Anita Baker Receives Masters

Anita Baker receives masters finally after feuding with her record company for control of her music. Earlier this year, she started a campaign urging her fans not to buy or stream her music while she fights to reclaim ownership of her back catalog.

Anita Baker Finally Receives Music Masters - Urban Music 2000

“All My Children Are Coming Home,” she wrote on twitter, along with a photo of her first five studio albums, 1983’s “The Songstress,” 1986’s “The Rapture,” 1988’s “Giving You the Best That I Got,” 1990’s “Compositions” and 1994’s “Rhythm of Love.” “Impossible Things Happen…Every. Single. Day. Gratefully Heart emoji. ,” she wrote.

Anita Baker

Anita Baker Says She’s “Retired From The Plantation” After Successfully Obtaining Her Masters

The 63-year-old expressed that “recordings streamed & sold are *Inferior & Missing Original Instrumentation. Recording Speeds have been ‘Sped Up’ Bootleg/Bogus ‘Vinyls’ R Not from Original Analog [masters]. But, from Re-Processed (no Mid- Range frequencies) Digital Copies. Fans Deserve Better.”

The eight-time Grammy winner had referenced Prince in her fight with her longtime label, Elektra, over her fight for control of her music. 

Baker tweeted on Friday that a new compilation/ box set of her music will be coming from Rhino Records. 

Anita tweeted back in March:

“Miraculously… i have out-lived *ALL, of my Artists Contracts They no longer “Own”, My Name & Likeness. And, by Law…30 yr old, Mstrs are 2B Returned, 2 Me Unfortunately, They’re gonna make me Fight 4 it. I’m Prepared, 2 do that. Please Dont advertise/buy them ABXO Balloon Emoji Beating Heart Emoji”

Anita Baker

She is referring to a US copyright law. That provision, Section 203 of the Copyright Act. dictates that 35 years after an author signs away the rights to a copyrighted work, they can file a request to legally reclaim them. For musicians like Ms. Baker, roughly 35 years after a record comes out, she can take back ownership of it. 

In reference to the legal battle, the eight-time Grammy winner suggested things went better than she anticipated: “I had my fists balled up Ready for a Fight… But, there was No Enemy, in sight…. Only, a Lovely Seat. At a Lovely Table. With Conversation & Cocktails. Love & Light.”  

The Collection Of Anita Baker CD’s Masters Received

Track Listing “The Songstress” 1983

  1. “Angel” (Patrick Moten, Sandra Sully) – 4:57
  2. “You’re the Best Thing Yet” (Moten, Geronne C. Turner) – 5:36
  3. “Feel The Need” (Moten) – 5:35
  4. “Squeeze Me” (Moten) – 4:40
  5. “No More Tears” (Michael J. Powell) – 5:38
  6. “Sometimes” (Moten, Sully) – 5:53
  7. “Will You Be Mine” (Moten, Carlos Turrentine) – 5:24
  8. “Do You Believe Me” (Moten) – 3:55

Wikipedia

Listen to Anita Baker – “You’re the Best Thing Yet” Video

Anita Baker - The Songstress (1983)
Urban Music 2000 - Anita Baker Rapture

Track Listing “Rapture” 1986

Urban Music 2000 - Giving You the Best That I Got

Track Listing “Giving You the Best That I Got” 1988

  1. “Priceless” (Garry Glenn) – 5:00
  2. “Lead Me into Love” (Steve Lane, Larry Prentiss) – 4:45
  3. Giving You the Best That I Got” (Baker, Randy Holland, Skip Scarborough) – 4:18
  4. “Good Love” (Gary Taylor) – 5:39
  5. “Rules” (Graham Lamb, Phil Nicholl, Maggie Ryder) – 3:52
  6. “Good Enough” (Baker, James McBride) – 4:50
  7. “Just Because” (Alex Brown, Sammy McKinney, Michael O’Hara) – 5:13
  8. “You Belong to Me” (Terry Britten, Billy Livsey, Graham Lyle) – 3:50

Wikipedia

Urban Music 2000 - Anita Baker Compositions

Track Listing “Compositions” 1990

  1. “Talk to Me” (Baker, Vernon Fails, Michael Powell) – 5:03
  2. “Perfect Love Affair” (Baker, Joel Davis) – 5:19
  3. “Whatever It Takes” (Baker, Marc Gordon, Gerald LeVert) – 5:35
  4. “Soul Inspiration” (Terry Britten, Graham Lyle) – 5:17
  5. “Lonely” (Baker) – 4:29
  6. “No One to Blame” (Baker, Fails) – 4:41
  7. “More Than You Know” (Baker, Vernon Fails, Michael Powell) – 4:48
  8. “Love You to The Letter” (James McBride) – 7:20
  9. “Fairy Tales” (Baker, Fails, Powell) – 7:55
Urban Music 2000 - Rhythm Of Love

Track Listing “Rhythm Of Love” 1995

  1. “Rhythm of Love” (Anita Baker, Patrick Moten) – 5:50
  2. The Look of Love” (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) – 4:47
  3. Body and Soul” (Rick Nowels, Ellen Shipley) – 5:42
  4. “Baby” (Baker) – 4:25
  5. I Apologize” (Baker, Barry J. Eastmond, Gordon Chambers) – 5:09
  6. “Plenty of Room” (Baker) – 4:57
  7. “It’s Been You” (Sami McKinney, Michael O’Hara, Mary Unobsky) – 4:59
  8. You Belong to Me” (Carly Simon, Michael McDonald) – 4:41
  9. “Wrong Man” (Baker) – 5:51
  10. “Only for a While” (Dawn Thomas) – 5:16
  11. “Sometimes I Wonder Why” (Mike Reid, Mack David) – 4:37
  12. My Funny Valentine” (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) – 5:06

Anita Baker

Anita Baker was one of the definitive quiet storm singers of the 80’s and 90’s

Taylor Swift Supports Anita Baker In Quest To Receive Her Masters

Taylor tweets:

“What a beautiful moment, CONGRATULATIONS ANITA!! Teardrop Emoji Teardrop Emoji Hand Clap Emoji Hand Clap Emoji”

Taylor Swift

Anita Baker Receives Masters and Tweets

“All My Children Are Coming Home”. Then she mentions “Catalog.” And “Impossible Things Happen”.

…She goes on to say Every. Single. Day. Gratefully. Heart emoji.

Anita Baker and Taylor Swift have been tweeting back and forth regarding their masters.

Taylor tweets:

Watch Anita Baker perform her many hits on her tour “One Night Of Rapture” 1987

Anita Baker - One Night Of Rapture (1987)

Anita Baker Facts

Anita Baker – Real Name = Anita Denise Baker

Voice Type = Contralto

Like Sarah Vaughan, Anita Baker is a contralto, although she has developed a high soprano head voice that extends her register to at least three octaves.

NY Times

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