Customer Reviews

Soul on Fire: Best of LaVern Baker

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My youngest memories of music as a kid were of LaVern Baker. My Dad played her albums at every party he threw (and he threw quite a few). I liked it then, but haven't listened to her music in well over 20 years now. I purchased this album to remember my Dad's music.

The best surprise was mine to enjoy--not only did I reconnect all of my memories, I gained a true appreciation of what a wonderful treasure LaVern Baker was. My goodness. Between LaVern Baker and Fats Domino, do you need anything else to remember those years?

There is not a single bad song on this album. Every song she sings is emminently enjoyable. But it--you won't regret it.

One of the great advantages to having become a teenager in the early 1950s is the fact that, by having lived through the birth of R&R, you can look back and give an honest, unbiased opinion as to who constituted the wheat and who made up the chaff.

Let's face it, the early days of R&R were male dominated, and when you get right down to it, only three women were able to consistently hold their own on the charts in those days with the likes of Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Elvis, Pat Boone, Jerry Lee Lewis, and The Everly Brothers. They were Connie Francis, Brenda Lee, and LaVern Baker.

Born Delores Williams on November 11, 1929 in Chicago, her first record releases came in 1951 on Columbia's Okeh subsidiary when she was billed as Bea Baker and, later that same year, as "Little Miss Sharecropper" on the National label. In 1952 she took the name LaVern Baker while performing with Todd Rhodes & His Orchestra, and her success there led to a contract with the fledgling Atlantic Records. Her first release, Soul On Fire - fittingly the title for this CD - was written by the label's legendary founder Ahmet Ertegun, and while it didn't chart in either the R&B or pop Top 40 when released in late 1953, that would change in 1955.

In January that year, with her back-up group The Gliders, she released the bouncy Tweedlee Dee which, b/w the soulful Tomorrow Night [an Elvis favorite] went to # 4 R&B and # 14 pop. And although it was outsold in the latter market by a rushed-out Georgia Gibbs cover, the buying public would not let that happen again. From there to her last big charted hit in 1966, no one dared cover her again.

Of her 21 charted R&B and pop hits, 15 are included here, with the only missing gems being Tra La La (1956), It's So Fine (1958), So High So Low and Tiny Tim from 1959, 1965's Fly Me To The Moon and, from 1966 while with Brunswick Records, the duet with Jackie Wilson, Think Twice.

LaVern, who sadly passed away at age 67 in 1997, did get to see her name enshrined in the R&R Hall of Fame in 1991, thereby correcting a five year oversight [she should have been selected with the first inductees in 1986]. In any event, this is one CD you MUST have if you want an appreciation of one of the top three most influential female artists of Rock's early days. And while you're at it, search out the fabulous LP LaVern Baker Sings Bessie Smith.

BACK IN THE 50'S WHEN THERE WERE SO MANY GREAT SINGERS COMING AND GOING LAVERN BAKER WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST RTHYM AND BLUES QUEENS OF ALL-TIME.SHE WAS OF THE SAME GENRE AS ETTA JAMES, CHUCK WILLIS, SOLOMON BURKE ETC.LAVERN MADE CLASSICS LIKE "I CRIED A TEAR", "JIM DANDY" ETC.HER SINGING WAS CLEANER THAN ETTA JAMES'BUT THEY DID THE SAME TYPE OF SONGS.YOU WILL LOVE THIS C.D. AND WANT TO BUY OTHER C.D.'S BY THIS SINGER. DON'T MISS OUT ON THESE CLASSIC R&B POP RECORDINGS!BUY IT!!

Not only was she great in every way these other reviews say, she was a very beautiful lady on the outside and inside. The only place I had to hear her when I was a teenager was at a mainly "blacks" cafe on the "down" end of the town I grew up in. There were no "black" radio stations then in my hometown. My closest friend and I could sometimes get a far off radio station that played this kind of music, but we'd slip off and go to this cafe (Miles' Cafe) after high school let out. I can't remember what we used as an excuse as to why we were late getting home from school. (Parents cared in those days, but would not have approved of our going in to "that" cafe.) I'm so glad I ran across this album on Amazon. Well, Amazon actually recommended it to me. Thanks Amazon. I remember most of these songs. Oh, I graduated from high school in 1957.

