Etta James discography | |
---|---|
Studio albums | 30 |
Live albums | 3 |
Compilation albums | 6 |
Tribute albums | 1 |
Singles | 58 |
No. 1 Singles (Overall) | 1 |
Other appearances | 28 |
The discography for the American singer Etta James consists of 29 studio albums, 3 live albums, and 12 compilations. She has also issued 58 singles, one of which, "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)," reached number 1 on the Rhythm and Blues Records chart in 1955.
As a teenager in San Francisco, California in the early 1950s, James formed a singing trio, which attracted the attention of Johnny Otis, who helped her sign a recording contract with Modern Records in 1954. She recorded "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)," an answer song to the Midnighters' "Work with Me, Annie," with her vocal group, the Peaches, singing background vocals, which topped the R&B charts for four weeks in 1955. The Peaches eventually left the label, and James recorded as a solo act. She had a second Top 10 hit, "Good Rockin' Daddy," in 1955. She recorded for Modern until the end of the decade, without much further success. [1]
After beginning to date Harvey Fuqua, a singer for the Moonglows, James signed with Argo Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records. Producer Leonard Chess believed James had crossover potential in the pop market and backed her material with orchestral arrangements. With this new style, many of James's songs became hits on both the R&B and the pop charts, such as "All I Could Do Was Cry, "At Last," and "Trust in Me." [1] She released her debut album, At Last! , in 1960. It was followed by The Second Time Around in 1961. In 1967, James recorded with a more soul-inflected style and had her first Top 10 hit in three years, "Tell Mama," which was followed by an album of the same name. [1] In the 1970s, her popularity declined on radio, but she remained at Chess records, recording five albums for the label, departing from them with 1975's Etta Is Betta Than Evvah.
After battling drug and alcohol addictions, James returned with her first studio album in nine years in 1989 titled, Seven Year Itch on Island Records. Her two albums in the early 90s for Island and later Elektra, varied in style from contemporary to Soul, but James eventually settled in on the Private Music label. [1] Recording a total of ten albums for the label between 1997 and 2002, her albums included variations of contemporary blues to traditional Jazz, such as her 1997 tribute album to Billie Holiday titled, Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday. In 2004, she signed with RCA Victor and released Blues to the Bone that same year, followed by a Pop standards release, All the Way, in 2006. [1]
Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [2] | US R&B [2] | US Blues [2] | US Jazz [2] | ||
1960 | At Last!
| 68 | — | — | — |
1961 | The Second Time Around
| — | — | — | — |
1962 | Etta James
| — | — | — | — |
Etta James Sings for Lovers
| — | — | — | — | |
1964 | Queen of Soul
| — | — | — | — |
1966 | Call My Name
| — | — | — | — |
1968 | Tell Mama
| 82 | 21 | — | — |
1970 | Etta James Sings Funk
| — | — | — | — |
1971 | Losers Weepers
| — | — | — | — |
1973 | Etta James
| 154 | 41 | — | — |
1974 | Come a Little Closer
| — | 47 | — | — |
1976 | Etta Is Betta Than Evvah!
| — | — | — | — |
1978 | Deep in the Night
| — | — | — | — |
1980 | Changes
| — | — | — | — |
1989 | Seven Year Itch
| — | — | — | — |
1990 | Stickin' to My Guns
| — | — | — | — |
1992 | The Right Time
| — | — | — | — |
1994 | Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday
| — | — | — | 2 |
1995 | Time After Time
| — | — | — | 5 |
1997 | Love's Been Rough on Me
| — | — | 6 | — |
1998 | Life, Love & the Blues
| — | — | 3 | — |
1998 | 12 Songs of Christmas
| — | — | 5 | — |
1999 | Heart of a Woman
| — | — | 4 | — |
2000 | Matriarch of the Blues
| — | — | 2 | — |
2001 | Blue Gardenia
| — | — | — | 1 |
2003 | Let's Roll
| — | — | 1 | — |
2004 | Blues to the Bone
| — | — | 4 | — |
2006 | All the Way
| — | — | — | — |
2011 | The Dreamer
| — | 41 | 2 | — |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||
Year | Album details | Chart positions | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
US [2] | US Blues [2] | US Jazz [2] | ||
