Nina Simone with Strings

Nina Simone With Strings is an album by singer/pianist/songwriter Nina Simone (1933-2003). The album was released without her knowing after she had left Colpix Records and had already made albums for Philips Records. To make the tracks on the album (a hodgepodge of live and studio recording left over from previous recording sessions) more commercial, strings were added on some of the tracks, occassionally burrying Nina's vocals under a wall of sound. Despite (or perhaps: because of) the post-production efforts the album remains one of Nina's least accomplished works, mainly a collection of different songs in terms of subject, style and quality. On later releases of Nina's Colpix years, some of the tracks on this album were remastered (without the strings) and different takes were released attached to the albums that the songs were actually intended for.

Information about songs on this album

"Baubles Bangles And Beads", a song originally intended for the studio album Forbidden Fruit (1961).
"Work Song", throughout her career Nina did several versions of this prison-song. The original track listing also call this song falsy "Chain Gang".
"The Man With A Horn", Nina recorded this song later for Nina Simone And Piano (1969), it never made it onto the album however.
"Porgy I Is Your Woman Now", from George Gershwin's opera Porgy & Bess.
"Gimme A Pigfoot And A Bottle Of Beer", originally a song by Bessie Smith, a Blues singer and one of Nina's idols.

Track listing

"I Loves You Porgy"
" Blackbird"
" Falling In Love Again (Can't Help It)"
" Baubles Bangles And Beads"
" Spring Is Here"
" That's All"
" Work Song"
" The Man With A Horn"
" Porgy I Is Your Woman Now"
" Gimme A Pigfoot And A Bottle Of Beer"