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Jackie... Plus
Jackie DeShannon

Rhino Handmade RHM2 7832
(Release date May, 2003)

  1. Paradise (2:36)
  2. Heavy Burdens Me Down (2:56)
  3. Brand New Start (2:38)
  4. Only Love Can Break Your Heart (2:40)
  5. Laid Back Days (6:02)
  6. Full Time Woman (2:38)
  7. Vanilla O'Lay (3:00)
  8. Would You Like To Learn To Dance (3:38)
  9. I Won't Try To Put Chains On Your Soul (3:01)
  10. I Wanna Roo You (3:04)
  11. Peaceful In My Soul (2:54)
  12. Anna Karina (2:55)
  13. When I'm Gone (2:37)
  14. Drift Away (2:41)
  15. All The Love That's In You (2:13)
  16. Speak Out To Me (3:06)
  17. Hydra (3:00)
  18. Your Old Lady's Leaving (2:26)
  19. Grand Canyon Blues (2:52)
  20. Sweet Sixteen (3:25)
  21. Flamingos Fly (3:45)
  22. Santa Fe (4:03)
  23. The Wonder Of You (3:34)
  24. Through The Gates Of Gold (5:31)

From the Rhino website:
By the time Jackie DeShannon signed to Atlantic in 1972, she'd already built a multi-dimensional career. She entered the business as a child gospel singer with her own radio show; she rocked under the tutelage of Eddie Cochran; she opened for The Beatles on their first U.S. Tour; she even earned her way into the vaunted Burt Bacharach-Hal David stable.

But what she desired at this point was creative freedom. Instead of singing over elaborately arranged tracks, she wanted to be a part of the process -- to work with a band, as it were. Jackie would be the culmination of just such a vision.

So DeShannon and Atlantic's Jerry Wexler entered the legendary American Sound Studios in Memphis -- home to many of the area's renowned session cats -- and embarked upon an album project that would be part DeShannon originals and part interpretations of songs with which she had an artistic affinity. Chosen works included Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart," Van Morrison's "I Wanna Roo You," John Prine's "Paradise," and a song Wexler called "one of the greatest songs ever written," Alice Stuart's "Full Time Woman."

The originals find DeShannon really spreading her wings. "Laid Back Days" is a six-minute departure from the rigid structure of pop songwriting. "Vanilla O'Lay," which reached #76 on the singles chart, features a steel-drum band, and "Anna Karina" offers a groovy free-form reflection on the French New Wave actress.

This remastered Rhino Handmade release presents Jackie in its entirety. It also gathers 12 bonus tracks (10 previously unreleased) from DeShannon's two-year stint with Atlantic. Included are four 1973 collaborations with Van Morrison and the unearthed gospel gem "Through The Gates Of Gold."

Jackie made a brief appearance on the album chart, but it's more significant as a bold artistic statement and critical triumph. DeShannon is very proud to this day: "They're extremely respectable recordings. And for a woman at that time, it was quite a feat to cover that kind of ground musically... If you can't be honest, then what's the point?" Jackie... Plus is available as an individually numbered limited edition of 2,500 copies.

Review by Alan Lloyd:
I just received my copy of the recently issued CD Jackie... Plus which contains the 12 songs from the original Jackie album (which includes a version of "I Wanna Roo You" - better than Goldie Hawn's) and 12 other songs from the Atlantic vaults, of which only 2 have been previously issued ("Sweet Sixteen" / "Speak Out To Me", a single from 1973). Of the 12 additional songs, 4 are from a session produced by Van Morrison in 1973, "Sweet Sixteen", "Flamingos Fly", "Santa Fe" and "The Wonder of You".

"Flamingos Fly" we know from two Van versions (1974 & 1977), which have slightly altered lyrics and the verse order changes around. Jackie's delivery of the chorus is a little more staccato, compared with Van's flowing, melodic rendition.

"Santa Fe", a Morrison / DeShannon collaboration, also has a different verse sequence from the later Wavelength version.

Van's version of "Sweet Sixteen" is known from a bootleg, and Jackie does a good version.

I haven't heard Van's song "The Wonder Of You" before. It's not one of the Man's best songs, but it's OK, with the verse and the chorus at different tempi.

The musicians on these tracks are uncredited, but sound as if they could be same as those on Van's Hard Nose The Highway recorded the same year (basically the Caledonian Soul Orchestra). It's interesting to hear Van's distinctive voice doing background vocals.

Among the other songs on the additional 12 tracks are a good version of Dobie Gray's "Drift Away" and the gospelly "Through The Gates Of Gold".

Note from Patrick Milligan:
I e-mailed Rhino Homemade about the Jackie DeShannon limited edition CD... I wanted to know if Van actually SANG on any of the cuts. Here's the e-mail I got back:

Yes, Van sings on them! And they're fantastic! "Sweet Sixteen" is a duet, and Van sings harmony on some of the others. They sound like Van's records of the time with his band and style of arrangments, etc. Three of them are written by Van, and the fourth is a collaboration by Jackie and Van. "Sweet Sixteen" was actually released as a single at the time, the other three are previously unissued.

All Van fans are gonna want these!!!

Part of the van-the-man.info unofficial website