Joan Armour Plating

Joan Armatrading's 70's albums were pretty much the template that Tracy Chapman built her whole career around: vaguely folky singer-songwriter introspection with hints of soul, blues and jazz, even their voices sound similar (and I'm sure India Arie has a few of her albums too). I went off Armatrading after her "Me Myself I" album in 1980 when she larded up her sound with electric guitars and synths, but the albums she released before that are real beauties. The delicate ballad "Baby I" is one of her more soulful numbers and comes from her 1978 album "To The Limit." It's so achingly tender you think it might snap in two if Joan sang it any louder and has some really nice saxaphone and country-soul guitar. You might want to turn the lights down low and get cozy with someone when you play this.

There are lots of compilations out there (like this Greatest Hits) but you have to sit through her 80s crap with all of them so you'd be far better off getting the original albums "Joan Armatrading", "Show Some Emotion" or (if you can find it) "To The Limit" instead. They're all good. She never became much of a star in America but if you likes you some Roberta Flack or Phoebe Snow you should like our Joan.

[Download]
Baby I - Joan Armatrading