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JANICE'S BLUES ALLEY PRESENTS

Denise LaSalle



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Denise LaSalle



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Unlike so many other blues vocalists who just reinterpret material given to them by songwriters, Denise LaSalle is a seriously talented songwriter. Although her soul blues style has strong urban contemporary overtones at times, it's best to think of LaSalle as a modern-day Bessie Smith, because that's really what she is. She writes funny songs full of sassy attitude and it's an attitude she carries with her on-stage. Off-stage, LaSalle accommodates all autograph seekers and gladly obliges journalists and radio disc jockeys.

Tennesse-based LaSalle was raised in Belzoni, MS, (also home to Joe Willie "PineTop" Perkins some years earlier) but she got started singing in local churches around Leflore County. She was born July 16, 1939, as Denise Craig. Growing up, she listened to the Grand Ole Opry radio broadcasts and then in Belzoni, lived across the street from a juke joint. LaSalle's early influences, from the jukeboxes around Belzoni and over the radio, included Ruth Brown, Dinah Washington, and LaVern Baker. LaSalle moved north to Chicago when she was in her early twenties and would attend shows at the Regal Theatre, always returning home to write songs. She got to know blues musicians and began giving her songs to them, until one day a Chess Records executive stopped by at Mixer's Lounge, where LaSalle was working as a bar maid. He listened to one of her songs and took it down to Chess Records, and the company later signed her as a vocalist, but never recorded her. Two years later, LaSalle recorded and produced her own record with the help of Billy "The Kid" Emerson, the Chess executive who'd originally shown an interest in her. After the record made some waves on local radio, Chess stepped in and purchased the master and took it to Europe. Meanwhile, LaSalle continued writing songs and sitting in with blues musicians around the Chicago clubs.

LaSalle's first big hit came about in 1971 when her "Trapped By a Thing Called Love" broke on the radio in Chicago and then Detroit. That record was for the Westbound label and then she signed with ABC Records in 1975, cutting three albums in three years until the label was sold to MCA. After MCA dropped her because of the label's "difficulty in promoting black acts" at that time, she continued performing as much as she could in Chicago and Memphis. In 1980, a Malaco executive called to ask her to write a song for Z.Z. Hill. A positive relationship with the company was quickly developed, which resulted in LaSalle recording 11 discs for the label, including Lady in the Street, (1983), Right Place, Right Time, (1984), Love Talkin', (1985), Hittin' Where It Hurts, (1989), Still Trapped, (1990), Still Bad, (1994), and Smokin' in Bed. (1997). While her Malaco sides are probably her most important recordings, other than the original of her early-'70s hit "Trapped," she still releases excellent gospel crossover material, including This Real Woman (2000) and There's No Separation (2001) on Ordena Records and Little Bit Naughty (2008) on Shout. -- Richard Skelly & Al Campbell of All Music Guide.
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LINKSYEARTITLE
1972Trapped By A Thing Called Love
1973On The Loose
1975Here I Am Again
1976Second Breath
1977The Bitch Is Bad
1979Under The Influence
1979Unwrapped
1984Right Place, Right Time
1985Love Talkin�
1986Lady In The Street
1988Hittin� Where It Hurts
1990It�s Lying Time Again
1990Rain And Fire
1990Do Ya Think I�m Sexy?
1990Still Trapped
1992Love Me Right
1994Still Bad
1996Before You Take It To The Streets
1996Denise
1997Smokin� In Bed
1997Trapped
1999God�s Got My Back
2000This Real Woman
2001There�s No Separation
2002Still The Queen
2004Wanted
2007Pay Before You Pump
2008A Little Bit Naughty
2008Mississippi Woman


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1972 Trapped By A Thing Called Love

01. Trapped By A Thing Called Love
02. Now Run And Tell That
03. Heartbreaker Of The Year
04. Goody Goody Getter
05. Catch Me If You Can
06. Hung Up Strung Out
07. Do Me Right
08. The Deeper I Go
09. You'll Lose A Good Thing
10. Keep It Coming
11. It's Too Late



