Description
Cher – Bang, Bang: The Early Years / EMI Audio CD
UPC 724349990029
Product Details:
Label: EMI – 7243 4 99900 2 9
Format: CD, Compilation
Genre: Rock, Pop
Style: Ballad, Pop Rock
Editorial Reviews:
With her 1999 worldwide smash "I Believe in Love," the woman born Cherilyn Sarkasian LaPier not only became the oldest woman to score a No. 1 record, she seemingly transcended pop music itself as a force of nature. While her early years are best remembered for her mid-'60s hits with partner-mentor Sonny Bono and a string of '70s kitsch classics ("Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves," "Half Breed," "Dark Lady"), her solo career actually began as a sidelight to Sonny and Cher, with Bono writing and producing a string of successful singles for his wife-to-be. That both musicians were alumni of Phil Spector's legendary hit factory is amply evident here, both in the drama of their themes (the murder metaphor of "Bang Bang," the rare pop take on divorce of "You Better Sit Down Kids") and in Bono's full-bodied, if sorely underrated, productions. Fans should also be delighted by Cher's readings of a generous selection of period covers, ranging from Dylan and Bacharach to the Righteous Brothers, Jobim, and even Tom Jones. Such are the unlikely roots of a legend. --Jerry McCulley
Released in the spring of 1999, Bang Bang: The Early Years arrived at the perfect time. After years in exile -- she hadn't had a hit single or movie in over five years -- Cher returned to the spotlight in early 1998 under tragic circumstances, delivering a moving eulogy at Sonny Bono's funeral. It served as a reminder to a mass audience that she was alive and well, and within a year, she had a huge hit single with "Believe" and a hit movie with Tea with Mussolini. All in all, it was the perfect opportunity for a collection that spotlighted her recordings for Imperial from the mid-'60s. There had been many compilations focusing on her duets with Sonny, but Bang Bang was the first in many years to focus directly on her solo recordings, and at a generous 18 tracks, it ranks among the best of its kind ever assembled. All seven of her charting singles for Imperial -- "All I Really Want to Do," "Where Do You Go," "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)," "Alfie," "Behind the Door," "Hey Joe," "You Better Sit Down Kids" -- are here, along with most of the B-sides and selected album tracks. There may be a personal favorite or two missing, but overall this is as close as it comes to a definitive collection of Cher's early solo recordings. Overall, the songs aren't quite as strong as those she recorded with Sonny, but it's still very good indeed. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist:
| 1 | –Cherilyn |
Dream Baby (Perfomed As "Cherilyn")
Arranged By – Gene Page, Written-By – Bono |
2:54 |
| 2 | –Cher | All I Really Want To Do
Written-By – Dylan |
2:59 |
| 3 | –Cher | I Go To Sleep
Written-By – Davies |
2:39 |
| 4 | –Cher | Come And Stay With Me
Written-By – De Shannon |
2:42 |
| 5 | –Cher | Where Do You Go
Written-By – Bono |
3:17 |
| 6 | –Cher | You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
Written-By – Donaggio, Napier-Bell, Wickham, Pallavicini |
2:48 |
| 7 | –Cher | Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)
Written-By – Bono |
2:46 |
| 8 | –Cher | Needles And Pins
Written-By – Nitzsche, Bono |
2:39 |
| 9 | –Cher | Elusive Butterfly
Written-By – Lind |
2:30 |
| 10 | –Cher | Alfie
Written-By – David/Bacharach |
2:51 |
| 11 | –Cher | Sunny
Written-By – Hebb |
3:11 |
| 12 | –Cher | Behind The Door
Written-By – Gouldman |
3:45 |
| 13 | –Cher | Magic In The Air (I Feel Like Something In The Air)
Written-By – Bono |
3:50 |
| 14 | –Cher | Mama (When My Dollies Have Babies)
Written-By – Bono |
3:26 |
| 15 | –Cher | Hey Joe
Written-By – Roberts |
3:28 |
| 16 |
–Cher | You Better Sit Down Kids
Written-By – Bono |
3:43 |
| 17 | –Cher | Girl From Ipanema
Written-By – Jobin, Gimbel, De Moraes |
2:15 |
| 18 | –Cher | It's Not Unusual
Written-By – Mills, Reed |
2:18 |
About the Artist:
Cher (born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Commonly referred to by the media as the Goddess of Pop, she has been described as embodying female autonomy in a male-dominated industry. Cher is known for her distinctive contralto singing voice and for having worked in numerous areas of entertainment, as well as adopting a variety of styles and appearances throughout her six-decade-long career.
More Details:
- Arranged By – Harold Battiste Jr. (tracks: 5 to 7, 9 to 18), Sonny Bono (tracks: 2 to 4, 8)
- Liner Notes – Chris White
- Mastered By – Odea Murphy
- Producer – Sonny Bono
