Barbara Lewis - Don't Forget About Me - The Atlantic And Reprise Recordings (2020) Soul Music Records 3 x CD,s + Booklet - Rare Soul (FLAC)

As far as i know this is a first of its kind compilation of recordings by renowned singer/songwriter Barbara Lewis spanning her six years with Atlantic Records (1962-1968) and her brief one-year tenure with Reprise Records (1972). Known the world over in particular for her timeless classics, ‘Hello Stranger’ and ‘Baby, I’m Yours’, the Detroit born singers distinctive brand of sweet soul brought her much acclaim in the mid 1960s, resulting in a total of five Atlantic albums. This beautifully packaged collection, sequenced in chronological order of recording session, includes the first CD release of a number of tracks from both the 1964 LP “snap your fingers (Barbara Lewis Sings The Great Soul Tunes)” and the 1966 album, “It’s Magic”.  With a total of 68 tracks over 3 CD,s, including seven non-album singles/B-sides, one previously unreleased cut from 1968 and both sides of Barbara’s sole Reprise single, “Don’t Forget About Me” features an extensive essay by renowned UK writer Charles Waring with quotes from a rare 2020 interview with Barbara specifically for this box set and comments by Billy Vera and Sharon McMahan, two songwriters who penned respectively ‘Make Me Belong To You’ and ‘Someday We’re Gonna Love Again’. Superb artwork by Roger Williams and great remastering by Nick Robbins, this stellar reissue, produced by SoulMusic.com founder David Nathan, includes recording session dates, location and personnel (if known) its all in the booklet.   Disc One begins with Barbara’s first of many sessions produced by Detroit music entrepreneur Ollie McLaughlin, initially a single released on his Karen label before Atlantic Records took over distribution of the 45 and subsequently all of Barbara’s recordings until 1968. Recorded at Chess Records’ studios in Chicago with background vocals supplied by hit-making group The Dells, Barbara’s self-penned ‘Hello Stranger’ became a US R&B chart topper and Top 5 pop hit in 1963 paving the way to her first full LP of the same name. Working with famed arranger/conductor Riley Hampton, Barbara’s secons set “Snap Your Fingers” features her covers of thirteen hits by male artists such as Ray Charles, Chuck Jackson, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke and Jimmy Reed among others and is included in its entirety here. Disc Two finds Barbara switching recording location to New York and working with top arrangers such as Teacho Wiltshire, Artie Butler and Jimmy Wisner in a variety of different settings from the pop/soul flavour of tracks like Van McCoy’s ‘Baby, I’m Yours’ (under the direction of Bert Berns), one of Barbara’s most successful and memorable hits which became the title track for her third LP to a set of ‘60s tunes (including ‘Yesterday’, ‘Let It Me Be’ and ‘The Shadow Of Your Smile’) and jazz and pop standards such as ‘Since I Fell For You’ and ‘It’s Magic’, the latter the title for Barbara’s fourth LP.  Disc Three completes Barbara’s association with Atlantic Records and includes key cuts included on her 1968 swansong LP for the label, “Workin’ On a Groovy Thing,” the title cut co-written by Neil Sedaka; her last two Atlantic hit singles 1965’s ‘Make Me Your Baby’ and 1966’s ‘Make Me Belong To You’ & the UK Northern Soul Scene long-time favourite, ‘I Remember The Feeling’ as well as her other northern hits, and one previously unissued track, ‘You Put A Song In My Heart’ from Barbara’s one-off 1967 recording date with producers Lou Courtney & Bob Bateman that also yielded the popular ‘Thankful For What I Got’. After cutting one LP for the Stax/Enterprise label in 1970, Barbara signed with Reprise Records in 1972 and included here are both sides of the lone single recorded in Muscle Shoals, ‘Rock And Roll Lullaby’ (penned by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil) and ‘I’m So Thankful’. All in all its a superb collection of songs spanning a long and eventfull Career. Another Detroit LEGEND!

AMM

                                                                      The Tasters!