Bobbie Gentry en vue intégrale

Le fantastique coffret The Girl from Chickasaw County remonte la trace de Bobbie Gentry, la J.D. Salinger de la country-pop.   

« It was the third of June, another sleepy day, dusty delta day… ». En plein cœur de l’été 1967, Bobbie Gentry décroche l’unique tube de sa carrière avec sa troublante « Ode To Billie Joe ». Écoulée à plus de trois millions d’exemplaire sur le territoire américain, cette collision entre la mystique du Sud profond et les lourds secrets de famille inaugurait en plein Summer of Love une discographie parsemée de coups d’éclats et de faux départs. Entre sucreries easy-listening et country-folk sudiste, la discographie intégrale de Bobbie Gentry est enfin réunie dans The Girl from Chickasaw County/The Complete Capitol Masters, sidérant coffret (quasi)intégral de 8 CDs renfermant 177 titres, dont 75 totalement inédits*.

On trouve dans cette anthologie mettant la misère aux derniers reconditionnements en date des Beatles, Hendrix et consorts les six albums studio de la Southern Belle, augmentés de son (anodin) one-shot avec Glen Campbell (1968) et d’un recueil de ses performances live capturées dans ses shows TV pour la BBC. Aux côtés de ses deux premiers essais inégalés —Ode To Billie Joe en 1967 et The Delta Sweete l’année suivante— et du superlatif Fancy, rencontre au sommet entre la prodige du comté de Chickasaw et les swampers du studio Muscle Shoals (1970), chaque LP est complété par ses faces-B correspondantes, une sélection de reprises choisies (Randy Newman, Harry Nilsson, Burt Bacharach, ce genre…) et, surtout, son miroir guitare/voix par le biais de démos à la beauté tétanisante.

L’œuf de Pâques de cette somme monumentale est dissimulé à la fin du cinquième disque : glissées en bonus du mitigé Touch’Em With Love (1969), les huit bouleversantes covers jazz/bossa de standards d’Irving Berlin et Bacharach/David arrangées par le fidèle Kelly Gordon auraient pu raconter une toute autre histoire. Hélas, leur rejet par Capitol, déçu par le niveau des ventes de sa protégée enchoucroûtée, précipitera la pré-retraite discographique de Bobbie Gentry. Deux ans après l’enregistrement de ce grand album perdu, l’ampoulé Patchwork clôture une série à laquelle ne viendront s’ajouter qu’une poignée de singles épars jusqu’à la fin de la décennie. Les années 1970 sont celles d’une nouvelle transformation pour Bobbie Gentry : celle de la songwriter en entertainer. Femme d’affaires impliquée dans chaque étape de l’élaboration de ses spectacles, Bobbie Gentry devient une figure du Strip de Las Vegas grâce à ses revues outrageusement kitsch et sexy. Rayon musique, « He Did Me Wrong But The Did Me Right », son ultime single couleur yacht-pop, fait l’objet de quelques apparitions TV en 1978. Puis la piste devient froide…

À l’exception de quelques rarissimes photo, aucun ni document n’atteste de l’existence officielle de Bobbie Gentry depuis plus de trente ans. Réalisée sans l’implication de sa vedette principale, The Girl from Chickasaw County entoure son contenu mirifique d’une superbe iconographie et d’un passionnant livret détaillé d’Andrew Batt. En troisième de couverture, un fac-similé du manuscrit original de « Ode to Billie Joe » révèle également le texte complet du fascinant conte gothique de Bobbie Gentry, sans toutefois répondre à nos questions : pourquoi Billie Joe McAllister s’est-il jeté du Tallahatchie Bridge ? Et qu’est devenue la J.D. Salinger de la country-pop ?

Bobbie Gentry The Girl from Chickasaw County (import US Capitol/Universal). Disponible. *Versions 2CDs/Double LP incluant uniquement les bonus disponible le 5 août 2022.