1964 | Etta James Rocks the House
| 96 | — | — |
1980 | Etta, Red-Hot & Live
| — | — | — |
1980 | Blues From The Big Apple
| — | — | — |
1981 | Live from San Francisco
| — | — | — |
1986 | Blues in the Night Volume One: The Early Show
| — | — | 10 |
1986 | The Late Show: Blues in the Night Volume Two
| — | — | — |
1986 | Jazzvisions: Jump The Blues Away
| — | — | — |
2001 | Burnin' Down the House: Live at the House of Blues
| — | 1 | — |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||
Year | Album details | Chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [2] | US Blues [2] | US Jazz [2] | UK [3] | |||
1963 | Etta James Top Ten
| 117 | — | — | — | |
1986 | R&B Dynamite
| — | — | — | — | |
1992 | My Greatest Songs
| — | — | — | — | |
1997 | Her Best
| — | 13 | — | — | |
1999 | 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection
| 32 | 3 | — | — | |
2000 | The Chess Box
| — | — | — | — | |
The Best of Etta James
| — | — | — | — |
| |
2001 | Love Songs
| — | 2 | — | — | |
2005 | Miss Etta James: The Complete Modern and Kent Recordings
| — | — | — | — | |
2006 | The Definitive Collection
| — | 1 | — | — | |
2007 | Gold
| — | — | — | — | |
2010 | At Last: The Best of Etta James
| — | — | — | 22 |
|
2011 | Who's Blue?: Rare Chess Recordings of the 60s and 70s
| — | — | — | — | |
Heart & Soul: A Retrospective
| — | — | — | — | ||
2019 | Collected
| — | — | — | — | |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Year | Song | Chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [2] | US R&B [2] | CAN [7] | UK [3] | ||||
1955 | "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)" | — | 1 | — | — | Miss Etta James: The Complete Modern And Kent Recordings | |
"Hey Henry" | — | — | — | — | |||
"Good Rockin' Daddy" | — | 6 | — | — | |||
"W-O-M-A-N" | — | — | — | — | |||
1956 | "My One and Only" | — | — | — | — | ||
"Shortnin' Bread Rock" | — | — | — | — | |||
"Tough Lover" | — | — | — | — | |||
"Good Lookin'" | — | — | — | — | |||
1957 | "The Pick-Up" | — | — | — | — | ||
"Come What May" | — | — | — | — | |||
1958 | "Sunshine of Love" | — | — | — | — | ||
1959 | "I Hope You're Satisfied" (with Harvey Fuqua) | — | — | — | — | ||
1960 | "If I Can't Have You" (with Harvey Fuqua) | 52 | 6 | — | — | Etta James | |
"Spoonful" (with Harvey Fuqua) | 78 | 12 | — | — | |||
"All I Could Do Was Cry" | 33 | 2 | — | — | At Last! | ||
"My Dearest Darling" | 34 | 5 | — | — | |||
1961 | "At Last" | 47 | 2 | — | 39 | ||
"Trust in Me" | 30 | 4 | — | — | |||
"Fool That I Am" | 50 | 14 | — | — | The Second Time Around | ||
"Don't Cry Baby" | 39 | 6 | — | — | |||
"Seven Day Fool" | 95 | — | — | — | |||
1962 | "Something's Got a Hold on Me" | 37 | 4 | — | — | Etta James / Etta James Top Ten | |
"Stop the Wedding" | 34 | 6 | — | — | Etta James Top Ten | ||
"Fools Rush In" "Next Door to the Blues" (Non-album B side) | 87 — | — 9 | — | — | Etta James Sings for Lovers | ||
"Would It Make Any Difference to You" | 64 | — | — | — | Etta James Top Ten | ||
1963 | "Pushover" | 25 | 7 | — | — | ||
"Pay Back" | 78 | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||
"Two Sides (To Every Story)" [A] | 63 | — | — | — | |||
1964 | "Baby What You Want Me to Do" | 82 | 35 | — | — | Queen of Soul | |
"Loving You More Every Day" | 65 | 7 | — | — | |||
"Breaking Point" | — | — | — | — | |||
"Mellow Fellow" | — | 34 | — | — | |||
1966 | "Only Time Will Tell" | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
1967 | "I Prefer You" | — | 42 | — | — | Call My Name | |
"Don't Pick Me for Your Fool" | — | — | — | — | |||
"Call My Name" | — | — | — | — | |||
"Tell Mama" | 23 | 10 | 22 | — | Tell Mama | ||
1968 | "Security" | 35 | 11 | 46 | — | ||
"I Got You Babe" | 69 | 32 | 46 | — | Non-album singles | ||
"You Got It" | 113 | — | — | — | |||
1969 | "Almost Persuaded" | 79 | 32 | 71 | — | ||
"Miss Pitiful" | — | — | — | — | |||
"Tighten Up Your Own Thing" | — | — | — | — | Etta James Sings Funk | ||
1970 | "Sound of Love" | — | — | — | — | ||
"Losers, Weepers (Part 1)" | 94 | 26 | — | — | Losers, Weepers | ||
"The Love of My Man" | — | — | — | — | |||
1971 | "I Think It's You" | — | — | — | — | ||
1972 | "I Found a Love" | 108 | 31 | — | — | Non-album single | |
1973 | "All the Way Down" | 101 | 29 | — | — | Etta James (1973) | |
1974 | "You Can Leave Your Hat On" | — | 76 | — | — | ||
