Fontella Bass
Fontella Bass was an influential American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, widely recognized for her powerful vocal style and emotive performances. She was born on July 3, 1940, in St. Louis, Missouri, into a musically inclined family; her mother, Martha Bass, and grandmother were both professional gospel singers, which greatly influenced her early musical development.
Bass's musical journey began in her teenage years when she started singing gospel music alongside her mother. She gained initial prominence performing at the Showboat Club in St. Louis at the age of 17. After completing her education at Soldan High School, she continued to pursue her passion for music.
Her breakthrough came in 1965 with the release of her iconic hit "Rescue Me," which topped the R&B charts and became a classic, solidifying her place in music history. This song showcased her powerful voice and emotional depth, resonating with audiences and elevating her career.
Throughout her career, Fontella Bass released numerous recordings and collaborated with various artists, gaining critical acclaim for her contributions to the soul and R&B genres. Despite facing personal challenges, including the loss of her mother and brother, Bass continued to perform and engage with her music well into the later years of her life.
Fontella Bass passed away on December 26, 2012, but her legacy as a pioneering figure in soul music endures, inspiring future generations of artists. Her work not only highlights her significant impact on music but also reflects the cultural and emotional power of the R&B genre she helped define.
Free
Written-By – Fontella Bass, Oliver Sain
3:55
A2 Hold On This Time
Written-By – B. Davis, H. Banks, R. Jackson
2:27
A3 I Want Everyone To Know
Written-By – D. Bryant
2:59
A4 I Need To Be Loved
Written-By – Oliver Sain
2:26
A5 Talking About Freedom
Written-By – Byron Bowie
3:20
B1 I Need Love
Written-By – Fontella Bass
2:33
B2 Wiping Tears
Written-By – Fontella Bass
2:23
B3 Now That I've Found A Good Thing
Written-By – Fontella Bass
3:43
B4 Who You Gonna Blame
Written-By – Oliver Sain
2:42
B5 My God, My Freedom, My Home
Written-By – Morris Dollison
3:40
Label: Paula Records – LPS 2213
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1972
Genre: R&B Soul
Style: Southern Soul, Gospel
Fontella Bass's album Free (originally Now That I Found A Good Thing) is a soulful, funky R&B/Chicago Soul record from 1972, showcasing her powerful, gospel-infused voice on deep grooves like "Now That I've Found a Good Thing" and spiritual ballads such as "My God, My Freedom, My Home," blending Southern Soul's raw emotion with deep-pocketed rhythms, making it a cult classic known for its raw emotion, killer arrangements, and spiritual depth.
Deep-pocketed, funky, rich with horns, congas, and organ, delivering powerful, church-reared vocals, the album explores freedom, love, and spiritual devotion, blending secular funk with gospel intensity.
It features stomping funk ("Now That I've Found a Good Thing"), deep soul ballads ("I Need Love"), and spine-chilling gospel ("My God, My Freedom, My Home").
Considered a magnum opus, showcasing Bass's immense talent beyond her hit "Rescue Me," and a criminally underrated gem in Southern Soul.
The New Look
Written-By – Bob Hilliard, M. Garson
3:45
A2 How Glad I Am
Written-By – Jimmy Williams (3), Larry Harrison
2:41
A3 Oh No, Not My Baby
Written-By – Gerry Goffin & Carol King
2:39
A4 Rescue Me
Written-By – Carl Smith (2), Reynard Miner
2:50
A5 Gee Whiz
Written-By – Carla Thomas
2:28
A6 I'm A Woman
Written-By – Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
2:29
B1 Since I Fell For You
Written-By – Buddy Johnson
3:24
B2 Impossible
Written-By – B. F. Flip, O. Jones
2:49
B3 You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
Written-By – Mann, Weil, Spector
3:24
B4 Soul Of The Man
Written-By – Oliver Sain
3:30
B5 Come And Get These Memories
Written-By – Dozier & Holland
2:18
B6 I Know
Written-By – Barbara George
3:08
Label: Checker – LP 2997
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1966
Genre: R&B Soul, Funk
Style: Sixties Soul, Rhythm & Blues
Released in 1966 on the Checker label (a subsidiary of Chess Records), The ‘New’ Look is the debut studio album by Fontella Bass. It was famously rushed into production to capitalize on the massive success of her signature hit, "Rescue Me".
Reviews highlight Bass’s voice as "powerful yet nuanced," demonstrating her skill as an interpreter of diverse material beyond standard soul.
Unlike the high-energy R&B of "Rescue Me," much of the album leans toward vocal jazz and pop-soul, which may surprise listeners expecting a full album of gritty soul anthems.
Critics often describe it as a typical mid-60s "hit-plus-covers" LP. While the musicianship is top-tier—featuring Chess legends like Maurice White and Lester Bowie—the album relies heavily on covers (9 out of 11 tracks).
Key Tracks:-
"Rescue Me": The album’s undeniable centerpiece and its only major original hit.
Notable Covers: Includes her interpretations of "Our Day Will Come," "How Glad I Am," and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'".
"Impossible": A standout original ballad featuring understated organ work by Sonny Thompson.
The album maintains high scores on collector sites, averaging around 4.3 to 5 stars on Discogs and Amazon. Audiophiles praise the 1960s mastering for its clarity and dynamic range, noting it has "stood the test of time" better than many modern recordings.