more from
Compass Records
We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

By Request

by A.J. Croce

/
  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    12in LP pressed on black vinyl. Packaged in a single sleeve jacket and printed inner sleeve.

    Includes unlimited streaming of By Request via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 2 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $24 USD or more 

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Packaged in a 6 panel wallet.

    Includes unlimited streaming of By Request via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 2 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $15 USD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $10 USD  or more

     

1.
Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin' You gotta have somethin' if you wanna be with me, oh love Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin' You gotta have somethin' if you wanna be with me Not tryna to be your hero 'Cause that zero is too cold for me, oh love I'm not tryin' to be your highness 'Cause that minus is too low to see, yeah Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin' And I'm not stuffin', believe you me Don't you remember I told ya I'm a soldier in the war on poverty, yes, I am Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin' You gotta have somethin' if you wanna be with me, oh love Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin' You gotta have somethin' if you wanna be with me Let me play it Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin' You gotta have somethin' if you wanna be with me, oh love Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin' You gotta have somethin' if you wanna be with me Wanna be with me Wanna be with me Wanna be with me, yeah yeah Doo doo doo doo ah yeah Gotta have somethin' if you wanna be with me You gotta bring me somethin', girl, if you wanna be with me
2.
When you were young and on your own How did it feel to be alone? I was always thinking of Games that I was playing Trying to make the best of my time But only love can break your heart Try to be sure right from the start Well yes, only love can break your heart But if your world should fall apart I have a friend I've never seen He hides his head inside a dream Someone should call him and see if he can come out Try to lose the doll that he's found But only love can break your heart Try to be sure right from the start Yes, only love can break your heart But if your world should fall apart I was always thinking of Games that I was playing Trying to make the best of my time But only love can break your heart Try to be sure right from the start Yes, only love can break your heart But if your world should fall apart
3.
Have you seen my baby On the avenue? You know she's driving me crazy With the funny things she do I seen her with the milkman Ridin' down the street When you're through with my baby, milkman Send her home to me Hold on, hold on, hold on Hold on, hold on, hold on You know it's been so long Since she have been gone Hold on, hold on, hold on Seen her with the gipsies Dancin' in the wood She's always been unfaithful to me She ain't never been no good I say, “Don't talk to strangers, baby" But she always do She say, "I'll talk to strangers if I want to I'm a stranger, too" Hold on, hold on, hold on Hold on, hold on, hold on You know it's been so long Since she have been gone Hold on, hold on, hold on Hold on, hold on, hold on, whoo
4.
If I go a million miles away I'd write a letter each and every day Baby, nothin', Nothin' can ever change this love I have for you Ooh, make me weep Well, you can make me cry See me comin' Well, you can pass me by But baby, nothin', Nothin' can ever change this love I have for you You're the apple of my eye You're cherrie pie You're cake and ice cream Sugar and spice And everything nice Girl of my dreams So, if you wanted to leave me And roam You come back I'd just say Welcome home, Baby, nothin' Nothin' can ever change this love I have for you You're the apple of my eye You're cherrie pie You're cake and ice cream Sugar and spice And everything nice Girl of my dreams So, if you wanted to leave me And roam When you come back I'd just say Welcome home, Baby, nothin' Nothin' can change this love I have Well, nothin’ can change this love I have Well, nothin’ can change this love I have for you
5.
Better Day 02:15
Up on the mountain Look down in the sea Thinkin' about the woman Who couldn't agree But that's alright I don’t worry no child ‘Cause there will be a better day When I had money, whoa money I had friends Ain’t got a dime Like a road without an end But that's alright I don’t worry no child ‘Cause there will be a better day Oh listen here people People, I need a break Good things will come To those who wait But that's alright I don’t worry no child ‘Cause there will be a better day When I had money, whoa money I had friends I ain’t got a dime Like a road without an end But that's alright I don’t worry no child ‘Cause there will be a better day Oh it will There will be a better day There will be a better day
6.
Ooh Child 03:26