"Out on the Street, Again" | — | 84 | — | — | Come a Little Closer | ||
1976 | "Jump Into Love" | — | 92 | — | — | Etta Is Betta Than Evah | |
1978 | "Piece of My Heart" | — | 93 | — | — | Deep In the Night | |
"Sugar on the Floor" | — | — | — | — | |||
1980 | "Mean Mother" | — | — | — | — | Changes | |
1961–1996 | "I Just Want to Make Love to You" [B] | — | — | — | 5 |
| The Genuine Article: The Best of Etta James |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||||
Year | Song | Chart positions | Album | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US [2] | US R&B [2] | |||
1965 | "Do I Make Myself Clear" | 96 | — | Non-album singles |
1966 | "In the Basement (Part 1)" | 97 | 37 | |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||
Year | Song | Chart positions | Certifications | A-Side Single | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [2] | US R&B [2] | ||||
1961 | "Dream" | 55 | — | "The Second Time Around" | |
"A Sunday Kind of Love" | — | — | "Don't Cry Baby" | ||
"It's Too Soon to Know" | 54 | — | "Seven Day Fool" | ||
1962 | "Next Door to the Blues" | 71 | 13 | "Fools Rush In" | |
1963 | "How Do You Speak to an Angel" | 109 | — | "Would It Make Any Difference to You" | |
"I Worry 'Bout You" | 118 | — | "Two Sides (To Every Story)" | ||
1967 | "I'd Rather Go Blind" | — | — |
| "Tell Mama" |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||
Year | Song | Album |
---|---|---|
1962 | "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)" | Alan Freed's Top 15 [11] |
1985 | "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)" | Back to the Future (soundtrack) [12] |
1989 | "At Last" | Rain Man (soundtrack) [13] |
1992 | "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)" | Sister Act (soundtrack) [14] |
1993 | "There's Something on Your Mind" (with B.B. King) | Blues Summit [15] |
"Mockingbird" (with Taj Mahal) | Dancing the Blues [16] | |
1995 | "At Last" | Father of the Bride Part II (soundtrack) [17] |
How to Make an American Quilt (soundtrack) [18] | ||
"Take Me to the River" (with Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love) | The Memphis Horns with Special Guests [19] | |
1996 | "It's a Small World"/"When You Wish Upon a Star Medley" | Disney's Music from the Park [20] |
1997 | "At Last" | Mad About You (soundtrack) [21] |
1998 | "At Last" | Kissing a Fool (soundtrack) [22] |
Living Out Loud (soundtrack) [23] | ||
"The Man I Love" | Melrose Place Jazz: Upstairs at MP [24] | |
"At Last" | Pleasantville (soundtrack) [25] | |
"Next Door to the Blues" | Space Bunnies Must Die! (soundtrack) [26] | |
1999 | "Etta's Blues" (with Etta Jones) | Ain't She Sweet: Save Your Love for Me + I'll Be Seeing You [27] |
2000 | "In the Basement (Part 1)" | The Hurricane (soundtrack) [28] |
"The Nearness of You" | Music from the TV Series Frasier [29] | |
2001 | "I Just Wanna Make Love to You" (with Jimmy Smith) | Dot Com Blues [30] |
"Only Time Will Tell" | Angel Eyes (soundtrack) [31] | |
"Gotta Serve Somebody" | The Songs of Bob Dylan, Vol. 2: May Your Song Always Be Sung [32] | |
2002 | "Ball 'n' Chain" | Janis Joplin: This Ain't No Tribute Series—All Blues'd Up! [33] |
"Miss You" (Illicit Remix Edit) | Queer as Folk: The Second Season (soundtrack) [34] | |
2005 | "I'd Rather Go Blind" (with Dr. John) | A Night of Blistering Blues [35] |
"Something's Got a Hold on Me" (with B.B. King) | ||
"In the Midnight Hour" (with Paul Butterfield, B.B. King, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Billy Ocean, and Stevie Ray Vaughan) | ||
"Ain't Nobody's Business" (with Chaka Khan and Gladys Knight) | ||
"Take My Hand, Precious Lord" (with Chaka Khan and Gladys Knight) | ||
2007 | "Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me" | We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song |
Jamesetta Hawkins, known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer and songwriter who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, she gained fame with hits such as "The Wallflower", "At Last", "Tell Mama", "Something's Got a Hold on Me", and "I'd Rather Go Blind". She faced a number of personal problems, including heroin addiction, severe physical abuse, and incarceration, before making a musical comeback in the late 1980s with the album Seven Year Itch.
