AARON NEVILLE
''MY TRUE STORY''
JANUARY 22 2013
38:28
1/Money Honey/2:54
2/My True Story
O. Waltzer/2:59
3/Ruby Baby
Jerry Leiber / M. Stoller/2:31
4/Gypsy Woman
Curtis Mayfield/3:29
5/Ting a Ling
Nugetre/2:47
6/Be My Baby
Jeff Barry / Ellie Greenwich / Phil Spector/3:48
7/Little Bitty Pretty One/2:43
8/Tears on My Pillow/3:30
9/Under the Boardwalk/2:53
10/Work with Me Annie
Hank Ballard/3:05
11/This Magic Moment/True Love
Doc Pomus / Mort Shuman/4:29
12/Goodnight My Love (Pleasant Dreams)
John Marascalco / G. Motola/3:20
Aaron Neville /Vocals
Dickie Harmon Vocals (Background)
Bobby Jay Vocals (Background)
David Johnson /Vocals (Background)
Joel Katz /Vocals (Background)
Greg Leisz /Guitar
Art Neville /Hammond B3
Lenny Pickett /Flute, Saxophone
Eugene Pitt /Vocals (Background)
George G. Receli /Drums
Keith Richards /Guitar, Producer
Tony Scherr /Bass
Earl Smith Jr. /Vocals (Background)
Benmont Tench /Keyboards
O. Waltzer /Composer
Don Was /Producer
REVIEW
by Thom Jurek
Back in 1985, Aaron Neville offered fans a glimpse of his love of doo wop with the EP Orchid in the Storm. Over a quarter-century later, he returns to it on My True Story. Doo wop pre-dates rock & roll. Its reliance on the human voice in group harmony communicates not only melody but rhythm, and influenced the sounds of Motown, Stax, and early rock & roll. Even Frank Zappa claimed it as a prime influence. Co-produced by Keith Richards and Blue Note label boss Don Was, the dozen tunes here make prime use of Neville's voice, placing his high, smooth, vulnerable tenor way up front; he is backed by vintage-era doo wop singers and an all-star band that includes Richards and Greg Leisz on guitars, Benmont Tench on keyboards, bassist Tony Scherr, and drummer George R. Receli. Lenny Pickett helps out on horns and winds on a number of tracks as well. The production is clean, the musical backing used more as texture and color than as real support -- Neville and his vocalists offer all the impetus needed to pull this off (indeed one wonders what this set might have sounded like a cappella). The tunes are all classics. Standouts include Lieber & Stoller's "Ruby Baby," a medley of Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman's "This Magic Moment" and "True Love," Hank Ballard's "Work with Me Annie" (featuring a guest appearance from Art Neville on B-3), Sylvester Bradford's and Al Lewis' "Tears on My Pillow," and Curtis Mayfield's "Gypsy Woman." The latter marries doo wop to early Chicago soul, and Neville celebrates this in his reading. "Be My Baby," which will forever be associated with the Ronettes and Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, is stripped back to the source music that inspired its authors, Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, and Spector -- even when adding a Pickett flute solo to the chart. Ultimately, My True Story is a smooth, mostly laid-back, and soulful recording by Neville. He provides a healthy -- sometimes overly -- reverential respect for the original material. Coupled with his vocals, these restrained yet imaginative arrangements offer some surprising twists and turns.
BIOGRAPHY
by Michael Erlewine
Although Aaron Neville is often compared to singer Sam Cooke in terms of sheer vocal refinement, he has a voice and style uniquely his own. He is well known as part of the New Orleans sound of the Neville Brothers. Yet, aside from the 1967 number one R&B hit "Tell It Like It Is," few have heard his incredible early solo recordings. Many of those first recordings, in the early and mid-'60s, were arranged, produced, and often written by the brilliant Allen Toussaint -- another talent only later being really appreciated. Most of these sides were cut for the Minit and, later, Parlo labels. Songs like "She Took You for a Ride" and "You Think You're So Smart" on Parlo are masterpieces. While his more recent work, including that with Linda Ronstadt, makes for pleasant listening, it lacks the sheer persuasion of his early songs. Neville has re-recorded his early work often, and it is important to hear the originals. The early sides are just waiting to be heard.
He has ventured more into other waters besides R&B -- 1993's The Grand Tour included a remake of a George Jones song that got Neville a little country attention, and in 1994 he announced plans to do a complete country album. He was also one of several R&B artists who teamed with country stars for the Rhythm Country and Blues session. Neville was paired with Trisha Yearwood, and the duo also performed together in a benefit concert for the LP held in Los Angeles in April 1994. The LP made history by debuting in the Top Ten on the pop, R&B, and country charts. Tattooed Heart appeared in 1995 and To Make Me Who I Am in 1997 on A&M Records. Increasingly, Neville was drawn to his gospel roots, and the influence of the genre shows in his solo projects. Devotion and Believe were released in 2000 and 2003, respectively, by Tellit Records. Nature Boy: The Standards Album came out on Verve in 2002 and the holiday album Christmas Prayer was issued by EMI Gospel in 2005. Neville kicked off the next year by singing the national anthem at Super Bowl XL, followed by the release of Mojo Soul, a collection of some of his singles from the late '60s and early '70s with producers Marshall Sehorn and Allen Toussaint, and Bring It on Home...The Soul Classics, which featured guests Chaka Khan and Mavis Staples, among others. This was followed by his gospel album, I Know I've Been Changed in 2010. In January, 2013, Neville released My True Story, his debut album for Blue Note Records. The set was a collection of doo wop covers, and was co-produced by Keith Richards and Don Was.
