I Put a Spell on You (album)

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I Put a Spell on You
Nina Simone - I Put a Spell on You.png
Studio album by
Nina Simone
ReleasedJune 1965
Recorded1964–1965
Studio New York City
Genre
Length34:21
Label Philips
Producer Hal Mooney
Nina Simone chronology
Broadway-Blues-Ballads
(1964)		I Put a Spell on You
(1965)		 Pastel Blues
(1965)
Singles from I Put a Spell on You
  1. "I Put a Spell on You"
    Released: 1965
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Pitchfork 9.1/10 [2]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Record Mirror Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]

I Put a Spell on You is a studio album by American singer, songwriter, arranger and pianist Nina Simone. Recorded in 1964 and 1965 in New York City, it was released by Philips Records in 1965. It peaked at number 99 on the Billboard 200 chart [5] and number 18 on the UK Albums Chart. [6] The title track "I Put a Spell on You" peaked at number 23 on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart [7] and number 28 on the UK Singles Chart. [6]

Contents

The album was re-issued in November 2020 by Verve and Universal Music Enterprises as part of their "audiophile-grade" Acoustic Sounds series. [8]

Critical reception

AllMusic reviewer Richie Unterberger gave the album 3 stars out of 5, calling it "One of her most pop-oriented albums, but also one of her best and most consistent." [1] He added, "There are really fine tunes and interpretations, on which Simone gives an edge to the potentially fey pop songs, taking a sudden (but not uncharacteristic) break for a straight jazz instrumental with 'Blues on Purpose.'" [1]

In 2017, NPR placed it at number 3 on the "150 Greatest Albums Made by Women" list. [9] Writing for NPR, Audie Cornish called it "the closest you'll ever hear her come to pop." [9] In 2024, Apple Music 100 Best Albums named it the 88th best album of all time, making it the only album by Simone to appear on the list. [10]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Put a Spell on You" Jalacy Hawkins 2:34
2."Tomorrow Is My Turn" Charles Aznavour, Marcel Stellman, Yves Stéphane2:48
3."Ne me quitte pas" Jacques Brel 3:34
4."Marriage Is for Old Folks" Leon Carr, Earl Shuman3:29
5."July Tree"Irma Jurist, Eve Merriam 2:41
6."Gimme Some"Andy Stroud2:57
7."Feeling Good" Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley 2:53
8."One September Day"Rudy Stevenson2:48
9."Blues on Purpose"Rudy Stevenson3:16
10."Beautiful Land"Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley1:54
11."You've Got to Learn"Charles Aznavour, Marcel Stellman2:41
12."Take Care of Business"Andy Stroud2:03
Total length:34:21

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

Charts

Chart (1965)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [5] [11] 99
UK Albums (OCC) [6] 18
Chart (2021–2022)Peak
position
US Jazz Albums [12] 10

References

  1. 1 2 3 Unterberger, Richie. "I Put a Spell on You - Nina Simone". AllMusic . Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  2. ↑ Wallace, Carvell (July 30, 2016). "Nina Simone: I Put a Spell on You". Pitchfork . Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  3. ↑ Cameron, Keith (September 2011). "Like This? Try This...". Q . p. 100.
  4. ↑ Jones, Peter; Jopling, Norman (July 31, 1965). "Nina Simone: I Put A Spell On You" (PDF). Record Mirror . No. 229. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 1, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  5. 1 2 "Nina Simone - Billboard 200". Billboard . Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 "Nina Simone". Official Charts Company . Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Nina Simone - Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard . Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  8. ↑ Helfet, Gabriela (September 27, 2020). "Nina Simone's I Put A Spell On You and Pastel Blues reissued in "audiophile-grade" editions". The Vinyl Factory. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  9. 1 2 "Turning The Tables: The 150 Greatest Albums Made By Women 10-1". NPR . July 24, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Apple Music 100 Best Albums". Apple Music 100 Best Albums. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Nina Simone - Awards". AllMusic . Archived from the original on March 23, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Nina Simone - Jazz Albums". Billboard . Retrieved November 27, 2022.
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