Aretha Franklin
Band members Related acts
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- Aretha Franklin - vocals, keyboards
Personnel Aretha Franklin – vocals, piano (2, 7, 9) Junior Mance – piano (1, 3–6, 8–11) Spooner Oldham – organ (2, 7) Joe Zawinul – organ (5), piano, Fender Rhodes (6, 12) Kenny Burrell – guitar (1, 3–6, 8–11) Jimmy Johnson – guitar (2, 7) Ron Carter – bass guitar (1, 3–6, 8–12) Jerry Jemmott – bass guitar (2, 7) Tommy Cogbill – bass guitar (2, 7) Bruno Carr – drums (1, 3–6, 8, 9, 12) Roger Hawkins – drums (2, 7) Grady Tate – drums (10, 11) Jack Jennings – vibraphone (5, 7, 9, 12) Louie Goicdecha, Manuel Gonzales – percussion (5, 7, 12) David Newman – tenor saxophone, flute King Curtis, Seldon Powell – tenor saxophone George Dorsey, Frank Wess – alto saxophone Pepper Adams – baritone saxophone Joe Newman, Bernie Glow, Richard Williams, Snooky Young, Ernie Royal – trumpet Jimmy Cleveland, Urbie Green, Benny Powell, Thomas Mitchell – trombone Evelyn Greene, Wyline Ivy – backing vocals Produced by Jerry Wexler and Tom Dowd Arrangements by Arif Mardin See als
Vocals: Aretha Franklin Arranger: Arif Mardin Trombone: Benny Powell Trumpet: Bernie Glow Drums: Bruno Carr Solo Saxophone: David Newman Trumpet: Ernie Royal Backing Vocals: Evelyn Greene Alto Saxophone: Frank Wess Tenor Saxophone: George Dorsey Producer: Jerry Wexler Trombone: Jimmy Cleveland Trumpet: Joe Newman Piano: Junior Mance Guitar: Kenny Burrell Saxophone: King Curtis Saxophone: Pepper Adams Trumpet: Richard Williams Bass Guitar: Ron Carter Tenor Saxophone: Seldon Powell Trumpet: Snookie Young Trombone: Thomas Mitchell Producer: Tom Dowd Trombone: Urbie Greene Backing Vocals: Wyline Ivy Writer: Percy Mayfield
supporting musicians (1970) - Margaret Branch -- backing vocals - Brenda Bryant -- backing vocals - Lou Collins -- sax - King Curtis -- sax - Cornell Dupree -- lead guitar - Jack Hale -- trombone - Roger Hopps -- trumpet -- Wayne Jackson -- trumpet - Jerry Jemmontt -- bass - Andrew Love -- sax - Jimmy Mitchell - - sax - Pamcho Morales -- congas - Billy Preston -- keyboards - Bernard Purdie -- drums - Pat Smith -- backing vocals
supporting musicians: (1973) Spooner Oldham – keyboards Billy Preston – acoustic piano solo (9) Jimmy Johnson – guitar Tommy Cogbill – bass guitar Jerry Jemmott – bass guitar Roger Hawkins – drums Richie Pratt – drums Phil Woods – alto saxophone (2) Joe Farrell – tenor sax solo (4), flute solo (6) Willie Bridges – saxophone Charles Chalmers – saxophone Andrew Love – saxophone Floyd Newman – saxophone Wayne Jackson – trumpet
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- Carolyn Franklin (RIP) - Erma Franklin (RIP)
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Genre: soul Rating: ***** (5 stars) Title: Aretha Now Company: Atlantic Catalog: SD 8186 Year: 1968 Country/State: Detoit, Michigan Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: stereo pressing Available: 1 Catalog ID: 2475 Price: $20.00
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I'm not sure I can add much to the discussion given how much has been written about "Aretha Now". Produced by Jerry Wexler and featuring backing from the cream of the Muscle Shoals ensemble, this was another classic Franklin release.
"Aretha Now (side 1) 1.) Think (Aretha Frranklin - Ted White) - 2;15 rating: **** stars My two cents - 'Think' was one of the best things Franklin ever recorded. A wonderful slice of self-empowerment, you had to wonder how much of it was inspired by her rocky relationship with then husband Ted White (who was credited with co-writing the song). Regardless, Franklin simply sang the hell out of the song. YouTube has a mid-'80s video performance of the tune that was seemingly intended as an anti-DWI public service announcement. Yeah, the arrangement isn't nearly as good as the original, but ....: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKHmos-tsU0
- 1968's 'Thing' b/w 'You Send Me' (Atlantic catalog number 45-2518) # 7 pop; # 1 R&B 2.) I Say a Little Prayer (Burt Bacharach - Hal David) - 3:30 rating: **** stars As much as I love the Dionne Warwick version, if pushed in a corner, I think I might give the nod to Aretha's version. Atlantic actually released it as a promo 45 in the States and as a stock release in the UK and Greece. - 1968's 'I Say a Little Prayer" b/w 'I Say a Little Prayer' (Atlantic catalog number 45-2546) YOuTube has a performance of the song from an appearance on a UK Cliff Richard television show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STKkWj2WpWM 3.) See Saw (Steve Crooper - Don Covay) - 2:42 4.) Night Time Is the Right Time (Lew Herman) - 4:43 I'm not a big blues fan, but Franklin's performance was simply scorching. rating: **** stars 5.) You Send Me (Sam Cooke) - 2:25 rating: **** stars Cooke had been an early fan, even trying to convince the young Aretha (and her father C.L. Franklin) to have her sign with RCA. Didn't happen, but there's no doubt Cooke would have been pleased with her cover of his classic song.. No idea when or where it was recorded, but YouTube has a live version of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAqInZnSymQ
(side 2) 1.)
Though a bit short on running time at ten songs, this still caught Aretha Franklin at the peak of her early form. "Think," "I Say a Little Prayer," "See Saw," and "I Can't See Myself Leaving You" were all big hits. Her choice of cover material included some of her most R&B-drenched early Atlantic cuts, like "Night Time Is the Right Time," "You Send Me," and "I Take What I Want."
Aretha Now is the fifteenth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on June 14, 1968 by Atlantic Records. The album is gold-certified. It reached No. 5 on Billboard's album chart. In the 1990s this recording was reissued on compact disc through Rhino Records.
