Billie Holiday – Lady Sings The Blues (Vinyl LP)

Billie Holiday – Lady Sings The Blues is an album by singer Billie Holiday, produced by Norman Granz and first released on Clef in December 1956, later as Verve MGV-8099. The title matches her autobiography published the same year. Side A and the first two tracks of side B were recorded on June 6 and 7, 1956 at Fine Sound Studios in New York, with Charlie Shavers, Paul Quinichette, Wynton Kelly and Kenny Burrell among others; the remaining four tracks come from a session on September 3, 1954 in Los Angeles. It includes new recordings of her well-known songs "Strange Fruit", "God Bless The Child" and "Good Morning Heartache". This copy is a 2013 European reissue (remastered, 180g) with download code.

Pressing details

• Label / Cat. no.: Verve Records MGV-8099
• Format: Vinyl LP, Album, 180g
• Pressing: EU reissue, remastered
• Country: Europe
• Year of this pressing: 2013 (original: 1956)
• Genre: Jazz, Blues, Vocal jazz
• Extras: Download code

Condition

• Condition: Second hand
• Media: NM-
• Cover: VG+

Graded to Goldmine standard (see Vinyl Grading). The images are our own scans of the actual copy for sale.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Lady Sings The Blues (Billie Holiday/Herbie Nichols)
2. Trav'lin' Light (Trummy Young/Jimmy Mundy/Johnny Mercer)
3. I Must Have That Man (Dorothy Fields/Jimmy McHugh)
4. Some Other Spring (Irene Higginbotham/Arthur Herzog Jr.)
5. Strange Fruit (Lewis Allan)
6. No Good Man (Irene Higginbotham/Sammy Gallop/Dan Fisher)

Side B

1. God Bless The Child (Billie Holiday/Arthur Herzog Jr.)
2. Good Morning Heartache (Irene Higginbotham/Ervin Drake/Dan Fisher)
3. Love Me Or Leave Me (Walter Donaldson/Gus Kahn)
4. Too Marvelous For Words (Richard Whiting/Johnny Mercer)
5. Willow Weep For Me (Ann Ronell)
6. I Thought About You (Jimmy Van Heusen/Johnny Mercer)

Personnel

June 6/7, 1956, New York (A1–B2): Billie Holiday (vocals), Charlie Shavers (trumpet), Tony Scott (clarinet), Paul Quinichette (tenor saxophone), Wynton Kelly (piano), Kenny Burrell (guitar), Aaron Bell (bass), Lenny McBrowne (drums).

September 3, 1954, Los Angeles (B3–B6): Billie Holiday (vocals), Harry Edison (trumpet), Willie Smith (alto saxophone), Bobby Tucker (piano), Barney Kessel (guitar), Red Callender (bass), Chico Hamilton (drums).

Produced by Norman Granz.

FAQ

Is this the original pressing?
No. The album was first released on Clef in 1956. This copy is a 2013 European reissue, remastered and pressed on 180g vinyl, with the Verve catalogue number MGV-8099 and a download code.

Is the album related to the film "Lady Sings The Blues"?
Not directly. The album came out in 1956 alongside Holiday's autobiography of the same name; the feature film with Diana Ross, based on that autobiography, followed in 1972.

What does Media NM- / Cover VG+ mean?
NM- (Near Mint minus) for the record means close to new with at most minimal signs of use. VG+ (Very Good Plus) for the sleeve means light wear. All grades are explained on our Vinyl Grading page.

Do you have more Billie Holiday records?
Yes, for example Billie Holiday – The Mellow Side Of Billie Holiday. More titles are in our Jazz collection.