Josephine Baker was one of the most extraordinary, individual and distinctive artists of her era, an American singer, dancer and actor, who adopted France as her home, 

She established a reputation as an outrageous, stylish and provocative stage performer, defying all the norms of the day, as she appeared on the Folies Bergere stage wearing not much more than a bunch of bananas, and in the process of making music that was very particular to her persona. 

Apart from that, she became a heroine during WWII as an active participant in the French Resistance, working with Allied Intelligence services. 

This 75-track 3-CD collection covers more than three decades of her career, comprising recordings released in Europe on singles on the Odeon, Columbia, Parlophone labels, along with selected titles from her albums on Columbia during the 1950s, “Chansons Americaines”, “Josephine Baker”, “Encores Americaines”, and her US Mercury albums “The Inimitable” and “Avec Josephine Baker”, plus the RCA albums “Paris Mes Amours” and “The Fabulous”. 

It features performances in both French and English. Her music encompassed jazz, sophisticated pop, French chansons and more as it developed with the trends across the decades. 

This collection offers a fascinating cross-section of her work, and an intriguing showcase for a remarkable artist.

Tracks

CD 1
1. WHO (Odeon  49171) 1926 
2. THAT CERTAIN FEELING (Odeon  49171) 1926 
3. SLEEPY TIME GAL (Odeon  49172) 1926 
4. DINAH (Odeon  49172) 1926 
5. YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE FOR ME (Parlophone R3233) 1926 
6. FEELING KIND OF BLUE (Parlophone R3233) 1926 
7. THEN I'LL BE HAPPY (Odeon 166.032) 1927 
8. PRETTY LITTLE BABY (Columbia UK DB401) 1930 
9. SUPPOSE (Columbia UK DB401) 1930 
10. DIS-MOI JOSEPHINE (Columbia France DF228) 1930 
11. LA PETITE TONKINOISE (Columbia France DF229) 1930 
12. J'AI DEUX AMOURS (Columbia France DF229, 1180) 1930 
13. PARDON SI JE T'IMPORTUNE (Columbia France DF406) 1931 
14. AUX ILES HAWAI (Columbia France DF406) 1931 
15. KING FOR A DAY (Columbia France DF407) 1931 
16. YOU'RE DRIVING ME CRAZY (Columbia France DF407) 1931 
17. YOU'RE THE ONE I CARE FOR  (Columbia France DF709) 1931 
18. LOVE IS A DREAMER (Columbia France DF709) 1931 
19. I'M CONFESSIN' (THAT I LOVE YOU) (Columbia France DF710) 1931 
20. MY FATE IS IN YOUR HANDS (Columbia France CF 710) 1931 
21. MON REVE C'ETAIT VOUS (Columbia France DF711) 1932 
22. MADIANA (Columbia France DF711) 1932 
23. SI J'ETAIS BLANCHE (Columbia France DF1070) 1932 
24. LES MOTS D'AMOUR (Columbia France DF1070) 1932 
25. SANS AMOUR (Columbia France DF1180) 1933

CD 2
1. HAITI (Columbia France DF1623) 1934 
2. C'EST LUI (Columbia France DF1623) 1934 
3. SOUS LE CIEL D'AFRIQUE (Columbia France DF1814) 1935 
4. ESPABILATE (Columbia France DF1814) 1935 
5. THE LOVELINESS OF YOU (Columbia UK DB1742) 1938 
6. AFRAID TO DREAM (Columbia UK DB1742) 1938 
7. LA CONGA BLICOTI (Columbia France DF2001) 1936 
8. DE TEMPS EN TEMPS (Columbia France DF2576) 1939 
9. SUR DEUX NOTES (Columbia France DF2576) 1939 
10. MON COEUR EST UN OISEAU DES ILES (Columbia France DF2682) 1939 
11. O MON TOMMY (Columbia France DF2682) 1939 
12. C'EST SI FACILE DE VOUS AIMER (EASY TO LOVE) 
13. C'EST UN NID CHARMANT (THERE'S A SMALL HOTEL) 
14. TOC-TOC PARTOUT (KNOCK-KNOCK) 
15. VOUS FAITES PARTIE DE MOI (I'VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN) 
16. J'ATTENDS VOTRE RETOUR (THERE'S A LULL IN MY LIFE) 
17. COMME UNE BANQUE (I'M FEELIN' LIKE A MILLION) 
18. BONSOIR MY LOVE (GOODNIGHT MY LOVE) From the album "Chansons Americaines"  Columbia FL9533  1951    
19. BESAME MUCHO 
20. J'AI UN MESSAGE POUR TOI (A MESSAGE FROM THE MAN IN THE MOON) 
21. NUITS DE MIAMI (MOON OVER MIAMI) 
22. BRAZIL From the album  "Encores Americaines" Columbia FL9543  1951
23. BONECA DE PIXIE 
24. PEG DE MON COEUR 
25. TE VOYO BENN From the album "The Inimitable"     Mercury   MG25105    1952    

CD 3
1. PARIS PARIS PARIS 
2. CHIQUITA MADAME 
3. REVOIR PARIS (MARIA BONITA) 
4. PRINCESSE SANS AMOUR 
5. YOU'RE THE GREATEST LOVE From the album "The Inimitable"     Mercury   MG25105    1952
6. ROMANCE AUX ETOILES 
7. OLELE OLELA 
8. PECADORA 
9. SERENADE CELESTE 
10. SANTA CHIARE 
11. MINUIT 
12. PARIS MES AMOURS 
13. TERRE SÈCHE  From the album "Avec Josephine Baker"    Mercury  MG25151    1952
14. LA SEINE 
15. AVEC 
16. MOI "IO" 
17. LE MARCHAND DE BONHEUR 
18. DONNEZ-MOI LA MAIN 
19. MON P'TIT BONHOMME 
20. J'ATTENDRAI 
21. LA BALLADE DES RUES DE PARIS 
22. CLOPIN-CLOPANT 
23. JE VOUDRAIS 
24. SAG BEIM ABSCHIED LEISE SERVUS 
25. DON'T TOUCH MY TOMATOES From the album "The Fabulous"   RCA Red Seal  LM2427       1960