Track listing[edit]
Personnel[edit]
Charts[edit]Billboard Music Charts (North America)
See also[edit]
The quality of the pressing is not
that great, I don't think there would be much of a difference between
the 180 and a regular pressing. Only thing that saves it is the fact
that this album is AWESOME. But 180 gram? Not really necessary in this
case.
on
March 8, 2016
5 stars for the music, 3 stars for
the vinyl quality. Rough and jagged around the edges, a sign of poor
quality control.
on
August 9, 2015
Love it!!! The classic voice is
still amazing!
on
May 12, 2015
A brilliant album from the
"Queen of Soul."
on
July 27, 2013
Bought for the wife and she loved
it. This lady can sing like no other. Some of the songs are essentials.
on
June 25, 2013
EXCELLENT VINYL! ARETHA'S BEST
ALBUM, WITH HUGE HIT, "THINK", AND TIMELESS "I SAY A
LITTLE PRAYER", WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK? THE QUEEN OF SOUL, AND
THAT'S A NAME ONLY ARETHA COULD HAVE.
on
March 5, 2013
Great songs and good sound quality
on
April 15, 2012
You will definitely love the roots
of Aretha Franklin with her soulful sound. Once you listen to this CD
you will buy others. Aretha's voice is mesmorizing and takes you down
memory lane...you will love it. I suggest you buy more than one CD the
first time, because you will come back to buy more!
If you want to understand why and
how Aretha Franklin became the Queen of Soul, Aretha Now is required
listening. Ms. Franklin's ability to take a song and own it is most
recognized by her cover of Otis Redding's "Respect." But the
queen has done this with so many tunes and my favorite ones here are
"You Send Me" and "Night Time Is The Right Time."
The year 1968 was a very important one for her because this album came
out as well as Lady Soul which is also essential. If you want to hear
Ms. Franklin in her prime Aretha Now is a must-have.
on
November 18, 2007
You want awkward? I'll give you
awkward! I'll give you awkward 'till you're beggin' for it to stop! And
I ain't talkin' 'bout me strippin' down naked, either, though that would
be awkward in itself. No, the awkward thing is her cover of Sam and
Dave's "I Take What I Want". Now, I like Sam & Dave, but I
don't think much of Aretha's cover. It for whatever reason just doesn't
fit her, you know? Of course you do. We're all smart people. Other than
me, anyway. So that's one awful song. Here's another: "I Can't See
Myself Leaving You". I can see what she's going for - an absolute
display of unconditional love - but I'm not following her there, because
it doesn't strike me the way the album's other display of unconditional
love does. That song is "I Say a Little Prayer". I love every
bit of it, from Aretha's vocals (duh) to the backup vocals to the melody
to the delicate Spanish guitar. So much better than Dionne Warwick's
breathy, full-speed-ahead original. Then again, I don't like Burt
Bacharach. I really, really don't. He is the most overrated composer of
the 20th century. Actually, no, maybe Brian Wilson. Tough call. To make
another one of them generalizations, a cover of a Burt Bacharach-penned
song is guaranteed to be better than the original. And it's great to
hear Aretha forget subtlety and belt her way through "Think"
and "See Saw"; there's also a moving "You Send Me"
and a pretty solid "Night Time is the Right Time". And then
there are, um... three other songs I didn't bring up. I just heard
"You're a Sweet, Sweet Man" about twenty minutes prior to
writing this review, and I already forgot everything about it. Same with
"A Change". And then there's one last awful song: the corny
"Hello Sunshine". So, um... how 'bout them Detroit Lions? 6-4
- finally above .500! Sure, they lost today, but you know, their heads
ARE above water for a change.
ARETHA
WAS ON A SERIOUS UNSTOPPABLE ROLL IN THE MID 60's...EVEN THIS ALBUM
SHOWED NO SIGNS OF HER TAKING A BACK SEAT!!!
on
November 12, 2007
When this release hit the racks in
1968 this Soul-Satisfying-Album boosted not 1 (One), but 5 (Five)
Billboard Hit Singles: "Think" a Gold #1 Billboard Hit
Single!, it's B-Side "You Send Me" a Billboard Top 40 Smash
Single!, "I Say A Little Prayer" a Billboard #3 Hit Single!,
"See Saw" A Gold Billboard #9 Hit!, and "I Can't See
Myself Leaving You" which was the B-Side of 1969's "Gentle On
My Mind" even Charted on Billboard's Singles Chart peaking at #3!
Add the Album favorites: "Night Time Is The Right Time", and
"I Take What I Want", Aretha delivered, yet Another
Out-The-Box Smash Album!!!
VINE
VOICEon
July 4, 2007
"Aretha Now" is a
high-quality reissue of one of Aretha Franklin's greatest records,
dating from 1968, the midst of the most hit-filled period of her career.
(She had ten Top Ten hits in eighteen months of 1967-68). Franklin is
the daughter of an influential Detroit preacher and her talent was
recognized early; she cut her first record at 14. She was later signed
to Columbia, a find of their legendary talent scout John Hammond, but
the label didn't seem to know what to do with her. However, Atlantic
waited in the wings. Once signed by their chief Ahmet Ertegun, producers
Jerry Wexler and Arif Mardin, and engineer Tom Dowd put her together
with a repertory better suited to her soulful talents, and backed her
explosive song stylings with the equally explosive Muscle Shoals studio
players (though they were then feuding with that studio's management,
and had to bring the musicians to New York to record). And they all made
music history. Franklin almost immediately burst onto the Rhythm and
Blues charts with Otis Redding's "Respect," still her biggest
hit, though she was to have 20 R&B #1 singles. "Aretha
Now" was one of the big three albums that followed closely after
her first classic Atlantic hit, " I Never Loved a Man (The Way That
I Loved You").
This album opens with Franklin's own "Think;" it was another juicy hit for her. It also gives us Burt Bacharach's "I Say A Little Prayer," as Franklin reimagined it; an emotionally satisfying version of Sam Cooke's "You Send Me." A sizzling version of "Night Time is the Right Time." A tight-swinging "See Saw," by Steve Cropper and Don Covay, two of the stalwarts of Stax's famed studio band, Booker T and the M.G's. Two female-oriented songs by Ronnie Shannon, a song co-written by Isaac Hayes; another co-written by King Curtis. But Franklin, honored as the Queen of Soul, or Lady Soul, is a triple-threat singer-songwriter-pianist, and she isn't limited to soul and R&B; she can also do gospel, for sure, jazz, and even, memorably, opera. There was the night she stepped in for the ailing Luciano Pavarotti at the live Grammy Awards, and, without rehearsal time, nor even time to get the aria transposed to her key, she delivered a version of the opera singer's signature aria, "Nessun Dorma," from "Turandot," that brought the jaded music crowd to its feet. She's won awards and honors too numerous to mention, including an unprecedented eight consecutive Grammies for Best Female R&B vocal performance from 1967-1974-- there were people jokingly referring to it, finally, as Grammy's Aretha Award. She does sometimes remind of something a choir master supposedly once said to a little girl: you don't have to sing so loud, God can always hear you. But this woman deserves all our R-E-S-P-E-C-T, and this album dates from her never quite equaled early burst of creativity. It belongs on the shelf of her serious fans.
on
May 28, 2005
Aretha's classic rhythm and blues
album is gospel tinged soul with the Queen belting out a handful of
remakes and the co-written, "Think", a feisty supercharged
personal and social call for freedom, with a stinging chorus forever
imbedded on listener's conscienceness. Sometimes the 1968 code of
hit-making ethics find her lungs a bit constrained when you know she
just wants to wail her church trained voice and make the song her own,
like in Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "I Say A Little
Prayer", and Sam Cooke's "You Send Me", fine songs and
fine renditions, but just not the excitement of a Franklin single. As
her career moves on, she gets better and better, and this is a fine
place to start.
on
January 5, 2005
This was Aretha's fourth album for
Atlantic and was top five in both UK and US, despite a playing time of
under half-an-hour. When the grooves are as funky as these, who cares?
Two great tracks had already been hit singles when the album came out -
Think, which had been recorded on 15 April 1968, the day Martin Luther
King was assassinated; and her fantastic re-interpretation of Burt
Bacharach's I Say A Little Prayer, which she and the Sweet Inspirations
had apparently worked up while on tour, just for fun. In America I Say A
Little Prayer was buried as a flipside before discerning deejays turned
it over, but it had been the bona-fide A-side the month before in the UK
where it reached number 4.
Her revival of Don Covay's See Saw was the first single lifted from the album, with I Can't See Myself Leaving You being extracted the following year while she was taking time off to avoid burn out. Sam Cooke had apparently come to the Franklin household while he was still in the Soul Stirrers and considering turning secular with an acetate of You Send Me. After its success she said, "I'd sure like to sing that, too" and here turns in a smoldering version which is not only secular but intensely sexualized to boot. The Muscle Shoals crew were flown in to New York for all sessions and were augmented by the Sweet Inspirations and, in April 1968, the Memphis Horns. Most of the album was recorded that April, but three tracks held over from the Lady Soul sessions of December 1967 make up the remainder and feature Bobby Womack on guitar, an 8-piece brass section and Carolyn Franklin on additional background vocals. Two of these were written by Ronnie Shannon who had written I Never Loved A Man and Baby, I Love You. Aretha had found her voice and was on a roll, complemented by Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin's arrangements and sure-footed production by Jerry Wexler. The album went gold. Now overdue for a remaster, let's hope it comes with the full complement of bonus tracks from the period, singles and unreleased material that are bound to be gold dust
on
September 28, 2003
Whatever day it was that the deal
was finalized in ink, it was a damn great one for lovers of soul music
when Atlantic agreed to have Rhino records rejuvenate their priceless
Aretha Franklin catalog from the 60's and 70's. Long before the 90s,
Rhino's reputation was sterling with this music lover as a company
dedicated to excellence when it came to reissuing lost pop and soul
treasures. Though it seemed impossible, they managed to surpass even
themselves when it came to Miss Franklin's key works.
Of course, I went for that overwhelming, kitchen-sink box set first, "Queen Of Soul." It's a masterpiece equal to Motown's "Hitsville" singles collection, the Temptations' "Emperors of Soul" set, and James Brown's "Star Time." Then it was time to update some of my original vinyl collection of Aretha's albums depending on their existing condition. That's why this 1968 one and "Aretha Arrives" got chosen first over the more obvious "Never Loved A Man," and "Lady Soul." Another reviewer notes the lack of No. 1 status of this album and it's hits. Well, it may not have contained another "Respect," but "Think" comes close enough to satisfy even the most demanding. We know now, thanks to this set's superb liner notes that Franklin was immersed in the New York recording session for "Think" on the very day (April 15, 1968) the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis. What a moment in African-American history - stunning artistic triumph in one city, and the deepest type of tragedy half a country away. Though I don't love the song any less (and maybe love it MORE), it's impossible to separate from this knowledge when now listening to this album's cornerstone song. "Think" and it's single flip-side, a superb new interpretation of Sam Cooke's "You Send Me," preceded the album by about six weeks, and when it was time for a new single - guess what - only half of it was on this album. "The House That Jack Built," was released with "I Say A Little Prayer," but, hardly a surprise in Franklin's case by this time, both sides of the single sailed up the charts. (If you wanted "Jack" on an LP, you had to wait for the next years 'greatest hits' package, "Aretha's Gold.") "See Saw" was issued as a 45 that autumn and did quite well too. Spring of the following year saw "I Can't See Myself Leaving You" issued with Franklin's wonderful, up-tempo take of the Glen Campbell(!) hit, "Gentle On My Mind." In this album, the tunes "A Change," "I Take What I Want," and especially "You're A Sweet Sweet Man," also had 'single-ready' written all over them from the first listen. Finally, there was that album cover, originally Atlantic LP #8186, and how it caught your gaze from store shelves that summer of 1968. After years of what had to be frequent and grueling dues paying, Miss Franklin had finally ascended the throne of Queen of Soul that she entirely earned. How could you resist that confident and welcoming smile?
on
July 2, 2003
I LOVE this album! My parents had
it when it first came out and I fondly recall coming into the house
after a day at play grooving to this. This version of "I say a
little prayer" blows Dionne Warwick out of the water! "See
Saw" is an underrated gem as well as the version of her friend Sam
Cooke's "You Send Me." This is one of those CD/Albums that you
can play all the way through and will make you thank God for allowing
Thomas Edison for inventing the phonograph.
on
April 6, 2001
This album, for some reason, never
even had any singles that hit it to number 1 on the popular charts. The
album never hit number 1. That is what makes it better than ever! It is
usually the less commercial material that are killers. This album proves
so. This is the album that contains "Think", which is the one
of the earliest songs Aretha wrote in her early stardom. I still label
it her best. In a why, it is wicked! The two songs, "I Can't See
Myself Leaving You" and "I'll Take What I Want" seem to
be always forgotten by many, but they are gems in plain English. Those
also prove she is the Queen of Soul, not only then, but also now. Also
note, even though Jerry Wexler produced the album, Arif Mardin was a
major arranger. When you purchase the album, you want be surprised. He
really is the king of the R&B world when it comes to putting music
together. Thanks for reading.
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Genre: soul Rating: ***** (5 stars) Title: I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You Company: Atlantic Catalog: 8193 Year: 1967 Country/State: Detoit, Michigan Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: mono pressing Available: 1 Catalog ID: 5009 Price: $20.00 Cost: $66.00
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This is one of the few albums that I've actually gone out of my way to find in both mono and stereo formats ... it is that good !!!
Having recorded six money losing albums for Columbia, in late 1966 Aretha Franklin signed with Atlantic Records. In this day of megabuck deals it is mind boggling to discover that the deal put $25K in her pocket.
Team with producer Jerry Wexler, Franklin's initial recording sessions took place at Rick Hall's Fame Studios with support from the famed Muscle Shoals rhythm section. Unfortunately the sessions got off to a rocky start when Franklin's husband Ted White got into an argument with the some of the local sessions players. The rest of the sessions took place in New York. Luckily the damage wasn't lasting since "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" stands as one of popular music's all time classic albums. So what is there to say about one of music's most celebrated releases? For what they're worth (little if anything), my thoughts ... Having heard most of her Columbia work, credit producer Wexler for realizing Franklin needed to be placed in a tougher R&B/soul environment. Similarly, congratulations to Atlantic for allowing Franklin to select much of the material herself (including the title track), as well as allowing her to record several original tracks ('Don't Let Me Lose This Dream' and 'Baby, Baby, Baby'). The end results are simply stunning with Franklin showing her ability to handle everything from rock ('Save Me'), R&B ('Drown In My Own Tears') light jazz ('Soul serenade') and even a bossa nova groove on the original ('Don't Let Me Lose This Dream'). Tasteful and full of grace and self-assurance, Franklin's never sounded as good. And for goodness sakes, what do you say about the album's top-10 singles? Anyone hearing her dazzling cover of Otis Redding's 'Respect' will instantly understand why Redding was quoted as saying 'That girl stole the song from me'.
- 'I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)' b/w 'Do Right Woman, Do Right Man' (Atlantic catalog number 45-2386) - 'Respect' b/w 'Dr. Feelgood' (Atlantic catalog number 45-2403)
All hyperbole aside, if you don't own this album find a copy (or download it). It is one of those albums you need to hear before you pass on.
"I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Respect (Otis Redding) - 2:26 2.) Drown In My Own Tears (Henry Glover) - 4:00 3.) I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) (Ronny Shannon) - 2:47 4.) Soul Serenade (Curtis Ousley - Luther Dixon) - 2:30 5.) Don't Let Me Lose This Dream (Aretha Franklin - Ted White) - 2:22 6.) Baby, Baby, Baby (Aretha Franklin - Carolyn Franklin) - 2:48
(side 2) 1.) Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business) (Aretha Franklin - Ted White) - 3:18 2.) Good Times (Sam Cooke) - 2:05 3.) Do Right Woman, Do Right Man (Dan Penn - Chips Moman) - 3:15 4.) Save Me (Curtis Ousley - Aretha Franklin - Carolyn Franklin) - 2:20 5.) A Change Is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke) - 4:15
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Genre: soul Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Live At the Fillmore West Company: Atlantic Catalog: SD 7205 Year: 1969 Country/State: Detroit, Michigan Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: gatefold sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: 1475 Price: $20.00
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Co-produced by
Jerry Wexler and Arif Mardin, "Live At the Fillmore West"
captured Aretha Franklin at a series of three March 1971 concerts at San
Francisco's fabled Fillmore West. Clearly adjusting her catalog for
the Fillmore's young, white rock audience, the ten tracks found Franklin
doubling up on popular pop and rock hits including Manassas' 'Love the O
"Live At the Fillmore West" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Respect (Otis Redding) - 3:53 rating: **** stars Kudos to Bill Graham for keeping the introduction brief. Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of Franklin's opening number. True 'Respect' is one of her classic performances, but here she played it at hyper speed, sounding like she was running late for a flight home. Add in a shrill delivery and some irritating backing horns, and this was a disappointing way to start off. 2.) Love the One You're With (Stephen Stills) - 4:15 rating: **** stars I remember wondering what in the world she was doing covering a Manassas tune; thinking there simply wasn't any way she was going to be able to incorporate the tune into her repertoire. Shame on me. Echoes of 'Respect', Franklin almost stole the song from Stephen Stills. 3.) Bridge Over Troubled Water (Paul Simon) - 5:55 rating: *** stars I guess because I grew up with the Simon and Garfunkel original, it's hard for me to accept a cover version of 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'. Mind you, with Billy Preston on organ, Franklin turned in an impressive cover. She didn't really mess with the original structure, rather slowing it down and giving it a more Gospel-ish delivery. One of the best versions ever done. 4.) Eleanor Rigby (John Lennon - Paul McCartney) - 2:53 rating: *** stars I know lots of folks love this cover, but I've never gotten aboard the train. Maybe because I was never completely sold on the Beatles original, Franklin's cover came off as shrill and disjointed. Okay, kudos to King Curtis and the Kingpins ... 5.) Make It with You (Larry Wilcox) - 4:33 rating: *** stars Another one where my preference goes to the original (David Gates and Bread), though Franklin turned in an enjoyably breezy cover.
(side 2) 1.) Don't Play That Song (Ahmet Ertegun - Betty Nelson) - 3:16 rating: *** stars As much as I've always loved this tune, the live version sounded shrill and rushed, though it was nice to hear Franklin on keyboards. Neither the sound, nor video quality were very good, but YouTube has a clip of the live performance at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSaLEIRILII One where the studio version was the way to go. 2.) Dr. Feelgood (Aretha Franklin - Ted White) - 7:06 rating: *** stars Aretha slowing it down and getting into a bluesy groove with King Curtis, Billy Preston, and company. The tune ran out of steam around the five minute mark when it got stuck in some needless Gospel give and take between Franklin and her backing singers. 3.) Spirit In the Dark (Aretha Franklin) - 5:33 rating: **** stars Not much to say other than this was one of the album highlights ... Hearing Franklin trot out her Gospel roots just has to be heard. 4.) Spirit In the Dark (reprise) (Aretha Franklin) - 8:53 rating: **** stars Pulling a page out of the James Brown catalog, at the end of the earlier tune Franklin went off stage and then reappeared with a special guest star in the form of Ray Charles (who just happened to be in the audience for the third night of Franklin's Fillmore appearence) . And while I'm a big Ray Charles fan, the man seemed somewhat lost and uncomfortable standing there. I'm not sure he was really feeling the spirit. It wasn't until Charles traded places with Franklin at the electric piano that he truly came to life. Sadly, the album edited that segment out, though you can see the full 25 minutes performance courtesy of YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSaAjzgt_CI rating: ** stars 5.) Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand) (Nikolas Ashford - Valerie Simpson) - 2:53 The album edited out Franklin's end-of-concert thanks to King Curtis and the Sweethearts of Soul (Margaret Branch, Brenda Bryant, and Pat Smith), giving the tune a breezy, soulful feel. Franklin really didn't sing very much and The Sweethearts came off as shrill and brittle.
