Name: Necessary Evil
Duration: P00H04M07S
Description: A rare song introduced by Frankie Laine in 1951 as the B-side of the “Song Of The Islands (Na Lei O Hawaii)” single on Columbia. Soon after, it was recorded by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, appearing as the B-side of their 1952 single “Oops!” on Decca. Otherwise unrecorded until now.

Necessary Evil

from Top Shelf (compilation) by Laura Ainsworth

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Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
2021 Mini-LP CD initially released only to Japan.

Features:

• Otherwise unreleased track "You'd Be Surprised" unavailable on the "Top Shelf" digital release
• Warm, vinyl-like mastering courtesy Grammy®-nominated engineer Jessica Thompson (Erroll Garner)
• Slip sleeve paper jacket that looks and feels like a miniature version of the original LP
• Reworked and expanded track list
• 16-page full color booklet featuring bio, song list, and rare photos of Laura
• Lyric sheet
• Full color picture CD
• Collectible Japanese obi strip
• Resealable transparent outer sleeve

Laura's very first release to Japan, "Top Shelf" received excellent reviews in "CD Journal," "Jazz Critique," "Jazz Japan," and "The Walker's" magazines. "Jazz Critique" reviewed the album twice in the same issue, declaring the album "irresistible for 1920s–1950s retro standard lovers." "CD Journal" (one of the top selling music magazines in Japan) described the album as a "modern day nostalgic story based on the jazz standards of the good old days."

In America, a review of the import CD on the "Geoff Wilbur Music Blog" by Eric Harabadian (Down Beat) exploded in popularity and became the blog's most read review of all time. This review can be read at: geoffwilburmusic.com/2021/11/04/laura-ainsworth-top-shelf/

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ABOUT MINI-LP CD'S: Mini-LP CD's are a long running format in the Japanese market that also have an international following. They are a true "best of both worlds" option for collectors because they offer authentic LP packaging along with high quality digital sound. They are also an excellent space-saving option, taking up less than half the space of a regular jewel case or Digipak CD.

Includes unlimited streaming of Top Shelf (compilation) via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. ... more

ships out within 5 days

Purchasable with gift card

$24.98 USD or more
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
LIMITIED QUANTITY! The original 10-song, 180g heavyweight vinyl LP, released in 2017 one week before the release of Laura's third album, "New Vintage."

"Top Shelf" was originally an LP-only release intended to present Laura's music to the emerging vinyl market. The album made its way to Japan in 2019 and was reviewed positively in "Jazz Life" magazine, which led to Japanese record store chain Disk Union picking up the album for distribution. Ratspack Records took over Japanese distribution of "Top Shelf" in 2020, and released an expanded edition on mini-LP CD in September 2021.

LP track list is below:

Side 1:
1. Love For Sale
2. An Occasional Man
3. Necessary Evil
4. Just Give Me A Man
5. Hooray For Love

Side 2:
1. That's How I Got My Start
2. Out Of This World
3. That's The Kind Of Guy I Dream Of
4. Wasting My Love On You
5. Skylark

Tracks S1 1, S2 3, 5 from "Keep It To Yourself" (2011)
Tracks S1 3, 4, 5, S2 2 from "Necessary Evil" (2013)
Tracks S1 2, S2 1, 4 from "New Vintage" (2017)

Includes unlimited streaming of Top Shelf (compilation) via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. ... more

ships out within 5 days

edition of 300

Purchasable with gift card

$29.98 USD or more
Streaming + Download

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Purchasable with gift card

$1.10 USD or more
Buy the Full Digital Album

about

A rare song introduced by Frankie Laine in 1951 as the B-side of the “Song Of The Islands (Na Lei O Hawaii)” single on Columbia. Soon after, it was recorded by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, appearing as the B-side of their 1952 single “Oops!” on Decca. Otherwise unrecorded until now.

lyrics

So you try hard to be good
And do the things you should
You give up everything that you enjoy
But if you slip a bit
And your heart says, “This is it”
That’s a necessary evil, my boy

All your friends say you’re a fool
And you won’t break any rules
With all the saintly virtues you employ
But if the slightest fling
Makes your soul begin to sing
That’s a necessary evil, my boy

Well a man sometimes has to sip of the grape
Cast his eye on a lovely shape
And sometime a wager desire
If a man says he don’t, he’s not a man, he’s a liar

So don’t let yourself be sad
If what looks good is bad
Reach out, accept the things that bring you joy
And when you feel inclined
It’ll help to keep in mind
That’s a necessary evil, my boy

Well a man sometimes has to sip of the grape
Cast his eye on a lovely shape
And sometime a wager desire
If a man says he don’t, he’s not a man, he’s a liar

So don’t let yourself be sad
If what looks good is bad
Reach out, accept the things that bring you joy
A man has got to live
Even steel is made to give
That’s a necessary evil
A necessary evil, my boy!

credits

from Top Shelf (compilation), released November 18, 2022

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about

Laura Ainsworth Dallas, Texas

American retro jazz singer Laura Ainsworth breathes new life into songs from the Great American Songbook era.

Laura has released four studio albums and one compilation album to date.

She has been featured in Down Beat (USA), Broadway World (USA), Jazz Critique (Japan) and other important international jazz publications. ... more

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Laura Ainsworth recommends:

Dark Passages
by Hollywood Film Noirchestra

Stunning new recordings of 1950s/1960s FILM NOIR themes from "The Twilight Zone," "The Hustler," "Touch of Evil", and more. Laura Ainsworth
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