Carla Thomas - Live in Europe

Born in 1942 in Memphis, Carla Thomas was at Stax from the beginning to the end, earning the crown of "Memphis Queen". After a first hit duet with her father Rufus (Cause I Love You) in a studio where the paint was still wet, she was borrowed by Atlantic for several years before joining the actual Stax label.

The duet with her father was released when she was in high school in Memphis. The record paved the way for Carla’s first and most famous solo single, Gee Whiz (Look at His Eyes). Carla wrote this iconic song when she was only 15-years-old. She was in her first year at Tennessee A&I University by the time it was recorded and released. The single reached the Top 5 (R&B) and Top 10 (pop) in 1961.

Carla recorded 6 albums for Stax between 1961 and

1971, including the 1967 Otis Redding collaboration,

King and Queen, and generated a number of charting

singles, such as the 1966 hit, B-A-B-Y.

This album was recorded live at a 2,000 year-old Roman amphitheatre in Vienne, France during Carla’s 2003 European tour. The opening track is an instrumental featuring her band: Bobby Manuel (guitar), Steve Potts (drums), Jimmy Kinard (bass), Paul Taylor (piano), Marvell Thomas (organ), Jim Spake (sax), Scott Thompson (trumpet) and Jackie Thomas (Trombone).

Opening acts on the bill included Memphis gospel turned-soul dynamo Jackie Johnson (tracks 2 and 3)

and Ellis Hooks, a dynamite soul showman originally

from Alabama (tracks 4 and 5).

PHILLY DOG – The Memphis All Star Band

REVIVE US AGAIN – Jackie Johnson

IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME – Jackie Johnson

YOUR LOVE IS TOO STRONG – Ellis Hooks

SHAKE– Ellis Hooks

LOVEY DOVEY – Carla Thomas

LET ME BE GOOD TO YOU – Carla Thomas

I LIKE WHAT YOU’RE DOING TO ME – Carla Thomas

LITTLE RED ROOSTER – Carla Thomas

WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW – Carla Thomas

B-A-B-Y – Carla Thomas