I Put a Spell on You is a studio album by American jazz singer, songwriter, and pianist Nina Simone. Recorded in 1964 and 1965 in New York City, it was released by Philips Records in 1965. It peaked at number 99 on the Billboard 200 chart[5] and number 18 on the UK Albums Chart.[6] The title track "I Put a Spell on You" peaked at number 23 on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart[7] and number 28 on the UK Singles Chart.[6]
| I Put a Spell on You | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 1965 | |||
| Recorded | 1964–1965 | |||
| Studio | New York City | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 34:21 | |||
| Label | Philips | |||
| Producer | Hal Mooney | |||
| Nina Simone chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from I Put a Spell on You | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Pitchfork | 9.1/10[2] |
| Q | [3] |
| Record Mirror | [4] |
The album was re-issued in November 2020 by Verve and Universal Music Enterprises as part of their "audiophile-grade" Acoustic Sounds series.[8]
Critical reception
editAllMusic reviewer Richie Unterberger gave the album 3 stars out of 5, calling it "One of her most pop-oriented albums, but also one of her best and most consistent."[1] He added, "There are really fine tunes and interpretations, on which Simone gives an edge to the potentially fey pop songs, taking a sudden (but not uncharacteristic) break for a straight jazz instrumental with 'Blues on Purpose.'"[1]
In 2017, NPR placed it at number 3 on the "150 Greatest Albums Made by Women" list.[9] Writing for NPR, Audie Cornish called it "the closest you'll ever hear her come to pop."[9] In 2024, Apple Music 100 Best Albums named it the 88th best album of all time, making it the only album by Simone to appear on the list.[10]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Put a Spell on You" | Jalacy Hawkins | 2:34 |
| 2. | "Tomorrow Is My Turn" | Charles Aznavour, Marcel Stellman, Yves Stéphane | 2:48 |
| 3. | "Ne me quitte pas" | Jacques Brel | 3:34 |
| 4. | "Marriage Is for Old Folks" | Leon Carr, Earl Shuman | 3:29 |
| 5. | "July Tree" | Irma Jurist, Eve Merriam | 2:41 |
| 6. | "Gimme Some" | Andy Stroud | 2:57 |
| 7. | "Feeling Good" | Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley | 2:53 |
| 8. | "One September Day" | Rudy Stevenson | 2:48 |
| 9. | "Blues on Purpose" | Rudy Stevenson | 3:16 |
| 10. | "Beautiful Land" | Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley | 1:54 |
| 11. | "You've Got to Learn" | Charles Aznavour, Marcel Stellman | 2:41 |
| 12. | "Take Care of Business" | Andy Stroud | 2:03 |
Personnel
editCredits adapted from liner notes.
- Nina Simone – piano, vocals
- Rudy Stevenson – guitar
- Hal Mooney – arrangement, conducting
- Horace Ott – arrangement, conducting
Charts
edit| Chart (1965) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[5][11] | 99 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[6] | 18 |
| Chart (2021–2022) | Peak position |
| US Jazz Albums[12] | 10 |
References
edit- ^ a b c Unterberger, Richie. "I Put a Spell on You - Nina Simone". AllMusic. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
- ^ Wallace, Carvell (July 30, 2016). "Nina Simone: I Put a Spell on You". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
- ^ Cameron, Keith (September 2011). "Like This? Try This...". Q. p. 100.
- ^ Jones, Peter; Jopling, Norman (31 July 1965). "Nina Simone: I Put A Spell On You" (PDF). Record Mirror. No. 229. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Nina Simone - Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Nina Simone". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
- ^ "Nina Simone - Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
- ^ Helfet, Gabriela (September 27, 2020). "Nina Simone's I Put A Spell On You and Pastel Blues reissued in "audiophile-grade" editions". The Vinyl Factory. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ a b "Turning The Tables: The 150 Greatest Albums Made By Women 10-1". NPR. July 24, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
- ^ "Apple Music 100 Best Albums". Apple Music 100 Best Albums. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
- ^ "Nina Simone - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 23, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
- ^ "Nina Simone - Jazz Albums". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
External links
edit- I Put a Spell on You at Discogs (list of releases)