I'll Run Your Hurt Away

Between 1966 and 1967, singer Ruby Johnson cut more than two dozen R&B sides for Stax/Volt; for whatever reason, the label released only three singles before dropping Johnson from its roster. Twenty of those songs comprise I'll Run Your Hurt Away, a collection of should-have-been hits from this powerful voice. While Johnson recorded a few pop standards like Aretha Franklin's "Won't Be Long" and Ben E. King's "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)," the majority of her songs were composed by Stax in-house musicians and writers. All told, there's not a weak song here; Johnson is a great soul singer who deserved far better.