Natalie Cole - Sophisticated Lady b/w Good Morning Heartache (1976) - single

"Sophisticated Lady (She's a Different Lady)" is a song recorded by R&B artist Natalie Cole issued as lead single from her second album “Natalie”. Producer Chuck Jackson's mother used to play such Duke Ellington classics as "Take the A Train" and "Sophisticated Lady" when he was a child. Years later while Jackson was watching Natalie Cole perform he thought how much of a "sophisticated lady" the singer was as she skillfully handled the audience. Jackson suggested the term as a title to his songwriting/producer partner Marvin Yancy, who at first objected because it shared the title of the Ellington standard. Jackson explained that their song would be totally different from Ellington's. The jazzy, lite funk cut was recorded in Chicago at Curtis Mayfield's Curtom Studios with guitarists Phil Upchurch and Cash McCall, bassist Joseph Scott, drummer Quinton Joseph, keyboardist Tennyson Stephens, conga player Henry Gibson, Yancy on piano, and Jackson on percussion. Written by Chuck Jackson, Marvin Yancy, and Natalie Cole and co-produced by arrangers Gene Barge and Richard Evans, "Sophisticated Lady (She's a Different Lady)" topped the R&B charts while peaking at number 25 pop in summer 1976. It was included on the singer's second gold album, Natalie, which also included "Mr. Melody."

A - Sophisticated Lady (3:27)
Written-by: Jackson, Yancy, Cole / Arrangement and Production by: Chuck Jackson, Marvin Yancy, Gene Berge, Richard Evans
B - Good Morning Heartache (4:19)
Written-by: Drake, Higginbotham, Fisher / Arrangement and Production by: Chuck Jackson, Marvin Yancy, Gene Berge, Richard Evans

Label:  Capitol Records
Genre:  Soul, Funk
Catalog#  5C 006-82234

℗ 1976