When she moved to New York in 1960, Nancy Wilson had three main aims. Firstly, she wanted to work with manager John Levy, secondly, she wanted to sign a record deal with big time label Capitol Records, who had her idol Nat King Cole on their roster, and finally, she wanted to work with producer David Cavanaugh on her first album. She managed to achieve those three goals within five months of the move, she was just 23 years old. While at Capitol Records she recorded at least two albums a year between 1960 and 1970 and stayed with the label until 1980.

This set covers the twelve albums recorded in her second decade with Capitol and brings together the seven CDs re-issued between 2011 and 2013 by Soul Music Records, many of which are now no longer available. For most modern artists a seven disc, twelve album (including 16 singles) and ten year compilation would represent a career spanning retrospective but for an artiste as prolific and resilient as Nancy Wilson this is a mere snapshot of her extensive repertoire. On initially signing to Capitol, Wilson released her debut Like In Love which lent heavily on R&B, however, following that album the label steered her onto an altogether jazzier path throughout the remainder of the 60’s which culminated in “The Nancy Wilson (TV) Show” for NBC in 1967-68. With the 60’s coming to a close and the 70’s dawning it was time for a new approach for America’s rising star.

1970’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You which opens disc 2 (we’ll get to disc 1 in a moment), along with it’s companion from that same year, Now I’m A Woman finds Wilson adopting a far more mainstream, dare I say pop attitude, relying heavily on covers of chart topping tunes from the likes of Bread (‘Make It With You’), Frankie Valli (first single, ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’), The Carpenters (‘(They Long To Be) Close To You’),Blood, Sweat & Tears (‘You’ve Made Me So Very Happy’), Simon & Garfunkel (‘Bridge Over Troubled Waters’), Sacha Distel (a rather downbeat version of ‘Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head’) and even Lennon & McCartney (‘The Long And Winding Road’) supplementing the Basseyesque ‘Waitin’ For Charlie’, ‘Now I’m A Woman’ and ‘This Girl Is A Woman Now’ singles. Skipping back to disc 1 we find the expanded version of 1971’s follow-up But Beautiful, which places the vocalist on more comfortable ground as she supplies a ballad heavy set, joined by the Hank Jones Quartet. Delivering possibly her best vocal performance to date on the saucy ‘ Do It Again’, ‘Prelude To A Kiss’, ‘Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe’, ‘Glad To Be Happy’, and sultry bonus track ‘Easy Living’ accompanied my Hank’s lively piano timbre and Ron Carter’s deep down double bass tones (‘Supper Time’, ‘Oh! Look At Me Now’). One for a quiet winter night beside the fire.

Also released in 1971 and opening the third disc, Kaleidoscope finds Wilson in full on big band mode as demonstrated on Bill Withers ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’, and the punchy ‘I’ll Get Along Somehow’ but the album mixes that with a more stripped back soulful element on ‘Middle Of The Road’, ‘Let It Be Me’ (which was made famous by The Everly Brothers), and opener ‘The Greatest Performance Of My Life’. By 1973, I Know I Love Him, (which completes disc 3) replaced any remnants of jazz in favour of full on soulfulness which is enhanced by the inclusion of The Crusaders as backing musicians. The bass and saxophone of Wilton Felder being a key feature on ‘I Was Telling Him About You’ and ‘Are We Losin’ Touch’. With a track list which included Marvin Gaye’s ‘We Can Make It Baby’ and the Etta Jones alike ‘Don’t Misunderstand’ this is probably her most mainstream outing so far, but she was just about to dial up the pop a little further for All In Love Is Fair (1974) and Come Get To This (1975). Although the albums once again extensively plunder other artists songbooks, the cover of The Stylistics ‘Your As Right As Rain’ became Wilson’s first, and only top 10 hit in the US and with musicians the calibre of Ray Parker Jr., Wilton Felder (again), Wah Wah Watson (aka Melvin Ragin), and Tom Wright Scott onboard they certainly didn’t scrimp on the budget. With further covers from Paul McCartney (‘My Love’), Marvin Gaye (‘Come Get To This’), Candi Staton (‘He Called Me Baby’), James Taylor (‘Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight’) and Stevie Wonder (‘All In Love Is Fair’) plus upbeat tracks ‘There’ll Always Be Forever’, ‘All My Love Comes Down’, alongside the big band strings and horns of ‘Houdini Of The Midnite Hour’ and R&B hit ‘Streetrunner’ these two mid 70’s albums see Nancy coming closer to a Diana Ross soul/R&B diva, a theme which continued through the subtle jazz tinged soul and pop of This Mothers Daughter (1976) and the string heavy I’ve Never Been To Me (1977), but with those two she swung the emphasis back onto more original compositions.

By the end of 1977 disco fever had taken over the world and Music On My Mind (1978) which celebrated her 25^th year in show business took the funk and big production hinted at on the previous releases ‘Flying High’ and ‘Here It Comes’ and added it to Wilson’s bombastic vocal style on ten solid original tracks. High points include the circus tinged ‘I’m A Balloon’, the brass heavy ‘Let It Flow’, and ‘Easy’. Music, Love & Harmony (1979) took the dance vibe to the next level from the outset as the jazz bass, frantic drum beat, and hand clapping on the title track spins you out onto the dance floor and although the pace may be reduced to a slow bolero for ‘Here’s To Us’, ‘This Is Our Song’, and smoochy ballad ‘You Bring Out The Best Of The Woman In Me’, the party is still in full swing on ‘You’re The One’ and finale ‘Heaven’. 1980’s Take My Love not only signalled new beginnings, as a fresh decade began but also saw Nancy Wilson’s departure after a 37 album association with Capitol Records. However this was no bleak swansong and saw six of her most upbeat and commercial studio tracks joined by two tracks (‘Not Afraid To Love’, ‘I’m Coming Home’) recorded live at “A” Studio with a 51 piece orchestra and specially invited audience which concludes appropriately with her taking her final ‘Bows’. At this pivotal point in her long musical life, she covers all the basses with strings, brass, piano and vocal harmonies on her most glitzy showbiz showing to date. This set displays the evolution of a performer who continued to cross genres decade after decade, probably more so in the 70’s than at any other point in her illustrious career.

