I Put A Spell On You

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<b>100 Best Albums</b> Nina Simone’s musical omnivorousness is on display in 1965’s <i>I Put a Spell on You</i>. It’s one of her most pop-skewing albums—yet it’s also, to a degree, obscured by the singer’s superlative ability to make any song unrecognizably her own. <i>I Put a Spell on You</i> became one of Simone’s most successful album, and its title track—a string-laden, melodramatic cover of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ campy rock classic—would turn out to be Simone’s biggest single since her debut. Still, it was “Feeling Good” that ultimately became the album’s best-known track, and a cornerstone of Simone’s musical legacy, thanks in part to its placement ina 1994 Volkswagen commercial. The scale of the horn section and orchestra are no match for Simone’s vocal force on the completely reimagined show tune; it’s the rare minor-key celebratory anthem. But the album isn’t all blustering horns and weepy strings: “Tomorrow Is My Turn” is a jazzy, gently swinging tune that captures some of the same sentiment as “Feeling Good,” while “Blues on Purpose” is an intimate instrumental interlude. .

via Apple Music

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