The Chess Box

Etta James - The Chess Box

The Chess Box
List Price: $49.98
Our Price: $32.76
You Save: $17.22 (34%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $32.75 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more CD details
Listen soundtracks from this album



(Click here)
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store

CD Details

Artist: Etta James
Brand: JAMES,ETTA
Edition: Music CD
Format: Box set, Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2000-06-27
Music Label: Chess
Product features:
  • LIKE NEW, BOX, DISCS ,BOX + BOOKLET !
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
  1. All I Could Do Is Cry
  2. My Dearest Darling
  3. If I Can't Have You (duet with Harvey Fuqua)
  4. I Just Want To Make Love To You
  5. Anything To Say You're Mine
  6. In My Diary
  7. Spoonful (duet with Harvey Fuqua)
  8. A Sunday Kind Of Love
  9. At Last
  10. Stormy Weather
  11. Trust In Me
  12. Don't Cry Baby
  13. Fool That I Am
  14. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)
  15. Waiting For Charlie (To Come Home)
  16. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
  17. Next Door To The Blues
  18. I Don't Want It (Previously Unreleased)
  19. Something's Got A Hold On Me
  20. Stop The Wedding
  21. These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)
  22. You Got Me Where You Want Me (Previously Unreleased)
  23. I Want To Be Loved (But Only By You)
  24. Prisoner Of Love
  25. Pushover
  26. Be Honest With Me (Previously Unreleased on Album)
Music CD 2
  1. Would It Make Any Difference To You
  2. Look Who's Blue (Previously Unreleased on Album)
  3. Pay Back
  4. Two Sides (To Every Show)
  5. At Last (Live - Previously Unreleased)
  6. Baby What You Want Me To Do (Live)
  7. Lovin' You More Every Day
  8. I Wish Someone Would Care
  9. Bobby Is His Name
  10. Only Time Will Tell
  11. (I Don't Need Nobody To Tell Me) How To Treat My Man
  12. In The Basement, Part 1 (Duet with Sugar Pie DeSanto)
  13. Lover Man
  14. Do I Make Myself Clear (Duet with Sugar Pie DeSanto)
  15. I Prefer You
  16. It Must Be Your Love
  17. 842-3089 (Call My Name)
  18. I'd Rather Go Blind
  19. Tell Mama
  20. Do Right Woman, Do Right Man
  21. Security
  22. I Worship The Ground You Walk On (Previously Unreleased on Album)
  23. You Took It (Previously Unreleased)
  24. Almost Persuaded
  25. You Got It
  26. Light My Fire (Previously Unreleased)
Music CD 3
  1. Slow And Easy (Previously Unreleased)
  2. Soul Of A Man (Previously Unreleased)
  3. Miss Pitiful
  4. Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers
  5. I Found A Love
  6. W.O.M.A.N.
  7. Never My Love (Previously Unreleased)
  8. I Never Meant To Love Him
  9. You Lost That Lovin' Feelin' (Previously Unreleased)
  10. Sail Away
  11. Down So Low
  12. All The Way Down
  13. God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind)
  14. Feelin' Uneasy
  15. St. Louis Blues
  16. Let's Burn Down The Cornfield
  17. Gonna Have Some Fun Tonight
  18. Sookie Sookie
  19. Out On The Street Again
  20. Lovin' Arms

Music reviews of The Chess Box

Music Review: Easily eans its 5 stars! What a woman! Grrrrrrrr!
Rating: 5 Stars

A woman renamed Etta James hit the R&B charts at age 16, when she forged her mother's signature (who was in jail at the time) to allow her to tour and made a living performing where ever she could when soul fell from mass favor. The key to her endurance, as she is still singing, is her versatility and ability to hit home runs with great songs and work around the less than stellar songs.

On early Chess singles the ballad "My Dearest Darling" and the more raunchy "I Just Want to Make Love to You," James coos and growls like a tigress. There is the inside glance at her personal life on duets with a man she had a huge crush on, Harvey Fuqua. Though the young love was apparently unrequited, there is an intimacy inherent in their version of "If I Can't Have You," while a smoldering sexuality pervades "Spoonful." The first CD also has a song that introduced me to James a few years back. You have heard of a little tune called "At Last." I am obviously kidding about "little tune" as that song is on fire.

