R&B singer Ella Johnson, born in South Carolina in 1919, was the sister of pianist and bandleader Buddy Johnson, and when she was a teenager she joined him in New York to start performing with his band at the Savoy Ballroom, drawing comparisons with Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday.
She made her first records in 1940, and ffter a decade or more having hits with Buddy she branched out and made records under her own name in the 1950s, and was active into the rock ‘n’ roll era.
This 51-track 2-CD collection comprises releases with The Buddy Johnson Orchestra and under her own name on the Decca, Harlem, Mercury and Wing labels from these years.
It includes all the US pop and R&B hits on which she is featured, among them the R&B No.
1 “When My Man Comes Home”, the R&B No.
2 “That’s The Stuff You Gotta Watch”, plus “I Don’t Care Who Knows”, “Hittin’ On Me”, “I’m Just Your Fool”, “Gotta Go Upside Your Head”, “I Don’t Want Nobody” and “Bring It On Home To Me”.
She was a fine singer who was a very important part fo brother Buddy’s success over the years, and she was one of the artists who bridged the gap between jump blues, R&B and rock ‘n’ roll during the ‘40s and ‘50s.
Tracks:
CD 1
1. PLEASE, MR JOHNSON Buddy Johnson & His Band (Decca 8507) 1940
2. I'D BE EVER SO GRATEFUL Buddy Johnson & His Band (Decca 8546) 1941
3. NEW PLEASE, MR JOHNSON Buddy Johnson & His Band (Decca 8555) 1941
4. IT'S THE GOLD Buddy Johnson & His Band (Decca 8573) 1941
5. I'M MY BABY'S BABY Buddy Johnson & His Band (Decca 8573) 1941
6. YOU'LL GET THEM BLUES Buddy Johnson & His Band (Decca 8611) 1941
7. WITHOUT THE ONE YOU LOVE Buddy Johnson & His Band (Decca 8616) 1941
8. STAND BACK AND SMILE Buddy Johnson & His Band (Decca 8632) 1942
9. WHEN MY MAN COMES HOME Buddy Johnson & His Band (Decca 8655) 1944
10. DARLIN' BABY Ella Johnson (Harlem 1001) 1945
11. SINCE YOU WENT AWAY Ella Johnson (Harlem 1001) 1945
12. I STILL LOVE YOU Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Decca 48012) 1945
13. THAT'S THE STUFF YOU GOTTA WATCH Buddy Johnson And His Orch (Decca 8671) 1945
14. SINCE I FELL FOR YOU Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Decca 48016) 1945
15. YOU'LL GET THEM BLUES Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Decca 48040) 1947
16. YOU CAN'T TELL WHO'S LOVIN' WHO Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Decca 48060) 1947
17. I DON'T CARE WHO KNOWS Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Decca 48088) 1948
18. SOMEBODY'S KNOCKIN Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Decca 24641) 1949
19. I'M TIRED OF CRYING OVER YOU Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Decca 24817) 1949
20. KEEP ME CLOSE TO YOU Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Decca 24996) 1949
21. SATISFY MY SOUL Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Decca 27330) 1950
22. NO MORE LOVE Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Decca 27416) 1950
23. AM I BLUE Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Decca 27567) 1951
24. I NEED YOU Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Decca 27627) 1951
CD 2
1. STORMY WEATHER Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Decca 27711) 1951
2. TILL MY BABY COMES BACK Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Decca 27947) 1951
3. I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S TROUBLIN' YOUR MIND Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Decca 28165) 1952
4. BABY YOU'RE ALWAYS ON MY MIND Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Decca 28293) 1952
5. SOMEHOW SOMEWHERE Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Decca 28530) 1953
6. HITTIN' ON ME Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Mercury 70116) 1953
7. THAT'S HOW I FEEL ABOUT YOU Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Mercury 70173) 1953
8. I'M JUST YOUR FOOL Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Mercury 70251) 1954
9. ONE MORE TIME Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Mercury 70321) 1954
10. AIN'T CHA GOT ME (WHERE YOU WANT ME) Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Mercury 70377) 1954
11. ANY DAY NOW Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Mercury 70421) 1954
12. IT USED TO HURT ME Ella Johnson (Mercury 70459) 1954
13. WELL DO IT Ella Johnson (Mercury 70459) 1954
14. (GOTTA GO) UPSIDE YOUR HEAD Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Mercury 70523) 1955
15. ALRIGHT, OKAY, YOU WIN Ella Johnson (Mercury 70580) 1955
16. IT'S 'BOUT TO BREAK MY HEART IN TWO Ella Johnson (Mercury 70628) 1955
17. SOMEDAY Ella Johnson (Mercury 70628) 1955
18. I DON'T WANT NOBODY Buddy Johnson & His Orch. (Wing 90064) 1956
19. BRING IT HOMETO ME Buddy Johnson (Mercury 70912) 1956
20. WHAT A DAY Ella Johnson (Mercury 70965) 1956
21. THAT’S WHAT YOU GOTTA DO Ella Johnson (Mercury 70965) 1956
22. WHY DON’T CHA STOP IT Buddy Johnson (Mercury 71017) 1957
23. GOODBYE BABY Ella Johnson (Wing 90084) 1957
24. I STILL LOVE YOU Ella Johnson (Wing 90084) 1957
25. YOU’RE THE ONE FOR ME Ella Johnson (Mercury 71167) 1957
26. NO! I AIN’T GONNA LET YOU GO Ella Johnson (Mercury 71167) 1957
27. DON’T SHOUT AT ME, DADDY Ella Johnson (Mercury 71263) 1957
