Few female R&B stars, enjoyed the kind of consistent acclaim Etta James received, throughout a career that spanned six decades; the celebrated producer Jerry Wexler once called her "the greatest of all modern blues singers," and she recorded a number of enduring hits, including "At Last," "Tell Mama," "I'd Rather Go Blind," and "All I Could Do Was Cry." At the same time, despite possessing one of the most powerful voices in music, James only belatedly gained the attention of the mainstream audience, appearing rarely on the pop charts, despite scoring 30 R&B hits.

Here we have a first time vinyl reissue of her superb yet overlooked 1964 album, Queen of Soul, produced by Billy Davis, the A&R man who helped transform Chess Records from renowned purveyors of '50s blues and R&B into one of the hippest soul outlets of the '60s. Etta is in fine voice throughout and the album's tracks – which stem from sessions recorded between late 1962 and late 1964 – represent extremely compelling soul music. Opening tune "Bobby Is His Name" is gorgeous, while her take on Irma Thomas' "I Wish Someone Would Care" fits her perfectly. 180g vinyl LP from Elemental Music.