AOTW: Rita Coolidge IT'S ONLY LOVE (A&M SP 4531)

[Dave]

Rita Coolidge
IT'S ONLY LOVE
A&M SP4531

SIDE 1:
1. Born To Love Me
2. I Wanted It All
3. Keep The Candle Burning
4. Don't Let Love Pass You By
5. It's Only Love

SIDE 2:
1. Star
2. Late Again
3. My Rock And Roll Man
4. Mean To Me / Am I Blue (Medley)

Musicians Include: JERRY McGEE - Guitars / SAMMY CREASON - Drums / MIKE UTLEY - Keyboards / BOBBEYE HALL - Percussion / LEE SKLAR - Bass / BOOKER T. JONES - Organ on "Star"

CD Reissue: None

IT'S ONLY LOVE entered the Billboard Top-200 on 12-75, peaking at Number 85, according to Joe Whitburn's 'Top Pop Albums'...



Dave

 

[LPJim]

Thanks for posting & settling my dilemma of being uncertain whether to skip the Carpenters' item or not.
Cheers,
Jim -

 

[Harry]

Why did we skip HORIZON? It's probably Carpenters most popular album with the die-hard fans.

Harry

 

[Dave]

Why did we skip HORIZON? It's probably Carpenters most popular album with the die-hard fans.

Harry

--

Probably because Chris May runs something similar in our Carpenters Forum... I kind'a also figured since we MIGHT have two (FOUR?) Albums of The Week, then maybe we should run it there...

(Maybe?) :|


Dave

 

[Dave]

Thanks for posting & settling my dilemma of being uncertain whether to skip the Carpenters' item or not.

-Jim

Er, look again...:

inkshield:​

Why did we skip HORIZON? It's probably Carpenters most popular album with the die-hard fans.

Harry

--

I (kind'a also) figured since we MIGHT have two (FOUR?) Albums of The Week, then maybe we should run it there...

(Maybe?) :|



Dave

--OK, how 'bout, "YES!"...:

inkshield:​

Dave

 

[Dave]

Pretty much thrown together to follow-up Fall Into Spring, however it has its share of Decent Material, including a Torch Ballad/Medley, "Mean To Me"/"Am I Blue", put at the end, with the latter being also available as a '45', and also available on Rita Coolidge's Greatest Hits, so there hardly is a "noticable" segue between the two songs...

Did we mention the Cover of this LP in our "Black & White Cover Thread"...? (Which seems to have the "habitual" title of "Favorite", when I meant for it to be Not-Necessarily that...)

I enjoy "It's Only Love" (a B.J. Thomas ballad) "Late Again" (Kris Kristofferson wrote it and probably never really performed or recorded it, himself), "Keep The Candle Burning", "Rock 'N' Roll Man" and Booker T.'s only appearance on "Star"...

What might be next coming from Rita? Find out on her future A&M entry's and A&M Corner Albums of The Week: Anytime, Anywhere, You, Heartbreak Radio and Satisfied...



Dave

 

[mr J.]

This is probably one of Rita's best albums.It's been out of print for about 25 years,but I managed to hear basically the whole album through several domestic and import compilations.Rita actually recorded a full jazz album in 1975,and intended to release it that year.A&M didn't think it would sell and they stopped it.Rita went back into the studio and recorded a regular Pop/Country album(which became "Its Only Love")and tacked on two tracks from the earlier jazz session.(Am I Blue/Mean To Me).
The Jazz album that A&M shelved in 1975 was finally issued in 1996,augmented with two new tracks recorded in 1995.("Out Of The Blues").It went out-of-print after five years,but the Japanese version is still available.
The Japanese "Greatest Hits" includes three of the best tracks from "It's Only Love":"Keep The Candle Burning","Mean To Me" and "Am I Blue".
Rita is probably the only longtime A&M artist who has never had a single studio album on CD(domestic).
Incidentally,"Am I Blue" and "Mean To Me" are two separate tracks,not a medley,but there might have been no pause between them on the original album.

 

[chpoof]

This is probably my favorite Rita album. Gosh, what will it take for her A&M catalog to finally see the light of CD day? I'd even be OK with the tracks only being available for digital download.

 

[Harry]

This is probably one of Rita's best albums...... Incidentally,"Am I Blue" and "Mean To Me" are two separate tracks,not a medley,but there might have been no pause between them on the original album.

I've had this album for ages but can't say I've ever listened to it. It was a used throwaway album from on-air use at our old "Magic" formatted radio station, and as such has some scratches on it, particularly side one, which this radio station played four of the five tracks of (all but number 4 - "Don't Let Love Pass You By"). It also played the last track on side two, "Am I Blue".

As to the segueing of the last two tracks, mr J. is correct in theorizing about them being close together but not segued. There's about a one-and-a-half to two second pause between the two.

And, on the recommendation of the mr J. and chpoof, maybe I'll give it a listen (through the crackles!).

Harry

 

[Dave]

If only I still had my Complete Rita Coolidge Works, which were going for $1 each and NOT "Rice Krispie-d", what-so-ever...!!!



Dave