Etta James

Etta James on vinyl: “At Last” and the soul of Chess

In short: Etta James (1938–2012) sang rhythm & blues, soul and blues with a voice that could be tender and rough at once. From 1960 she recorded for Chess Records in Chicago – her “At Last” is now regarded as one of the best-known love songs of all. The Vinyl Room currently has 7 Etta James records.

What makes Etta James special?

On her first Chess album “At Last!” she sings the title song with a large string orchestra – alongside blues such as “I Just Want To Make Love To You”. “The Second Time Around” followed shortly after on the Chess label Argo.

Later her soul grew harder and closer to gospel: “Call My Name” and “Losers Weepers” came out on Cadet, as Argo was called from the mid-sixties. Plus “Etta James” from the seventies and “Twist With Etta James”.

From our stock

First pressings

Records by Etta James

→ Argo · Cadet · Chess · Rhythm & blues

FAQ

Which album has “At Last”? “At Last!”, her first album on Chess/Argo.

Which label was Etta James on? Mainly Chess in Chicago, on the Argo and Cadet labels.

What music did she sing? Rhythm & blues, soul and blues – later also jazz.

Which records do you have? Editions from the sixties and seventies – 7 records in all.