The black and white video isn't very good and the sound quality is equally poor, but anyone interested in seeing the full July 3rd, 1971 concert can find it on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3raW4rt2fE
Hardcore fans will want to look for Rhino Handmade's expanded 2005, limited edition four CD box set "Don't Fight The Feeling: The Complete Aretha Franklin & King Curtis Live At Fillmore West" (Rhino Handmade catalog number RHM2 7890). 5,000 copies were pressed and it's become an expensive collectable - $500+ the last time I looked.
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Genre: soul Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Soul '69 Company: Atlantic Catalog: SD 8212 Year: 1969 Country/State: Detroit, Michigan Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: small cutout notch top edge Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $35.00
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There are
thousands of people who dearly love Aretha Franklin's late-'60s detour into
jazz territory. At the same time there are lots of folks (like me) who
purchased 1969's "Soul '69" only to discover it was
in fact a jazz-flavored outing. You'll see a lot of comments to the
effect the album should have been titled "Jazz '69".
I certainly don't blame Franklin for Atlantic's sleight of hand marketing
campaign, though she willing went along with the decision to title and
market the album as a soul effort. Still, you have to point the finger
of responsibility at Atlantic's marketers (who apparently were not
comfortable underscoring the al
Critics enthused over the album and it proved a hit reaching the Top-20 on Billboard's album charts and topping Billboard's R&B albums chart. What the album lacked was a massive chart hit; both of the singles proving mediocre sellers. That lack of commerciality saw the album disappear into the midst of her extensive recording catalog.
"Soul '69" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Ramblin' (Big Maybelle) - 3:10 rating: ** stars There's no doubt Franklin had an amazing voice, but her big band, jazzy cover of "Ramblin'" merely served to underscore how mis-titled this album was. Had I wanted to hear Aretha doing a jazz album I would have bought one. 2.) Today I Sing the Blues (Curtis Reginald Lewis) - 4:25 rating: *** stars Then seventeen, Franklin originally recorded "Today I Sing the Blues" back in 1961. The stark, bluesy original featured support from keyboardist Ray Bryant The remake featured Franklin on keyboards with a big band sound. To my ears the original was far better. The track was tapped as a single:
- 1969's "Today I Sing the Blues" b/w "People" (Columbia catalog number 4-44951)
3.) River's Invitation (Percy Mayfield) - 2:40 rating: **** stars In spite of the jazzy horn arrangement her cover of Percy Mayfield's "River's Invitation" stood as one of the album's most soulful performances. Love the little guitar riff that flows throughout the song. 4.) Pitiful Rose (Marie McCoy - Charlie Singleton) - 3:04 rating: ** stars Again, you couldn't help but admire Franklin's chops, but this was straightforward big band jazz. 5.) Crazy He Calls Me (Bob Russell - Carl Sigman) - 3:28 rating: ** stars There wasn't anything wrong with her cover of the jazz classic "Crazy He Calls Me", but to my ears it rang like a slice of cocktail jazz. 6.) Bring It On Home to Me (Sam Cooke) - 3:45 rating: ** stars Her jazzy version swings, but the Sam Cooke original remains the classic version.
(side 2) 1.) Tracks of My Tears (Smokey Robinson - Pete Moore - Marv Tarplin) - 2:56 rating: *** stars Her cover of the Smokey Robinson and the Miracles classic served as the album's most commercial performance. Franklin's arrangement remained true to the original, but the combination of Arif Mardin's orchestration and Franklin's "over-singing" ultimately sank the performances. The song also appeared as the "B" side on Franklin's non-LP "The Weight" 45. 2.) If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody (Rudy Clark) - 3:08 rating: ** stars I liked the breezy opening, but when the big band arrangement kicked in the song lost me. If you want to hear this one, track down the 1961 James Ray version. 3.) Gentle on My Mind (John Hartford) - 2:28 rating: *** stars The album's biggest surprise came in the form of Franklin's cover of John Hartford's "Gentle On My Mind". Glen Campbell scored the commercial hit, but given her own tangled romantic track record it's easy to see why the song might have struck a chord with Franklin. Opening with some Franklin piano, the arrangement ditches the "pop" sound for a Gospel-tinged urgency.
- 1969's "Gentle on My Mind" b/w "I Can't See Myself Leaving You" (Atlantic catalog number 45-2619)
One of the odder duets I've come across, Franklin was a musical guest on 1969's The Andy Williams Magic Lantern Show Company. Their collaboration on "Gentle on My Mind" was ... well different, but fascinating. You have to see Williams in the backing chorus. Aretha Franklin and Andy Williams - Gentle on my mind (1969) BETTER QUALITY
4.) So Long (Russ Morgan - Remus Harris - Irving Melsher) - 4:36 rating: *** stars Franklin joins the likes of The Charioteers, Ruth Brown and The Four Aces in recording this standard. Her version turns it into a big band jazz performance. Enjoyable, but not my musical niche.. 5.) I'll Never Be Free (Bennie Benjamin - George David Weiss) - 4:15 rating: ** stars Until I spent some time listening to this collection I guess I never realized what a talented keyboardist was. "I'll Never Be Free " is another American standard that's been covered by dozens of acts ranging from Kay Starr and Tennessee Ernie Ford to Van Morrison. Another jazzy, big band arrangement that just didn't land with me. 6.) Elusive Butterfly (Bob Lind) - 2:45 rating: **** stars I'm just old enough to have vague memories of Bob Lind's fragile, folksy "Elusive Butterfly" so hearing Franklin's Gospel-ized arrangement is going to come as a shock to most folks. I won't say she steals the song (a-la what she did with Otis Redding's "Respect"). but she stomps all over Lind's original.
© Scott R. Blackerby February 2026
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Genre: soul Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: This Girl's In Love with You Company: Atlantic Catalog: SD 8248 Year: 1970 Country/State: Detroit, Michigan Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: 1302 Price: $20.00 |
Co-produced by Aretha Franklin's long term "A" team of collaborators/producers Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd, and Arif Mardin, 1970's "This Girl's In Love with You" was another landmark release. Chronologically the album offered up an interesting mixture of material Franklin had previously recorded in New York and newer tracks recorded at Miami's Criteria Studios with a host of Muscle Shoals sidemen, including guitarist Duane Allman. Stepping away from the jazz moves of her prior studio release, the collection offered up a mixture of popular pop and soul covers; most given a distinctive Franklin reading. With her marriage to Ted White collapsing and her personal life in tatters, it shouldn't have come as a surprise that much of the collection had kind of a dark and disturbed vibe ('It Ain't Fair', 'Dark End of the Street', and 'Sit Down and Cry'), but then, those are the kind of circumstances that have always made for some of Franklin's best work. And for those in need of a bit of hope, there was always Aretha's own 'Call Me'. With Franklin providing lots of the keyboards (along with Barry Beckett), this was a wonderful collection and well worth the investment.
