Don’t Smoke in Bed

The song Don’t Smoke in Bed, with its intimate and almost confessional atmosphere, immerses us in Nina Simone's particular way of connecting with the listener. Her voice, capable of shifting from a whisper to a lament with striking intensity, is supported by an accompaniment that minimizes elements to enhance emotion. The influence of figures like Duke Ellington is perceived in that spiritual closeness and in the deliberate use of silence, creating a sonic space where each note and each word carries specific weight. The duration of this piece is 3:12, a precise time to build that atmosphere.

This recording is part of Little Girl Blue, the debut album of Eunice Kathleen Waymon, known worldwide as Nina Simone. The album was recorded in late 1957, although its release by Bethlehem Records did not occur until February 1959. The delay and the absence of promotional singles generated dissatisfaction in Simone, who by April 1959 had already signed with Colpix Records. However, in May of that same year, Bethlehem Records finally released the single I Loves You, Porgy, which became her first major hit.