Universal, US

Release date: October 26, 2004

Since its release over fifty years ago, Black Coffee has been named consistently by critics as one of Peggy’s finest albums. Originally on Decca Records, the album makes its first appearance on CD in the United States with this release, part of the Verve Master Edition series. Included are the original liner notes, new notes by Will Friedwald, and reproductions of the different covers from the original 1953 album (a ten-inch disc with eight tracks) and the expanded, twelve-song, twelve-inch 1956 version. The Verve engineers examined all sources, including the original tapes, to achieve the best sound possible. They were dissatisfied with the UK CD version of the album released years ago, but were impressed with the Japanese release and used it as a benchmark. The Japan Black Coffee CD usually retails for around $32 in the US, so this release will give North American consumers the benefits of the Japan CD at a substantial savings.

Tracks

1. Black Coffee
2. I’ve Got You Under My Skin
3. Easy Living
4. My Heart Belongs to Daddy
5. It Ain’t Necessarily So
6. Gee, Baby, Ain’t I Good to You?
7. A Woman Alone with the Blues
8. I Didn’t Know What Time It Was
9. When the World Was Young
10. Love Me or Leave Me
11. You’re My Thrill
12. There’s a Small Hotel