« Back to Top Level | Carla Thomas

Carla Thomas - Love Means... / Memphis Queen (1971)

Track listing:
  1. Didn't We 3:00
  2. Are You Sure? 3:10
  3. What Is Love? 3:13
  4. Daughter, You're Still Your Da 5:55
  5. Love Means You Never Have To S 3:29
  6. You've Got A Cushion To Fall O 3:04
  7. Il Est Plus Doux Que 3:34
  8. Cherish 4:40
  9. I Wake Up Wanting You 3:19
  10. I Like What You're Doing To Me 2:52
  11. I Play For Keeps 2:40
  12. Don't Say No More 1:40
  13. More Man Than I Ever Had 2:42
  14. I've Fallen In Love With You 2:40
  15. He's Beating Your Time 2:57
  16. Strung Out Over You 2:32
  17. How Can You Throw My Love Away 2:29
  18. Guide Me Well 4:12
  19. Precious Memories 2:36
  20. Where Do I Go 2:19

Notes

Although Carla Thomas had her share of R&B hits in the 1960s, the Queen of Memphis Soul wasn't as visible on the pop charts as Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick or Gladys Knight. Thomas wasn't a superstar in the pop world, but Stax's Al Bell believed she had the potential to become one and encouraged her to take a sleeker, more Motown-ish approach. Thomas had flirted with Northern soul sounds on some of her previous albums, and it became a primary direction on the LPs Memphis Queen and its follow-up Love Means..., which Fantasy combined on this single CD in 1997. Most of Queen was produced by Detroiter Don Davis, while the main producer on the even more pop-minded Love was Thomas' brother, Marvelle Thomas. Though this change of direction didn't turn Thomas into a pop superstar, she did have a major hit in "I Like What You're Doing (To Me)" and moderate hits with "You've Got a Cushion to Fall On" and "Guide Me Well." The soul goddess had a low opinion of Davis' production style, but the fact is that "Precious Memories," "Strung Out Over You" and other Davis-produced material is highly enjoyable. And the songs from Love are equally impressive. But sadly, Love turned out to be Thomas' final Stax project.