It stands as a comprehensive tribute to a foundational titan of rhythm and blues.
Born Delores LaVern Baker in Chicago, she inherited a legendary blues lineage as the niece of "The Yas Yas Girl" Merline Johnson and a relative of Memphis Minnie. Starting her journey in church choirs, she rose through the competitive club circuits of Chicago and Detroit under the moniker "Little Miss Sharecropper". Signing with Atlantic Records in 1953, her unmatched vocal power, sharp rhythmic precision, and fierce independence redefined mid-century popular music. Her groundbreaking achievements were permanently cemented when she became only the second female solo artist ever inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrospective Overview. This collection isolates 18 of Baker's most iconic A- and B-side master recordings from her historic golden era. The track list offers an organic look at an artist who stood at the absolute centre of the American musical landscape during its most explosive decade. Side A traces her initial rise as a crossover pioneer, featuring her historic 1954 rhythm breakthrough "Tweedle Dee", alongside chart-toppers like "Bop-Ting-a-Ling", "Play It Fair", and the massive cross-market powerhouse "Jim Dandy". Side B highlights her artistic maturation into a premier song interpreter capable of conveying deep adult longing. This side features the cinematic pop ballad "I Cried A Tear" (with King Curtis on saxophone), the fierce Leiber and Stoller gospel-rock masterpiece "Saved", and her urbanized 1962 reinvention of Ma Rainey's "See See Rider". It stands as a comprehensive tribute to a foundational titan of rhythm and blues.
Track Listing
Tweedle Dee Bop-Ting-a-Ling That's All I Need Play It Fair My Happiness Forever Get Up Get Up Still I Can't Love You Enough Jim Dandy Jim Dandy Got Married It's So Fine I Cried A Tear I Waited Too Long So High So Low Tiny Tim Shake A Hand Saved See See Rider
