Genre: soul
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title: Black Gold
Company: RCA Victor
Catalog: LSP-4248
Year: 1969
Country/State: Tryon, North Carolina
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: --
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 19
Price: $20.00
I'll readily admit that I stayed away from Nina Simone albums under the belief that she was simply too jazzy for my tastes. Produced by then-husband Andre Stroud (they divorced shortly afterwards), 1969s "Black Gold" caught my attention for the fact it included her original version of a song Aretha Franklin covered with great success ('To Be Young, Gifted and Black') and for the wild knit mesh outfit Simone was wearing on the back cover. Even though you'd never know it from the packaging, this was a live collection recorded at an October 1969 concert at New York's Philharmonic Hall (don't look for that information on the scanty liner notes). (Perhaps my ears are playing tricks on me, but parts of the set sound like they were done in the studio, or at least subjected to heavy post-production work). The album was also characterized by a very stark and unforgiving sound. Simone's voice was a pretty amazing instrument, capable of sounding like an 80 year old blues singer (check out the first half of 'Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair' - guitarist Emile Latimer handled the vocals on the second half), an early world music advocate ('Westwind'), as well as a Judy Collins-styled folkie ('Who Knows Where the Time Goes'). There was also plenty of the angry Simone - check out her pre-'Young, Gifted and Black' monologue. Anyone looking for a career spanning greatest hits selection was probably disappointed by the collection, but I have to admit it was eclectic enough to get me interested in tracking down some more of Simone's catalog.
"Black
Gold" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Introduction - 2:30
2.) Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair (traditional) - 7:30
3.) Ain't Got No: I Got Life (Gerome Ragni, James Rado, Gal McDermot) - 5:30
4.) Westwind (Salter Semenya) - 9:40
(side
2)
1.) Who Knows Where the Time Goes (Sandy Denny) - 8:08
2.) The Assignment Sequence (Hendin) - 6:28
3.) To Be Young, Gifted and Black (Nina Simone - Weldon Irvine - 10:10