Bill Withers: Just As I Am / Still Bill / + Justments / Making Music / Live At Carnegie Hall, Five Albums on 3 CDs

• Legendary singer songwriter Bill Withers’ first five albums on three CDs.

• Featuring the studio recordings ‘Just As I Am’, ‘Still Bill’, ‘+’Justments’, ‘Making Music’ and the concert LP, ‘Live At Carnegie Hall’.

• The package includes many of Bill’s biggest Hits including ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’, ‘Lean On Me’, ‘Use Me’, ‘Kissing My Love’, ‘The Same Love That Made Me Laugh’ and ‘Make Love To Your Mind’.

• This fantastic release features liner notes by journalist Charles Waring.

‘Just As I Am’, Bill’s first album, was basically Booker T. and the MGs, minus Steve Cropper, who was busy. Stephen Stills (of Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young fame) was a friend of Booker’s, and covered for him.

The spring of 1972 saw the release of Withers’ long-awaited follow-up album, ‘Still Bill’, preceded by the anthemic single ‘Lean On Me’, which has inspired over 200 cover versions - from Michael Bolton to Garth Brooks

‘Live At Carnegie Hall’ included some previously unreleased songs, namely the poignant ‘I Can’t Write Left-Handed’, about a Vietnam veteran; and a churning chunk of cinematic funk called ‘World Keeps Going Around’

‘+’Justments’ stayed on the U.S. chart for a 34-week stay.

In 1975 Columbia Records bought Withers’ Sussex masters and signed the singer to the label. His debut album for the company ‘Making Music’, whose title was changed in the UK to ‘Making Friends’, was a big-budget affair that saw the singer/songwriter hooking up with a new producer, LA Express keyboardist Larry Nash, whose other credits included working with Joni Mitchell.

Bill Withers died aged 81 in 2020. With 24 US hit singles to his name, including the chart-topping ‘Lean On Me,’ and three well deserved Grammy Awards, Bill had achieved more in his 15 years as a recording artist than many did during much longer careers.

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