To Love Somebody (album)

To Love Somebody
Studio album by Nina Simone
Released	1969
Recorded	RCA Studios, New York City, 1967–69
Genre	Jazz, Blues, pop, folk
Label	RCA Victor
Producer	Stroud Productions (Andrew Stroud), Danny Davis
Nina Simone chronology
Nina Simone and Piano (1969) To Love Somebody (1969) Black Gold (1970)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

To Love Somebody is an album by Jazz singer-songwriter/pianist Nina Simone. It was released as quickly as possible to prolong the unexpected success of 'Nuff Said! The title is taken from the Bee Gees song "To Love Somebody", her cover of the song became her second British hit single after "Ain't Got No-I Got Life".

Information about songs on this album

• The title track, "To Love Somebody", as well as "I Can't See Nobody" are songs by the Bee Gees.
• "Suzanne", originally by Leonard Cohen.
• "Turn! Turn! Turn!", originally by Pete Seeger. Simone recorded an alternative version of the song that was (previously) unreleased.
• "Revolution" (parts 1 & 2) was Simone's third subsequent single released in the UK after "Ain't Got No-I Got Life" and "To Love Somebody" both became hits. The song was released around the time of the same titled song by The Beatles and, although it has a similar hook ("Don't you know it's gonna be - all right") and structure, most of the lyrics differ. Interestingly, the song also uses a guitar lick similar to "Old Brown Shoe," which had been recorded by The Beatles the same year. John Lennon commented on the similarities in his 1971 interview with Rolling Stone:

I thought it was interesting that Nina Simone did a sort of answer to “Revolution.” That was very good–it was sort of like “Revolution,” but not quite. That I sort of enjoyed, somebody who reacted immediately to what I had said.^[2]

It is actually one song, but because of an unknown reason chopped in two by a two-second silence. "Revolution" didn't do well in the UK charts, and only had a mild success in the United States R&B charts. Simone didn't expect this lack of success and said to Sylvia Hampton, author of the biography Break Down and Let It All Out about this:

(…) I don't get it. It's about a revolution, man: not just colour, but everything! It's about barriers being broken down, and they sure as hell need getting rid of. (…) We need a revolution to sort it all out and get back to God. You know how lost we are, man – it's sad.^[3]

• "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues", "I Shall Be Released", and "The Times They Are A-Changin'" are songs by Bob Dylan.

Track listing

1. "Suzanne" (Leonard Cohen) - 4:21
2. "Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There Is a Season)" (Pete Seeger, Traditional) - 3:41
3. "Revolution (Part 1)" (Weldon Irvine, Simone) - 2:53
4. "Revolution (Part 2)" (Weldon Irvine, Simone) - 1:54
5. "To Love Somebody" (Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb) - 2:42
6. "I Shall Be Released" (Bob Dylan) - 3:55
7. "I Can't See Nobody" (Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb) - 3:10
8. "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" (Bob Dylan) - 4:52
9. "The Times They Are A-Changin'" (Bob Dylan) - 6:00

Personnel

• Nina Simone - vocals, piano, arrangements
• Charles D. Alias - drums
• Weldon J. Irvine - organ
• Al Schackman - guitar
• Gene A. Perla - Fender bass
• Doris Willingham - vocals
• Virdia Crawford - vocals
• Jimmy Wisner - arrangements, conductor on "To Love Somebody" and "I Can't See Nobody"

Technical

• Mike Moran, Ray Hall - recording engineers

References

1. ↑ Allmusic review
2. ↑ Wenner, Jann S. (February 4, 1971). "The Rolling Stone Interview: John Lennon, Part II". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 5, 2013. 
3. ↑ Hampton. Break Down And Let It All Out. p. 62. 

Nina Simone
Studio albums	Little Girl Blue Nina Simone and Her Friends The Amazing Nina Simone Forbidden Fruit Nina Simone Sings Ellington Broadway-Blues-Ballads I Put a Spell on You Pastel Blues Nina Simone with Strings Wild Is the Wind High Priestess of Soul Nina Simone Sings the Blues Silk & Soul Nina Simone and Piano To Love Somebody Here Comes the Sun Baltimore Fodder on My Wings A Single Woman
Compilation albums	Nina's Choice The Soul of Nina Simone The Very Best of Nina Simone
Live albums	Nina Simone at Newport Nina at the Village Gate Nina Simone at Carnegie Hall Folksy Nina Nina Simone in Concert Black Gold Live at Ronnie Scott's The Great Show Live in Paris Emergency Ward!
Live and studio albums	Nina Simone at Town Hall Let It All Out 'Nuff Said! It Is Finished
Remix albums	Remixed and Reimagined
Related articles	I Put a Spell on You (book) What Happened, Miss Simone?
Songs and singles "Ain't Got No, I Got Life" "Alone Again (Naturally)" "Angel of the Morning" "Ballad of Hollis Brown" "Baubles, Bangles, & Beads" "Black Is the Colour (Of My True Love's Hair)" "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" "Cherish" "Cotton-Eyed Joe" "Do Nothing till You Hear from Me" "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" "Exactly Like You" "Falling in Love Again (Can't Help It)" "Feeling Good" "Fine and Mellow" "For All We Know" "Four Women" "Go Limp" "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" "Here Comes the Sun" "The House of the Rising Sun" "I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)" "I Loves You, Porgy" "I Put a Spell on You" "I Shall Be Released" "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" "If I Should Lose You" "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" "It Might as Well Be Spring" "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" "Just Like a Woman" "Lilac Wine" "Little Girl Blue" "The Look of Love" "Love Me or Leave Me" "Mississippi Goddam" "Mood Indigo" "The More I See You" "Mr. Bojangles" "My Baby Just Cares for Me" "My Sweet Lord" "My Way" "Ne me quitte pas" "Nobody" "Nobody's Fault but Mine" "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" "The Pusher" "Rich Girl" "(In My) Solitude" "Satin Doll" "Sea Lion Woman" "Sign o' the Times" "Since I Fell for You" "Sinnerman" "Someone to Watch Over Me" "Something Wonderful" "Spring Is Here" "Strange Fruit" "Summertime" "Suzanne" "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" "That's All" "That's All I Want from You" "The Times They Are a-Changin'" "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" "To Love Somebody" "Trouble in Mind" "Turn! Turn! Turn!" "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" "Wild Is the Wind" "Willow Weep for Me" "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To"
Book:Nina Simone