Search - Gwen Mccrae :: Lay It On Me: The Columbia Years

Gwen McCrae has consistently been making great records since the late '60s, debuting on Columbia with her first R&B hit "Lead Me On." She moved to Cat Records and scored big with "Rockin Chair," the oft-sampled "90% Of Me Is You" and "Damn Right It's Good." A move to Atlantic where she was personally signed by the legendary Ahmet Ertegun brought such classics as "Keep The Fire Burning", "Funky Sensation" and "All This Love That I m Giving." Gwen's roots lie in deep and southern soul and this collection of 11 classics from the Columbia vaults brings together her five singles for the label, plus one unreleased gem in Clarence Reid's "Lovin In The Lay-A-Way." Originally recorded between 1970 and 1972, they were released at a time when Gwen was pretty much the only African American on the Columbia label and before the company became a powerhouse for R&B with major hits on PIR and Epic Records. Lay It On Me is classic soul at its best. Much of it was recorded at American Group Studios and features the Memphis Horns on many tracks. Gwen is still actively singing both R&B and gospel, and recently headlined to a sold out crowd at London Indig02 Stadium, topping a bill that also included Jean Carne.