Released in 1970, Just a Little Lovin' was the fourth (and last) studio album Carmen McRae cut for Atlantic Records in the late '60s/early '70s.
The albums were for the most part a mix of pop and jazz songs with a decidedly pop angle.
Just a Little Lovin' isn't too different, though it leans more toward the soulful end of the street.
Producer Arif Mardin put McRae together with the Dixie Flyers studio band, backup singers extraordinaire the Sweet Inspirations, and an all-star horn section led by King Curtis, and then let her loose on the usual Beatles covers (a lifeless "Something," a very relaxed and sensual "Here, There and Everywhere," and a dramatic take on "Carry That Weight") and pop tunes like Jimmy Webb's "Didn't We" and Laura Nyro's "Goodbye Joe." So far, so half decent.
Where the album really takes off is on the tracks that sound more down-home and Southern, like those cribbed from Dusty in Memphis ("Just a Little Lovin'," "Breakfast in Bed"), the Willie Dixon blues "I Love the Life I Live," and the tracks written by Tony Joe White (the funky-as-dirt "I Thought I Knew You Well" and "I Want You").
The band sounds totally in the groove on these cuts and McRae responds with some supremely gritty performances.
As with all her other Atlantic records, it's a mixed bag but well worth picking up for Carmen McRae fans -- and if you aren't one, you should be!.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SomethingGeorge Harrison | Carmen McRae | Play | 03:06 | 7 MB | 17 MB |
| 2 | I Thought I Knew You WellTony Joe White | Carmen McRae | Play | 03:57 | 9 MB | 23 MB |
| 3 | I Want YouTony Joe White | Carmen McRae | Play | 02:21 | 5 MB | 14 MB |
| 4 | More Today Than YesterdayPat Upton | Carmen McRae | Play | 03:07 | 7 MB | 18 MB |
| 5 | Here, There and EverywhereJohn Lennon, Paul McCartney | Carmen McRae | Play | 02:36 | 5 MB | 11 MB |
| 6 | Carry That WeightJohn Lennon, Paul McCartney | Carmen McRae | Play | 02:50 | 6 MB | 16 MB |
| 7 | Breakfast in BedDonnie Fritts, Eddie Hinton | Carmen McRae | Play | 03:18 | 7 MB | 19 MB |
| 8 | I Love the Life I LiveWillie Dixon | Carmen McRae | Play | 02:30 | 5 MB | 14 MB |
| 9 | What'cha Gonna DoDonnie Fritts | Carmen McRae | Play | 03:36 | 8 MB | 19 MB |
| 10 | Didn't WeJimmy Webb | Carmen McRae | Play | 03:23 | 7 MB | 14 MB |
| 11 | Goodbye JoeLaura Nyro | Carmen McRae | Play | 02:38 | 6 MB | 15 MB |
| 12 | Just A Litlle Lovin' | Carmen Mcrae | Play | 02:14 | 5 MB | 12 MB |
| 13 | I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know | Carmen Mcrae | Play | 03:36 | 8 MB | 19 MB |
| 14 | Just A Dream Ago | Carmen Mcrae | Play | 03:15 | 7 MB | 17 MB |
| 15 | Silent Spring | Carmen Mcrae | Play | 03:05 | 7 MB | 18 MB |
| 45 mins | 104 MB | |||||
| 45 mins | 254 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pepper Adams | Main Personnel, Sax (Baritone) |
| 2 | Ron Albert | Engineer |
| 3 | Garnett Brown | Main Personnel, Trombone |
| 4 | Sammy Creason | Drums, Main Personnel, Percussion |
| 5 | Joseph DeAngelis | French Horn |
| 6 | Jim Dickinson | Guitar, Keyboards, Main Personnel |
| 7 | The Dixie Flyers | Rhythm Section |
| 8 | Willie Dixon | Composer |
| 9 | George Dorsey | Main Personnel, Sax (Alto) |
| 10 | Charlie Freeman | Guitar, Main Personnel |
| 11 | Donnie Fritts | Composer |
| 12 | Alexander Gafa | Guitar |
| 13 | Lewis Hahn | Engineer |
| 14 | George Harrison | Composer |
| 15 | Eddie Hinton | Composer |
| 16 | Walter Kane | Woodwind |
| 17 | King Curtis | Main Personnel, Sax (Alto), Sax (Tenor) |
| 18 | Chuck Kirkpatrick | Engineer |
| 19 | John Lennon | Composer |
| 20 | Barry Mann | Composer |
| 21 | Arif Mardin | Arranger, Audio Production, Conductor, Producer |
| 22 | George Marge | Woodwind |
| 23 | Jim Marshall | Design, Photography |
| 24 | Paul McCartney | Composer |
| 25 | Tommy McClure | Bass, Guitar (Bass), Main Personnel |
| 26 | Carmen McRae | Main Personnel, Piano, Primary Artist, Vocals |
| 27 | Tony Miranda | French Horn |
| 28 | Joe Newman | Main Personnel, Trumpet |
| 29 | Joe Newman Quartet | Trumpet |
| 30 | Laura Nyro | Composer |
| 31 | Gene Orloff | Director |
| 32 | Gene Paul | Engineer |
| 33 | Romeo Penque | Woodwind |
| 34 | The Sweet Inspirations | Main Personnel, Vocals (Background) |
| 35 | Brooks Tillotson | French Horn |
| 36 | Pat Upton | Composer |
| 37 | Mike Utley | Main Personnel, Organ, Piano (Electric) |
| 38 | Bruce Vanderhoff | Hair Stylist |
| 39 | Jimmy Webb | Composer |
| 40 | Cynthia Weil | Composer |
| 41 | Tony Joe White | Composer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |