Background, recording and content
After several albums of jazz recordings for the Bethlehem label, Chris Connor moved to Atlantic in 1956. Her first-label LP was a 1956 eponymous album, and she would record 11 more albums with Atlantic. The projects were either consist of a quartet, a nonet (nine session players) or a string orchestra. He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not immediately followed her eponymous release and was backed by a string orchestra conducted by Ralph Burns.[3] The project consisted of 12 tracks in total[4] that were all covers performed in a ballad style. Among them were "High on a Windy Hill", "Suddenly It's Spring"[1] and "Round About".[5]
Release and critical reception
He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not was released by Atlantic Records in November 1956 and originally distributed as a vinyl LP with six tracks on each side of the disc.[4] According to Billboard, the LP placed in the top ten of the "Best-Selling Jazz" albums on December 29, 1956.[6] It received a positive critical response as well. Billboard described the LP as "vocal mood music" and found there was "plenty of meat here for both pop and jazz jocks."[1] Cash Box believed the product would produce sales in the pop field and concluded by writing, "A Chris Connor treat. Superb follow-up to her debut LP on Atlantic—a recent chart album."[7] Robert Clay of DownBeat described it as an album with a "romantic mood" with a "superb" track listing and believed it was Connor's "best LP" to date.[5] AllMusic rated it three out of five stars.[2]
Personnel
All credits are adapted from the liner notes of He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not.[4]
- Earl Brown – Recording engineer
- Ralph Burns – Conductor (orchestra), arrangements
- Chris Connor – Vocals
- Nesuhi Ertegun – Supervision
- John Cue – Recording engineer
- Tom Dowd – Recording engineer
- Marvin Israel – Cover design
- Jay Maisel – Cover photo
- John S. Wilson – Liner notes
References
- 1 2 3 "Review Spotlight On: Jazz". Billboard. November 10, 1956. p. 86. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- 1 2 "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not: Chris Connor: Album". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ Will Friedwald (2010). A Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers. Knopf Doubleday. pp. 112–113. ISBN 9780307379894.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Connor, Chris (1956). "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not (Disc Information)". Atlantic Records. US. SD-1240 (LP mono).
- 1 2 Clay, Robert (December 23, 1956). "Popular Records" (PDF). DownBeat. p. 20. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "The Billboard's Monthly Recap of Best Selling Classical and Jazz Packaged Records". Billboard. December 29, 1956. p. 20. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ "Album Reviews: Jazz" (PDF). Cash Box. November 3, 1956. p. 31. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ↑ Connor, Chris (1956). "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not (Disc Information)". London Records. UK. HA-K2066 (LP mono).
- ↑ Connor, Chris (1956). "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not (various CD releases)". Atlantic Records. Japan. AMCY-1058 (1991 album); WPCR-25173 (2007 album); WPCR-27348, 7 (2013 album).
- ↑ "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not - Album by Chris Connor". Apple Music. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
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