LET IT ALL-SELECTED SINGLES 1961/1978

Description

"Icon" is an overused term for singers and musicians, but when it comes to Nina Simone, few artists describe her so accurately. The "High Priestess of Soul" is undoubtedly one of the most iconic singers of the 20th century, whose fame and acclaim extend far beyond traditional Black American music circles. Nina Simone has previously appeared on CDs on Ace and Kent, but this is the first time she has one all to herself. "Let It All Out" is the first and only Nina Simone collection to bring together repertoire from all the labels she recorded for 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 collection of singles featuring Nina Simone's soul and R&B 45s, arranged chronologically. These are invariably the definitive versions of the songs, whether she recorded the original versions or not. In addition to almost all of her American pop and R&B hits since 1960, "Let It All Out" also brings together all of Simone's British hits from the same period, several of which were more successful here than in her home country, including both versions of her biggest UK hit "Ain't Got No; I Got Life", which reached number 2 in the UK but did not chart in the US, as did her last UK Top 5 hit "My Baby Just Cares For Me", which also made little impact in her home country... Carefully selected and concisely annotated, "Let It All Out" offers the listener a glimpse into some 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 touch so directly upon the heart - and soul - of her repertoire.