"This Girls' In Love with You" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Son of a Preacher Man (John Hurley - Ronnie Wilkins)- 3:14 rating: **** stars I guess because I grew up hearing the Dusty Springfield version, that's the one one I gravitate to. Mind you, there wasn't anything wrong with Franklin's version. Slowed down and far more Gospel-ish than Dusty's version, but the same basic song structure and arrangement. Interestingly, Franklin was originally offered the tune but supposedly feeling it was not in keeping with her faith and background (remember she was the daughter of a preacher man), declined it. Ironically, sister Erma had recorded the song before Dusty Springfield. 2.) Share Your Love with Me (Al Braggs - Deadric Malone)- 3:16 Interesting to hear the adult, jazzy vibe on this breezy ballad. The other highlight came in the form of Franklin's often overlooked skills as a keyboard player. The Sweet Inspirations have seldom sounded as good on backing vocals. Neither the video, or sound quality are all that good, but YouTube has a clip of Franklin performing the tune at the 1971 Montreux Jazz Festival: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yLlvywMDEY rating: *** stars 3.) Dark End of the Street (Chips Moman - Dan Penn)- 4:40 rating: **** stars Not to take anything away from James Carr, but wow, Franklin taking a stab at one of the all time soul classics ... stunning. 4.) Let It Be (John Lennon - Paul McCartney) - 3:28 rating: **** stars Perhaps nothing more than urban legend, but Paul McCartney supposedly wrote this highly autobiographical tune with Franklin in mind. She was offered first rights the tune given a demo, and actually recorded it before The Beatles, but then decided to sit on the track, finally releasing it after The Beatles had scored a hit with it. Regardless, I'm always surprised by how much I like Franklin's Gospel-ed up version of the tune. Perhaps it had something to do with her background, but her version is simply heart stirring (not to take anything away from the original). Always loved the opening organ segment of the song. 5.) Eleanor Rigby (John Lennon - Paul McCartney) - 2:35 rating: **** stars Previously released as a 1969 single, for me the album's biggest surprise came in the form of Franklin's second Beatles cover - With the possible exception of Ray Charles' cover, this is simply one of the toughest Beatles tunes to wrap your arms around. Regardless, Franklin managed to give the tune a major soul infusion which comes close to making you forget the original. Recorded at a June 1971 Fillmore West date, YouTube has a killer live performance of the tune: My two cents, but peeded up a little too much, the live version isn't quite as good as the studio version. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNc7vYXqtVg
(side 2) 1.) This Girl's In Love with You (Burt Bacharach - Hal David) - 4:46 rating: **** stars I'm not always thrilled with Franklin's covers of pop hits, but accompanying herself on piano and with Duane Allman on guitar, she simply shredded Herb Alpert's MOR-ish hit version. 2.) It Ain;t Fair (Ronnie Miller) - 3:20 rating: **** stars Aretha
Franklin, Duane Allman, King Curtis, and David Hood ... need anyone
say anything else ? An all time Franklin classic. Franklin's cover of The Band's 'The Weight' was kind of an odd musical choice, but her arrangement was nice and didn't stray too far from the original. Duane Allman made his presence instantly felt with some stunning acoustic slide guitar that kicked the song along, as if it needed any additional energy. Strange to hear, but easily another album highlight. The song had previously been released as a 1969 single. 4.) Call Me (Aretha Franklin) - 3:47 rating: **** stars The album's only Franklin original, 'Call Me' was a stark, heartfelt ballad. Written during her break-up from Ted White, Franklin claimed the song was inspired by a couple she saw saying goodbye to each other in a Detroit coffee shop. Stunning, if the Diana Ross-styled ending was a bit campy. Atlantic tapped it as another single. YouTube has another clip from Franklin's appearance at the 1971 Montreaux Music Festival with support from King Curtis and his band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ20yRnhejQ rating: **** stars 5.) Sit Down and Cry (Clyde Otis - Lou Stallman) - 3:49 rating: ** stars Propelled by David Hood's fantastic bass, 'Sit Down and Cry' was a nice Gospel-influenced ballad, but simply didn't make the same impression as the rest of the album.
The album included the following four singles:
- 1969's 'The Weight' b/w 'Tracks Of My Tears' (Atlantic catalog number 45-2603) - 1969's 'Share Your Love with Me' b/w 'Pledging My Love / The Clock' (Atlantic catalog number 45-2650) # 13 pop - 1969's 'Eleanor Rigby' b/w 'It Ain't Fair' (Atlantic catalog number 45-2683) - 1970's 'Call Me' b/w 'Son of a Preacher Man' (Atlantic catalog number 45-2706) # 13 pop
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Genre: soul Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: With Everything I Feel In Me Company: Atlantic Catalog: SD 18116 Year: 1974 Country/State: US Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: 1267 Price: $20.00
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Oh my goodness
... preacher's daughter gone wild !!! I've always wondered what
Arif Mardin had to do in order to get Aretha Franklin to agree to shooting
the provocative cover. So
1974's "With Everything I Feel In Me"
is another album where I find myself disagreeing with the mainstream.
Lots of folks seem to feel that the album reflects a return to Franklin's
soul roots. Well, kind of ... The album found Franklin
reuniting with former producers Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin (Fra
The parent LP attracted positive reviews but was only a moderate seller, hitting # 57 on the pop charts and at # 6 on the R&B charts.
"With Everything I Feel In Me" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Without Love (Ivy Joe Hunter - Carolyn Franklin) - 3:47 rating: *** stars. "Without Love" was one of two tunes from her younger sister Carolyn. With a distinctive Gospel edge, the tune had a wonderful melody that was perfect for the song's distinctive call and response arrangement. As good as the song was, Franklin's vocals came off as being a bit shrill, though that didn't stop Atlantic from tapping it as a single. I can hear Franklin fans howling in protect, but I'd suggest the best version of the song was a live, rocked-up performance by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. Atlantic tapped the song as the leadoff single.
- 1974's "Without Love" b/w "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Atlantic catalog number 45-3224) Billboard Top-100 charts # 45 pop; Billboard R&B charts # 6 2.) Don't Go Breaking My Heart (Burt Bacharach - Hal David) - 4:17 rating: ** stars Trilling, a spoken word vamp ... I know some folks love those things, but I've got to tell you that when combined with some outright screeching and this lame Bacharach-David tune, the results were borderline unlistenable. The song was also tapped as the "B" side on her "Without Love" 45. 3.) When You Get Right Down To It (Barry Mann) - 3:55 rating: **** stars I grew up hearing the Ronnie Dyson version which was much gentler, lacking the soul edge that Aretha brought to the tune. Yeah, Dyson's version may have been more commercial, but I'd give the nod to Aretha's full throttle cover - the closing section may be the funkiest thing she's ever recorded. 4.) You'll Never Get To Heaven (Burt Bacharach - Hal David)- 5:40 rating: *** stars. Seriously hard too recognize this as the same tune The Stylistics score big with. Aretha drastically slowed it down, filling it with lots of la-la-las (which didn't do much for me) and a heavily orchestrated arrangement. Her voice remained enthralling and the arrangement had a breezy charm (always laugh when the backing singers kick in), but I'd actually vote for The Stylistics version. 5.) With Everything I Feel In Me (Aretha Franklin) - 3:53 rating: **** stars The only Franklin original on the album and as it turned out, the hardest slice of soul she'd recorded in a couple of years. Aretha showcased her often overlooked keyboard chops, but Chuck Rainey's bubbling bass was the standout performance.