1973 On The Loose

01. Man Size Job
02. What It Takes To Get A Good Woman
03. Harper Valley P T A
04. What Am I Doing Wrong
05. Breaking Up Somebody's Home
06. There Ain't Enough Hate Around
07. Your Man And Your Best Friend
08. Lean On Me
09. Making A Good Thing Better
10. I'm Over You
11. I'm Satisfied



1975 Here I Am Again



1976 Second Breath

01. Freedom To Express Yourself
02. Get Your Lies Straight
03. Sweet Soul
04. I'm Back To Collect
05. I Get What I Want
06. Second Breath
07. Hellfire Loving
08. Sit Down And Hurt Awhile
09. Two Empty Arms



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1977 The Bitch Is Bad

01. Bitch Is Bad
02. Love Me Right
03. Before You Take It To The Streets
04. Fool Me Good
05. Move Your Body
06. Love Magician
07. One Life To Live
08. Love Addict


1979 Under The Influence



1979 Unwrapped

01. Think About It
02. Keep On Dancin' Rock
03. A Miracle, You And Me
04. Too Little In Common To Be Lovers
05. Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?
06. Make Me Yours/Precious Memories/etc.


1984 Right Place, Right Time

01. Right Place, Right Time
02. He's Not Available
03. Treat Your Man Like A Baby
04. Good Man Gone Bad
05. Boogie Man
06. Your Husband Is Cheating On Us
07. Why Does It Feel So Right
08. Keep Your Pants On
09. Bump And Grind
10. Love School


1985 Love Talkin'

01. Talkin' In Your Sleep
02. Someone Else Is Stepping In
03. Nobody Loves Me Like You Do
04. Give Me Yo' Most Strongest Whiskey
05. Love Is A Five Letter Word
06. Love Talkin'
07. Get What You Can Get
08. Linger A Little Longer
09. Keeps Me Runnin' Back
10. Too Many Lovers
11. My Tu-Tu



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1986 Lady In The Street

01. A Lady In The Street
02. This Bell Was Made For Ringing
03. Don't Mess With My Man
04. Lay Me Down
05. Down Home Blues(x-rated)
06. I Was Not The Best Woman
07. Come To Bed
08. I Was Telling Him About You


1988 Hittin' Where It Hurts

01. Don't Cry No More
02. Write This One Off(as a loss)
03. Caught In Your Own Mess
04. Bring It On Home To Me
05. Eee Tee
06. If You Can't Do Me Right
07. See-Saw
08. You Gotta Pay To Play
09. I Forgot To Remember



1990 It's Lying Time Again



1990 Rain And Fire

01. It Be's That Way Sometimes
02. I'm Sho' Gonna Mess With Yo' Man
03. What's Going On In My House
04. Look What Can Happen To You
05. Shame, Shame, Shame
06. Bip, Bam, Thank You Maam
07. Learnin' How To Cheat On You
08. Rain And Fire
09. It Takes You All Night
10. Is He Lovin' Someone Else Tonight


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1990 Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?

01. Try My Love
02. Think About It
03. A Miracle, You And Me
04. Too Little In Common To Be Lovers
05. Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?
06. I'm So Hot
07. Love Me Right



1990 Still Trapped

01. Wet Match
02. Trapped . . . 1990
03. Paper Thin
04. Chain Letter
05. A Real Sad Story
06. Drop That Zero
07. I'm Loved
08. Kiss It
09. Love And Happiness
10. Wild Thang(all night long)


1992 Love Me Right

01. Don't Jump My Pony
02. Long Dong Silver
03. You Can't Get Nothing Straight Between Us
04. Love Me Right
05. When We're Making Love
06. I'm Not That Kind Of Girl
07. Too Many Hungry Mouths Around The Table
08. One More Wrong Step
09. Fast Hands And A Dirty Mind
10. Another One Bites The Dust
11. Don't Pick It Up



