| Back in Business | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 23, 1994 | |||
| Recorded | July 18–20th, 1994 | |||
| Length | 49:57 | |||
| Label | DRG | |||
| Producer | Hugh Fordin | |||
| Eartha Kitt chronology | ||||
| ||||
Back in Business is the sixteenth and final studio album by American singer Eartha Kitt, released on November 23, 1994 by DRG Records. At the 38th Annual Grammy Awards in 1996, the album was nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance. [1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
JT Griffith from AllMusic awarded Back in Business three out of five stars, calling it a "solid collection" that fulfilled Kitt's desire to return to the industry. [2]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Back in Business" | Stephen Sondheim | 3:27 |
| 2. | "Let's Misbehave" | Cole Porter | 3:29 |
| 3. | "Solitude" | 4:16 | |
| 4. | "Why Can't I?" | 4:53 | |
| 5. | "Ain't Misbehavin'" |
| 3:27 |
| 6. | "The Nearness of You" | 4:01 | |
| 7. | "Close Enough for Love" | 5:19 | |
| 8. | "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" | 4:51 | |
| 9. | "Angelitos Negros" |
| 3:42 |
| 10. | "Moon River" | 3:47 | |
| 11. | "Speak Low" | 4:19 | |
| 12. | "Here's to Life" |
| 4:26 |
| Total length: | 49:57 | ||
Bronski Beat were a Scottish synthpop trio which achieved success in the mid-1980s, particularly with the 1984 chart hit "Smalltown Boy", from their debut album The Age of Consent, which was their only US Billboard Hot 100 single. All members of the band were openly gay and their songs reflected this, often containing political commentary on gay-related issues. The initial line-up, which recorded the majority of the band's hits, consisted of Jimmy Somerville (vocals), Steve Bronski and the late Larry Steinbachek.
Eartha Kitt was an American singer, actress, dancer, comedian, activist, author, and songwriter known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Baby", both of which reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the world".
New Faces of 1952 is a musical revue with songs and comedy skits. It ran on Broadway for nearly a year in 1952 and was then made into a motion picture in 1954. It helped launch the careers of several young performers including Paul Lynde, Alice Ghostley, Eartha Kitt, Robert Clary, Carol Lawrence, Ronny Graham, performer/writer Mel Brooks, and lyricist Sheldon Harnick.
"C'est si bon" is a French popular song composed in 1947 by Henri Betti with the lyrics by André Hornez. The English lyrics were written in 1949 by Jerry Seelen. The song is also adapted in several languages.
"April in Portugal" is a popular song, also named "The Whisp'ring Serenade." The music was written by Raul Ferrão with Portuguese lyrics by José Galhardo as a fado named "Coimbra", about the city of that name in 1947. English lyrics written by Jimmy Kennedy were set to the music, though many of the most popular versions of the song were instrumentals. It is one of the signature songs of Portuguese singer and fadista Amália Rodrigues. It was also recorded in French by the tenor Luís Piçarra.
"Lilac Wine" is a song written by James Shelton in 1950. It was introduced by Hope Foye in the short-lived theater musical revue, Dance Me a Song. The song has since been recorded by many artists including Eartha Kitt, Nina Simone, Helen Merrill, Elkie Brooks, Katie Melua, Jeff Buckley, Clare Maguire, Jeff Beck, Fanny Ardant, John Legend, Miley Cyrus, Emily Keener, The Cinematic Orchestra, Lady Rizo, and Ana Moura.
"Santa Baby" is a song performed by American singer Eartha Kitt with Henri René and His Orchestra and originally released in 1953. It later appeared on Kitt's self-titled and first extended play in 1954. The song was written by Joan Javits and Philip Springer, who also used the pseudonym Tony Springer in an attempt to speed up the song's publishing process. Springer initially was dissatisfied with "Santa Baby" and called it one of his weakest works. Lyrically, the song is a tongue-in-cheek look at a Christmas list addressed to Santa Claus by a woman who wants extravagant gifts such as sables, yachts, and decorations from Tiffany's.
Close Enough for Love is a 1979 studio album by jazz singer Peggy Lee.
"In the Still of the Night" is a popular song written by Cole Porter for the MGM film Rosalie sung by Nelson Eddy and published in 1937.
Anthony "Tony" Terran was an American trumpet player and session musician. He was part of The Wrecking Crew, which was a group of session musicians in Los Angeles, California, who earned wide acclaim in the 1960s. The Wrecking Crew was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum on November 26, 2007.
Bruce Hubbard was an American operatic baritone. A Drama Desk and Laurence Olivier Award nominee for Best Actor, he performed on Broadway, the Metropolitan Opera, BBC television, in concert and made several recordings. He is most famous for appearing as Joe in Show Boat, and as Jake, as well as Porgy, in Porgy and Bess on Broadway, the West End, and in several major opera houses and regional theatres. He graduated from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
"Under the Bridges of Paris" is a 1913 popular song with music written by Vincent Scotto, the original French lyrics by Jean Rodor (1913), and English sections of lyrics added by Dorcas Cochran (1952) resulting in the released version (1954) containing both French and English sections.
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This article contains the discography of American singer Eartha Kitt.
Arthur Ryerson was a jazz guitarist who emerged in the 1930s, playing acoustic and electric guitar, as well as the banjo. He played with jazz orchestras and bands in the 1930s and the 1940s. In the early 1950s, he played on the early rock and roll recordings of Bill Haley. His daughter is flautist Ali Ryerson.
Thomas G. ("Tom") Spahn is a three-time Emmy Award-winning composer, Synthesizer Programmer for the 1996 Grammy Award nominated album by Eartha Kitt, "Back in Business", another Emmy Nomination in 2001 for Mastering Dizzy South America Tour, is an American musician born in Park Forest, Illinois and currently residing in New York City. Spahn is a longtime musical director and arranger and has worked with numerous musicians and composers on myriad projects, performances and recordings.
Revisited is a 1960 studio album by American singer Eartha Kitt, her second album issued on the Kapp Records label. All songs had been previously recorded by Kitt, between 1953 and 1958, during her recording contract at RCA Victor. Recorded in New York on March 31 and April 1, 1960 with Maurice Levine as musical director. The album was also released as four track, 7" EP in the United Kingdom and France.
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That Bad Eartha is a 1954 studio album by American singer Eartha Kitt, her debut 12" vinyl album issued by RCA Victor. The album was recorded in four sessions between March and October 1953 with Henri Rene and His Orchestra. Long-playing records were introduced in 1948 by Columbia with 10" albums as the popular music format and the 12" album the format for classical music. RCA introduced the 45 RPM format shortly afterwards. In May 1953 RCA Victor released the 10" vinyl album RCA Victor Presents Eartha Kitt which reached No. 2 on the pop albums chart and featured 8 songs. By the mid-50s, 10” LPs were phased out, replaced by 12” ones for popular as well as classical music, and RCA Victor expanded and re-issued the album with 12 tracks.
City Girls is an American rap duo from Miami, Florida consisting of Yung Miami and JT. The group's name derives from the pair being from Opa-locka and Liberty City, described by Complex as "two of the roughest neighborhoods in Miami, Florida." They garnered attention after guest spotting on Drake's chart-topping hit, "In My Feelings".