''MY TRUE STORY''
JANUARY 22 2013
38:28
1/Money Honey/2:54
2/My True Story
O. Waltzer/2:59
3/Ruby Baby
Jerry Leiber / M. Stoller/2:31
4/Gypsy Woman
Curtis Mayfield/3:29
5/Ting a Ling
Nugetre/2:47
6/Be My Baby
Jeff Barry / Ellie Greenwich / Phil Spector/3:48
7/Little Bitty Pretty One/2:43
8/Tears on My Pillow/3:30
9/Under the Boardwalk/2:53
10/Work with Me Annie
Hank Ballard/3:05
11/This Magic Moment/True Love
Doc Pomus / Mort Shuman/4:29
12/Goodnight My Love (Pleasant Dreams)
John Marascalco / G. Motola/3:20
Aaron Neville /Vocals
Dickie Harmon Vocals (Background)
Bobby Jay Vocals (Background)
David Johnson /Vocals (Background)
Joel Katz /Vocals (Background)
Greg Leisz /Guitar
Art Neville /Hammond B3
Lenny Pickett /Flute, Saxophone
Eugene Pitt /Vocals (Background)
George G. Receli /Drums
Keith Richards /Guitar, Producer
Tony Scherr /Bass
Earl Smith Jr. /Vocals (Background)
Benmont Tench /Keyboards
O. Waltzer /Composer
Don Was /Producer
REVIEW
by Thom Jurek
Back in 1985, Aaron Neville offered fans a glimpse of his love of doo wop with the EP Orchid in the Storm. Over a quarter-century later, he returns to it on My True Story. Doo wop pre-dates rock & roll. Its reliance on the human voice in group harmony communicates not only melody but rhythm, and influenced the sounds of Motown, Stax, and early rock & roll. Even Frank Zappa claimed it as a prime influence. Co-produced by Keith Richards and Blue Note label boss Don Was, the dozen tunes here make prime use of Neville's voice, placing his high, smooth, vulnerable tenor way up front; he is backed by vintage-era doo wop singers and an all-star band that includes Richards and Greg Leisz on guitars, Benmont Tench on keyboards, bassist Tony Scherr, and drummer George R. Receli. Lenny Pickett helps out on horns and winds on a number of tracks as well. The production is clean, the musical backing used more as texture and color than as real support -- Neville and his vocalists offer all the impetus needed to pull this off (indeed one wonders what this set might have sounded like a cappella). The tunes are all classics. Standouts include Lieber & Stoller's "Ruby Baby," a medley of Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman's "This Magic Moment" and "True Love," Hank Ballard's "Work with Me Annie" (featuring a guest appearance from Art Neville on B-3), Sylvester Bradford's and Al Lewis' "Tears on My Pillow," and Curtis Mayfield's "Gypsy Woman." The latter marries doo wop to early Chicago soul, and Neville celebrates this in his reading. "Be My Baby," which will forever be associated with the Ronettes and Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, is stripped back to the source music that inspired its authors, Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, and Spector -- even when adding a Pickett flute solo to the chart. Ultimately, My True Story is a smooth, mostly laid-back, and soulful recording by Neville. He provides a healthy -- sometimes overly -- reverential respect for the original material. Coupled with his vocals, these restrained yet imaginative arrangements offer some surprising twists and turns.
BIOGRAPHY
by Michael Erlewine
Although Aaron Neville is often compared to singer Sam Cooke in terms of sheer vocal refinement, he has a voice and style uniquely his own. He is well known as part of the New Orleans sound of the Neville Brothers. Yet, aside from the 1967 number one R&B hit "Tell It Like It Is," few have heard his incredible early solo recordings. Many of those first recordings, in the early and mid-'60s, were arranged, produced, and often written by the brilliant Allen Toussaint -- another talent only later being really appreciated. Most of these sides were cut for the Minit and, later, Parlo labels. Songs like "She Took You for a Ride" and "You Think You're So Smart" on Parlo are masterpieces. While his more recent work, including that with Linda Ronstadt, makes for pleasant listening, it lacks the sheer persuasion of his early songs. Neville has re-recorded his early work often, and it is important to hear the originals. The early sides are just waiting to be heard.
He has ventured more into other waters besides R&B -- 1993's The Grand Tour included a remake of a George Jones song that got Neville a little country attention, and in 1994 he announced plans to do a complete country album. He was also one of several R&B artists who teamed with country stars for the Rhythm Country and Blues session. Neville was paired with Trisha Yearwood, and the duo also performed together in a benefit concert for the LP held in Los Angeles in April 1994. The LP made history by debuting in the Top Ten on the pop, R&B, and country charts. Tattooed Heart appeared in 1995 and To Make Me Who I Am in 1997 on A&M Records. Increasingly, Neville was drawn to his gospel roots, and the influence of the genre shows in his solo projects. Devotion and Believe were released in 2000 and 2003, respectively, by Tellit Records. Nature Boy: The Standards Album came out on Verve in 2002 and the holiday album Christmas Prayer was issued by EMI Gospel in 2005. Neville kicked off the next year by singing the national anthem at Super Bowl XL, followed by the release of Mojo Soul, a collection of some of his singles from the late '60s and early '70s with producers Marshall Sehorn and Allen Toussaint, and Bring It on Home...The Soul Classics, which featured guests Chaka Khan and Mavis Staples, among others. This was followed by his gospel album, I Know I've Been Changed in 2010. In January, 2013, Neville released My True Story, his debut album for Blue Note Records. The set was a collection of doo wop covers, and was co-produced by Keith Richards and Don Was.