While talking to Jerry a few days ago, I mentioned that I was planning on picking up a retrospective disc i'd been seeing.
He basically said don't bother spending the money as he didn't feel it really represented his best work.


He sent me a copy yesterday...



...The Jerry Ragovoy Story: Time Is On My Side 1953-2003


1. As Long As I Have You - Garnet Mimms
2. Stay With Me - Lorraine Ellison
3. Good Lovin' - The Olympics
4. A Wonderful Dream - The Majors
5. My Girl Awaits Me - The Castelles
6. I'm Comin' Home - Fabulous Four
7. Cry Baby - Garnet Mimms & The Enchanters
8. I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face - Pat Thomas
9. Disappointed - Claudine Clark
10. You're Looking Good - Howard Tate
11. You Got Just What You Asked For - Estelle Brown
12. Time Is On My Side - Kai Winding
13. Pata Pata - Miriam Makeba
14. Thinkin' - Garnet Mimms
15. The Hurt's All Gone - Irma Thomas
16. I Wanna Thank You - The Enchanters
17. What's It Gonna Be - Dusty Springfield (remix)
18. You Don't Know Nothing About Love - Carl Hall
19. Ain't Got Nobody To Give It To - Howard Tate
20. What Do You Want Me To Do? - Lou Courtney
21. What About You - Carl Hall
22. Move Me No Mountain - Dionne Warwick
23. Pretty Red Lips (Kiss My Blues Away) - Major Harris
24. Get It While You Can - Howard Tate


From the liner notes concerning the Lorraine Ellison recording...

I have two favorite Rags stories and here's the first one: Frank Sinatra had booked a huge 46-piece orchestra session for a Reprise album he was working on. Three days before the session he cancelled, as icons are wont to do every now and then. The record company staff had a coronary - it was too late to cancel by union rules and a 46-piece session is mighty costly. They called all the New York producers who had current artists on Warner Bros/Reprise and offered them the three hour session gratis. It was not a throwaway because arrangements had to be written for 46 musicians an that, my friends, takes time. When they called Jerry, he took the session. By then it was Monday and the session was on Wednesday evening. He called his sidekick, arranger Garry Sherman, and the two of them dived into arrangement-land, eschewing sleep for a few days. The artist Jerry was attempting to record was Lorraine Ellison and she was prepped on the song as well. In those days there was no overdubbing and barely four tracks to record on. Jerry was lucky to have engineer Phil Ramone at his disposal that night. As they rehearsed the complicated arrangement, replete with rubato bars and high trumpet section notes, Ramone slowly put together a stereo monitor mix which he recorded right to a two-track recorder as well as to the four-track. "Take one," Jerry intoned from the booth, and with Lorraine singing live with the entire orchestra. They were off and running. At the end of the take, there were tears in a few eyes.

Sinatra's musicians had been indoctrinated into the Ragovoy Kingdom Of Soul in one take and Lorraine's vocal was a keeper. They took one more take to correct a lyric flub in the second line, but everyone there knew the first take was golden and the vocal track was corrected and spliced into the first take and 70 musicians and friends went home early that night. The stereo monitor mix is the track you hear on this CD and the one folks heard back then on vinyl. I'm sorry, I forgot to say the title - 'Stay With Me' - not a bad night's work.

Al Kooper, 2008

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431
[Edited 12/12/08 20:21pm]

I actually have the original pressing from 1966(you'd be supriced at what you might find in my momma's house I would have ALL of these blogs beat )




Great record there're FAR better songs than Stay With Me, I have no idea why that song stood out

Speaking of Move Me No Mountain by Ms.Warwick, I prefer the fiery version of this dame


[Edited 12/12/08 15:12pm]

WHOA! That's something. The only thing I can think is...BIG. Love it!

Harlepolis said:

Could I get yo mama number?

Harlepolis said:

First, let me know the next time you're in NYC.
We're gonna pay your Mom a visit.

Second, it's her vocal performance on that tune.
Ask the one's that have tried to cover it
(Bette Midler, Natalie Cole, Shirley Brown and Mary J. during the 2007 Grammy Awards)


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

Another thing that baffles me the times this song got covered I still can't see whats the big deal. Its the most overrated tune from her catalog.

Same case with Minnie Riperton and Loving You.

Harlepolis said:

Well let me push you on over the edge with the fact that Janis Joplin's version of Try (Just a Little Bit Harder) is more well known.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

RipHer2Shreds said:

I knew that you would.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

That is true

Harlepolis said:

Btw, Try (Just a Little Bit Harder) was on a later album...



...that also included Stay With Me (1969)

1. Only Your Love
2. Try (Just A Little Bit Harder)
3. I'm Gonna Cry Till My Tears Run Dry
4. I Want To Be Loved
5. The Hurt Came Back Again
6. Stay With Me
7. You Don't Know Nothing About Love
8. You're Easy On My Mind
9. No Matter How It All Turns Out
10. A Good Love
11. A Heart Be Still


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

I saw Janis' live version of this from her "Janis" documentary.