The Essential Nina Simone

~ Release by Nina Simone (see all versions of this release, 1 available)

Annotation

This Release is packaged in a variant of a jewel case which has a 2-CD carrier hinged between the front cover and back cover, with no inside back cover. Thus the case is only as thick as a standard one-CD jewel case.

Annotation last modified on 2025-10-04 05:23 UTC.

Tracklist

1▼CD
#TitleRatingLength
1The Other Woman
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (in 1959-10)
producer:
Bob Blake (co-producer of Nina Simone's live 1959 album "At Town Hall") and Jack Gold
bass:
Jimmy Bond (in 1959-10)
drums (drum set):
Albert “Tootie” Heath (in 1959-10)
piano:
Nina Simone (in 1959-10)
vocals:
Nina Simone (in 1959-10)
recorded at:
The Town Hall in Theater District, New York, New York, United States (on 1959-09-15)
cover recording of:
The Other Woman (in 1959-10)
lyricist and composer:
Jessie Mae Robinson
publisher:
Thandewye Music (publisher; do NOT use as release label)
4.52:58
2Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair
producer:
Hal Mooney
piano:
Nina Simone
vocals:
Nina Simone
arranger:
Nina Simone
cover recording of:
Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair (Arranged by Nina Simone) (on 1964-04-06)
lyricist and composer:
[traditional] (special purpose artist)
arranger:
Nina Simone
publisher:
Sam Fox Publishing Company (publisher; do NOT use as release label)
arrangement of:
Black Is the Colour (of My True Love’s Hair)
3.53:35
3Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out
producer:
Hal Mooney
arranger:
Stu Phillips (US TV/film composer, conductor & producer)
cover recording of:
Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out (from 1965-05-19 until 1965-05-20)
lyricist and composer:
Jimmy Cox
publisher:
B. Feldman & Co. Ltd. (publisher est. 1946), EMI Music Ltd., Help, I’m a Publisher and MCA Music (not for release label use! this is a music publisher, ASCAP-affiliated)
part of:
The Real Book (compilation of jazz standards, Volume I)
3.52:41
4Trouble in Mind
recorded in:
Newport, Rhode Island, United States (on 1960-06-30)
bass:
Chris White (jazz bassist) (on 1960-06-30)
drums (drum set):
Bobby Hamilton (percussionist, keyboards, vocals) (on 1960-06-30)
guitar:
Al Schackman (on 1960-06-30)
piano:
Nina Simone (on 1960-06-30)
vocals:
Nina Simone (on 1960-06-30)
recorded at:
Newport Jazz Festival (1960-06-30 – 1960-07-04)
live cover recording of:
Trouble in Mind (on 1960-06-30)
lyricist and composer:
Richard M. Jones (US jazz pianist)
publisher:
State Street Music Publ. Co. Inc., Universal Studios, Inc. (formerly known as MCA Inc.) and Universal‐MCA Music Publishing (US)
5:30
5Mississippi Goddam
double bass:
Lisle Atkinson (on 1964-04-04)
drums (drum set) and membranophone:
Bobby Hamilton (percussionist, keyboards, vocals) (on 1964-04-04)
guitar:
Rudy Stevenson (on 1964-04-04)
piano and lead vocals:
Nina Simone (on 1964-04-04)
background vocals:
Lisle Atkinson (on 1964-04-04), Bobby Hamilton (percussionist, keyboards, vocals) (on 1964-04-04) and Rudy Stevenson (on 1964-04-04)
arranger:
Nina Simone
recorded at:
Carnegie Hall in Midtown Manhattan, New York, New York, United States (on 1964-04-04)
part of:
Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: 2021 edition (number: 172)
live recording of:
Mississippi Goddam (on 1964-04-04)
lyricist and composer:
Nina Simone
publisher:
Sam Fox Publishing Co. (LDN) Ltd. and Sam Fox Publishing Company (publisher; do NOT use as release label)
part of:
