Ray Charles & Cleo Laine – Porgy & Bess

Name: Ray Charles & Cleo Laine - Porgy & Bess
Rating: 4.08 (25 reviews)

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Label:	London Records – D31D2, Crossover Records (3) – D31D2
Format:	2 x Vinyl, LP Box Set
Country:	UK
Released:	Oct 1976
Genre:	Stage & Screen
Style:	Musical

Tracklist

A1		Summertime (Instrumental)
A2		Summertime
A3		My Man's Gone Now
A4		A Woman Is A Sometime Thing
A5		They Pass By Singin'
B1		What You Want Wid Bess?
B2		I Got Plenty O' Nuttin' (Instrumental)
B3		I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
B4		Buzzard Song
B5		Bess, You Is My Woman
B6		Oh, Doctor Jesus
C1		Crab Man
C2		Here Come De Honey Man
C3		Strawberry Woman (Instrumental)
C4		Strawberry Woman
C5		It Ain't Necessarily So (Instrumental)
C6		It Ain't Necessarily So
C7		There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York (Instrumental)
C8		There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
D1		I Loves You, Porgy (Instrumental)
D2		I Loves You, Porgy
D3		Oh, Bess, Oh Where's My Bess (Instrumental)
D4		Oh, Bess, Oh Where's My Bess
D5		Oh Lord, I'm On My Way

Arranged By, Conductor – Frank De Vol
Bass – Scotty Edwards* (tracks: A1, B2, C5, C8)
Celesta – Ray Charles (tracks: C3)
Choir – The Reverend James Cleveland Singers* (tracks: B6, D5)
Composed By – George Gershwin
Design [Cover] – Sheldon Marks
Drums – Jimmy Smith* (tracks: A1, B2, C5, C8)
Electric Guitar – Ray Parker* (tracks: A1, B2, C5, C8)
Electric Piano – Ray Charles (tracks: C8, D1)
Engineer – Grover Helsley
Liner Notes – Benny Green (2)
Organ – Ray Charles (tracks: A1)
Photography By – Phil Stern
Piano – Ray Charles (tracks: B2, C6, D3)
Producer, Design [Cover] – Norman Granz
Vocals – Cleo Laine (tracks: A2, A3, A5, B1, B3, B5, B6, C2, C4, C6, D2,), Ray Charles (tracks: A2, A4, B3-B5, C1, C2, C6, C7, D4, D5)

Box set comes with booklet.
Printed In England
Made In England

	Title (Format)	Label	Cat#	Country	Year
	Porgy & Bess (2×LP)	London Records	D31D2	Netherlands	1976
Recently Edited	Porgy & Bess (2×LP, Stereo, RCA Indianapolis Pressing, Box Set, Album)	RCA, RCA Victor	CPL 2-1831, CPL2-1831	US	1976
New Submission	Porgy & Bess (LP, Stereo, Promo)	RCA	DJL1-2163	US	1976
New Submission	Porgy & Bess (2×LP, Stereo)	PAX	ISK1152-3	Israel	1976
New Submission	Porgy & Bess (2×LP, With 12 Pages Booklet, Box Set, )	London Records, Crossover Records (3)	278.133	France	1976

jeroenkeip Jun 25, 2021
Edited 2 years ago
Uniquely jazz and soul-inflected version of this classic. The added solo piano pieces by Ray Charles are an added bonus. Cleo Laine doesn't really keep up with the powerhouse that is Mr Charles, but she does a commendable job.

The box set format does justice to the occasion of such a high-profile version of a classic work, and the vinyl offers an almost three-dimensional experience of the story and the emotions.