The second CD introduced me to a mostly unknown (at least to me) R&B singer Sugar Pie DeSanto who duets with James on the screaming party tune "In the Basement" and the sweet and soulful "Do I Make Myself Clear." These women should have recorded together more often as they make a raging fire. Ett a also tackles country with her signature approach and the result may have to get a new name. I suggest "Soultry"."I Prefer You" and "Tell Mama" are scorching.

James began covering rock songs in the late '60s, and both the successful and the not-so-great are included in the third CD of this box set. Although this is the least potent CD of the 3, it has some surprises including the fire-causing "Let's Burn Down The Cornfield," which has to be one of the sexiest songs ever.

The insert is informative as it tells you about Etta's life and has some great pictures. It nothing out of this world, so buy this for the music and although its pricey, I think that it's worth every dime and then some.

The 72 songs on this box set are placed chronologically, and it's rather astonishing how strong all these recordings are, from her terrific vocals to the songs themselves. Her producers weren't sure what to do with the big, bold voice of a woman-child, but she did her thing while they tried to figure out what to do with her. I for one I am glad that they never quite figured it out as it makes for a great victory for song interpretation.

This is a must have release and it easily earns the highest rating possible, independently that some of the songs are not as good as the singer. This set can at times give you a window to the history of rock/soul. May Etta sing until her last breath. I feel very fortunate to have discovered this woman. By the way, my "discovery" only occurred due to the good people at Amazon.com who take the time to rate everything from their favorites and those almost universally panned. This forum is great because it is truly democratic and by being able to read why people give the ratings that they do, I can learn a lot about potential purchases. Thank you guys and enjoy Etta!

More The Chess Box free music reviews:
1 2 3

Description of The Chess Box

Be sure to check out our other deals on, Rare and Hard to find jazz and rock cds !!! *********please note that this box set has been throughly inspected for quality before shipping THERE ARE NO RETURNS ON BOX You can't have too much Etta James. Really. This long-overdue collection of the singer's Chess recordings includes much of her best work. Three CDs' worth. 72 tracks. Shivers abound just thinking about it. Of course, all the songs you'd expect are here: "I Just Want to Make Love to You," "Spoonful," "Something's Got a Hold on Me," "Tell Mama," and, naturally, "At Last," among many, many others. But you don't need me to convince you why Etta James is worth hearing; what you want to know is, is this box set worth the price? Well, it's got almost everything you'd find on At Last, James's first studio album and widely considered her best, and it includes the same material as Her Best, which up to now was hands-down the best introduction to the glory that is Etta James. But say you've already got that stuff, why would you want this? Well, first of all, the packaging is stellar. A 40-page booklet comes in a handsomely presented box, which contains a wealth of pictures, quotes, and perspectives that do much to illuminate what made James's 16-year period at Chess Records so special. There are definitely a few musical chestnuts here; several previously unreleased tracks, as well as a few that were released as singles only. Notable inclusions are a previously unreleased version of "You Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and a live version of "At Last." Whether or not it's possible to distill the work of a singer like Etta James down to three CDs, this is a very strong collection and an admirable effort to get the best of Etta all in one place. --Genevieve Williams
You can't have too much Etta James. Really. This long-overdue collection of the singer's Chess recordings includes much of her best work. Three CDs' worth. 72 tracks. Shivers abound just thinking about it. Of course, all the songs you'd expect are here: "I Just Want to Make Love to You," "Spoonful," "Something's Got a Hold on Me," "Tell Mama," and, naturally, "At Last," among many, many others. But you don't need me to convince you why Etta James is worth hearing; what you want to know is, is this box set worth the price? Well, it's got almost everything you'd find on At Last, James's first studio album and widely considered her best, and it includes the same material as Her Best, which up to now was hands-down the best introduction to the glory that is Etta James. But say you've already got that stuff, why would you want this? Well, first of all, the packaging is stellar. A 40-page booklet comes in a handsomely presented box, which contains a wealth of pictures, quotes, and perspectives that do much to illuminate what made James's 16-year period at Chess Records so special. There are definitely a few musical chestnuts here; several previously unreleased tracks, as well as a few that were released as singles only. Notable inclusions are a previously unreleased version of "You Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and a live version of "At Last." Whether or not it's possible to distill the work of a singer like Etta James down to three CDs, this is a very strong collection and an admirable effort to get the best of Etta all in one place. --Genevieve Williams

