''Etta James Top Ten'' is the first compilation

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by the American

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

artist,

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, sh ...

. The album was released on

Argo Records Argo Records was a record label in Chicago that was established in 1955 as a division of Chess Records. Originally the label was called Marterry, but bandleader Ralph Marterie objected, and within a couple of months the imprint was renamed Arg ...

in 1963 and was produced by

Leonard Chess Lejzor Szmuel Czyż (March 12, 1917 – October 16, 1969), best known as Leonard Sam Chess, was a Polish-American record company executive and the co-founder of Chess Records. He was influential in the development of electric blues, Chicago blu ...

. The album peaked at number 117 on the ''Billboard'' 200 in 1963, her first album to make that chart since 1961.

Background

''Etta James Top Ten'' was released in 1963 on the blue and silver Argo label. The album's title was derived from the tracks it contained, her ten top record hits in the previos three years. It included previously released tracks such as "At Last", "All I Could Do Was Cry", "My Dearest Darling", "Trust in Me", "

Something's Got a Hold on Me "Something's Got a Hold on Me" is a song by American singer Etta James. The song was written by James, Leroy Kirkland and Pearl Woods, while production was handled by Leonard and Phil Chess. It was released in 1962 as the third single from her ...

" and "A Sunday Kind of Love". It also included the newer songs "Pushover", "Stop the Wedding" and "Would It Make Any Difference to You" which all became major hits on the Rhythm and Blues Records and ''Billboard'' Pop Chart. The album was released on a 12-inch LP, available in

stereo Stereophonic sound, or more commonly stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configuration ...

. The album was given four and a half, out of five stars by ''

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

'', although no review was provided. A cover version of "Pushover" is on

Wanda Jackson Wanda LaVonne Jackson (born October 20, 1937) is an American singer and songwriter. Since the 1950s, she has recorded and released music in the genres of rock, country and gospel. She was among the first women to have a career in rock and roll, ...

's 2012 album '' Unfinished Business''. The song "

" was used by the Swedish DJ,

Avicii Tim Bergling (; 8 September 1989 – 20 April 2018), known professionally as Avicii (, ), was a Swedish DJ, remixer and music producer. At the age of 16, Bergling began posting his remixes on electronic music forums, which led to his first rec ...

, with the hit song " Levels". The rapper and Grammy Award winner

Flo Rida Tramar Lacel Dillard (born September 16, 1979), better known by his stage name Flo Rida (, ), is an American rapper and singer. His 2007 breakout single " Low" was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the record for digital dow ...

had a no.1 hit song with " Good Feeling", which includes a sample of this song, as well as "Levels".

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...

also covered "

" with a little twist added.

Track listing

Side one #"

" – (Etta James,

Leroy Kirkland Leroy E. Kirkland (February 10, 1904 or 1906 – April 6, 1988) was an American arranger, bandleader, guitarist and songwriter whose career spanned the eras of big band jazz, R&B, rock and roll and soul. Life and career Born in Columbia, South Ca ...

, Pearl Woods) 2:48 #"My Dearest Darling" – (Eddie Bocage,

Paul Gayten Paul Leon Gayten (January 29, 1920 – March 26, 1991) was an American R&B pianist, songwriter, producer, and record company executive. Career Gayten was born in Kentwood, Louisiana, the nephew of blues pianist Little Brother Montgomery. In hi ...

) 2:45 #"

At Last "At Last" is a song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film '' Sun Valley Serenade'' (1941). Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded the tune several times, with a 1942 version reaching number two on the US '' Billboard'' ...

" – (

Mack Gordon Mack Gordon (born Morris Gittler; June 21, 1904 – February 28, 1959) was an American composer and lyricist for the stage and film. He was nominated for the best original song Oscar nine times in 11 years, including five consecutive years betwee ...

, Harry Warren) 3:00 #"Fool That I Am" – (Floyd Hunt) 2:50 #"

A Sunday Kind of Love "A Sunday Kind of Love" is a popular song composed by Barbara Belle, Anita Leonard, Stan Rhodes, and Louis Prima and was published in 1946. History The song has become a pop and jazz standard, recorded by many artists. The song was first recorde ...

" – (Barbara Belle, Anita Leonard,

Louis Prima Louis Leo Prima (December 7, 1910 – August 24, 1978) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and trumpeter. While rooted in New Orleans jazz, swing music, and jump blues, Prima touched on various genres throughout his career: he forme ...

, Stan Rhodes) 3:00 Side two #"Pushover" – ( Billy Davis,

Tony Clarke Anthony or Tony Clarke may refer to: * Tony Clarke (British politician) (born 1963), English Labour Party politician, MP for Northampton South from 1997 to 2005 * Anthony Clarke (judoka) (born 1961), Australian athlete *Tony Clarke (activist) (born ...

) 2:48 #"All I Could Do Was Cry" – (Davis) 2:35 #"Stop the Wedding" – (

Freddy Johnson Freddy Johnson (March 12, 1904 – March 24, 1961) was an American jazz pianist and singer who gained popularity in the 1930s playing mostly swing style. Biography Johnson began playing professionally as Florence Mills' accompanist, and ...

, Kirkland, Woods) 2:40 #" Trust in Me" – (

Milton Ager Milton Ager (October 6, 1893 – May 6, 1979) was an American composer, regarded as one of the top songwriters of the 1920s and 1930s. His most lasting compositions include "Ain't She Sweet?” and “Happy Days Are Here Again”. Biography Ag ...

Jean Schwartz Jean Schwartz (November 4, 1878 – November 30, 1956) was a Hungarian-born American songwriter. Schwartz was born in Budapest, Hungary. His family moved to New York City when he was 13 years old. He took various music-related jobs including dem ...

, Ned Wever) 2:55 #"Would It Make Any Difference to You" – (Bob Forshee) 2:35

Chart positions

; Album ; Singles

References

{{Authority control 1963 albums Etta James albums Argo Records albums Albums produced by Leonard Chess