Customer Reviews

Evelyn Champagne King - Greatest Hits

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is RCA's second release of best hits by Evelyn Champagne King. The first one was in 1993, and the two are her only two albums released in the United States since 1990. (She does have a very worthwhile English album (that I like very much) of new Songs ("I'll keep a Light On", 1995, on the Expansion label.)

I think Evelyn is an extroadinary singer. She is a strong singer, but she also has a wonderful gift of bringing playfulness, happiness, and love to life in her music in a way that I do not quite find in any other singer. I love Evelyn's music. There is a tremendous amount of good popular music, but I think I could be satisfied enough to only listen to Evelyn Champagne King, Bob Dylan, and the Beatles, and be happy for the rest of my life.

This album contains a little booklet that has a very personal and powerful biograhical account of Evelyn's life. It penetrates far beneath the surface of what I have read about her before, and it contains a collection of some very nice pictures of her. The album does contain her most popular hits, and a few other hits to make it a little different from the last best hists album. It reintroduces some decent songs "Till Midnight", "Spirit of the Dancer" (that I did not think of as a hit, but always liked), and the very early song "Let's Get Funky Tonight". Unfortunately, it leaves out one of her very best "Get Loose".

I am just happy that RCA had the good judgement and courage (maybe) to bring out an Evelyn Champagne King album in 2001. I am not just a lover of greatest hits. To me some of her songs that I love the most are not the hits, and I love them as much. (I will just say she has a very deep talent, as is also true with many singers). Also, she had some beautiful songs with other record companies that could not appear on an RCA hits album (especially the "Flirt" EMI album and the "I'll keep a Light On". The biography, in fact, spread tremendous light on on some of her music after her RCA days, especially on "Kisses Don't Lie" and "Starchild". It made me appreciate, and it made me cry. I hope very much that this release will help bring Evelyn "Champagne" King back to life for music listeners, and that she can continue to develop, and that maybe some of her many earlier albums that I loved so much can be re-published also. I also would like also like her to be prominent enough to have a tour schedule, so I do not miss her when she does appear close by.

When people think of r&b staples of the 1980s, the first names that come up are Prince and Michael Jackson. But this hits collection shows that Evelyn Champagne King should get her props for releasing some of the most solid r&b hits of the 1980s. She may be best known to mainstream audiences for her 1970s disco anthem "Shame," but r&b fans also know her for her work with producer Kashif, the Babyface of his day. "I'm in Love" is a flawless dance number bursting with the kind of funk modern artists could only wish they could possess. "Love Come Down" and "Betcha She Don't Love You" also stand out as well. Unfortunately, the last third of the disc is made up of material of lesser quality, but this is overall a purchase that merits attention.

A true talent whose singing abilities goes far beyond than that of being hailed one of disco's finest. True, King reigned supreme with ultimate dance classics "Shame," "I Don't Know If It's Right," and "Music Box," but in closing the chapter on one of music's greatest eras, Evelyn "Champagne" King successfully became one of '80's R&B premiere powerhouse female vocalists turning such hits as "Love Come Down," "I'm In Love," "Your Personal Touch," and "Get Loose," just to name a few, into instant and timeless classics. This definitive collection triumphantly showcases an amazing and dynamic voice.

Evelyn Champagne King was one of my many favorites. This album fully covers her RCA period very well. I love the extended version of Shame that opens up the album. She was that good on the ballad that was a hit along with the uptempo tunes. Love Come Down, I'm In Love, Action, Betcha She, Personal Touch and others are also favorites. I was surprised that some songs finished like #54 like Out of Control, or #51 like Till Midnight on the singles chart. Evelyn's songs were proven records to me. I would have liked the album version of Personal Touch than the instrumental version they have on there. And I like High Horse, which closes the album. Evelyn was a very superb singer vocally, her voice strong for the music she was given to sing to.

I have been a fan of eck since here 'shame'. Her records were quite difficult to find in France and I missed some of them but everytime I could manage to find one it was a real pleasure. She has got an original voice and her nervous songs are particularly good.

This CD gives a good summary of her work except the last 2 albums which are excellent by the way. Too bad the songs were not all here maxi single.

My favorite song: Out of control (not the version from this CD unfortunately).

Here best albums: Get loose, Girl next door

Why is she not releasing album anymore, that really is such a pity :((

If you love funk grooves, this is it, you have a pro here...

I hate edits and this disc has too many of em. Also it's missing 'Kisses Don't Lie', it's a liscensing thing so its forgivable. Besides those two faults this does a good job of assembling her best. The first 10 songs are pure gold, except 'Let's Get Funky Tonight'. Those tracks are some straight up jams. Tracks 11 through 18 aren't as good as the first but are still good. The best are 'Your Personal Touch', 'High Horse', Shake Down' and 'Out Of Control'. If you can find them, get the albums 'I'm In Love' and 'Get Loose' in addition to this.

Unfortunately this compilation does not include her two smash hits, "Kisses Don't Lie" and "You Can Turn Me On." If you are an Evelyn King fan, I am certain you would enjoy these two missing and completely off the hook tracks. Meanwhile I will keep searching until I find them.

I love this woman, and the song "betcha she don't love you" the song over the years has been so infectious in my mind. When it pops up, it always manages to make me rock from side to side and enjoy the memories of a good era. You can't replace classics!

The inclusion of "Kisses don't lie" would have made this complete.

It is an excellent CD. The reason for the 4 stars instead 5 is a lack on 12 inches versions. For those who don't care about getting shorter versions it is a very good CD, with reprentative sample of ECK greatest hits.