Etta James discography
 Etta James in 1990. | |
| Releases | |
|---|---|
| ↙Studio albums | 30 |
| ↙Live albums | 3 |
| ↙Compilation albums | 6 |
| ↙Singles | 58 |
| ↙Tribute and cover albums | 1 |
| ↙No. 1 Singles (Overall) | 1 |
| ↙Other appearances | 28 |
The discography for American blues artist Etta James consists of 28 studio albums, 3 live albums, and 6 compilations. She has also issued a total of 58 singles, one of which titled, "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)," reached #1 on the Rhythm and Blues Records chart in 1955.
After moving to 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 an answer song to Hank Ballard's "Work with Me, Annie," called "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)" (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, having a second Top 10 hit in 1955 with "Good Rockin' Daddy." She continually recorded for the label until the end of the decade, but without much success.[1]
After beginning to date The Moonglows vocalist, Harvey Fuqua, James signed with Chess Records' subsidiary, Argo.[2] Producer Leonard Chess believed James had crossover Pop potential and backed her material with orchestral arrangements. With this new style, many of James's songs became hits on both the R&B and 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, followed by The Second Time Around in 1961. In 1967, James changed her music into more Soul-inspired material, and had her first Top 10 hit in three years with "Tell Mama," which was followed by an album of the same name.[1][2] In the 1970s, her popularity declined on radio, but remained under 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.[2] 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]
Albums
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions[3] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US Blues | US Jazz | ||
| 1960 | At Last!
|
68 | — | — | — |
| 1961 | The Second Time Around
|
— | — | — | — |
| 1962 | Etta James
|
— | — | — | — |
Etta James Sings for Lovers
|
— | — | — | — | |
| 1963 | Etta James Top Ten
|
117 | — | — | — |
| 1965 | The 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. | |||||
Live albums
| Year | Album details | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [3] |
US Blues [3] |
US Jazz [3] | ||
| 1964 | Etta James Rocks the House
|
96 | — | — |
| 1980 | Blues From The Big Apple
|
— | — | — |
| 1982 | Etta, Red-Hot & Live
|
— | — | — |
| 1986 | Jazzvisions: Jump The Blues Away
|
— | — | — |
| 1987 | Blues in the Night Volume One: The Early Show
|
— | — | 10 |
| 1987 | The Late Show: Blues in the Night Volume Two
|
— | — | — |
| 1994 | Live from San Francisco
|
— | — | — |
| 2002 | Burnin' Down the House: Live at the House of Blues
|
— | 1 | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||
Compilation albums
| Year | Album details | Chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Blues [3] |
US Jazz [3] | |||
| 1992 | My Greatest Songs
|
— | — | — | |
| 1997 | Her Best
|
— | 13 | — | |
| 1999 | 20th Century Masters: The Millenium Collection
|
43 | 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
|
— | — | — | |
| 2011 | Who's Blue?: Rare Chess Recordings of the 60s and 70s
|
— | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||
Singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [6] |
US R&B [6] |
CAN [7] | |||
| 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 | "Number One" | — | — | — | |
| "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 | — | |
| "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" | 87 | — | — | 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 | — | The 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 | — | Tell Mama | |
| 1968 | "Security" | 35 | 11 | — | |
| "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 | |
| "Nothing from Nothing Leaves Nothing" | — | — | — | ||
| 1971 | "Take Out Some Insurance" | — | — | — | |
| 1972 | "I Found a Love" | 108 | 31 | — | non-album single |
| 1973 | "All the Way Down" | 101 | 29 | — | Only a Fool |
| 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] | — | — | — | The Genuine Article: The Best of Etta James |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||
Collaborations with Sugar Pie DeSanto
| Year | Song | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [6] |
US R&B [6] | |||
| 1965 | "Do I Make Myself Clear" | 96 | — | non-album singles |
| 1966 | "In the Basement (Part 1)" | 97 | 37 | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||
B-sides
| Year | Song | Chart positions | A-Side Single | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [6] |
US R&B [6] | |||
| 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. | ||||
- A^ Also peaked at #16 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.
- B^ Released outside of the United States, peaking at #5 in the United Kingdom.
Other appearances
| Year | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)" | Alan Freed's Top 15[8] |
| 1985 | "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)" | Back to the Future (soundtrack)[9] |
| 1989 | "At Last" | Rain Man (soundtrack)[10] |
| 1992 | "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)" | Sister Act (soundtrack)[11] |
| 1993 | "There's Something on Your Mind" (with B.B. King) | Blues Summit[12] |
| "Mockingbird" (with Taj Mahal) | Dancing the Blues[13] | |
| 1995 | "At Last" | Father of the Bride Part II (soundtrack)[14] |
| "At Last" | How to Make an American Quilt (soundtrack)[15] | |
| "Take Me to the River" (with Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love) | The Memphis Horns with Special Guests[16] | |
| 1996 | "It's a Small World"/"When You Wish Upon a Star Medley" | Disney's Music from the Park[17] |
| 1997 | "At Last" | Mad About You (soundtrack)[18] |
| 1998 | "At Last" | Kissing a Fool (soundtrack)[19] |
| "At Last" | Living Out Loud (soundtrack)[20] | |
| "The Man I Love" | Melrose Place Jazz: Upstairs at MP[21] | |
| "At Last" | Pleasantville (soundtrack)[22] | |
| "Next Door to the Blues" | Space Bunnies Must Die! (soundtrack)[23] | |
| 1999 | "Etta's Blues" (with Etta Jones) | Ain't She Sweet: Save Your Love for Me/I'll Be Seeing You[24] |
| 2000 | "In the Basement (Part 1)" | The Hurricane (soundtrack)[25] |
| "The Nearness of You" | Music from the TV Series Frasier[26] | |
| 2001 | "I Just Wanna Make Love to You" (with Jimmy Smith) | Dot Com Blues[27] |
| "Only Time Will Tell" | Angel Eyes (soundtrack)[28] | |
| "Gotta Serve Somebody" | The Songs of Bob Dylan, Vol. 2: May Your Song Always Be Sung[29] | |
| 2002 | "Ball 'n' Chain" | Janis Joplin: This Ain't No Tribute Series—All Blues'd Up![30] |
| "Miss You" (Illicit Remix Edit) | Queer as Folk: The Second Season (soundtrack)[31] | |
| 2005 | "I'd Rather Go Blind" (with Dr. John) | Night of Blistering Blues[32] |
| "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" |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Dahl, Bill. "Etta James > Biography". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Kimberly B. Taylor and Linda Dailey Paulson. "Etta James Biography". Musician Guide. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "Billboard Chart Positions > Albums". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
- ↑ "RIAA Gold & Platinum - Etta James albums". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2008-12-02.
- ↑ "Certified Awards". United Kingdom: British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 "Billboard chart positions - singles". allmusic. Retrieved 2008-12-02.
- ↑ "Search results for "Etta James"". RPM. Retrieved 2009-07-23.
- ↑ "Aln Freed's Top 15 > Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "Back to the Future > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "Rain Man > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "Sister Act > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "B.B. King - Blues Summit' CD". cd Universe. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "Dancing the Blues > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "Father of the Bride, Part II > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "How to Make an American Quilt > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "The Memphis Horns". Chapters.indigo.ca. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "Music from the Park > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "Mad About You > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "Kissing a Fool > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "Living Out Loud > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "Melrose Place Jazz: Upstairs at MP > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "Pleasantville> Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "Space Bunnies Must Die! > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "Ain't She Sweet... > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "The Hurricane > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "Music from the TV Series Frasier > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "Dot Com Blues". Allmusic. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
- ↑ "Angel Eyes > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "The Songs of Bob Dylan > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "Janis Joplin: This Ain't No Tribute Series... > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "Queer as Folk: The Second Season > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ↑ "Night of Blistering Blues: B.B. King & Friends". amazon.com. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
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