The Complete Decca Recordings by Billie Holiday

The Complete Decca Recordings

Billie Holiday

1991

The Complete Decca Recordings is a Jazz album by Billie Holiday, originally released in 1991. On Gatefold: 13 pressings tracked.

Sound DNA

  • Jazz
  • Vocal Jazz
  • velvety
  • tender
  • soulful

About

Billie Holiday's relationship with the recording industry may not have been as tempestuous as her personal life, but label constraints kept the singer's artistry from truly blossoming for almost a decade. Constrained by essentially middle of the road sensibilities at Columbia, the singer's later freelancing for Commodore at least gave her the freedom to exploit her jazz sensibilities in a small band context. But it was her subsequent 1944-50 tenure at Decca that allowed Holiday to finally reach her full potential in expansive new contexts. Her jazz side may be a bit muted on these sessions, which instead frame her magnificent, expressive voice in a range of production accoutrements that now include strings, a larger orchestra and backing singers. The results were such Holiday landmarks as "Lover Man," "Don't Explain," "Solitude, " "'Taint Nobody's Business If I Do," "Good Morning Heartache" and more detailed re-recordings of earlier staples like "God Bless the Child," accompanied here by insightful alternate takes. Long celebrated as one of America's true musical treasures, this is the most comprehensive document of Billie Holiday in her prime.

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Tracklist

  1. 1Lover Man (Single Version)3:18
  2. 2No More (Single Version)2:48
  3. 3No More3:06
  4. 4That Ole Devil Called Love (Single Version)2:55
  5. 5Don't Explain2:57
  6. 6Big Stuff (feat. Camarata and His Orchestra) [Alt. Take November 1944]2:29
  7. 7Don't Explain (Single Version)3:24
  8. 8Big Stuff3:00
  9. 9You Better Go Now (Single Version)2:37
  10. 10What Is This Thing Called Love (Single Version)3:07
  11. 11Good Morning Heartache3:08
  12. 12No Good Man3:24
  13. 13No Good Man (Single Version)3:08
  14. 14Big Stuff (False Start With Chatter)0:22
  15. 15Big Stuff (Alt. Take)2:47
  16. 16Big Stuff (Prologue / From "Fancy Free")2:32
  17. 17Baby, I Don't Cry Over You3:13
  18. 18Baby, I Don't Cry Over You (feat. Billy Kyle Trio) [Single Version]3:12
  19. 19I'll Look Around (Edit)3:16
  20. 20I'll Look Around (Single Version)3:15
  21. 21The Blues Are Brewin' (feat. John Simmons & His Orchestra) [Single Version]3:03
  22. 22Guilty (Alt. Version)2:53
  23. 23Guilty1:07
  24. 24Guilty (feat. John Simmons & His Orchestra)3:14
  25. 25Deep Song (Single Version)3:13
  26. 26There Is No Greater Love (Single Version)2:57
  27. 2.1Easy Living (Single Version)3:12
  28. 2.2Solitude (1991 Box Set Version)3:14
  29. 2.3Solitude (Single Version)3:10
  30. 2.4Weep No More (feat. The Stardusters) [Single Version]3:21
  31. 2.5Girls Were Made To Take Care Of Boys (feat. The Stardusters) [Single Version]3:13
  32. 2.6Porgy (Single Version)2:57
  33. 2.7My Man (Mon Homme) [1991 Box Set Version]3:10
  34. 2.8My Man (Single Version)2:57
  35. 2.9'Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do (Alternate Version)3:17
  36. 2.10Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do (Single Version)3:21
  37. 2.11Baby Get Lost (feat. Buster Harding & His Orchestra) [Single Version]3:15
  38. 2.12Keeps On A Rainin' (feat. Sy Oliver and His Orchestra) [Single Version]3:16
  39. 2.13Them There Eyes (Single Version)2:50
  40. 2.14Do Your Duty (feat. Sy Oliver and His Orchestra) [Single Version]3:16
  41. 2.15Gimme A Pigfoot And A Bottle Of Beer (feat. Sy Oliver and His Orchestra) [Single Version]2:45
  42. 2.16You Can't Lose A Broken Heart (feat. Sy Oliver and His Orchestra) [Single Version]3:15
  43. 2.17My Sweet Hunk O' Trash (feat. Sy Oliver and His Orchestra) [Single Version]3:20
  44. 2.18Now Or Never (feat. Sy Oliver and His Orchestra) [Single Version]3:17
  45. 2.19You're My Thrill (Single Version)3:25
  46. 2.20Crazy He Calls Me (Single Version)3:05
  47. 2.21Please Tell Me Now (Single Version)3:14
  48. 2.22Somebody's On My Mind (feat. Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra) [Single Version]2:57
  49. 2.23God Bless The Child (Single Version)3:10
  50. 2.24This Is Heaven To Me (Single Version)2:51

Credits

Performers

Rare pressing on Gatefold · 13 pressings tracked on Gatefold