Little Girl Blue (album)

Little Girl Blue
Little Girl Blue
Studio album by Nina Simone
Released	February 1959
Recorded	Late 1957
Studio	Beltone, New York City
Genre	Jazz, gospel
Length	41:24
Label	Bethlehem
Nina Simone chronology

Little Girl Blue: Jazz as Played in an Exclusive Side Street Club is the debut studio album by Nina Simone. Recorded in late 1957, it was eventually released by Bethlehem Records in February 1959.^[1]^[2]^[3] Due to the length of time the album had taken to be released and the lack of any promotional single either immediately before or alongside the album, Simone would become disillusioned with Bethlehem and sign with Colpix Records in April 1959. She recorded the tracks for her second album - what would become The Amazing Nina Simone - the same month.^[4] However, in May Bethlehem finally released a single, "I Loves You, Porgy" and gave Simone her first hit later that year, peaking at number 18 on the pop charts, and number 2 on the R&B charts. Helped by the profile of the single, the album too went on to become a chart success.^[5]

In 1987, the track "My Baby Just Cares for Me" became a massive UK and European hit. The album was reissued, now with the title of single, and with a new cover and the tracks in a different order. This release eventually became subject to a legal dispute.^[6]^[7] Later releases of the album include bonus tracks from the same recording session.^[8]^[9]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[10]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	^[11]

^ "February Album Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. New York: The Cash Box Publishing Co. Inc. 14 February 1959. p. 29. Retrieved 18 December 2022 – via World Radio History.
^ Callahan, Mike; Edwards, David. "The Bethlehem Records Story". Both Sides Now Publications. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
^ Popoff, Martin (2009). Goldmine Record Album Price Guide (6th ed.). London: Penguin. p. 2123. ISBN 9781440229169.
^ Boscarol, Mauro (2011). "Timeline". The Nina Simone Database. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
^ Light, Alan (2016). What Happened, Miss Simone? - A Biography. New York: Crown Archetype. p. Chapter 4.
^ Taleveski, Nick (2006). Rock Obituaries - Knocking On Heaven's Door. Omnibus Press. p. 594. ISBN 9781846090912.
^ Cohodas, Nadine (2010). Princess Noire: The Tumultuous Reign of Nina Simone. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press. pp. 341–2.
^ "Bethlehem Album Discography, Part 3".
^ "Nina Simone: Jazz As Played In An Exclusive Side Street Club", Charly. Accessed 9 June 2016.
^ AllMusic review
^ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.

[Cashbox-14.2.1959-1] "February Album Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. New York: The Cash Box Publishing Co. Inc. 14 February 1959. p. 29. Retrieved 18 December 2022 – via World Radio History.

[BSNPubs-2] Callahan, Mike; Edwards, David. "The Bethlehem Records Story". Both Sides Now Publications. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2019.

[Goldmine_2009-3] Popoff, Martin (2009). Goldmine Record Album Price Guide (6th ed.). London: Penguin. p. 2123. ISBN 9781440229169.

[Timeline-4] Boscarol, Mauro (2011). "Timeline". The Nina Simone Database. Retrieved 13 December 2022.

[Book-Happened-C4-5] Light, Alan (2016). What Happened, Miss Simone? - A Biography. New York: Crown Archetype. p. Chapter 4.

[6] Taleveski, Nick (2006). Rock Obituaries - Knocking On Heaven's Door. Omnibus Press. p. 594. ISBN 9781846090912.

[Book-Princess-341-2-7] Cohodas, Nadine (2010). Princess Noire: The Tumultuous Reign of Nina Simone. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press. pp. 341–2.

[cat-8] "Bethlehem Album Discography, Part 3".

[9] "Nina Simone: Jazz As Played In An Exclusive Side Street Club", Charly. Accessed 9 June 2016.

[10] AllMusic review

[11] Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.

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