- 1975's "With Everything In Me" b/w "Sing It Again - Say It Again" (Atlantic catalog number 45-3249) #20 R&B
(side 2) 1.) I Love Every Little Thing About You (Stevie Wonder) - 3:42 rating: *** stars. Originally recorded on Stevie Wonder's "Music of My Mind" LP, Franklin's cover ditched the ballad's sweet arrangement (and a great chorus) for an arrangement with deep gospel roots that allowed her to stretch out her voice. Nice cover, but Wonder's original was better. 2.) Sing It Again - Say It Again (Carolyn Franklin) - 3:51 rating: **** stars Upbeat and bouncy with some nice Cornell Dupree wah-wah guitar, '"Sing It Again" was the second tune written by sister Carolyn and was one the album standouts. - probably the tune I would have tapped as a single. Yeah, Franklin over-sang this one as well, but she sounded like she was enjoying herself on this one. The give and take between Franklin and the backing singers (Margaret Branch, Brenda Bryant, and Pat Smith) was a hoot. The song also appeared as the "B" side of her "With Everything In Me" 45. 3.) All of These Things (James Cleveland) - 3:54 rating: *** stars. I certainly had doubts when I saw this James Cleveland song was on the album, but give Franklin credit for turning it into a sultry song of praise. As good as Aretha was, the real highlight came in the form of Cornell Dupree's guitar solo. 4.) You Move Me (Glen Murdock - Mike Keck) - 6:22 rating: *** stars. Okay, I'll admit Franklin turned in amazing vocal performance on "You Move Me", but the song itself was a sluggish, Gospel-tinged ballad only redeemed by a brief, mid-song outburst. Served as a perfect example of the pros and cons of this album.
© Scott R. Blackerby April 2022
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Genre: soul Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Spirit In the Dark Company: Atlantic Catalog: SD 8265 Year: 1970 Country/State: US Grade (cover/record): VG+//VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: 191 Price: $25.00
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I've always had a special place in my heart for 1970's "Spirit In the Dark". It may sound stupid, but even though the album lacked the commercial sheen and appeal of some of her earlier albums, I attribute at least part of my affection to the fact it didn't attract the massive sales and publicity of her mid-1960s catalog (it only hit # 2 on the R&B charts and # 25 on the pop charts).
Produced by Tom Dowd, Arif Mardin, and Jerry Wexler, as you probably guessed from the title, "Spirit In the Dark" found Franklin returning to her Gospel roots with a collection of dark and highly personal tracks (Don't Play That Song'', 'The Thrill Is Gone (From Yesterday's Kiss)' and When the Battle Is Over''). I'm no Franklin biographer, but I remember reading that Franklin's marriage to manager Ted White was in its final stages of collapse - in July 1969 she even managed to get arrested in Detroit on a disturbing the peace charge. This is pure speculation on my part, but the forthcoming divorce from White would clearly seem to have been a major inspiration for the collection which bounces between searing hurt, uncontained fury ('When the Battle Is Over'), and a sense of forgiveness, redemption, and hope ('That's All I Want from You'). Adding icing to the cake, for the first time in years, Franklin was prominently featured on keyboards. People tend to forget how good a keyboard player she was ...
"Spirit In the Dark" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Don't Play That Song (Betty Nelson - Ahmet Eretegun) - 2:46 I think Ben E. King had the original hit, but Franklin's cover of 'Don't Play That Song' was even better than the original and would seem to be a clear reflection on her relationship with husband White. The way she simply screamed the 'you lie, you lie' chorus reeked of hurt and anger. The song also served to showcase what a talented keyboard play Franklin was. Beautiful song and easy to see why Atlantic tapped it as a single. For anyone interested, YouTube has a stunning clip of Franklin playing the song on a 1970 episode of Cliff Richard's English television program: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSoXJl2ALUk rating: **** stars 2.) The Thrill Is Gone (From Yesterday's Kiss) (Art Benson - Dale Petite - Leo Feist) - 4:40 Geez, BB King's version of 'The Thrill Is Gone (From Yesterday's Kiss)' had always been my benchmark for this song - well that was until I head Franklin's dark and brooding version. I'm not even going to try to describe how good Franklin's cover was ... she turned it into the ultimate kiss-off song. Simply stunning. I could listen to this version for hours at a time. rating: ***** stars 3.) Pullin' (Aretha Franklin) - 3:32 The first of five Franklin originals, 'Pullin''' was the first track to reflect a Franklin ready to move on with her life. Musically it was a very Gospel tinged number that ended with Franklin and The Sweet Inspirations engaging in an extended call and response section. I'll give it an extra star for the positive outlook. rating: *** stars 4.) You and Me (Aretha Franklin) - 3:30 I've always thought Franklin's 'You and Me' was one of her prettiest compositions. Obviously written during an earlier, happier timeframe, the song had a wonderful melody; a killer chorus, and lyrics we should all strive to live by. A wonderful ballad that deserves to be a mainstay for every wedding band. The sound and video quality is lacking, but YouTube has a clip of her performing the song on The Flip Wilson television program: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMV_dXFD6ww rating: ***** stars 5.) Honest I Do (Jimmy Reed - Ewart Abner Jr.) - 3:10 Franklin played it pretty close to the vest with her cover of Jimmy Reed's 'Honest I Do'. A nice slice of country-blues, Franklin's easy-going take simply underscored what an amazing voice she had. rating: *** stars 6.) Spirit In the Dark (Aretha Franklin) - 3:59 'Spirit In the Dark' managed to combine a Gospel feel with a distinctive non-secular lyric and a killer vocal performance. Anyone hearing this one quickly figured out that Franklin was going to survive the breakup of her marriage better than Mr. White. I have no idea where it came from, but YouTube has a stunning live performance of the track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=astZBfNtGzY rating: **** stars
