In Between Tears

by Irma Thomas

Overview

In the wake of 1969's devastating Hurricane Camille, New Orleans soul queen Irma Thomas abandoned the Gulf Coast in favor of the West Coast, settling in Los Angeles and largely forsaking her singing career in favor of the relative stability of retail work. Thomas finally resurfaced in 1973 with a series of little-noticed singles on the Fungus label that teamed her with producer Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Williams and guitarist Duane Allman -- the resulting LP In Between Tears remains a lost classic that captures deep soul at its most poignant and resonant, couching Thomas' deeply affecting vocals in earthy arrangements that emphasize the singer's gospel roots. The sass and vivacity of Thomas' earliest singles is long gone, replaced by the world-weary melancholy of a woman struggling simply to hold on. Songs like "Wish Someone Would Care," "These Four Walls," and the title cut evoke life and love in the margins with uncommon accuracy and sympathy, galvanized by the most intensely intimate performances of Thomas' career. (Shanachie's 1993 release Turn My World Around includes two additional tracks from the same sessions that yielded In Between Tears, but features "rebuilt" performances that supplement the original vocals, piano, and guitar with new backing tracks -- a must-avoid for purists.) ~ Jason Ankeny

Product Details

Release Date:	03/19/2021
Label:	Good Time Records
UPC:	0730167317184
Rank:	69168

Tracks

1. In Between Tears
2. She'll Never Be Your Wife
3. These Four Walls
4. What's So Wrong With You Loving Me
5. You're the Dog (I Do the Barking Myself)
6. Medley: Coming From Behind (Monologue)/Wish Someone Would Care
7. Turn My World Around

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Irma Thomas   Primary Artist,Vocals
Paul Hornsby   Organ
Duane Allman   Guitar
Robert "Pops" Popwell   Bass
Swamp Dogg Band   Horn,Strings
Squirm   Drums
Jesse Carr   Guitar
Jerry Williams, Jr.   Piano

Technical Credits

Jerry Williams, Jr.   Producer,Arranger,Composer
Jim Hawkins   Mixing,Engineer
Yvonne Williams   Coordination
Gary "U.S." Bonds   Composer
Dave Cooley   Mastering
Swamp Dogg   Liner Notes
Irma Thomas   Composer
C. Whitehead   Composer
Lynne Farr   Composer
Geoff Crowe   Restoration
George Reeder, Jr.   Design,Cover Art Concept