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Cry to Me
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Wikipedia article
"'Cry to Me'" is a song written by Bert Berns (listed as "Bert Russell") and first recorded by American soul singer Solomon Burke in 1961. Released in 1962, it was Burke's second single to appear in both 'Billboard' magazine's Hot R&B Sides and Hot 100 singles charts. Several other artists recorded the song, including Betty Harris (1963), the Pretty Things (1965), the Rolling Stones (1965), Freddie Scott (1967) and others.
Background
On December 6, 1961 Burke recorded one of his best known songs, "Cry to Me", "an ode to loneliness and desire" "one of the first songs to unify country, gospel and R&B in one package",International Masters Publishers, 'Stand by Me' (Vol. 3 of Roots of Rhythm Series) (International Masters Publishers, Incorporated, 1999):26. that is considered "the paradigm for Southern soul ballads." "Cry to Me" was written by Bert Berns (as Bert Russell), conducted and arranged by Klaus Ogermann, and produced by Bert Berns, "a roly-poly white New Yorker with a deep love and empathy for black music despite a formal music education at the Juilliard School of Music and a music background far removed from the searing soul in which, by 1963, he specialized", with whom Burke had a difficult relationship. Burke "distrusted the young producer",Michael Billig, 'Rock 'n' Roll Jews' (Syracuse University Press, 2001):83. and often spoke of him disparagingly,According to Jerry Wexler, Burke referred to Berns as a "paddy motherfucker." See Eric Olsen, [http://blogcritics.org/music/article/new-bert-berns-collection "New Bert Berns Collection"] (September 2002) but later acknowledged Berns as "a genius" and "a great writer, a great man."Barney Hoskyns, [http://www.bertberns.com/press.html "The Soul Man With a Huckster's Heart"], 'Mojo Magazine' (March 1998). Cissy Houston, who provided backing vocals on several of Burke's songs that were produced by Berns, believed "Burke changed his mind about Bert as soon as Sol started working with him in the studio. Bert's emotion-charged songs and Sol's gospel delivery was a marriage made in heaven."Cissy Houston (with Jonathan Singer), 'How Sweet the Sound: My Life with God and Gospel' (Doubleday, 1998):175. Although Burke recognized Berns's skill for crafting hit records, he rejected two Berns compositions, "Hang on Sloopy" (later recorded by the McCoys), and "A Little Bit of Soap", a recent hit for the Jarmels. Burke explained in 2004: "I felt a little unsafe about it, because they were pushing me in an ethnic market, so why would I want to say that (about soap) to my people? It didn't have the meaning it needed to have." In frustration after Burke had rejected his song choices, Berns offered him a final song, "Cry to Me", which Berns sang to him very slowly. According to Burke in a 2008 interview: "I said 'That's terrible. It's just too slow for me, I don't like slow songs.' And Mr Wexler says, 'Listen this guy writes for you, you're pissing him off. You're pissing me off, too.' (Laughs) I tried to sing it a couple of times that way, couldn't even feel it. Then I asked the young man in the studio, the engineer Tommy Dowd, 'Could we have them speed this up?'".Solomon Burke, in 'Mojo Magazine' (August 2008), quoted in [http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=8050 "Cry To Me by The Rolling Stones"] The personnel on the Solomon Burke recording included Leon Cohen on alto sax, Jesse Powell on tenor sax, Hank Jones on piano, Robert Mosely on organ, Don Arnone, Al Caiola, Bucky Pizzarelli, and Everett Barksdale on guitars; Art Davis on bass, and Gary Chester on drums.
Chart release and covers
Released in 1962, "Cry to Me", backed with "I Almost Lost My Mind" (Atlantic 2131), became Burke's second entry in the US charts, peaking at number five on the R&B charts and number 44 on the Hot 100.
On March 20, 1962, Burke sang "Cry to Me" on 'American Bandstand'.[http://www.sidereel.com/American_Bandstand/season-5/episode-142 Watch American Bandstand Season 5 Episode 142|AB-1207: Solomon Burke]. SideReel. Retrieved on 2011-04-07.
Several artists have recorded versions of the song. Betty Harris' rendition (also produced by Bert Berns) reached R&B number 10 and Hot 100 number 23 in September 1963. English band the Pretty Things recorded it in 1965 and their version reached number 28 on the UK Singles Chart.
Also in 1965, a rendition by the Rolling Stones was included on their 'Out of Our Heads' on both the UK and US editions of the album. Freddie Scott recorded the song in 1967; his single peaked at numbers 40 on the R&B and 70 on the Hot 100.
Impact
After "Cry to Me", Burke became one of the first performers to be called a soul artist.Jeff Wallenfeldt, ed., 'The Black Experience in America: From Civil Rights to the Present' (The Rosen Publishing Group, 2010):127. In "Cry to Me", and in his "most popular recordings from 1962 onward, elements of the African-American folk-preaching style", which incorporated "the fusion of speech and song", "the use of repetition or elongation for emphasis", and the improvisation of "hollers and vocal melismas", the "flowers and curlicues of gospel singing",Arnold Shaw, 'Honkers and Shouters: The Golden Years of Rhythm and Blues', 2nd ed. (Collier Books, 1978):441. are salient.Teresa L. Reed, 'The Holy Profane: Religion in Black Popular Music' (University Press of Kentucky, 2004):125126. Burke always had his pulpit in the recording studio.Teresa L. Reed, 'The Holy Profane: Religion in Black Popular Music' (University Press of Kentucky, 2004):126.
Certifications
Notes
Category:1962 singles
Category:1963 singles
Category:The Rolling Stones songs
Category:Solomon Burke songs
Category:Eric Burdon songs
Category:Dionne Warwick songs
Category:Pretty Things songs
Category:Songs written by Bert Berns
Category:Song recordings produced by Andrew Loog Oldham
Category:1962 songs
Category:Atlantic Records singles
Category:Jubilee Records singles
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