Irma Thomas - Wish Someone Would Care (1964)

Irma Thomas is an American soul singer. 

In the early 60s Irma Thomas had recorded in New Orleans for Joe Banashak's Minit Records under the guidance of producer/songwriter Allen Toussaint, and had scored some local hits. In 1963 Minit was acquired by Imperial Records, which was subsequently itself sold to Liberty Records the same year. Luckily Thomas was kept on board, and in 1964 she recorded new material in L.A. The L.A. sessions produced what would turn out to be her breakthrough hit, the self-penned soul ballad "Wish Someone Would Care", which charted nationally at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Her debut album quickly followed, some excellent soul music, featuring covers of Percy Mayfield's "Please Someone To Love" and Little Willie John's "Need Your Love So Bad". It also featured "Time Is On My Side", by Jerry Ragavoy, which The Rolling Stones would cover in an almost identical arrangement later the same year (it gave them their first Top 10 hit in the US). Though not technically the original (it had been recorded the previous year by jazz trombonist Kai Winding as an almost-instrumental), Irma Thomas's take is generally seen as the definitive version of this song.

|> Take A Look (1966)
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