180 Gram Vinyl!
Soul Legend's Debut Album! Includes "Grandma's Hands"!
Just As I Am is the 1971 debut of soul legend, Bill Withers. Produced by Booker T. Jones, and featuring backing from L.A. stalwarts Jim Keltner, Chris Ethridge, and Stephen Stills, Just As I Am features the outright, stone cold, classic Aint No Sunshine along with other, lesser known, but equally powerful tracks such as Grandmas Hands and Better Off Dead.
After the record was made, it took the visionary error of some DJ playing the B-side to "Harlem" a slow tune called "Ain't No Sunshine" to make people really pay attention. There are many great records, there are even many great albums, but few have had the effect of Withers' Just As I Am, which seemed to remind a whole generation just what it was supposed to be about.
A very, very, heavy and powerful debut from one of soul musics greatest songwriters; reissued here on 180 gram vinyl in a deluxe tip-on jacket.
"In a career laden with highlights and hallmarks in the annals of soul history, Just as I Am gets rather overlooked as one of the best soul debuts ever issued... Of course, the instantly recognizable anthem 'Ain't No Sunshine' gets all of the acclaim it so richly deserves, but tracks like 'Harlem' and 'Better Off Dead' also warrant kudos for the intensity and maturity of their performances." - Rob Theakston, allmusic.com
"When the 31-year-old Withers recorded 'Sunshine,' he was still working at a factory making toilet seats for 747s. He intended to write more lyrics for the part where he repeats the phrase 'I know' 26 times, but the other musicians told him to leave it." - Rolling Stone
Features:
180g Vinyl
Deluxe Tip-On Jacket
Selections:
Side One:
1. Harlem
2. Ain't No Sunshine
3. Grandma's Hands
4. Sweet Wanomi
5. Everybody's Talkin'
6. Do It Good
Side Two:
1. Hope She'll Be Happier
2. Let It Be
3. I'm Her Daddy
4. In My Heart
5. Moanin' And Groanin'
6. Better Off Dead
Soul Legend's Debut Album! Includes "Grandma's Hands"!
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time - Rated 304/500!
Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005, Bill Withers was honored by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in 2006 with the Societys Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award, presented to ASCAP members who have had a major impact on the legacy of Rhythm and Soul music. Additional honors include multiple Million-aires citations from Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI); a Soul Train Hall of Fame award; two NAACP Image awards, induction into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame, and a Clio award. In 2007 "Lean On Me" was enshrined in the Grammy Hall of Fame.Just As I Am is the 1971 debut of soul legend, Bill Withers. Produced by Booker T. Jones, and featuring backing from L.A. stalwarts Jim Keltner, Chris Ethridge, and Stephen Stills, Just As I Am features the outright, stone cold, classic Aint No Sunshine along with other, lesser known, but equally powerful tracks such as Grandmas Hands and Better Off Dead.
After the record was made, it took the visionary error of some DJ playing the B-side to "Harlem" a slow tune called "Ain't No Sunshine" to make people really pay attention. There are many great records, there are even many great albums, but few have had the effect of Withers' Just As I Am, which seemed to remind a whole generation just what it was supposed to be about.
A very, very, heavy and powerful debut from one of soul musics greatest songwriters; reissued here on 180 gram vinyl in a deluxe tip-on jacket.
"In a career laden with highlights and hallmarks in the annals of soul history, Just as I Am gets rather overlooked as one of the best soul debuts ever issued... Of course, the instantly recognizable anthem 'Ain't No Sunshine' gets all of the acclaim it so richly deserves, but tracks like 'Harlem' and 'Better Off Dead' also warrant kudos for the intensity and maturity of their performances." - Rob Theakston, allmusic.com
"When the 31-year-old Withers recorded 'Sunshine,' he was still working at a factory making toilet seats for 747s. He intended to write more lyrics for the part where he repeats the phrase 'I know' 26 times, but the other musicians told him to leave it." - Rolling Stone
Features:
180g Vinyl
Deluxe Tip-On Jacket
Selections:
Side One:
1. Harlem
2. Ain't No Sunshine
3. Grandma's Hands
4. Sweet Wanomi
5. Everybody's Talkin'
6. Do It Good
Side Two:
1. Hope She'll Be Happier
2. Let It Be
3. I'm Her Daddy
4. In My Heart
5. Moanin' And Groanin'
6. Better Off Dead
