The self-titled album by Australian singer Sue Barker from Adelaide is one of my favourite soul records from Down Under.

The LP brings together outstanding cover versions of songs by Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, and Marvin Gaye.

But the story behind it has its darker side: shortly after signing the contract, the jazz label Crest International, on which the album was released in 1975, went bankrupt. The budget was only enough for a few days of studio time. There was no money left for promotion. And when the record finally came out, Sue Barker already had other priorities, she gave birth to her daughter around the same time.

The result: a musically strong album that went completely unnoticed. Today, collectors around the world pay several hundred dollars for it, while the artist herself never benefited from it.

My highlight: the wonderful Curtis Mayfield cover “Love to the People.”