Lorraine Ellison
Lorraine Ellison (March 17, 1931 – January 31, 1983) was a powerful American soul singer and songwriter best known for her 1966 "operatic" soul masterpiece, "Stay with Me". Born Marybelle Luraine Ellison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she began singing in church at age si.x Before transitioning to secular music, she performed with several gospel groups, including:
Ellison moved into R&B in 1964 and initially signed with Mercury Records, where she released "I Dig You Baby" in 1965. Shortly after, she signed with Warner Bros. Records. Her defining moment came in 1966 due to a fortunate coincidence. When Frank Sinatra cancelled a scheduled recording session at the last minute, songwriter and producer Jerry Ragovoy utilized the already-booked 46-piece orchestra to record Ellison singing "Stay with Me". The song became a soul classic, reaching #11 on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart. She had a minor hit with "Heart Be Still" in 1967.
She was a prolific songwriter, often collaborating with her manager and later husband, Sam Bell. She recorded the original version of "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)", which later became a major hit for Janis Joplin. Her songs were recorded by artists such as Jerry Butler, Dee Dee Warwick, Garnet Mimms, and Howard Tate.
Ellison largely retired from the music industry in the 1970s to care for her ailing mother, though she continued to sing in church. She died of ovarian cancer on January 31, 1983, at the age of 51. Her legacy is preserved through compilations like the Sister Love: The Warner Bros. Recordings.
Heart and Soul
Written-By – Loesser, Carmichael 3:02
A2 Games That Lovers Play (Eine Ganze Nacht)
Written-By – Snyder, Last, Kusik, Loose 2:30
A3 He's My Guy
Written-By – Warren Schatz 2:44
A4 What A Difference A Day Makes
Written-By – Grever, Adams 3:00
A5 A Change Is Gonna Come
Written-By – Sam Cooke 3:30
A6 If I Had A Hammer
Written-By – Hays, Seeger 2:15
B1 When Love Flies Away
Written-By – Ragovoy, Bell 3:09
B2 Cry Me A River
Written-By – Arthur Hamilton 3:04
B3 Stay With Me
Written-By – Weiss, Ragovoy 3:29
B4 What Is A Woman
Written-By – Schmidt, Jones 3:00
B5 That's For Me
Written-By – Hammersein II - Rodgers 2:36
B6 My Man's Gone Now
Written-By – Heyward, Gershwin 3:20
Label: Warner Bros. Records – W 1674
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1967
Genre: R&B Soul
Style: Sixties Soul
Lorraine Ellison's 1967 album Heart & Soul is a highly regarded work, praised for its deep soul roots, Ellison's powerful vocals, and sophisticated jazz arrangements. It is often considered a tremendous early album in the soul genre.
Ellison's voice is frequently described as exceptional, "far beyond others". Her signature song, "Stay with Me," is noted as a "full-blooded, screaming, beautiful, agonised, ecstatic, sobbing, sexual, soaring performance".
According to Dusty Groove, the album "mixes her deep soul roots with some sophisticated jazzy arrangements from Oliver Nelson," resulting in a "wonderfully rich feel". The blend of deep soul and jazz arrangements is a key highlight.
The album is considered a classic within the soul genre, with an average rating of 4.14/5 on community-driven sites like Discogs. The inclusion of powerful tracks like "Stay with Me" and covers of standards such as "A Change Is Gonna Come" and "Cry Me a River" contributes to its lasting appeal.
Stay With Me--The Best of
Written-By – Weiss, Ragovoy
2 A Good Love
Written-By – Weiss, Ragovoy
3 I've Got My Baby Back
Written-By – Ellison, Bell
4 I'm Over You
Written-By – Kooper, Brass, Levine
5 No Matter How It Turns Out
Written-By – Jerry Ragovoy
6 I Want To Be Loved
Written-By – Sam Bell
7 Heart Be Still
Written-By – Berns, Ragovoy
8 Try (Just A Little Bit Harder)
Written-By – Taylor, Ragovoy
9 In My Tomorrow
Written-By – Lorraine Ellison
10 I'm Gonna Cry Til My Tears Run Dry
Written-By – Pomus, Shuman, Fagin
11 Only Your Love
Written-By – Ragovoy, Shuman
12 You Don't Know Nothing About Love
Written-By – Jerry Ragovoy
13 Time Is On My Side
Written-By – Norman Meade
14 Doin' Me Dirty
Written-By – Meade-Norman
15 Caravan
Written-By – Van Morrison
16 I'll Be Home
Written-By – Randy Newman
17 Many Rivers To Cross
Written-By – Jimmy Cliff
18 The Road I Took To You
Written-By – Barbara Keith
19 Walk Around Heaven
Written-By – Cassietta George
20 Stormy Weather
Written-By – Arlen, Koehler
21 Do Better Than You're Doin'
Written-By – Lorraine Ellison
22 I'll Fly Away
Written-By – Lorraine Ellison
23 No Relief
Written-By – Van Stock, Jordan
24 The Hurt Came Back Again
25 You're Easy On The Mind
Label: Ichiban Records – SCL 2106
Format: CD, Compilation, Remastered
Country: US
Released: 1995
Genre: R&B Funk, Soul
Style: Soul