Martin Luther King Suite
4.54:54
6See-Line Woman
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (in 1964)
producer:
Hal Mooney
piano:
Nina Simone (in 1964)
vocals and conductor:
Nina Simone (in 1964)
arranger:
Nina Simone
recorded at:
Carnegie Hall in Midtown Manhattan, New York, New York, United States (on 1964-03-21)
cover recording of:
See‐Line Woman (on 1964-03-21)
writer:
George Bass and Nina Simone
is based on:
Sea Lion Woman
2.652:36
7Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (in 1964-06)
piano:
Nina Simone (in 1964-06)
vocals:
Nina Simone (in 1964-06)
orchestra:
Horace Ott's Orchestra (in 1964-06)
conductor:
Horace Ott (in 1964-06)
arranger:
Horace Ott
recording of:
Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood (in 1964-06)
writer:
Bennie Benjamin, Gloria Caldwell, Sol Marcus and Horace Ott
publisher:
Bennie Benjamin Music Inc., Carlin Music Corporation, Chris-n-Jen Music, WB Music Corp. (1929–2019) and Unichappell Music, Inc. (in 1981)
4.052:45
8I Put a Spell on You
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (on 1965-01-15)
producer:
Hal Mooney
guitar:
Rudy Stevenson (on 1965-01-15)
piano:
Nina Simone (on 1965-01-15)
vocals:
Nina Simone (on 1965-01-15)
conductor:
Hal Mooney (on 1965-01-15)
arranger:
Hal Mooney
cover recording of:
I Put a Spell on You (on 1965-01-15)
lyricist and composer:
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
publisher:
Copyright Control (not for release label use! this is only for copyrights and publishing relationships), SBK Unart Catalog Inc., EMI Unart Catalog Inc. (in 1956) and EMI United Partnership Ltd. (in 1956)
4.32:35
9Ne me quitte pas
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (in 1965-01)
producer:
Hal Mooney
guitar:
Rudy Stevenson (in 1965-01)
piano:
Nina Simone (in 1965-01)
vocals:
Nina Simone (in 1965-01)
conductor:
Hal Mooney (in 1965-01)
arranger:
Hal Mooney
cover recording of:
Ne me quitte pas (original French version) (in 1965-01)
lyricist and composer:
Jacques Brel
publisher:
Éditions Jacques Brel, Pouchenel Éditions Musicales and Warner Chappell Music France
43:37
10Strange Fruit
producer:
Hal Mooney
cover recording of:
Strange Fruit (from 1965-05-19 until 1965-05-20)
lyricist and composer:
Lewis Allan
publisher:
Basart Editions, Carlin Music Corporation, Edward B. Marks Music Co. (founded originally as J. Stern & Co. in 1894, renamed in 1919) and Music Sales Corporation (American copyright holder in both popular and classical music)
version of:
Bitter Fruit
4.53:31
11Four Women
producer:
Hal Mooney
bass guitar, double bass and percussion:
Lisle Atkinson
drums (drum set):
Bobby Hamilton (percussionist, keyboards, vocals)
flute and guitar:
Rudy Stevenson
harmonica:
Al Schackman
piano:
Nina Simone
vocals:
Nina Simone
recording of:
Four Women (on 1965-09-30)
lyricist and composer:
Nina Simone
publisher:
EMI Tunes Ltd
3.54:26
12Sinnerman
producer:
Hal Mooney
cover recording of:
Sinnerman (from 1965-05-19 until 1965-05-20)
lyricist and composer:
[traditional] (special purpose artist)
is based on:
Oh Sinner Man (Bob Gibson's version)
4.8510:21
13Do I Move You?
recording engineer:
Mickey Crofford (on 1966-12-19) and Ray Hall (engineer) (on 1966-12-19)
producer:
Danny Davis (country music band leader, trumpeter, singer, producer, and best known as the founder and leader of the Nashville Brass)
recorded at:
RCA Studio B (New York) in New York, New York, United States (on 1966-12-19)
recording of:
Do I Move You? (on 1966-12-19)
lyricist and composer:
Nina Simone
4.652:44
2▶CD