CD 1: Ode To Billie Joe
1.  Mississippi Delta
2. I Saw an Angel Die
3. Chickasaw County Child
4. Sunday Best
5. Niki Hoeky
6. Papa, Woncha Let Me Go to Town With You?
7. Bugs
8. Hurry, Tuesday Child
9. Lazy Willie
10. Ode to Billie Joe
11. The Seventh Son [previously unreleased]
12. I Saw an Angel Die (Demo) [previously unreleased]
13. Niki Hoeky (Demo) [previously unreleased]
14. Papa, Woncha Let Me Go to Town With You? (Demo) [previously unreleased]
15. Hurry, Tuesday Child (Demo) [previously unreleased]
16. Mississippi Delta [Alternate version] [previously unreleased]
17. Sunday Best [Alternate take] [previously unreleased]
18. Show – Off [Stereo version][previously unreleased]
19. La Siepe Original 7″
20. La Citta E’ Grande ”

CD 2: The Delta Sweete
1. Okolona River Bottom Band
2. Big Boss Man
3. Reunion
4. Parchman Farm
5. Mornin’ Glory
6. Sermon
7. Tobacco Road
8. Penduli Pendulum
9. Jessye’ Lisabeth
10. Refractions
11. Louisiana Man
12. Courtyard
13. The Seventh Son [Band version] [previously unreleased]
14. Feelin’ Good [demo] [previously unreleased]
15. I Didn’t Know [demo] [previously unreleased]
16. Morning to Midnight [Demo] [previously unreleased]
17. Refractions [Demo] [previously unreleased]
18. Louisiana Man [Demo] [previously unreleased]
19. Sermon [Demo] [previously unreleased]
20. Morning Glory [demo] [previously unreleased]
21. Jessye’ Lisabeth [demo] [previously unreleased]
22. Courtyard [demo] [previously unreleased]
23. Louisiana Man [‘The Tom Jones Show’ 06/07/1968] [previously unreleased]
24. Ode to Billie Joe [‘The Tom Jones Show’ 06/07/1968] [previously unreleased]

CD 3: Local Gentry
1. Sweete Peony
2. Casket Vignette
3. Come Away Melinda
4. The Fool on the Hill
5. Papa’s Medicine Show
6. Ace Insurance Man
7. Recollection
8. Sittin’ Pretty
9. Eleanor Rigby
10. Peaceful
11. Here, There and Everywhere
12. Hushabye Mountain
13. Skip A Long Sam
14. Conspiracy of Homer Jones [previously unreleased]
15. Sweet Peony [Alternate Version] [previously unreleased]
16. Cotton Candy Sandman [Demo] [previously unreleased]
17. Hushabye Mountain [Demo] [previously unreleased]

CD 4: Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell
1. Less of Me
2. Little Green Apples
3. Gentle on My Mind
4. Heart to Heart Talk
5. My Elusive Dreams
6. (It’s Only Your) Imagination
7. Mornin’ Glory
8. Terrible Tangled Web
9. Sunday Mornin’
10. Let It Be Me
11. Scarborough Fair/Canticle
12. All I Have to Do Is Dream
13. Walk Right Back
14. Sunday Mornin’ [Alternate version] [previously unreleased]
15. Let It Be Me [Without strings] [previously unreleased]
16. Scarborough Fair/Canticle [without strings] [previously unreleased]
17. Love Took My Heart and Mashed That Sucker Flat [duet with Kelly Gordon]
18. Fool on the Hill [Japanese language version]
19. No me quiero enamorar [Spanish Language I’ll Never Fall In Love Again]
20. En Todas Partes [Spanish Language Here There and Everywhere]

CD 5: Touch ‘Em With Love
1. Touch ‘Em with Love
2. Greyhound Goin’ Somewhere
3. Natural to Be Gone
4. Seasons Come, Seasons Go
5. Glory Hallelujah, How They’ll Sing
6. I Wouldn’t Be Surprised
7. Son of a Preacher Man
8. Where’s the Playground, Johnny
9. I’ll Never Fall in Love Again
10. You’ve Made Me So Very Happy
11. More Today Than Yesterday
12. Spinning Wheel
13. Touch ‘Em with Love [Stereo version] [previously unreleased]
14. Glory Hallelujah, How They’ll Sing [Alternate take] [previously unreleased]
15. Seasons Come, Seasons Go [Demo] [previously unreleased]
16. Suppertime [previously unreleased]
17. God Bless The Child [previously unreleased]
18. Since I Fell For You [previously unreleased]
19. Save Your Love For Me [previously unreleased]
20. Here’s That Rainy Day [previously unreleased]
21. Stormy
22. This Girls In Love With You [previously unreleased]
23. Windows of the World

