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Bettye Swann

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If Bettye Swann is remembered by anyone other than soul obsessives, itis for her chart-topping hit "Make Me Yours" from 1967. Hopefully, thiscollection will open a few ears to the low-key, genre-bending singerwho blended the full-bodied gritty sound of Southern soul and thesmooth sheen of soul from the urban North. It covers the years 1968 to1970, after she left Money Records and set up shop with Capitol andproducer Wayne Shuler.The union did not provide any hits, but the body of work is quiteimpressive. Swann was equally adept at slinky, sassy uptown soul like"(My Heart Is) Closed for the Season," "Cover Me," and "You're Up toYour Old Tricks Again" as well as down-home, heartbroken ballads like"Little Things Mean a Lot," the bluesy "Don't Touch Me," and Otis Redding's "These Arms of Mine," but also unique blends of styles like her Baroque soul take on the Bee Gees' "Words" and her countrified funk version of Marvin Gaye's"Ain't It Peculiar." In fact, she often dipped into country music formaterial and came up with some impressive songs like her aching versionof Patsy Cline's"Sweet Dreams," which comes darn close to the original in theheartbreak stakes. Her takes on "Stand By Your Man" and "Angel of theMorning" are beautiful and soulful reinterpretations, too.Unfortunately, her duet with Buck Owenson "Today I Started Loving You Again" remains in the vault, but hersolo version was released and is quite wonderful. Bettye Swanncertainly deserves to be discovered; this disc is packed with original,soulful, and exciting music from beginning to end. Credit to HonestJons for putting it out. First Candi Staton, now Bettye Swann -- first-class collections from a label that is doing things right.

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