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Little Girl Blue 1958
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Little Girl Blue

When Nina Simone recorded Little Girl Blue, she still saw herself as an aspiring classical pianist. The album, originally released by Bethlehem Records in February 1959, was the result of a recording session that took place in late 1957. The delay in its release by the label, coupled with the absence of promotional singles, generated dissatisfaction in Simone, who soon after signed with Colpix Records. Despite this, the release of Little Girl Blue, boosted by the success of the single "I Loves You, Porgy" (which reached number 18 on the pop charts and number 2 on the R&B charts), ended up being a commercial success. The sound of this debut record captures an artist at the beginning of her journey, exploring the foundations of what would become her unmistakable style.

Year
1958
Songs
11
Duration
40 min 59 seg
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About the album

Little Girl Blue, according to DoReSol

One of the key pieces on this album is "My Baby Just Cares for Me". This song experienced a resurgence in popularity in 1987, becoming a major hit in the United Kingdom and Europe. On the occasion of this renewed interest, the album was reissued under the single's title, featuring new cover art and a modified track order. The original recording session, believed to have occurred in December 1957 at Beltone studios in New York, featured bassist Jimmy Bond and drummer Al Heath. Fourteen tracks were recorded in a single thirteen-hour session, of which eleven made up the original album.

The story behind Simone's signing with Bethlehem Records has several facets. One version suggests that a talent scout for the label heard a demo tape of Simone's in Philadelphia and introduced her to Gus Wildi, Bethlehem's founder. Another narrative points to a Philadelphia businessman who, after hearing Simone, helped her record a demo that he then took to New York, convincing Wildi to sign her immediately. At the time, Simone sold the rights to the songs for $3,000, a sum that, according to her own statements, kept her from potential millions in royalty earnings. Years later, reissues of the album, such as the 1992 one, included additional tracks from that same session, expanding the available material from this influential debut.