Etta James

Tell Mama Etta James Chess 75 Series edition

When soul history shifted in the late '60s, Etta James was right at the center of the storm. After a bitter split between Atlantic's Jerry Wexler and FAME Studio's Rick Hall, Hall struck back by inviting Chess Records — Atlantic's fiercest rival — to bring its biggest stars to Muscle Shoals. Between August and December of 1967, Etta James walked into FAME looking for a creative spark... and walked out with the greatest album of her career: Tell Mama.

These sessions didn't just revive Etta — they reignited her artistry. Powered by the now-legendary Muscle Shoals rhythm section, James delivers some of the most commanding, emotionally charged performances ever put to tape. The title track "Tell Mama" and her scorching take on Otis Redding's "Security" both stormed the charts, pushing Etta back into the national spotlight. But the album's true jewel is found on the flip side: "I'd Rather Go Blind." First handed to her by songwriter and friend Fugi Foster during a prison visit, Etta transformed it into a soul masterwork — a performance so definitive it's been covered hundreds of times, yet never surpassed.

Started in 2025, the Chess 75 series was launched to commemorate Chess Records' 75th anniversary. The series features a curated collection of audiophile vinyl reissues that pay tribute to the label's profound impact on American music. Each album in the Chess 75 Series has been meticulously remastered from the original analog master tapes. The vinyl is pressed on 180-gram audiophile-quality vinyl at Quality Record Pressings (QRP). The records are housed in tip-on gatefold sleeves printed on high-grade board.