Tell Mama
Encyclopedia
Tell Mama is the seventh studio album by American Blues
artist, Etta James
. The album was released August 21, 1968 on Cadet Records
and was produced by Rick Hall
. Tell Mama was James's first album since 1963 to enter the Billboard 200
albums chart and contained her first Top 10 and 20 hits since 1964. It was also her second release for the Cadet record label.
in Muscle Shoals, Alabama
, upon the encouragement of Leonard Chess
, who successfully convinced James to record the album there. Allmusic reviewer, Bill Dahl praised the album's production, called its sessions, "skin-tight." At Muscle Shoals, producers were able to mix her voice in order for it sound stronger on previously-distorted high notes. The album's title track, became one of the biggest hits of James's career, becoming her first Top 10 hit in four years and her highest-peaking single on the Billboard Pop chart
, reaching #23. It has since been considered one of her all-time classics. The album's cover of Otis Redding
's "Security" also became a major hit, reaching the Top 20 on the R&B singles chart, while also making the Pop Top 40.
Besides a cover version of Redding's composition, other cover versions included Jimmy Hughes
's "Don't Lose Your Good Thing" and a pair of copyrights by Don Covay
. It also featured the title track's B-side, "I'd Rather Go Blind," which was originally not a hit, however it later became one of James's signature songs. In the 1990s, Tell Mama was remastered and re-released on MCA
/Chess
. The album was remastered by Erick Labson at Universal Mastering Studios-West in North Hollywood, California. A compilation version of the album was later released and included ten additional bonus tracks, including cover versions of David Houston
's, "Almost Persuaded" and Sonny & Cher
's "I Got You Babe."
The album was also reviewed by cd universe.com, who gave the release three out of five stars, overall calling the album, "very good." The website was pleased with the decision of allowing to James to "belt out powerful tracks," which they exemplified as, "The Love of My Man" and "Watch Dog." In addition, the website also called the slower ballads, "equally arresting," including "I'd Rather Go Blind."
Singles - Billboard (United States)
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
artist, Etta James
Etta James
Etta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...
. The album was released August 21, 1968 on Cadet Records
Cadet Records
Cadet Records was started as Argo Records in 1955 as the jazz subsidiary of Chess Records. Argo changed its name in 1965 to Cadet to avoid confusion with the similarly named label in the UK...
and was produced by Rick Hall
Rick Hall
Roe Erister "Rick" Hall is an American record producer, songwriter, music publisher and musician who is best known as the owner and proprietor of the FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.-Life and career:...
. Tell Mama was James's first album since 1963 to enter the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
albums chart and contained her first Top 10 and 20 hits since 1964. It was also her second release for the Cadet record label.
Background
Tell Mama was recorded at the FAME StudiosFAME Studios
FAME Studios are located at 603 East Avalon in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. They have been an integral part of American popular music from the late 1950s to the present...
in Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of the city to be 12,846. The city is included in The Shoals MSA. It is famous for its contributions to American popular music.-Geography:Muscle Shoals is located...
, upon the encouragement of Leonard Chess
Leonard Chess
Leonard Chess was a record company executive and the founder of Chess Records. He was influential in the development of electric blues.- Early life :...
, who successfully convinced James to record the album there. Allmusic reviewer, Bill Dahl praised the album's production, called its sessions, "skin-tight." At Muscle Shoals, producers were able to mix her voice in order for it sound stronger on previously-distorted high notes. The album's title track, became one of the biggest hits of James's career, becoming her first Top 10 hit in four years and her highest-peaking single on the Billboard Pop chart
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, reaching #23. It has since been considered one of her all-time classics. The album's cover of Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
's "Security" also became a major hit, reaching the Top 20 on the R&B singles chart, while also making the Pop Top 40.
Besides a cover version of Redding's composition, other cover versions included Jimmy Hughes
Jimmy Hughes (singer)
Jimmy Hughes is an American former rhythm and blues singer, whose biggest successes in the mid 1960s, notably his hit "Steal Away", were important in the early development of the Muscle Shoals music industry.-Life and career:...
's "Don't Lose Your Good Thing" and a pair of copyrights by Don Covay
Don Covay
Don Covay is an American R&B/rock and roll/soul music singer and songwriter most active in the 1950s and 1960s, who received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1994...
. It also featured the title track's B-side, "I'd Rather Go Blind," which was originally not a hit, however it later became one of James's signature songs. In the 1990s, Tell Mama was remastered and re-released on MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
/Chess
Chess Records
Chess Records was an American record label based in Chicago, Illinois. It specialized in blues, R&B, soul, gospel music, early rock and roll, and occasional jazz releases....
. The album was remastered by Erick Labson at Universal Mastering Studios-West in North Hollywood, California. A compilation version of the album was later released and included ten additional bonus tracks, including cover versions of David Houston
David Houston (singer)
Charles David Houston was an American country music singer. His peak in popularity came between the mid-1960s through the early 1970s.-Biography:...
's, "Almost Persuaded" and Sonny & Cher
Sonny & Cher
Sonny & Cher were an American pop music duo, actors, singers and entertainers made up of husband-and-wife team Sonny and Cher Bono in the 1960s and 1970s. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector....
