If you want a sampling of Aretha’s music before she became a star, you’ll find the best selection on ‘The Queen Is Waiting’. Aretha‘s early recordings, remastered and sounding better than ever. Aretha plays piano on a few cuts and her singing is pure. There are so many treasures here, including her own song “Without The One You Love” and a stunning performance of Billy Strayhorn‘s “My Little Brown Book”. Aretha‘s early pop Columbia recordings are just as magnificent as the Atlantic R&B titles that made her a superstar, but in a very different context, on several songs surrounded by a jazz quartet. “Running Out Of Fools”, one of her best, was even covered by Elvis Costello.
CD1
1. Nobody Like You
2. Once In A While
3. Maybe I’m A Fool
4. Muddy Water
5. Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home? (Alternate Version)
6. Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I)
7. Today I Sing The Blues
8. Won’t Be Long
9 .Nobody Knows The Way I Feel This Morning
10. Evil Gal Blues
11. Lee Cross
12. Walk On By
13. I Wonder (Where Are You Tonight)
14. God Bless The Child
15. Blue Holiday
16. Looking Through A Tear
17. Tiny Sparrow
18. Here Today And Gone Tomorrow
19. Little Brown Book
20. Without The One You Love
CD2
1. This Bitter Earth
2. Just For A Thrill
3. Skylark
4. Skylark (Alternate Version)
5. Trouble In Mind
6. Runnin’ Out Of Fools
7. Drinking Again
8. Laughing On The Outside
9. What A Diff’rence A Day Makes
10. Soulville
11. You’ll Lose A Good Thing
12. Take A Look
13. Cry Like A Baby
14. I Wish I Didn’t Love You So
15. Only The Lonely
16. People (From Funny Girl)
17. Mockingbird
18. Until You Were Gone
19. My Coloring Book
20. Try A Little Tenderness