1994 Still Bad

01. Right Side Of The Wrong Bed
02. Soft-Hearted Woman
03. Three People
04. No Supervision
05. Child Of The Ghetto
06. Dial 1-900-Get-Some
07. Risky Business
08. The Sweeter The Man
09. It Ain't Over Til The Fat Lady Sings
10. A Woman Needs To Be Loved
11. The Bitch Is Bad



1996 Before You Take It To The Streets



1996 Denise



1997 Smokin' In Bed

01. Smokin' In Bed
02. Juke Joint Woman
03. Blues Party Tonight
04. If I Don't Holler
05. Going Through Changes
06. Five Below Zero
07. Never Been Touched Like This
08. Why Am I Missing You
09. The Night We Called It a Day
10. Dirty Old Woman


1997 Trapped

01. Trapped By A Thing Called Love
02. Don't Mess With My Man
03. Love Is A Five Letter Word
04. I Was Telling Him About You
05. Is He Lovin' Someone Else Tonight
06. Hold On
07. You Gotta Pay To Play
08. Bring It On Home To Me
09. Too Many Lovers
10. One More Wrong Step


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1999 God's Got My Back

01. God's Got My Back
02. Tell Him What You Want
03. Still Talkin' Bout A Man
04. Satan's Trying To Track Me Down
05. Rest In Me
06. God Is Absolutely Mad About You
07. His Mighty Love(gospel version)
08. God Don't Make Mistakes
09. Calvary
10. Send Me, I'll Go
11. Going Through Changes
12. Praise Him
13. Going Through Changes(edited for radio)



2000 This Real Woman

01. This Real Woman
02. Lick It Before You Stick It
03. A Love Reputation
04. A Sexaholic
05. I Just Wanna Make Love To You
06. In A Midnight Mood
07. What Kind Of Man Is This
08. Funky Blues Kind Of Mood
09. Unlovable Habits
10. This Real Woman(radio cut)
11. If I'm Only For Myself
12. When She Stops Asking
13. This Bedroom's On Fire
14. Dreaming All Day
15. The Best Of The Rest
16. Tell Him What You Want
17. I Fell In Love With Me
18. Down On Clinton
19. Trapped By A Thing Called Love
20. God Is Absolutely Mad About You


2001 There's No Separation



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2002 Still The Queen

01. I'm Still The Queen
02. Dirty, Freaky Man
03. You Should Have Kept It In The Bedroom
04. What Kind Of Man Is This
05. Funky Blues Kind Of Mood
06. Cover It Up
07. Who Needs You
08. In A Midnight Mood
09. Unlovable Habits
10. There's No Separation


2004 Wanted

01. Snap, Crackle and Pop
02. The Thrill Is On Again
03. Wanted Man
04. They Made A Blues Fan Out Of Me
05. Doormat Woman
06. It Was A House Until You Made It A Home
07. A Woman Needs Money
08. The Love You Threw Away
09. Who Needs An Enemy With A Friend Like You
10. Bone It Like You Own It


2007 Pay Before You Pump

01. Pay Before You Pump
02. It's Going Down
03. I Need A Working Man
04. Mississippi Woman
05. Hold On Tight
06. Hell Sent Me You
07. Walking On Beale Street And Crying
08. I'm Hangin' On
09. You Don't Live Here No More
10. I Tried
11. It's Going Down(radio version)
12. Mississippi Woman(delta blues mix)


2008 A Little Bit Naughty

01. Sweet Soul
02. I'm Back To Collect
03. I Get What I Want
04. Second Breath
05. Hellfire Loving
06. Sit Down And Hurt Awhile
07. Two Empty Arms
08. Love Me Right
09. Before You Take It To The Streets
10. Fool Me Good
11. One Life To Live
12. Love Addict
13. Feet Don't Fail Me
14. Working Overtime
15. You Oughta Thank Me
16. Talkin' Bout My Best Friend
17. A Miracle, You And Me
18. Too Little In Common To Be Lovers
19. You'll Never Get Your Hooks In My Man
20. Tighten Up On Your Good Thing
21. Sharing Your Love
22. Got Myself A Handyman
23. Make Love To Me One More Time
24. My Groovy Medley


2008 Mississippi Woman



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