Blues CDs

Music Genres
Bestsellers in Blues CDs
Southern String Bands ImageSouthern String Bands
Release date: 1997-05-07; Music CD
Price in other shops: $9.98
Texas Blues ImageLightnin Hopkins - Texas Blues
Release date: 1993-11-30; Music CD
Price in other shops: $9.98
15 Regional Mexican Music Classics Image15 Regional Mexican Music Classics
Release date: 1997-02-25; Music CD
Best price: $3.99
Price in other shops: $7.98
Love's Been Rough on Me ImageEtta James - Love's Been Rough on Me
Release date: 1997-04-29; Music CD
Best price: $8.97
Price in other shops: $10.98
Mystery Lady ImageEtta James - Mystery Lady
Release date: 1994-03-15; Music CD
Best price: $8.96
Price in other shops: $11.98
Dancing the Blues ImageTaj Mahal - Dancing the Blues
Release date: 1993-09-28; Music CD
Best price: $7.99
Price in other shops: $11.98
Moments to Remember [VHS] ImageBill Gaither & Gloria - Moments to Remember [VHS]
Chordant; Release date: 1996-09-03; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $3.00
Price in other shops: $29.98
Sing Your Blues Away [VHS] ImageSing Your Blues Away [VHS]
Chordant Distribution; Release date: 1996-09-03; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $6.18
Price in other shops: $29.98
Rhythm Country & Blues [VHS] ImageRhythm Country & Blues [VHS]
Mca; Release date: 1994-03-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $99.75
Smoking Gun ImageRobert Cray - Smoking Gun
Published: 1988; Music CD
Similar CDs
Time After Time ImageEtta James - Time After Time
Release date: 2009-08-04; Music CD
Best price: $2.72
Price in other shops: $6.99
Mystery Lady ImageEtta James - Mystery Lady
Release date: 2009-08-04; Music CD
Best price: $2.34
Price in other shops: $6.99
Life Love & The Blues ImageEtta James - Life Love & The Blues
Release date: 2009-08-04; Music CD
Best price: $2.94
Price in other shops: $6.99
Blues to the Bone ImageEtta James - Blues to the Bone
Release date: 2004-06-08; Music CD
Best price: $6.15
Price in other shops: $8.99
Love Songs ImageEtta James - Love Songs
JAMES,ETTA; Release date: 2001-01-23; Music CD
Best price: $2.55
Price in other shops: $5.98
The Dreamer ImageEtta James - The Dreamer
Release date: 2011-11-08; Music CD
Best price: $10.09
Price in other shops: $13.98
At Last! ImageEtta James - At Last!
JAMES,ETTA; Release date: 1999-07-27; Music CD
Best price: $2.58
Price in other shops: $5.98
Tell Mama: The Complete Muscle Shoals Sessions ImageEtta James - Tell Mama: The Complete Muscle Shoals Sessions
JAMES,ETTA; Release date: 2001-04-24; Music CD
Best price: $7.03
Price in other shops: $18.98
Etta James Rocks The House ImageEtta James - Etta James Rocks The House
JAMES,ETTA; Release date: 1992-09-29; Music CD
Best price: $2.86
Price in other shops: $11.98
Heart & Soul / A Retrospective ImageEtta James - Heart & Soul / A Retrospective
Release date: 2011-10-18; Music CD
Best price: $46.04
Price in other shops: $59.98
Compare prices and find music notes for more than one million Music CD titles