Sunday Morning Music

1996 studio album by Thornetta Davis

Sunday Morning Music

Studio album by

Thornetta Davis

Released| 1996
Studio| White Room
Genre| Blues rock
Label| Sub Pop[1]
Producer| Al Sutton, Mike Danner, Phil Durr, Matt O'Brien
Thornetta Davis chronology
| Shout Out (To the Dusthuffer)
(1994)  | Sunday Morning Music
(1996)  | Covered, Live at the Music Menu
(2001)

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Sunday Morning Music is the debut album by the American singer Thornetta Davis, released in 1996.[2][3] Davis was the first Black artist signed to Sub Pop, a label initially known for its grunge releases.[4]

## Production

[edit]

The album was produced by Al Sutton, Mike Danner, Phil Durr, and Matt O'Brien.[5] Davis was backed by members of Big Chief, for whom she previously sang.[6] Eddie Harsch played keyboards on Sunday Morning Music.[7]

Inspired by life in her downtown Detroit neighborhood, Davis wrote or cowrote all of the lyrics, aside from "You Haven't Done Nothin'", a cover of the Stevie Wonder song; Big Chief provided the music.[8][9][10]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [11]
Calgary Herald| [12]
Entertainment Weekly| A−[13]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide| [5]

The Calgary Herald stated: "Going for a bare bones backup of bass, drums and guitar (with occasional keyboards, congas or horns), Davis delivers a raw, riveting blend of funk, R & B, rock, blues and sweet soul music."[12] Entertainment Weekly deemed the album "a knockout compendium of the sounds of her Detroit hometown."[13] The Philadelphia Inquirer determined that it "sounds like '70s Rolling Stones and Rod Stewart—if they let the backup singers take over."[14]

The Gazette wrote: "Crucially, the trad, tried and true musical vocabulary never slips into a lazy replay of '60s/'70s antecedents. Her choice of a Stevie Wonder cover, 'You Haven't Done Nothin'', seals it, placing the music in context without cementing it in cliché."[15] The Toronto Star concluded that "the combination of the band's slightly skewed vision of funk and Davis' straight-up blues delivery makes for an unusual, wide-ranging but completely satisfying album."[16]

AllMusic wrote that "Davis' singing is just wonderful—she's got a rich, warm voice that she doesn't show off with, avoiding pointless vocal high jumps and wails for confident, often soaring delivery."[11] The Chicago Reader called Sunday Morning Music "a harrowing album full of desire and outrage."[17]

## Track listing

[edit]

No.| Title| Length

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1.| "Cry"|
2.| "Helpless"|
3.| "Try to Remember"|
4.| "Sunset"|
5.| "Only One"|
6.| "You Haven't Done Nothin'"|
7.| "Box of Memories"|
8.| "Sunday Morning"|
9.| "The Deal"|
10.| "And I Spin"|
11.| "Come Go with Me"|

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Seedorff, George (August 13, 1997). "Koko Taylor stays true to the blues; Thornetta Davis goes experimental". Michigan Chronicle. Vol. 60, no. 46\. p. 3B.
2. ^ "Thornetta Davis Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
3. ^ Sullivan, Caroline (November 15, 1996). "This week's pop cd releases". The Guardian. p. T16.
4. ^ Grant, Kieran (January 23, 1997). "Don't Pigeon-Hole Thornetta or Her Music". Entertainment. Toronto Sun. p. 60.
5. ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. pp. 312–313.
6. ^ Booth, Philip (April 18, 1997). "Thornetta Davis Defies Easy Categorization". Ticket. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. p. 10.
7. ^ Johnson, Kevin C. (March 13, 1997). "Wilbert's Hits Right Note". Akron Beacon Journal. p. F2.
8. ^ Ross, Curtis (April 18, 1997). "No grunge in her groove – Thornetta Davis brings soulful rock to the home of the Seattle sound". Friday Extra!. The Tampa Tribune. p. 18.
9. ^ Zink, Nell (January 1997). "Reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 41\. p. 36.
10. ^ Norman, Michael (January 16, 1997). "Rocker Loves to Sing the Blues". The Plain Dealer. p. 6E.
11. ^ a b "Sunday Morning Music". AllMusic.
12. ^ a b Muretich, James (November 3, 1996). "New Releases". Calgary Herald. p. C2.
13. ^ a b "Sunday Morning Music". Entertainment Weekly.
14. ^ Sherr, Sara (February 28, 1997). "Thornetta Davis". Features Weekend. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 17.
15. ^ Lepage, Mark (January 18, 1997). "Sub Pop gets religion thanks to Thornetta". The Gazette. p. E7.
16. ^ Punter, Jennifer (January 25, 1997). "Thornetta Davis Sunday Morning Music". Toronto Star. p. J10.
17. ^ Whiteis, David (May 5, 2005). "Thornetta Davis". Chicago Reader.

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

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*[No.]: Number