CD 6: Fancy
1. Fancy
2. Delta Man
3. Something in the Way He Moves
4. Find ‘Em, Fool ‘Em and Forget About ‘Em
5. He Made a Woman Out of Me
6. Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head
7. If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody
8. Rainmaker
9. Wedding Bell Blues
10. In the Ghetto
11. Fancy [Mono radio edit] [previously unreleased]
12. Apartment 21 [previously unreleased]
13. Away In A Manger
14. Scarlett Ribbons
15. Circle ‘Round the Sun [previously unreleased]
16. Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head [Alternate take] [previously unreleased]
17. Wedding Bell Blues [Alternate take] [previously unreleased]
18. Apartment 21 [Without strings] [previously unreleased]
19. Scarlett Ribbons [Alternate version] [previously unreleased]
20. If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody (Live on Top Of The Pops)

CD 7: Patchwork
1. Benjamin
2. Interlude 1
3. Marigolds and Tangerines
4. Interlude 2
5. Billy the Kid
6. Interlude 3
7. Beverly
8. Interlude 4
9. Miss Clara/Azusa Sue
10. Interlude 5
11. But I Can’t Get Back
12. Jeremiah
13. Interlude 6
14. Belinda
15. Mean Stepmama Blues
16. Your Number One Fan
17. Interlude 7
18. Somebody Like Me
19. Lookin’ In
20. Smoke
21. Joanne [previously unreleased]
22. Salome Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear [previously unreleased]
23. Benjamin [Alternate take] [previously unreleased]
24. Belinda [Alternate version] [previously unreleased]
25. Smoke (Demo) [previously unreleased]
26. The Girl from Cincinnati
27. You and Me Together

CD 8: Live At The BBC
1. Mississippi Delta [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 03/08/1968] [previously unreleased]
2. Papa Won’t You Let Me Go To Town With You [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 03/08/1968] [previously unreleased]
3. I Saw An Angel Die [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 03/08/1968] [previously unreleased]
4. My Dog Sargent [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 03/08/1968] [previously unreleased]
5. Ode to Billie Joe [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 03/08/1968] [previously unreleased]
6. Mornin Glory [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 27/07/1968] [previously unreleased]
7. Sunday Best [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 27/07/1968] [previously unreleased]
8. Hurry Tuesday Child [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 27/07/1968] [previously unreleased]
9. Nikki Hokey / Barefootin’ [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 10/08/1968][previously unreleased]
10. Penduli Pendulum [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 10/08/1968] [previously unreleased]
11. Ace Insurance Man [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 10/08/1968] [previously unreleased]
12. Chickasaw County Child [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 10/08/1968] [previously unreleased]
13. Recollection [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 16/07/1969] [previously unreleased]
14. Sweet Peony [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 16/07/1969] [previously unreleased]
15. Refractions [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 16/07/1969] [previously unreleased]
16. Greyhound Goin’ Somewhere [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 16/07/1969] [previously unreleased]
17. Cotton Candy Sandman [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 16/07/1969] [previously unreleased]
18. Open Your Window [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 01/02/1971] [previously unreleased]
19. Mother Nature’s son [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 01/02/1971] [previously unreleased]
20. Mr Bojangles [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 01/02/1971] [previously unreleased]
21. Your Number One Fan [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 01/02/1971] [previously unreleased]
22. He Made A Woman Out of Me [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 08/03/1971] [previously unreleased]
23. Billy the Kid [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 08/03/1971] [previously unreleased]
24. Wailing Of The Willow [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 08/03/1971] [previously unreleased]
25. Belinda [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 08/03/1971] [previously unreleased]
26. Circle ‘Round The Sun [Live on ‘Bobbie Gentry’ 08/03/1971] [previously unreleased]