Author of Such Iconic Anthems as “What the World Needs Now
Is Love” and “Put a Little Love in Your Heart,” Jackie DeShannon is one of the greatest singer-songwriters of her generation.
After a decade spent at Liberty/Imperial Records, Jackie was wooed away by Capitol Records in 1971. The label first sent Jackie to Memphis’ American Recording
Studios to record sessions with producer Chips Moman
After spending the first full decade of her recording career at Liberty/ Imperial
Records, where she immortalized such iconic anthems as “What the World Needs
Now Is Love” and “Put a Little Love in Your Heart,” Grammy-winning singer-songwriter
Jackie DeShannon was wooed away to Capitol Records in 1971. Upon landing at her
new label, the Kentucky-born DeShannon was dispatched to Memphis’ American
Recording Studios, where, with producer Chips Moman and a crack band consisting
of Bobby Emmons and Bobby Woods on keyboards, Reggie Young on electric guitar,
Mike Leach on Bass, Johnny Christopher on acoustic guitar, and Gene Crisman on
drums, she recorded a flavorful mix that embraced her Southern soul roots blended
with country, gospel, and pop.
The wide-ranging repertoire included the
DeShannon originals “West Virginia Mine” and “Now That the Desert Is Blooming”
along with songs by George Harrison (“Isn’t It a Pity”), Van Morrison (“And It
Stoned Me”), Carole King & Gerry Gof n (“Child of Mine”), Emitt Rhodes
(“Live till You Die”), Arlo Guthrie (“Gabriel’s Mother’s Highway”), Spooner
Oldham & Dan Penn (“Sweet Inspiration”), and others. But those tracks
inexplicably remained in the vaults, leapfrogged by the tracks DeShannon cut at
Capitol Studios upon returning to California that turned into her Songs album.
In fact, of the Memphis tracks, only a single (“Stone Cold Soul”) and a lone
track on Songs (“Show Me”) were released at the time.
The rest of the Songs
album, co-produced by DeShannon with Eric Malamud and John Palladino, featured
covers of Bob Dylan’s “Lay Lady Lay” (retitled “Lay, Baby, Lay”) and Hoyt
Axton’s “Ease Your Pain” plus a shimmering trio of DeShannon originals:
“Salinas,” “Bad Water,” and a remake of “West Virginia Mine.” DeShannon’s stay at Capitol proved to be
short-lived; legendary producer Jerry Wexler bought out her contract to bring
her to Atlantic Records, leaving most of Jackie’s Memphis masters unreleased.
Some of those masters emerged as part of a long-out-of-print UK collection
decades later, but now, for the first time, all 25 of Jackie’s Capitol recordings
are available on this Real Gone Music compilation. Stone Cold Soul—The Complete
Capitol Recordings presents Jackie’s rare Memphis tracks including 5 previously
unreleased titles along with her Songs album. The CD also offers a stunning
selection of never-before-seen period photographs from her personal collection
along with in-depth liner notes from Joe Marchese taken from an interview with
Jackie. Remastered by Mike Milchner at SonicVision, Stone Cold Soul offers
essential listening for any Jackie DeShannon fan or vintage roots-rocker!
1. You Don't Miss Your Water (Til Your Well Runs Dry)
2. Stone Cold Soul
3. West Virginia Mine (Original Version)
4. Child of Mine
5. Live Till You Die
6. Makes You Beautiful
7. Seven Years from Yesterday
8. They Got You Boy
9. Isn't It a Pity
10. Sweet Inspiration
11. Johnny Joe from California
12. Now That the Desert Is Blooming
13. Sleepin' with Love
14. Gabriel's Mother's Highway
15. And It Stoned Me
16. Show Me
17. Keep Me Warm
18. Lay, Baby, Lay
19. Down by the Riverside
20. International
21. Sunny Days
22. Salinas
23. Bad Water
24. Ease Your Pain
25. West Virginia Mine (Version 2)
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