's "I Got You Babe."
Critical reception
Tell Mama was given positive reviews from music critics upon its release. Allmusic critic, Bill Dahl was pleased with the effort, stating it to be, "one of her best and most soul-searing Cadet albums." Dahl called the title track "relentlessly driving" and "I'd Rather Go Blind," "a moving soul ballad." He also said that the album's producers, "really did themselves proud behind Miss Peaches."The album was also reviewed by cd universe.com, who gave the release three out of five stars, overall calling the album, "very good." The website was pleased with the decision of allowing to James to "belt out powerful tracks," which they exemplified as, "The Love of My Man" and "Watch Dog." In addition, the website also called the slower ballads, "equally arresting," including "I'd Rather Go Blind."
Side one
- "Tell Mama" – (Clarence Carter, Marcus Daniel, Wilbur Terrell) 2:20
- "I'd Rather Go BlindI'd Rather Go Blind"I'd Rather Go Blind" is a Blues song written by Ellington Jordan and co-credited to Billy Foster. It was first recorded by Etta James in 1968, and has subsequently become regarded as a blues and soul classic.-Original version by Etta James:...
" – (Bill Foster, Ellington Jordan) 2:33 - "Watch Dog" – (Don CovayDon CovayDon Covay is an American R&B/rock and roll/soul music singer and songwriter most active in the 1950s and 1960s, who received a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1994...
) 2:06 - "Love of My Man" – (Ed TownsendEd TownsendEdward Benjamin 'Ed' Townsend was an American attorney, songwriter, and producer. He was best known for performing his composition, "For Your Love," a rhythm and blues doo wop classic, and as the co-writer of "Let's Get It On" with Marvin Gaye.-Biography:Although he was born in Fayetteville,...
) 2:37 - "I'm Gonna Take What He's Got" – (Covay) 2:32
- "The Same Rope" – (Leonard Caston, Jr.Leonard Caston, Jr.Leonard Caston, Jr. is an American rhythm and blues songwriter, record producer, pianist and singer. He recorded for both the Chess and Motown labels in the 1960s and 1970s, and co-wrote or co-produced several major hit records, including Mitty Collier's "I Had A Talk With My Man" , The Supremes'...
, Lloyd Webster) 2:39
Side two
- "Security" – (Otis ReddingOtis ReddingOtis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
, Margaret Wessen) 2:44 - "Steal Away" – (Jimmy Hughes) 2:19
- "My Mother In-Law" – (George David, Lee Diamond) 2:20
- "Don't Lose Your Good Thing" – (Rick Hall) 2:26
- "It Hurts Me So Much" – (Charles ChalmersCharles Chalmers (musician)Charles Chalmers is a saxophonist, session musician, backup singer, songwriter and producer. He has written several hit songs for many recording artists, and has also arranged & performed on many grammy winning recordings...
) 2:34 - "Just a Little BitJust a Little Bit (Rosco Gordon song)"Just a Little Bit" is an R&B-style blues song recorded by Rosco Gordon in 1959. It was a hit in both the R&B and pop charts. Called "one of the standards of contemporary blues", "Just a Little Bit" has been recorded by a variety of artists, including Little Milton and Roy Head who also had...
" – (Ralph BassRalph BassRalph Bass , born in The Bronx, New York of an Italian-American-Catholic father, and a German-American-Jewish mother, was an influential rhythm and blues record producer and talent scout for several independent labels and was responsible for many hit records. He was a pioneer in bringing black...
, Buster Brown, John Thornton, Fats Washington) 2:11
Personnel
- Carl Banks – organ
- Barry BeckettBarry BeckettBarry Edward Beckett was a keyboardist who worked as a session musician with several notable artists on their studio albums...
– organ - Charles Chalmers – background vocals
- George Davis – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Roger HawkinsRoger HawkinsRoger G Hawkins , is an American drummer best known for playing as part of the studio backing band known as The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section of Alabama...
– drums - David HoodDavid HoodDavid Hood , is a bassist from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He also plays the trombone and is a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame....
– bassBass (instrument)Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles... - Etta James – lead vocals
- Jimmy Ray Jenkins – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Albert Lowe – guitar
- Gene Miller – trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- James Mitchell – saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
- Floyd Newman – saxophone
- Spooner OldhamSpooner OldhamDewey Lindon "Spooner" Oldham is an American songwriter and session musician. An organist, he recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and at FAME Studios on such hit R&B songs as "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge, "Mustang Sally" by Wilson Pickett and "I Never Loved a Man" by Aretha...
– keyboards - Marvell ThomasMarvell ThomasMarvell Thomas is an American keyboardist known for his work in Memphis Soul and son of the man dubbed "Memphis's other King", Rufus Thomas. His sister Carla Thomas was known as the Memphis Queen after her breakthrough hit "Gee Whiz."...
– pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Aaron Varnell – saxophone
Chart positions
Album – Billboard (North America)| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | R&B Albums | 21 |
| Pop Albums | 82 | |
Singles - Billboard (United States)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | "Tell Mama" | R&B Singles | 10 |
| Pop Singles | 23 | ||
| "Security" | R&B Singles | 11 | |
| Pop Singles | 35 | ||