Well, Jackie Shane may have found the world a cruel, cruel place, but the day she released this song and cast out her magic, the earth was far less dark! This is a big and beautiful song!
Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Jackie Shane was a r&b singer who spent a lot of her career covering other people’s music. Releasing her first single in 1962, it wasn’t until the end of her musical career that she revealed her impressive skills as a songwriter and my only disappointment with this artist is that she didn’t do this sooner!!
Jackie Shane released her last 45, New Way Of Lovin’ / Cruel Cruel World, on the Paragon label in 1969. This was to be her final single and was billed as “A Jackie Shane Production,” with both tracks written by Jackie herself.
This Autumn, Chicago’s Numero Group are to reissue this gorgeous soul classic with the assistance of Jackie Shane, but there is more! This track comes with a significant message which is outlined on Numero’s Bandcamp page and included below:
The record, Jackie’s rarest and most sought after, has special resonance for the artist. “Cruel Cruel World”, the cosmically rocking blues lament on the flip, is presented here as Jackie’s expression of solidarity with the Transgender Law Center. Jackie, who does not use the internet, loudly proclaimed her approval after hearing about Bandcamp’s response to Donald Trump’s recent proclamation on transgender persons in the military. Speaking on the president, who Jackie calls “a demented clown,” and his misguided flock, Jackie exclaims, “We’ll bring ’em into the century… Don’t worry.”
Cruel Cruel World features on a new album that The Numero Group are releasing this October called, Jackie Shane: Any Other Way. You can pre-order your copy of the LP and purchase today’s song from here.
thelisteningpostblog.wordpress.com 
You must be logged in to post a comment.