The unmistakable voice of Merry Clayton – whose fiery vocal complemented Mick Jagger’s lead on The Rolling Stones’ immortal “Gimme Shelter” in 1969 – is front and center on The Best of Merry Clayton, the first-ever compilation of Clayton’s solo works. The timing is right to shine the spotlight on Clayton, with the forthcoming release of Twenty Feet From Stardom, a new feature-length documentary about backing vocalists like Clayton, who bought shape and style to the soundtracks of our lives.

The acclaimed documentary Twenty Feet From Stardom shines the spotlight on the untold true story of the backup singers behind some of the greatest musical legends of the 21st century. These gifted artists span a range of styles, genres and eras of popular music, but each has a uniquely fascinating and personal story to share of a life spent in the shadows of superstardom. Filmmaker Morgan Neville’s unprecedented look at the moving personal journeys of these normally uncelebrated artists pays tributes to their indelible role in popular music.

The Best Of Merry Clayton features selections from all three of her Ode albums, as well as choice non-LP material, including a non-LP cover of “Suspicious Minds,” Clayton’s take on Bob Dylan’s “The Mighty Quinn” from the Ode compilation Dylan’s Gospel (1969) and a rendition of “Acid Queen” performed with The London Symphony Orchestra for a symphonic recording of The Who’s Tommy in 1972.

For fans of: 70s soul, classic R&B, Gladys Knight, Tina Turner, Etta James, Mavis Staples, Sharon, Jones, The Rolling Stones

Track Listing Includes:
01. Southern Man
02. Tell All The People
03. Country Road
04. After All This Time
05. Gimme Shelter
06. Grandma’s Hands
07. Oh No, Not My Baby
08. Walk On In
09. Bridge Over Troubled Water
10. The Mighty Quinn – Brothers and Sisters
11. Sho’ Nuff
12. Forget It I Got It
13. Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow (From the Universal T.V. series Baretta)
14. Suspicious Minds
15. A Song For You
16. Lift Every Voice And Sing (BLack National Hymn) (From the Original Soundtrack of MGM’s Brewster McCloud)
17. The Acid Queen