Ooh child Things are gonna get easier Ooh child Things'll get brighter Ooh child Things are gonna get easier Ooh child Things'll get brighter Some day, yeah We'll put it together and we'll get it undone Some day When your head is much lighter Some day, yeah We'll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun Some day When the world is much brighter Ooh child Things are gonna be easier Ooh child Things'll be brighter Ooh child Things are gonna be easier Ooh child Things'll be brighter Some day, yeah We'll put it together and we'll get it undone Some day When your head is much lighter Some day, yeah We'll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun Some day When the world is much brighter La la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la Some day, yeah We'll put it together and we'll get it undone Some day When your head is much lighter Some day, yeah We'll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun Some day When the world is much brighter Ooh child Things are gonna get easier Ooh child Things'll get brighter Ooh child Things are gonna get easier Ooh child Things'll get brighter right now Right now Right now You just wait and see things are gonna be You just wait and see things are gonna be You just wait and see things are gonna be
7.
Stay With Me 03:02
In the morning don't say you love me 'Cause you know I'll only kick you out the door I know your name is Rita Your perfume smells sweeter When I saw you down there on the floor, ah yeah Won't need too much persuading Don't mean to sound degrading With a face like that you got nothing to laugh about Red lips, hair and fingernails, hear you'll be no Jezebel Let's get upstairs and read my tarot cards, come on Stay with me, stay with me 'Cause tonight you're gonna stay with me, ah yeah Stay with me, stay with me For tonight you better stay with me Stay with me, stay with me 'Cause tonight you're gonna stay with me
8.
Well, I tried to run my game She said "Man, that's the same old thing I've heard before" And I'm too tired to go to your show, again and again And she started to explain She said "Man, I ain't saying what you're playing just can't make it But I just can't take it anymore" Play something sweet, now make it mellow Play something I can sink my teeth in like Jello Play something I can understand, yeah Play me some Brickyard Blues Play something sweet, now make it funky Let me lay back and grin like a monkey Play something I can understand, yeah Play me some Brickyard Blues Well, I started to sweat She said "Don't get upset 'cause you just might break a string And that won't do a thing for your show” Well so, I said to myself I said "Self, do you see what is sailing through my soul?" Gotta have some more, don't ya know Play something sweet, now make it mellow Play something I can sink my teeth in like Jello Play something I can understand, yeah Play me some Brickyard Blues Play something sweet, now make it funky Well, let me lay back and grin like a monkey Play something I can understand, yeah Play me some Brickyard Blues It's enough to make a light in the dark It's enough to make a bite just a bark It's enough to make a body move around It's enough to make a rabbit hug a hound Play something sweet, now make it mellow Play something I can sink my teeth in like Jello Play something I can understand Play me some Brickyard Blues Play something sweet, now make it funky Well, let me lay back and grin like a monkey Play something I can understand, yeah Play me some Brickyard Blues
9.
I never saw the mornin' 'til I stayed up all night I never saw the sunshine 'til you turned out the light Never saw my hometown ’til I stayed away too long I never heard the melody until I needed the song I never saw the white line 'til I was leavin' you behind Never knew I needed you until I was caught up in a bind Never spoke "I love you" 'til I cursed you in vain Never felt my heart strings ’til I nearly went insane I never saw the east coast until I moved to the west I never saw the moonlight until it shone off of your breast Never saw your heart until someone someone tried to steal it Never saw your tears until they rolled down your face Never saw the mornin' 'til I stayed up all night Never saw the sunshine 'til you turned out your love light babe I never saw my hometown ’til I stayed away too long Never heard the melody until I needed the song
10.
I sailed an ocean, unsettled ocean Through restful waters and deep commotion Often frightened, unenlightened Sail on, sail on sailor I wrest the waters, fight Neptune's waters Sail through the sorrows of life's marauders Unrepenting, often empty Sail on, sail on sailor Sail on, sail on sailor Caught like a sewer rat alone but I sail Bought like a crust of bread, but oh do I wail Seldom stumble, never crumble Try to tumble, life's a rumble Feel the stinging I've been given Never ending, unrelenting Heartbreak searing, always fearing Never caring, persevering Sail on, sail on sailor Sail on, sail on sailor I work the seaways, the gale-swept seaways Past shipwrecked daughters of wicked waters Uninspired, drenched and tired Wail on, wail on sailor Wail on, wail on sailor Always needing, even bleeding Never feeding all my feelings Damn the thunder, must I blunder There's no wonder all I'm under Stop the crying and the lying And the sighing and my dying Sail on, sail on sailor Sail on, sail on sailor Sail on, sail on sailor Sail on, sail on sailor Sail on, sail on sailor
11.
Can't nobody love you 'Cause they don't know how to love you like I do Can't nobody love you They don't know how to love you like I do I love you in the morning, Love you late at night Ain’t gonna stop loving you ’Til you tell me everything's alright Can't nobody love you 'Cause they don't know how to love you like I do Can't nobody talk to you Don't know how to talk the way I do Can't nobody kiss you They don't know how to kiss you like I do Sam Cooke bought you cake and ice cream Called you cherry pie Ray Charles called you his sunshine You're the apple, apple of my eye, oh Can't nobody love you 'Cause they don't know how to love you like I do No, they don't know how to love you like I do
12.

