Bettye Swann - Feel The Feeling - Soul4Real LP - In Stock Now!

A truly unmissable collection of thirteen incredible tracks from soul music's royalty, Bettye Swann. Recorded during the period she was singed to Atlantic, including five originally unreleased tracks. The album that Atlantic should have released, now that wrong has been righted by Soul4Real.

𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐘𝐄 𝐒𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐍 ❞𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆❞ 𝐋𝐏 (𝐒𝟒𝐑𝐋𝐏𝟎𝟖)

Bettye Swann possessed one of the most emotive voices in soul music’s cannon but her recording career was that of a shooting-star; it blazed at the start, then illumined brightly before abruptly dissipating, all in just eleven years. In 1975 she ceased recording, moved to Las Vegas and retired her Bettye Swann persona.
The Louisianan Betty Jean Champion had relocated to Los Angeles as a young woman where in around 1964 she was introduced to Al Scott, owner of Money Records. It was her fourth Money 45 “Make Me Yours” that propelled Swann into the stratosphere. One of the defining songs of the era, it was her pathway to Capitol Records with whom she signed in 1968.

By 1972 Bettye was at Atlantic Records. The initial Atlantic 45 “Victim Of A Foolish Heart” b/w “Cold Day In Hell” recorded at Fame with Mickey Buckins and Rick Hall, made for a promising debut reaching #16 on the Billboard chart. It was followed by Bettye’s version of Merle Haggard’s “Today I Started Loving You Again” and “Til I Get It Right”, a gentle country-soul labour. “I’m Not That Easy To Lose” also dates from those sessions.

In an attempt to broaden her appeal Atlantic sent Swann to Sigma Sound in Philadelphia where she cut Phil Hurtt’s’ and Tony Bell’s “Kiss My Love Goodbye”, “Time To Say Goodbye” and “When The Game is Played On You”. Her fortunes continued to wane so Swann was next placed with Nashville producer Brad Shapiro. The results were artistically stellar and included three unissued gemstones in The Isley’s “This Old Heart of Mine”, a definitive version of Maxine Weldon’s “I Want Sunday Back Again”, and “Either You Love Me Or Leave Me”.

A pairing with Sam Dees that included Barbara Acklin’s “Just As Sure” was issued as a 45 on the Atlantic distributed Big Tree label.

Gregg Burgess

Take a listen to some of these incredible tracks....