few artists fit it so precisely. The “High Priestess of Soul” is without doubt one of the most iconic singers of the 20th century, whose fame and acclaim extend far beyond the traditional circles of Black American music. Nina Simone has already appeared on CDs on Ace and Kent, but this is the first time she has had one all to herself. “Let It All Out” is the first and only collection by Nina Simone to bring together the repertoire from all the labels for which she recorded between the late 1950s and the late 1970s. This is not a traditional “Best Of” or “Greatest Hits” collection (although the performances featured here are among her best and include most of her biggest hits!), but a singles collection presenting Nina Simone’s soul and R&B 45s in chronological order. These are invariably the definitive versions of the songs, whether or not she recorded the original versions. In addition to almost all of her American pop and R&B hits since 1960, “Let It All Out” also gathers all of Simone’s British hits from the same period, including several that were bigger hits here than in her home country, notably the two versions of her biggest British hit “Ain’t Got No; I Got Life,” number 2 in the UK, but uncharted in the US, as well as her last UK Top 5 hit “My Baby Just Cares For Me,” which also made little noise in her home country... Carefully selected and concisely annotated, “Let It All Out” offers the listener an overview of around twenty of Nina Simone’s most famous singles. Many compilations of her work have been released since her passing more than 20 years ago, but none come as directly to the heart - and soul - of her repertoire.