about

Over the past three decades, A.J. Croce has established his rep as a piano man and serious vocal stylist who pulls from a host of American traditions and anti-heroes — it’s part New Orleans, part juke joint, part soul. While his last album, JUST LIKE MEDICINE, paired him with soul legend Dan Penn and an all-star cast of players, his new album was born of memories — of favorite artists and shows, but mostly, of late-night gatherings with groups of friends, many of them fellow musicians, with Croce at the piano taking requests. Croce revisits these musical evenings with BY REQUEST, 12 personally curated covers that traverse decades and genres, propelled by his spirited, loose-and-easy piano mastery and emotive vocals. It’s a tribute to Croce the music fan as well as Croce the musician that both the variety — from pop to RnR to soul — and execution is inspired, aided by a full band and horns. BY REQUEST is the first album Croce has released since losing his wife of 24 years, Marlo Croce, after a sudden heart ailment.

From sharing an obscurity by Motown artist Shorty Long, “Ain’t No Justice,” to his funky, dead-on version of Billy Preston’s “Nothing from Nothing,” Croce keeps the virtual party hopping. While he delivers faithful recreations of such nuggets as The Five Stairsteps’ “Ooh Ooh Child” and Allen Toussaint’s “Brickyard Blues,” he puts his own spin on piano-driven arrangements of songs by Neil Young, The Beach Boys, Sam Cooke, The Faces and more. Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” is re-interpreted as a gospel song, and The Beach Boys’ “Sail On Sailor” becomes a trippy, rollicking ride. Although he lost his famous father, music legend Jim Croce, when he was just two years old, he pays tribute by covering Randy Newman’s “Have You Seen My Baby” since the first show he attended was a bill featuring his dad and Newman. “BY REQUEST is my way of inviting you over for a private gathering at my place,” Croce says of the collection. “We listen to great music, laugh, make great food and after a few drinks and maybe a few more we end up in my music room and I start taking requests of every genre and era.”

credits

released February 5, 2021

All basic analog tracks recorded on NOV. 19-23, 2019
Engineered by LESLIE RICHTER at THE BOMB SHELTER in NASHVILLE, TN
Second Engineer: ANDRIJA TOKIC
Overdubs Recorded by MATT COLES at COMPASS SOUND STUDIO in NASHVILLE, TN on DEC. 3-6, 2019
Mixed by MATT COLES at COMPASS RECORDS STUDIOS
Executive Producer: GARRY WEST
Mastered by PETE DOELL at AFTERMASTER AUDIO LABS in HOLLYWOOD, CA
Art Direction by FETZER DESIGN
Photography by JOSHUA BLACK WILKINS
Package Layout by ROBERT HAKALSKI
Management: JEFF DELIA of 72 MUSIC MANAGEMENT

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

A.J. Croce Nashville, Tennessee

A.J. Croce has established his reputation as a piano player and serious vocal stylist who pulls from a host of musical traditions and anti-heroes — part New Orleans, part juke joint, part soul. His new album was born of memories of favorite artists and shows, but mostly, of late-night gatherings with groups of friends, many of them fellow musicians, with Croce at the piano taking requests. ... more

shows

contact / help

Contact A.J. Croce

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Report this album or account

If you like A.J. Croce, you may also like: