Toussaint McCall
Nothing Takes The Place Of You
Written-By – T. McCall 2:41
A2 The Toussaint Shuffle
Written-By – T. McCall 2:25
A3 Nothing Takes The Place Of You
Written-By – T. McCall 3:15
A4 The Title Escapes Me
Written-By – T. McCall 1:50
A5 (I Left My Heart) In San Francisco
Written-By – D. Cross, G. Cory 3:49
A6 La Rea
Written-By – T. McCall 1:49
B1 Step By Step
Written-By – T. McCall 2:53
B2 Perhaps I Love You
Written-By – T. McCall 2:18
B3 Shimmy
Written-By – T. McCall 2:15
B4 I'm Undecided
Written-By – T. McCall
2:03
B5 All For A Love Like You
Written-By – T. McCall 2:45
B6 Summertime
Written-By – Heyward, Gershwin 2:08
Label: Ronn Records – LPS 7527
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1967
Genre: R&B Soul
Style: Sixties Soul, Deep Soul
Released in 1967 on Ronn Records, Nothing Takes the Place of You is the debut studio album by Louisiana-based soul singer and organist Toussaint McCall. It is anchored by the eponymous title track, a hauntingly slow, lovelorn ballad that reached #5 on the US R&B charts and became a soul classic.
The album is characterized as classic Southern soul, rhythm and blues, and gospel-influenced ballads. Many tracks feature a sparse, "haunting" production style. McCall played a Lowrey organ on the sessions, creating a "weeping" organ sound that reflects his strong background in church music.
Much of the material was recorded at McCall’s home in Monroe, Louisiana, or at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
The album includes a mix of original compositions by McCall and soul-inflected covers:
"Nothing Takes the Place of You": The centerpiece of the album, later featured in John Waters' 1988 film Hairspray.
"The Toussaint Shuffle": An instrumental track highlighting his organ playing.
"Summertime": A soul interpretation of the Gershwin classic.
"Step by Step": A frequently cited deep soul favorite.
"Let It Be Me": A duet with Barbara West.
While McCall did not achieve another major commercial success, the album remains a staple of "Deep Soul" collections. It has been reissued several times, including a 2007 CD release by Fuel 2000 that added bonus tracks and previously unissued recordings.