Lavern Baker is an almost forgotten legend of rhythm and blues. It is difficult to find her recordings in music stores, but this album has everything you could want if you are going to buy only one album by her. Highlights of this album are the hot jumpin' "Jim Dandy" and "Jim Dandy Got Married." This is where Baker is truly on fire. Her voice is out of sight without over-doing it. This is a perfect example of what rhythm and blues truly is.

BACK IN THE 50'S WHEN THERE WERE SO MANY GREAT SINGERS COMING AND GOING LAVERN BAKER WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST RTHYM AND BLUES QUEENS OF ALL-TIME.SHE WAS OF THE SAME GENRE AS ETTA JAMES, CHUCK WILLIS, SOLOMON BURKE ETC.LAVERN MADE CLASSICS LIKE "I CRIED A TEAR", "JIM DANDY" ETC.HER SINGING WAS CLEANER THAN ETTA JAMES'BUT THEY DID THE SAME TYPE OF SONGS.YOU WILL LOVE THIS C.D. AND WANT TO BUY OTHER C.D.'S BY THIS SINGER. DON'T MISS OUT ON THESE CLASSIC R&B POP RECORDINGS!BUY IT!!

i really enjoyed lavern Baker's range.i bought this disc last year and was very delighted with her singing style.tweedle dee was ahead of it's time.it had to help influence Rockin Robin?

I thought I would never get to hear "My Happiness" or "Shake A Hand" again, but was thrilled when I found them. This CD is one of my most prized possessions! It's totally awesome!

Are you kidding? A religious experience. Quite aside from inventing Rock&Roll, Elvis and Janis; Ms. LaVern has the cleanest heart-scoopingest, eye-winkingest voice recorded in the United States. As much as I despise Atlantic (if for no other reason... some of the material, and the pathetic recordings of several of America's great treasures) if you DON'T find yourself simultaneously laughing and crying to this CD... man, you just don't get what we could've been over the last 5 decades.

Soul on Fire: The Best of LaVern Baker offers up twenty excellent tunes by the wonderful LaVern Baker. Lavern sang with true passion and her recordings still sound exciting in our times. She brought a great deal of happiness to many people with her songs. The quality of the sound on this album is excellent; and the artwork is very nicely done. The liner notes have an informative essay and they include photos of LaVern and the song credits as well.

The album starts with LaVern singing her heart out on the title track, "Soul On Fire." This ballad features LaVern squarely front and center; she sings of how she loves her special man. LaVern's excellent diction bolsters her performance; and that percussion sounds perfect for this number. "Tweedle Dee" is a playful tune about love that became a signature song for LaVern; and just one listen will tell you why this song became so famous. The backup chorus makes it sound even better and LaVern aces "Tweedle Dee" as easily as if it were breathing. Of course, we know it really wasn't so easy; but LaVern Baker's talents always carried her through.

"Bop-Ting-A-Ling" has a great melody and LaVern sings this with just a slight gravelly growl in her voice that makes her sound so good when she sings this tune out proud! Of course, "Jim Dandy" was another huge hit for LaVern Baker; LaVern sang this better than any of them ever could and this song is worth the price of admission alone. I really like "Jim Dandy." "Get Up, Get Up (You Sleepy Head)" has another playful type of arrangement that makes good use of the brass and drums; the backup singers harmonize to perfection as LaVern performs this faultlessly. I love it!

"I Can't Love You Enough" showcases just how well LaVern could belt out a ballad; this slightly Latin sounding ballad with a touch of soul is clearly another highlight of this album. LaVern sings of a woman who loves her man more than words could ever say; and that's grand. "Jim Dandy Got Married" is essentially a follow-up song to "Jim Dandy;" and LaVern delivers both songs with the same energy. In addition, "I Cried A Tear" gets the royal treatment from LaVern Baker who sings this torch song without a hitch. The melody is very pretty and it's quite memorable. "I Waited Too Long" is another torch song that LaVern sings wonderfully. What a nice rhythm for "I Waited Too Long!"

"You Said" mixes a touch of R&B with early rock and roll; LaVern proves that she can do this very well when she sings this with panache. "Saved" has great percussion and drums as LaVern belts this out--and this, too, is truly worth the price of admission alone! "Saved" has a heavy gospel influence and I like it very much. The CD also ends strong with LaVern Baker performing "See See Rider" which was another hit for her. What a fine ending for this album!

LaVern Baker accomplished more in her lifetime than many other entertainers; she could sing alongside the best of them and when LaVern belted out a tune you made room for her! This is a great album for her fans; and people just discovering LaVern Baker would do well to start with this album.