Bettye Swann

Sound DNA

• Jazz
• Soul Jazz

• warm
• bittersweet
• soulful

About

This 22-song collection by Northern soul fave Bettye Swann shows Capitol Record’s valiant attempts to expand her fanbase after her moderate 1967 hit “Make Me Yours” on Money Records. Running the gamut of country, pop, soul, and R&B, these songs (recorded between 1968 and 1970) resonate swimmingly under the guidance of Capital staffer Wayne Shuler, son of famed producer Eddie Shuler. There's a tender reading of Marlin Greene and Eddie Hinton’s “Cover Me,” the attitudinal strut of Tony Joe White’s “Willie & Laura Mea Jones,” and a pretty R&B overhaul of Hank Cochran’s “Don’t Touch Me.” Add on winning left-fielders—like a smoky version of Smokey Robinson’s “Ain’t That Peculiar” and a soul-country spin on The Bee Gees’ “Words”—and here’s a collection of tunes by a singer with an eyebrow-raising ability to transcend genres. Her voice swings effortlessly between breathy sexiness and barrel-chested joy, and her girlish innocence and warmth augment the well-considered guitar and horn-rich arrangements.

via Apple Music

Tracklist

Credits