The Anita Kerr Singers - All You Need Is Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:55
Size: 86.8 MB
Styles: Vocal pop, Easy Listening
Year: 1967/2015
Art: Front

[3:06] 1. All You Need Is Love
[3:33] 2. Holiday
[3:03] 3. [you Make Me Feel Like] A Natural Woman
[2:36] 4. Never My Love
[3:24] 5. Stay
[2:59] 6. How Can I Be Sure
[3:28] 7. Autumn Afternoon
[2:33] 8. No Salt On Her Tail
[3:33] 9. Look Of Love
[2:52] 10. In The Morning
[3:25] 11. I Make A Fool Of Myself
[3:18] 12. The Last Waltz

The multi-talented, Nashville-based Anita Kerr had been a studio arranger and behind-the-scenes mover and shaker in Music City USA for nearly two decades when she signed with Warner Brothers in the mid-'60s. Her fourth LP bore the optimistic title All You Need Is Love (1967). In addition to remaking the Beatles' Summer of Love anthem, Kerr (soprano/soloist) leads her ensemble -- which also consists of B.J. Baker (alto), Gene Merlino (tenor), and Bob Tebow (bass) -- through an assortment of contemporaneous light rock and pop. Some of the re-arrangements work better than others in a choral setting. For instance, the Bee Gees' languid "Holiday" is exquisite and moody with Kerr's voice hovering over the ensemble for an ethereal listening experience that is particularly recommended for those who like the original. The Addrisi Brothers-penned "Never My Love" bears the same harmonic earmarks and complexities as the Association's hit version with the buoyancy of Kerr's gliding vocals. From the Bacharach/David songbook comes arguably the most endearing inclusion of them all, Kerr's interpretation of "The Look of Love." It retains all of the mystique and subtle charm of Dusty Springfield or Dame Shirley Bassey without becoming too instrumentally watered down or vocally tarted up. While not quite on par with the previously mentioned tunes, for the remake of "How Can I Be Sure?," Kerr and company match the minor-chord noir, yet can't seem to believably pull off the blue-eyed soul ingrained within the Rascals' formidable grooves. And to the same point, Kerr perhaps would have been better served having shelved the utilitarian choral reading of "(You Make Me Feel) Like a Natural Woman." Clearly, Aretha she ain't! And for her next album Sounds (1968), the Anita Kerr Singers returned to delivering selections that are uniformly better suited to the combo's strengths. ~Lindsay Planer

All You Need Is Love

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The Anita Kerr Singers - Mellow Moods Of Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:21
Size: 85.5 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Vocal harmony group
Year: 1965/2015
Art: Front

[3:33] 1. Street Of Dreams
[2:21] 2. Honeymoon
[2:56] 3. All Of You
[3:50] 4. The Masquerade Is Over
[3:05] 5. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
[3:01] 6. Don't Dream Of Anybody But Me
[2:50] 7. Have I Told You
[2:59] 8. The Good Life
[3:25] 9. People
[3:02] 10. The Girl From Ipanema
[3:21] 11. The Girl That I Marry
[2:53] 12. I Had The Craziest Dream

Anita Kerr is a softly spoken, petite lady from Memphis, Tennessee. Her string of successes in many different styles did not happen by chance. She is one of the most talented and professionally accomplished women in popular music history. Her group the Anita Kerr Singers went on to beat the Beatles (when the Beatles were at the height of their powers) for Best Vocal Group Performance in the 1965 Grammys. Yet she barely gets a mention in most music reference books. Listen to this CD closely, and you will see why she was given the name of America's first lady of music! ~Mr. B. Pugh

Mellow Moods Of Love

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Anita Kerr Singers - Remember The 60s & The 70s?

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:52
Size: 137.1 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Vocal harmonies
Year: 1973/2003
Art: Front

[2:53] 1. All You Need
[4:28] 2. My Coloring Book
[3:37] 3. Sunny
[3:21] 4. Michelle
[3:37] 5. Eleanor Rigby
[4:08] 6. Fool On The Hill
[3:04] 7. If Not For You
[2:54] 8. If
[5:03] 9. Something In The Way She Moves
[2:22] 10. Yesterday
[3:27] 11. Good Vibrations
[3:33] 12. Superstar
[3:01] 13. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
[4:39] 14. Your Song
[4:17] 15. You've Got A Friend
[5:20] 16. Bridge Over Troubled Water

In the 1950s and '60s, the Anita Kerr Singers were one of the most popular group of backup vocalists in all of country music, appearing on countless recordings by renowned Nashville artists. Kerr was the group's leader, but was joined by alto Dottie Dillard, tenor Gil Wright, and baritone Louis Nunley, as the quartet initially gained attention by performing on the NBC radio program Sunday Down South in the early '50s, which led to a contract with Decca Records. In 1956, the Anita Kerr Singers landed a spot on the New York-based Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts TV show, which led to further broadcast appearances (although the group never let their session work for others subside). Around the same time, Chet Atkins (then the head of RCA Records' country division) took the group under his wing, which led to the quartet appearing on countless recordings by renowned artists. The Singers continued to record and tour straight through the '60s, even managing to issue several of their own albums, including Anita Kerr Singers Reflect on the Hits of Burt Bacharach & Hal David, Velvet Voices and Bold Brass, and Simon & Garfunkel Songbook, among others. ~bio by Greg Prato

Remember The 60s & The 70s?

