Irma Thomas – Here I Am, Take Me
Irma Thomas – Yours Until Tomorrow
Irma Thomas – Don’t Make Me Stop Now
I’ve never been able to understand why Irma Thomas was not one of the premier top selling soul singers of the 1960s. It’s a complete mystery to me. She cut one of the most amazing soul songs ever, “Ruler Of My Heart” in 1963, which later served as the template for Otis Redding’s first major hit, “Pain In My Heart.” The Rolling Stones had a gigantic hit with a song Irma Thomas recorded in 1964 “Time Is On My Side.” But somehow fame deserving of her talent escaped Irma Thomas throughout the 1960s and 1970s. She recorded several singles and two LPs up until 1964, then more or less faded into obscurity. Thankfully she did record during this period of time, including a very rare album for Swamp Dogg’s label in 1973 called In Between Tears. In the 1980s the full sessions for her recordings at Muscle Shoals were finally released on this LP. As I’ve mentioned before on my “Desert Island Discs” Melting Pot Radio Hour, I think these sides are some of the deepest soul that’s ever been recorded.
The music is really exceptional. There’s a reason why the sounds that came out of the FAME studios in Muscle Shoals are considered legendary. For perhaps good reason “Soul” music is thought of as a distinctly African-American musical form, but it’s impossible to deny the contributions of white musicians, such as those at the fabled Alabama studio. But the star of the show is the voice of Irma Thomas, with that distinctive NOLA phrasing and feeling so deep you could swear you can hear the teardrops falling on the microphone through the speakers. When she lets loose on “Yours Until Tomorrow” I’m not sure there’s a more thrilling or more desperate sound. On “Here I Am” and “Don’t Make Me Stop Now” it’s mixed with deep longing and just as effective. Just fantastic music and as I said, some of my favorite deep soul that has EVER been recorded.
Cheers,
Michael