To Love Somebody (album)

To Love Somebody is an album by jazz singer-songwriter/pianist Nina Simone. It was released as quickly as possible to prolong the unexpected success of 'Nuff Said! The title is taken from the Bee Gees song "To Love Somebody"; her cover of the song became her second British hit single after "Ain't Got No-I Got Life".

To Love Somebody
Studio album by
Nina Simone
Released1969
Recorded1967–69
StudioRCA Studios, New York City
GenreJazz, blues, pop, folk
LabelRCA Victor
ProducerStroud Productions (Andrew Stroud), Danny Davis
Nina Simone chronology
Nina Simone and Piano
(1969)		 To Love Somebody
(1969)		 Black Gold
(1970)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

Information about songs on this album
  • The title track, "To Love Somebody", as well as "I Can't See Nobody" are songs by the Bee Gees.
  • "Suzanne", originally by Leonard Cohen; covered by many artists by the time of this album.
  • "Turn! Turn! Turn!", originally by Pete Seeger. Simone recorded an alternative version of the song that was (previously) unreleased.
  • "Revolution" (parts 1 & 2) was Simone's third subsequent single released in the UK after "Ain't Got No–I Got Life" and "To Love Somebody" both became hits. The song was released around the time of the same titled song by The Beatles and, although it has a similar hook ("Don't you know it's gonna be - all right") and structure, most of the lyrics differ. The song also uses a guitar lick similar to "Old Brown Shoe," which had been recorded by The Beatles the same year. John Lennon commented on the similarities in his 1971 interview with Rolling Stone:

I thought it was interesting that Nina Simone did a sort of answer to “Revolution.” That was very good–it was sort of like “Revolution,” but not quite. That I sort of enjoyed, somebody who reacted immediately to what I had said.[2]

The song is split into two parts because Part 2 was featured on the B-side of the single. "Revolution" didn't do well in the UK charts, and only had a mild success in the United States R&B charts. Simone didn't expect this lack of success and said to Sylvia Hampton, author of the biography Break Down and Let It All Out about this:

(…) I don't get it. It's about a revolution, man: not just colour, but everything! It's about barriers being broken down, and they sure as hell need getting rid of. (…) We need a revolution to sort it all out and get back to God. You know how lost we are, man – it's sad.[3]

Track listing
  1. "Suzanne" (Leonard Cohen) - 4:21
  2. "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)" (Traditional, Pete Seeger) - 3:41
  3. "Revolution (Part 1)" (Weldon Irvine, Simone) - 2:53
  4. "Revolution (Part 2)" (Weldon Irvine, Simone) - 1:54
  5. "To Love Somebody" (Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb) - 2:42
  6. "I Shall Be Released" (Bob Dylan) - 3:55
  7. "I Can't See Nobody" (Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb) - 3:10
  8. "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" (Bob Dylan) - 4:52
  9. "The Times They Are a-Changin'" (Bob Dylan) - 6:00

Personnel
Technical
  • Mike Moran, Ray Hall - recording engineers
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References
  1. Allmusic review
  2. Wenner, Jann S. (February 4, 1971). "The Rolling Stone Interview: John Lennon, Part II". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
  3. Hampton. Break Down And Let It All Out. p. 62.
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