Like her contemporary Aretha Franklin, Nancy Wilson’s work rate was truly remarkable. During her lifetime she recorded more than 70 albums (her final album, Turned To Blue was released in 2006) and appeared in films as well as making a number of TV appearances. Nancy was nominated for 7 Grammy Awards of which she won 3. After a career spanning almost 60 years, following a long period of health issues (and the death of her husband of 48 years in 2008) Wilson passed away on 13th December 2018 at the age of 81. Despite everything that she had achieved the music that she left behind is surely her one true legacy and there is plenty here to discover.

FFO: Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Zoe Schwarz.

• Reviewed By Peter Brockwell.
• You’re Right As Rain: The Capitol Albums 1970-1980 (7CD Box Set) is released via Cherry Red Records/Soul Music Records on 22nd November 2024.
• Miss Nancy Wilson | Song Stylist / Jazz Vocalist
• Nancy Wilson (jazz singer) – Wikipedia

Track List:

Disc 1: But Beautiful (Expanded Edition)

1. Prelude To A Kiss
2. For Heaven’s Sake
3. Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe
4. I’ll Walk Alone
5. Supper Time
6 . But Beautiful
7. Oh! Look At Me Now
8. Glad To Be Unhappy
9. *In A Sentimental Mood
10. I Thought About You
11. *Easy Living
12. Do It Again
13. *Darn That Dream
* Bonus tracks, not included on the original LP release 

Disc 2: Can’t Take My Eyes Off You / Now I’m A Woman (Expanded Edition)

1. Waitin’ For Charlie To Come Home
2. A Brand New Me
3. Mixed-Up Girl
4. Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head
5. This Girl Is A Woman Now
6. Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
7. Words And Music
8. Suzanne
9. You’ve Made Me So Very Happy
10. Trip With Me
11. Now I’m A Woman
12. Joe
13. (They Long To Be) Close To You
14. The Long And Winding Road
15. Bridge Over Troubled Water
16. Let’s Fall In Love All Over
17. Lonely, Lonely
18. How Many Broken Wings
19. The Real Me
20. Make It With You
Bonus Tracks:
21. Go Away And Find Yourself
22. When You’re Alone
23. I’m Gonna Make You Love Me

Disc 3: Kaleidoscope / I Know I Love Him

1. The Greatest Performance Of My Life
2. If I Were Your Woman
3. I’ll Get Along Somehow
4. Middle Of The Road
5. Let It Be Me
6. To Be The One You Love
7. Mr. Bojangles
8. Ain’t No Sunshine
9. Everyone Knows
10. Once In My Lifetime
11. We Can Make It Baby
12. Morning In Your Eyes
13. Don’t Misunderstand
14. Are We Losin’ Touch
15. I Was Telling Him About You
16. Easy Evil
17. The Laughter And The Tears
18. Can I
19. I Heard You Singing Your Song
20. I Know I Love Him

Disc 4: All In Love Is Fair / Come Get To This

1. You’re As Right As Rain
2. Try It, You’ll Like It
3. There’ll Always Be Forever
4. All In Love Is Fair
5. Streetrunner
6. Ocean Of Love
7. To Make It Easier On You
8. Tell The Truth
9. My Love
10. Come Get To This
11. All My Love Comes Down
12. Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
13. If I Ever Lose This Heaven
14. Happy Tears
15. Houdini Of The Midnite Hour
16. This Time Last Summer
17. He Called Me Baby
18. Like A Circle Never Stops
19. Boogeyin’ All The Way

Disc 5: This Mother’s Daughter / I’ve Never Been To Me

1. From You To Me To You
2. Love Has Smiled On Us
3. I Don’t Want A Sometimes Man
4. Tree Of Life
5. China
6. Now
7. This Mother’s Daughter
8. He Never Had It So Good
9. In My Loneliness (When We Were One)
10. Stay Tuned
11. Flying High
12. All By Myself
13. Love Is Alive
14. Car Of Love
15. I’ve Never Been To Me
16. Changes
17. Patience My Child
18. Nobody
19. Here It Comes
20. Moments

Disc 6: Music On My Mind / Life, Love & Harmony

1. I’m Gonna Let Ya
2. Music On My Mind
3. I’m A Balloon
4. Let It Flow
5. Easy
6. He Makes Me Feel Good ‘Bout Myself
7. I’m In Love
8. I Really Need Him
9. Light
10. Music On My Mind (Reprise)
11. Life, Love And Harmony
12. Here’s To Us
13. This Is Our Song
14. Sunshine
15. You’re The One
16. Open Up Your Heart And Take Me In
17. Wrapped Up In The Comfort Of Your Love
18. You Bring Out The Best Of The Woman In Me
19. Heaven

Disc 7: Take My Love

1. Take My Love
2. Someone Else
3. Welcome Home
4. The Sadness In My Eyes
5. Let’s Hold On To Love
6. I Loved You All The Time
7. Not Afraid To Love (Live)
8. I’m Coming Home (Live)
9. Bows (Live)