Personnel:
Savannah Churchill, Erma Franklin (vcl), Robert Mersey (arr,
dir)
The Best Voices Time Forgot
Collectible Albums by Top Female Vocalists
· Collector's Edition
· 2 Original LPs on 1 CD
· Original Cover Art
· Complete Personnel Details
· New liner Notes
· Stereo Recordings
· Newly Remastered in 24-Bit
Time Out for Tears:
Savannah Churchill (1920-1974) gained national recognition
in the late 1940s as the most unique ballad and rhythm & blues singer of
the day. Employing a sultry style and suggestive lyrics, the one-time choir
singer was cashing in on one hit after the other, selling some fourmillion
copies of her torchy tunes. In late 1956, she considered retiring due to a
broken hip resulting from a freak accident and causing severe debilitating
injuries from which she would never fully recover. After being confined to a
wheelchair for 18 months, Savannah gradually resumed her nightclub career in
the summer of 1958 while walking with a cane. In 1960, she recorded the album
Time Out for Tears, for the Philadelphia-based Jamie label.On this excellent LP
(the only one of her career) accompanied by an orchestra arranged and conducted
by Robert Mersey, she brought some of her old hits back to life, and introduced
several new bluesy ballads that flawlessly suited her soulful, inimitable
singing style. In January 1961, Jet magazine called her the “comeback of the
year.” Sadly, her health was significantly declining and it eventually forced
her to retire. She died in 1974 at the age of 53.
Her Name is Erma:
Erma ranklin (1938-2004), like her younger sisters Aretha
and Carolyn, began singing in the church choir of her father, the Rev. C.L.
Franklin, minister of the largest Baptist congregation in Detroit. Erma’s
voice, shaped by gospel singing, held great promise as a rhythm and blues singer
when she was still in high school. However, it would be Aretha who would first
gain fame as a solo singer, while Erma had to finish her studies before her
father allowed her to start a career in show business. Later, in 1961,
following in Aretha’s footsteps, Erma auditioned favorably for Epic and moved
to New York for a series of recording dates with the label’s producer, Al
Kasha. Her first album, Her Name Is Erma, with jazz flavored standards mixed
with pop tunes with a gospel feel, received a rave review of four stars on
Billboard: “Erma Franklin, older sister of Aretha, shows off her warm and
striking vocal stylings in exciting fashion on this new waxing. A fine flock of
performances by an exceptional new talent.” Unfortunately, even though she was
a remarkably endowed singer, Erma did not have the luck or support she deserved
from record companies, and furthermore, her career was unfairly overshadowed by
the fabulous artistic dimension of her sister Aretha.
TRACKLIST:
01. Time Out for Tears (Berman-Schiff) 2:11
02. Be Anything (But Be Mine) (Irving Gordon) 2:25
03. Foolishly Yours (Simms-Joy) 2:55
04. I Promise It Won’t Happen Again (Partee-Blackwell-Scott)
2:36
05. It Is Too Late (Berman-Best) 1:55
06. I Almost Lost My Mind (Yvory Joe Hunter) 2:18
07. Summertime (Gershwin-Heyward) 3:06
08. It's Too Soon To Know (Deborah Chessler) 2:04
09. She's Only Got Herself To Blame (Udell-Geld) 2:38
10. I Know I'm Good for You (White-Wolfson) 2:13
11. A Little Place in Your Heart (Blackwell-Hall) 2:31
12. I Want To Be Loved (Savannah Churchill) 1:53
13. Hello Again (Shayne-Arthur) 2:41
14. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye (Cole Porter) 2:46
15. What Kind of Girl (Do You Think I Am?) (Seneca-Steward)
2:19
16. Don't Blame Me (McHugh-Fields) 2:49
17. Detour Ahead (Carter-Ellis-Frigo) 2:52
18. Time After Time (Styne-Cahn) 2:57
19. It's Over (Kasha-Weatherspoon) 2:15
20. Never Let Me Go (Joseph Scott) 2:45
21. Each Night I Cry (Carolyn Franklin) 2:26
22. Saving My Love for You (Johnson)-Robey) 3:02
23. Pledging My Love (Washington-Robey) 2:34
24. The Man I Love (G. & I. Gershwin) 2:32
25. Don't Wait Too Long (Carolyn Franklin) 2:16 *
26. Never Again (Kasha-Weiss) 2:23 *
(*) 45 rpm Edit Bonus Tracks
Sources:
Tracks #1-12, from the Savannah Churchill album “Time Out
for Tears” (Jamie JLP 70-3016ST)
Tracks #13-24, from the Erma Franklin album “Her Name Is
Erma” (Epic BM 619)
Track #25, from the Epic Single 5-9559
Track #26, from the Epic Single 5-9516
Savannah Churchill, vocals
Orchestra arranged and conducted by Robert Mersey
Recorded in Philadelphia, September 1960
Erma Franklin, vocals
Orchestra arranged and conducted by Robert Mersey and Sammy
Lowe (#25)
Recorded in New York City, 1961 and 1962 (#25)
New liner notes: Jordi Pujol
Original recordings produced by Harry Finfer (#1-12) and
Al Kasha (#13-26)
This CD compilation produced by Jordi Pujol