LaVern Baker is the second studio album from American rhythm and blues singer LaVern Baker, released by Atlantic Records in 1957. This release was part of Atlantic Records' 8000 Series, a collection of self-titled budget albums by R&B artists, made to allow retailers to easily introduce audiences to popular singers. This was one of the first albums to collect popular singles from a single artist.
Reception Editors at AllMusic rated this album 3.5 out of 5 stars, with critic Richie Unterberger writing that it has "generally decent quality" and features "energetic" songs of the "R&B turning into rock & roll" period. A 1998 repackaging of this with 1957's LaVern received 4.5 out of 5 stars, with critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine writing that "both records are excellent" and recommending it to listeners because it collects hard-to-find tracks, but complains that "a couple of cuts fall a little flat" and "the remastering and packaging aren't quite up to the standard of the music itself". In the 2004 edition of The New Rolling Stone Album Guide, the two-album compilation was rated 4.5 out of 5 stars and the editors write that this material features Baker with a "perky, wailing style" to her voice that complements her shift from blues-based singing to pop music. George Starostin noted "the super-catchy novelty numbers" and speculates that Baker "seems overqualified for this business".
Track listing "Jim Dandy" (Lincoln Chase) – 2:26 "Tra La La" (Johnny Parker) – 2:12 "I Can't Love You Enough" (LaVern Baker, Dorian Burton, and Howard Plummer) – 2:37 "Get Up, Get Up (You Sleepy Head)" (Jim Breedlove and Joan White) – 2:13 "That's All I Need" (Baker, Howard Biggs, and Chase) – 2:32 "Bop-Ting-A-Ling" (Winfield Scott) – 2:55 "Tweedlee Dee" (Scott) – 2:25 "Still" (Burton and Plummer) – 2:16 "Play It Fair" (Bill Campbell) – 2:55 "Tomorrow Night" (Sam Coslow and Will Gross) – 3:03 "That Lucky Old Sun" (Haven Gillespie and Beasley Smith) – – 2:52 "Soul On Fire" (Baker and Jermet [collective pseudonym of Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler]) – 2:51 "My Happiness Forever" (Doc Pomus) – 2:39 "How Can You Leave a Man Like This?" (Baker and Wexler) – 2:37
Personnel LaVern Baker – vocals Mickey Baker – guitar on "That’s All I Need", "Bop-Ting-A-Ling" George Barnes – guitar on "Tra La La", "Get Up You Sleepy Head" Emmett Berry – trumpet Lawrence Brown – trombone Shad Collins – trumpet Walter DeVenne – instrumentation Ray Ellis – arrangement on "Still", conducting on "Still" Ahmet Ertegun – production The Gliders – choir/chorus vocals on "Jim Dandy", "That’s All I Need", "Bop-Ting-A-Ling", and "Tomorrow Night" Marvin Israel – cover Hank Jones – piano Connie Kay – drums on "That’s All I Need", "Bop-Ting-A-Ling", and "Tomorrow Night" Jimmy Lewis – guitar Dave McRae – baritone saxophone Freddie Mitchell – tenor saxophone Sylvester "Vess" Payne – drums Gene Redd – arrangement, conducting Guy Remark – liner notes Sam "The Man" Taylor – tenor saxophone on "That’s All I Need", "Bop-Ting-A-Ling", and "Tomorrow Night" Lloyd Trotman – double bass Jerry Wexler – production Pinky Williams – baritone saxophone
See also List of 1957 albums Atlantic Records' 8000 Series: Ruth Brown (album) Ray Charles (album)
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