Only Time Will Tell (Etta James)

23 JULY 1966


As far as the mainstream charts went, in 1966 Etta James was in the middle of a barren run of six non-charting singles. She had enjoyed reasonable success since the mid-50s (better on the R&B chart) but only ever cracked the Billboard Top 30 a handful of times in her career. Even the undisputed classic 'At Last' (inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999) only made it to #47 in 1961. 'Only Time Will Tell' (released early 1966) was one of those singles that went nowhere - not even on the R&B chart. It's not among her best material, but with Etta James it doesn't need to be for you to appreciate this as a fine piece of classy, cool, but impassioned Chicago soul.

Only Time Will Tell (Etta James)