In 1967, sultry Mississippi songstress BOBBIE GENTRY displaced The Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ from the top of the US album charts with her Capitol debut LP, ‘Ode To Billie Joe,’ whose evocative title track with its synthesis of country, blues, soul, funk and Americana immediately established her as an international music phenomenon. But after she released her seventh long player, ‘Patchwork’ in 1971, Gentry (who was born Roberta Lee Streeter) retired from performing and was rarely heard of again.
To celebrate this enigmatic singer-songwriter’s short but meteoric career, Universal is releasing an 8-CD box set on 21 September called ‘The Girl From Chickasaw County.’ As well as offering remastered versions of her seven studio albums (which are appended with bonus tracks that include demos, alternate takes and other rarities), the package includes a clutch of live recordings made for the BBC.
Look out for a detailed review nearer the release date.
For more info go to:
http://bobbiegentry.org.uk/discography/the-girl-from-chickasaw-county/
