Harris, Betty: The Lost Queen Of New Orleans Soul (Vinyl 2xLP)

Betty Harris’ The Lost Queen of New Orleans Soul collects together the steady stream of amazing soul and funk singles issued by Betty Harris from 1964 to 1969, under the musical guidance of legendary composer, musician and producer extraordinaire Allen Toussaint, a collection which truly captures the heart and soul of the city of New Orleans during this era. Betty Harris’s powerful, fiery soulful vocals found a perfect accompaniment with the New Orleans’ players that Toussaint put together to back her, which by the time of her funk classic ‘There’s A Break In The Road’ were the legendary super-tight, super funk New Orleans group The Meters.

With the extraordinary song-writing skills of Allen Toussaint alongside the powerful, soaring, confident and emotive singer and the groove of The Meters, you have an unbeatable combination. That Harris never in fact lived in New Orleans (she flew in from Florida for all her sessions with Toussaint’s local in-house players) seems almost an irrelevance, a geographical aside to the defining New Orleans sound captured on the recordings featured here.

1. There's A Break In The Road
2. 12 Red Roses
   
3. Mean Man
   
4. I'm Gonna Git Ya
5. Ride Your Pony
   
6. Show It
   
7. I Don't Wanna Hear It
   
8. Bad Luck
9. Hook, Line 'N' Sinker
   
10. Lonely Hearts
    
11. What'd I Do Wrong
    
12. What A Sad Feeling
13. Trouble With My Lover
    
14. Sometime
15. I'm Evil Tonight
    
16. Nearer To You
    
17. All I Want Is You