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Anita Kerr Singers - Stay / Things We Did Last Summer

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:04
Size: 174.2 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[3:09] 1. Let It Be Me
[1:49] 2. Hit The Road Jack
[3:08] 3. Georgia On My Mind
[2:45] 4. Hurry Home
[2:27] 5. Comes Love
[3:15] 6. I Believe In My Soul
[2:33] 7. Bye Bye Love
[3:19] 8. Hard Times
[2:30] 9. Greensleeves
[3:17] 10. What'd I Say
[3:07] 11. Take Good Care Of My Baby
[2:25] 12. You Don't Know Me
[2:22] 13. I Love How You Love Me
[2:49] 14. Loch Lomond
[2:26] 15. Too Young To Go Steady
[2:31] 16. Night Stand Still
[2:30] 17. For You
[2:15] 18. House On The Hill
[2:19] 19. Cold Winter Nights
[2:42] 20. Pop Goes The Weasel
[2:38] 21. Too Many Times
[4:02] 22. I'll Drown In My Own Tears
[2:28] 23. Oh Lonesome Me
[2:36] 24. In Love With A Memory
[3:00] 25. You And The Night
[2:23] 26. Half As Much
[2:43] 27. Once Upon A Time
[2:24] 28. Tragedy

In the 1950s and '60s, the Anita Kerr Singers were one of the most popular group of backup vocalists in all of country music, appearing on countless recordings by renowned Nashville artists. Kerr was the group's leader, but was joined by alto Dottie Dillard, tenor Gil Wright, and baritone Louis Nunley, as the quartet initially gained attention by performing on the NBC radio program Sunday Down South in the early '50s, which led to a contract with Decca Records. In 1956, the Anita Kerr Singers landed a spot on the New York-based Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts TV show, which led to further broadcast appearances (although the group never let their session work for others subside). Around the same time, Chet Atkins (then the head of RCA Records' country division) took the group under his wing, which led to the quartet appearing on countless recordings by renowned artists. The Singers continued to record and tour straight through the '60s, even managing to issue several of their own albums, including Anita Kerr Singers Reflect on the Hits of Burt Bacharach & Hal David, Velvet Voices and Bold Brass, and Simon & Garfunkel Songbook, among others. ~ Greg Prato

Stay / Things We Did Last Summer

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The Anita Kerr Singers - The Great Days Of The Big Bands

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:29
Size: 111.0 MB
Styles: Swing, Vocal harmony group
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[2:10] 1. Take The A Train
[3:47] 2. Begin The Beguine
[3:08] 3. 'round Midnight
[3:29] 4. Sunny Side Of The Street
[3:35] 5. Sentimental Journey
[2:50] 6. Hot Toddy
[3:41] 7. Stompin' At The Savoy
[2:31] 8. I'll Never Smile Again
[2:41] 9. String Of Pearls
[3:48] 10. Mood Indigo
[4:15] 11. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
[2:29] 12. Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe
[3:13] 13. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
[3:23] 14. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
[3:23] 15. Early Autumn

The Great Days Of The Big Bands

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The Anita Kerr Singers - Nostalgia

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:43
Size: 123.0 MB
Styles: Vocal harmony group, Easy Listening
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[2:48] 1. Lullaby Of Birdland
[4:11] 2. Makin' Whoopee
[3:59] 3. All The Way
[2:38] 4. All The Things You Are
[3:46] 5. I've Grown Accustomed To His Face
[4:33] 6. Let's Do It
[3:25] 7. I'm Glad There Is You
[3:27] 8. How Deep Is The Ocean
[2:23] 9. It's All Right With Me
[4:34] 10. Blues In The Night
[3:12] 11. Willow Weep For Me
[3:17] 12. Sometimes I'm Happy
[4:01] 13. I Get Along Without You Very Well
[3:51] 14. This Is All I Ask
[3:32] 15. The Party's Over

In the 1950s and '60s, the Anita Kerr Singers were one of the most popular group of backup vocalists in all of country music, appearing on countless recordings by renowned Nashville artists. Kerr was the group's leader, but was joined by alto Dottie Dillard, tenor Gil Wright, and baritone Louis Nunley, as the quartet initially gained attention by performing on the NBC radio program Sunday Down South in the early '50s, which led to a contract with Decca Records. In 1956, the Anita Kerr Singers landed a spot on the New York-based Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts TV show, which led to further broadcast appearances (although the group never let their session work for others subside). Around the same time, Chet Atkins (then the head of RCA Records' country division) took the group under his wing, which led to the quartet appearing on countless recordings by renowned artists. The Singers continued to record and tour straight through the '60s, even managing to issue several of their own albums, including Anita Kerr Singers Reflect on the Hits of Burt Bacharach & Hal David, Velvet Voices and Bold Brass, and Simon & Garfunkel Songbook, among others. ~bio by Greg Prato

Nostalgia

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