Maps of Music

To Love Somebody (1969)

Where the lyrics of To Love Somebody take you, and where it was really made.

Its only original song, 'Revolution', came out around the time of the Beatles' song of the same name, and John Lennon later said Simone's version was a kind of answer to it.

Key places

Recording credit: NYCB Theatre at Westbury (1969)

Recording site NYCB Theatre at Westbury — Music database recording links name this theatre for the album. The pin uses building coordinates, so it marks the venue itself, not a studio room. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at RCA Studio B, New York (1969)

Recording site Record Plant Studios — Track sessions are logged at RCA Studios B in New York City, from December 1967 to January 1969. The pin is set to the city centre, not the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• To Love Somebody: studio album by jazz singer-songwriter and pianist Nina Simone
• Mainly a covers album; 'Revolution' (Part 1 and Part 2) is the only original song
• Released in 1969, June according to the Italian article
• Released as quickly as possible to prolong the unexpected success of 'Nuff Said!
• Title taken from the Bee Gees song 'To Love Somebody'
• Her cover of that song became her second British hit single, after 'Ain't Got No, I Got Life'
• US release on RCA, catalogue LSP-4152

Background

• Recorded in New York between 1967 and 1969 at an RCA studio
• Production credited to Stroud Productions
• Two Bee Gees covers, 'To Love Somebody' and 'I Can't See Nobody', produced by Danny Davis and arranged by Jimmy Wisner
• Three Bob Dylan songs: 'I Shall Be Released', 'Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues', 'The Times They Are A-Changin''
• Single released in May 1969: 'Suzanne' on the A-side, 'Turn! Turn! Turn!' on the B-side

Recording

• Musicians include Don Alias (drums), Weldon J. Irvine (organ), Al Schackman (guitar), Gene A. Perla (Fender bass)
• Backing vocals by Doris Willingham and Virdia Crawford
• Jimmy Wisner conducted the orchestral tracks 'To Love Somebody' and 'I Can't See Nobody'
• Recording engineers: Mike Moran and Ray Hall
• Sessions dated from 20 December 1967 to 27 January 1969 at RCA Studios B, New York City

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · it.wikipedia.org · ja.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon on February 21, 1933, in Tryon, North Carolina; the sixth of eight children.
• Began playing piano at age three or four and gave a classical debut recital at age 12.
• Failed to gain admission to the Curtis Institute of Music, which she attributed to racism.
• Played piano at a nightclub in Atlantic City and adopted the stage name "Nina Simone" in 1954, after which she began singing as well.

Career

• Debut album Little Girl Blue (1958) included "I Loves You, Porgy", her only Billboard top 20 single in the US.
• Recorded more than 40 albums up to 1974; her 1960s protest songs such as "Mississippi Goddam" tied her to the civil rights movement.
• Left the US in 1970 and settled in Europe, later living in Liberia, Barbados, the Netherlands, and France.
• Autobiography I Put a Spell on You was published in 1991; she continued performing until her death on April 21, 2003.
• Known as the "High Priestess of Soul"; Rolling Stone ranked her No. 21 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Members

• Solo artist; she was accompanied by percussionist Leopoldo Fleming and guitarist Al Schackman throughout most of her career.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Released quickly to extend the unexpected success of 'Nuff Said!
• Mainly covers; 'Revolution' is the only original song written for the album
• 'Revolution' was released as a UK single after 'Ain't Got No, I Got Life' and 'To Love Somebody' had both become hits
• The single was split into two parts because of the single release

Records

• 'To Love Somebody': Simone's second British hit single, after 'Ain't Got No, I Got Life'
• 'Revolution': did not do well in the UK charts
• 'Revolution': only mild success in the United States R&B charts
• Simone was surprised by the weak chart result of 'Revolution'
• The album's covers are of songs by Leonard Cohen, Pete Seeger, the Bee Gees and Bob Dylan
• Dylan contributed three of the album's covers

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• 'Revolution' came out around the same time as the Beatles song of the same name, with a similar hook and structure, though most lyrics differ.
• The song uses a guitar lick similar to 'Old Brown Shoe', which the Beatles recorded the same year.
• John Lennon commented on the similarities in a 1971 interview with Rolling Stone, saying it was interesting that Simone made a sort of answer to 'Revolution'.
• Simone said she did not understand the weak chart result, describing the song as being about a revolution that breaks down barriers beyond colour.
• Simone also recorded an alternate version of 'Turn! Turn! Turn!' that had not been released before.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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