At The Peak Of Her Powers: Barbara Lynn's 'Complete Atlantic Recordings'

Transcript

TERRY GROSS, HOST:

This is FRESH AIR. Barbara Lynn wrote her own material, played stinging left-handed guitar and recorded scores of wonderful records for a number of labels. With the rerelease of some of her prime material, we have a look into a vital part of her career. This collection of her Atlantic recordings from 1967 to '72 offers our rock historian, Ed Ward, the opportunity to look back on her career.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ONLY YOU KNOW HOW TO LOVE ME")

BARBARA LYNN: (Singing) I'm satisfied with what I've got. And it's a groove with me. If I would lose it, I would lose a lot. I don't know where I would be. Only you know how to love me, baby. Only you know how to love me, baby. Don't you forget it.

ED WARD, BYLINE: By 1967, Barbara Lynn was a veteran. Originally from Beaumont, Texas, she'd broken into show business at the age of 20 with the chart-topping "You'll Lose A Good Thing," produced by Houston's notorious Huey P. Meaux, the Crazy Cajun.

Over the next few years, she followed it up with three more hits, including a song by Otis Redding - "You Left The Water Running." Meaux was her manager as well as producer, and he wanted to see her on a national label. Atlantic was the natural choice since it had people like Wilson Pickett and Solomon Burke recording hits. And late in 1967, they signed her. Meaux took her into the Grits 'n Gravy studios in Clinton, Mississippi, and turned her loose.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THIS IS THE THANKS I GET")

LYNN: (Singing) I heard that you're going to leave me. And there are rumors, baby, yeah, it's another girl, yeah. I worked my fingers down to the bone, yeah, to try to make you a happy home, yeah. So now you're leaving me. This is the thanks I get, baby. This is the thanks I get, yeah. This is the thanks I get, baby. I worked my fingers, baby.

WARD: "This Is The Thanks I Get" went to the top 40 in the soul charts, but Barbara was up against Aretha Franklin, who Atlantic had also signed around the same time they got her. As they did with Aretha, Atlantic decided to record an album on Barbara right away, and the results were impressive. First, they remade her big hit with a horn section.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "YOU'LL LOSE A GOOD THING")

LYNN: (Singing) If you should lose me, oh, yeah, you'll lose a good thing, yeah. If you should lose me, oh, yeah, you'll lose a good thing. You know I love you, do anything for you. Just don't mistreat me baby, and I'll be good to you because if you should lose me...

WARD: It was a lot more relaxed or maybe just not as urgent as the original. But she also had a lot of good material from her arrangers - Cliff Thomas, Ed Thomas and Bob McRee.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MULTIPLYING PAIN")

LYNN: (Singing) Five times a heartache and growing. A love divided by two equals the pain down in my heart that I feel that, that I feel for you down deep inside. Save me, baby, from this multiplying pain, come and save me, baby. Don't let me hurt again. Save me, baby, from this multiplying pain. You know I can't stand all these heartaches again.

WARD: But when it came to singles, the songwriting was by Barbara herself. And the album was still selling well enough three years after it came out for Atlantic to pull another one from it.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "UNTIL THEN I'LL SUFFER")

LYNN: (Singing) Someday I'm going to be happy, you just wait and see. Some people don't treat a dog, baby, like you do me. One day, my day will come, and you'll be the lonely one. But until then, I'll suffer. Until then, I'll suffer. Until then, I'll suffer.

WARD: "(Until Then) I'll Suffer" once again peaked on the soul charts in the '30s, indicating that Barbara was still a regional performer, big in the South, not so big elsewhere. Atlantic tried to fix that by engaging the great Spooner Oldham as her producer. Among the tunes they did was one that was never issued by Barbara, but became a hit for the Box Tops later.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SOUL DEEP")

LYNN: (Singing) Baby, I don't know much, but I know I love you so much. My life depends on your touch and my love is a river running soul deep. Way down inside me, it's a soul deep. It's too big to hide, it can't be denied. And my love is a river, running soul deep.

WARD: The 25 tracks on this compilation of Barbara Lynn's Atlantic sides show a woman at the peak of her powers as a songwriter and interpreter. But somehow, Atlantic wasn't able to push her over the top. She toured some, then retired to raise her three kids. But once they were grown, she began recording and playing again in front of an entire generation who'd never heard of her. She's still doing it. I've seen her recently and recommend you do, too. Her guitar playing is fine although, her voice has mellowed with age, and she's still got those wonderful songs.

GROSS: Rock historian Ed Ward lives in Austin. The music he played is from the recently released album "Barbara Lynn: The Complete Atlantic Recordings" on Real Gone Music. If you'd like to catch up on interviews and reviews you missed or just listen to us on your own schedule, check out our podcast. It's free, and it's easy to get on iTunes or your cell phone app. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.