It's not everyday that you'll walk into a media outlet - they're no longer called record shops unless they ARE record shops, right - and find this album. It's rare that it'll be in mint condition with only a $7.00 price tag especially when it's never been released on CD and the bidding alone for it can start from $25.00 to $60.00 on Ebay. Simply titled, La Vern is the second album that pioneer R&B singer La Vern Baker recorded for Atlantic records sometime in the mid-1950's. Known for sultry blues ballads like Soul On Fire, scorching rockers like Jim Dandy and pop fluff like Tweedle Dee, the singer decided she wanted to go in for a more mature approach on this album with songs that have since become standards like I'll Never Be Free, Everybody's Somebody's Fool and Fool That I Am.
I was anything but a fool when I immediately snatched the album up for $7.00 shortly before summer! Yes, sometimes WE WIN when store owners and record dealers who always try to play the customer sometimes end up playing themselves! However, I ended up playing my own self and singing my own blues when the disk slipped from my fingers, across the front of the control receiver, and right onto the floor as soon as I got ready to put it on the turntable. After I picked up my face, I picked up the record to see an otherwise clean recording with an unsightly scratch on what turned out to be the best side of the album.
That was months ago but I still haven't gotten over it. Sometimes, I can't even bring myself to look at the album. Yes, I've said before that I wouldn't list Miss Baker as one of my favorite singers but that doesn't mean that I don't like her. Baker probably would've cut me before she let me anywhere near her but after being hijacked, ripped off and cheated throughout her career, I only ended up dropping, scratching and damn near ruining her. Damn, she deseves better and quite honestly, so do I!
Hey, Corey:
You mentioned LaVern's hit "Soul on Fire". The first time I ever heard that fantastic recording was in the movie "Angel Heart" --remember with Lisa Bonet. Well, when I heard it couldn't get it out of mind. And the film director was brilliant to use it in that film because the story was about a man who'd soul his soul to the devil, and tried to hide in another man's body (Mickey Rourke). Yeah, I love that movie, and I love LaVern Baker's performance of that song.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | September 22, 2011 at 04:25 PM
Yes, Derrick! THAT was the first time that I had heard the song and it had much the same effect on me as it did on you. I liked the movie, too!
WOW! It's been a quite a while since I've seen it, though.
Posted by: Corey | September 23, 2011 at 09:41 PM
this gives me a big idea......
Posted by: Della Mae | September 28, 2011 at 01:30 AM