Bobbie Gentry is an American retired singer-songwriter. She was one of the first female artists in America to compose and produce her own material.
Etta Jones was an American jazz singer. Her best-known recordings are "Don't Go to Strangers" and "Save Your Love for Me". She worked with Buddy Johnson, Oliver Nelson, Earl Hines, Barney Bigard, Gene Ammons, Kenny Burrell, Milt Jackson, Cedar Walton, and Houston Person.
Marcella Levy, known professionally as Marcy Levy and Marcella Detroit, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She co-wrote the 1977 Eric Clapton hit "Lay Down Sally" and released her debut studio album Marcella in 1982. She joined Shakespears Sister in 1988 with ex-Bananarama member Siobhan Fahey. Their first two studio albums, Sacred Heart (1989), and Hormonally Yours (1992), both reached the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart. Detroit sang the lead vocals on their biggest hit, "Stay", which spent eight consecutive weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart in 1992. Detroit left the band in 1993 and had a UK top 20 hit with "I Believe" in 1994. She formed the Marcy Levy Band in 2002, and finished third in the 2010 ITV series Popstar to Operastar.
Gene Chandler is an American singer, songwriter, music producer, and record-label executive. Chandler is nicknamed "the Duke of Earl" or, simply, "the Duke." He is best known for his most successful songs, "Duke of Earl" and "Groovy Situation", and his association with the Dukays, the Impressions, and Curtis Mayfield.
Maurice White was an American musician, best known as the founder, leader, main songwriter and chief producer of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, also serving as the band's co-lead singer with Philip Bailey.
James Milton Campbell Jr., better known as Little Milton, was an American blues singer and guitarist, best known for his number-one R&B single "We're Gonna Make It". His other hits include "Baby, I Love You", "Who's Cheating Who?", and "Grits Ain't Groceries ".
Alechia Janeice Campbell known professionally as Leela James, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, California.
Irma Thomas is an American singer from New Orleans. She is known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans".
"At Last" is a song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film Sun Valley Serenade (1941). Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded the tune several times, with a 1942 version reaching number two on the US Billboard pop music chart.
Francella Ruby Turner MBE is a British Jamaican R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and actress.
"Misty Blue" is a song written by Bob Montgomery that has been recorded and made commercially successful by several music artists. Although Montgomery wrote the song for a different artist in mind, it was brought first to the attention of Wilma Burgess in 1966. It was recorded by Eddy Arnold the following year, both versions were top 5 Country Hits. A decade later, blues artist Dorothy Moore released the highest-charting version of the song and it reached the top ten in several different radio formats. Following Moore's revival of the track, numerous artists re-covered the tune, including country artist Billie Jo Spears. Spears's version would also go on to become a successful single release. Numerous other artists and musicians of different genres have recorded their own versions of "Misty Blue". The song is now considered both a country music and blues standard.
At Last! is the debut studio album by American blues and soul artist Etta James. Released on Argo Records in November 1960, the album was produced by Phil and Leonard Chess. At Last! rose to no. 12 on the Billboard Top Catalog Albums chart.
"Spoonful" is a blues song written by Willie Dixon and first recorded in 1960 by Howlin' Wolf. Called "a stark and haunting work", it is one of Dixon's best known and most interpreted songs. Etta James and Harvey Fuqua had a pop and R&B record chart hit with their duet cover of "Spoonful" in 1961, and it was popularized in the late 1960s by the British rock group Cream.
Ora D. Allen, known by the stage name Denise LaSalle, was an American blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and record producer who, since the death of Koko Taylor, had been recognized as the "Queen of the Blues". Her husband was rapper Super Wolf.
"I'd Rather Go Blind" is a blues song written by Ellington Jordan with co-writing credits to Billy Foster and Etta James. It was first recorded by Etta James in 1967, released the same year, and has subsequently become regarded as a blues and soul classic.
Etta James Top Ten is the first compilation album by the American rhythm and blues artist, Etta James. The album was released on Argo Records in 1963 and was produced by Leonard Chess. The album peaked at number 117 on the Billboard 200 in 1963, her first album to make that chart since 1961.
Mitty Lene Collier is an American church pastor, gospel singer and former rhythm and blues singer. She had a number of successful records in the 1960s, of which probably the best known is "I Had A Talk With My Man".
"Baby What You Want Me to Do" is a blues song that was written and recorded by Jimmy Reed in 1959. It was a record chart hit for Reed and, as with several of his songs, it has appeal across popular music genres, with numerous recordings by a variety of musical artists.
"Tell Mama" is a song written by Clarence Carter, Marcus Daniel and Wilbur Terrell. It is best known in its 1967 recording by Etta James. An earlier version of the song was first recorded in 1966 by Carter, as "Tell Daddy".