Nina Simone I Put A Spell On You (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series) 180g LP

Michael Fremer Rated 9/11 Music, 9/11 Sonics!

The 1965 album I Put A Spell On You features some of Nina Simone's best-known songs, including her cover of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put A Spell On You". The original version gave it an ironic theme, but Simone transformed it into a thrilling love song, complete with horns and strings, becoming one of her most well-known songs. She used the title for her 1992 autobiography "I Put A Spell On You".

Seeking to offer definitive audiophile grade versions of some of the most historic and best jazz records ever recorded, Verve Label Group and Universal Music Enterprises' new audiophile Acoustic Sounds vinyl reissue series utilizes the skills of top mastering engineers and the unsurpassed production craft of Quality Record Pressings. All titles are mastered from the original analog tapes, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged by Stoughton Printing Co. in high-quality gatefold sleeves with tip-on jackets.

"We are excited to launch our Acoustic Sounds series," said Bruce Resnikoff, President & CEO of UMe. "Verve and UMe have one of the richest jazz catalogs ever recorded and our goal is to give vinyl and music lovers the best possible versions of classic albums. The Acoustic Sounds series is designed to appeal to today's most discriminating fans, and those discovering this treasured legacy for the first time, looking for the very finest in both artistic content and audio quality."

"The A&R choices here are as eclectic as you'd hope for on a Nina Simone album including of course the title track. Simone covers songs by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse from their Broadway show 'The Roar of the Greasepaint' and 'Marriage is For Old Folks' from the musical 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty', as well as a few titles flown in from France including Jacques Brel's 'Ne Me Quitte Pas' and pairs by Charles Aznavour and Simone's husband Andrew Stroud - one being a 40's style Louis Jordan-ish 'in praise of sex' (as Simone claims in the notes) 'Gimme Some'." - Michael Fremer, Analog Planet, Music 9/11, Sound 9/11

I Put a Spell On You is a thoughtful, often joyful sophisticated set of well-chosen, popular songs (pop of that era is unlike today's pop) that Nina Simone delivers with unerring charm and warmth. It's her most consistently excellent Philips era album and it and Pastel Blues, both released in 1965, are ideal showcases for both Simone's enduring artistry and for what made her Philips era records special. The sound of both of these records is the best that's been produced from these tapes and both records are well worth owning.