(side 2) 1.) When the Battle Is Over (Malcolm Rebbenac - Jessie Hill) - 2:52 Backed by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (including the late Duane Allman), musically her cover of Mac Rebbenac's 'When the Battle Is Over' recalled her mid-'60s Atlantic output. Yeah, it's as funky as the album gets and its a keeper. And as mentioned, it's obvious Franklin came out the winner ... rating: **** stars 2.) One Way Ticket (Aretha Franklin) - 2:48 The album's first disappointment, the Franklin original 'One Way Ticket' was a nice enough keyboard-propelled ballad, but simply never kicked into gear. rating: ** stars 3.) Try Matty's (Aretha Franklin) - 2:28 I guess I should pick up a Franklin biography in order to figure out what 'Try Matty's' was about. Regardless, it's another superb Franklin original that showcases her piano on a swinging blues melody. great horn charts too boot. rating: **** stars 4.) That's All I Want from You (Fritz Rotter - M. Rotha - Weiss - Barry) - 2:38 Amidst all the hurt and despair, it was nice to hear the uplifting 'That's All I Want from You' - another beautiful and understated performance from Franklin with a dynamite ending. rating: **** stars 5.) Oh No Not My Baby (Carole King - Jerry Geffin) - 3:10 Franklin's at her best when she steps off the vocal accelerator and lets her voice simply cruise. Her performance on the King-Goffin classic 'Oh No Not My Baby' is a perfect example. The combination of a wonderful, breezy melody and that instantly recognizable voice made for what was one of the best tracks on the album. Franklin simply shredded the Maxine Brown version. Gosh, I can remember those heady days of young love ... rating: ***** stars 6.) Why I Sing the Blues (B.B. King - Dick Clark) - 3:08 Just like she wholesale appropriated Otis Redding's 'Respect', here she literally took position of B.B. King's 'Why I Sing the Blues'. I've heard this song dozens of times and I still can't quite figure out how she managed to turn this into such a funky number ... rating: **** stars
As mentioned, Atlantic tapped the album for a pair of singles:
credited to Aretha Franklin and the Dixie Flyers: - 1970's 'Spirit In the Dark' b/w 'The Thrill Is Gone (From Yesterday's Kiss)' (Atlantic catalog number 45-2371) # 23 pop, # 3 R&B
Aretha Franklin solo: - 1970's 'Don't Play That Song' b/w 'Let It Be' (Atlantic catalog number 45-2751) # 11 pop, # 1 R&B
As I mentioned earlier, not one of her best known releases, but certainly one of her best.
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Genre: soul Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Hey Now, Hey (The Other Side of the Sky) Company: Atlantic Catalog: SD 7265 Year: 1973 Country/State: US Grade (cover/record): VG+//VG+ Comments: gatefold sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $25.00
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For her 19th studio album Aretha Franklin decided it was time for a change in direction. Abandoning h usual producers Tom Dowd, Arif Mardin and Jerry Wexler in favor of working with Quincy Jones (Franklin was listed as co-producer), 1973's "Hey Now, Hey (The Other Side of the Sky" was seemingly originally intended as a straight ahead jazz collection. Franklin clearly had the chops to pull of such a project. Still music is a business and Atlantic management realized a conventional jazz album probably wasn't the marketing move that would rejuvenate Franklin's stagnating sales. As a result, exemplified by tracks like the New Orleans flavored funk 'So Swell When You're Well ', the beautiful ballad 'Angel' and 'Sister From Texas' Franklin was prevailed on to add a series of more conventional, radio-friendly performances. There were still plenty of jazzy efforts including a remake of the standard 'Moody's Mood' and the band collaboration 'Just Right Tonight' but that only served to give the album an almost schizophrenic feel. Bouncing from one genre to another was certainly challenging for my ears. Starting out with the experimental title track it was not an album I found immediately appealing. Ironically, it's one of those album's that's grown on me with time. Many of the performance that I initially disliked have grown on me. Perfect example - who's idea was it to include a "West Side Story" cover? Well, give it a chance. Just like her rendition of 'Respect' gave her ownership of the Otis Redding's classic song, Franklin's rendition makes 'Somewhere' her own tune. The rollicking, piano powered 'So Swell When You're Well' captures Franklin at her sassiest. Hard to understand why it wasn't released as a single. Co-written by sister Carolyn, I once thought 'Angel' was one of her sappiest ballads. Now it's a treasure. Yes, the results are an organized mess, but it's a fascinating look at an artist who knew she had to make some changes, but didn't know how to implement them in the face of a record label that wanted more of the same.
One thing that hasn't changed over the years - Jim Dunn's butt ugly cover art certainly didn't bolster sales
"Hey Now, Hey (The Other Side of the Sky" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Hey Now Hey (The Other Side Of The Sky) (Aretha Franklin) - 4:41 rating: **** stars Admittedly for about ten years I held an intense dislike for the title track. It 'Hey Now Hey (The Other Side Of The Sky)' was very different and it seemed to mindlessly bounce from genre to genre; the heavy orchestration just left me cold. And then one day I realized it's an amazing tune bouncing from Gospel, to funk, jazz, and even a touch of psych influence "Sweet lemon peppermint and orange coloured dreams." 2.) Somewhere (Leonard Bernstein - Stephen Sondheim) - 6:14 rating: **** stars Another tune where the majesty of Franklin's take on this "West Side Story" classic originally escaped me. I guess it's a sign I'm getting older (not necessarily wiser), but I get it now. Aretha on keyboards. Jimmy Johnson on jazzy guitar. Kudos to the late Phil Woods on alto sax. Just like she made Otis Redding's 'Respect' her tune, she does the same thing with this American songbook classic. 3.) So Swell When You're Well (James Booker - Aretha Franklin) - 4:14 rating: **** stars With a distinctive New Orleans funk edge, its hard to not love Franklin when she's getting sassy ... 4.) Angel (Carolyn Franklin - Sonny Sanders) - 4:26 rating: **** stars Written by younger sister Carolyn Franklin (she and sister Erma Franklin were also featured on backing vocals), the ballad 'Angel' clearly belongs on any "greatest melody" package. One of her prettiest ballads, its also one of the few songs where the opening spoken word vamp isn't entirely irritating.
- 1973's 'Angel' b/w 'Sister from Texas' (Atlantic catalog number 45-2969) 5.) Sister From Texas (Aretha Franklin) - 3:08 rating: **** stars Demonstrating Franklin's deeper vocal range, the rollicking 'Sister From Texas' was one of the album's hidden surprises. I've always been curious about the song's inspiration, but it's a winner and would have made a nice single. Always loved the Norman Whitfield styled wah-wah guitar riff that kicks the song along.
(side 2) 1.) Mister Spain (Carolyn Plummer) - 6:41 rating: **** stars A silky smooth ballad, 'Mister Spain' was fascinating for the way Franklin stretched out her voice. She goes from Eartha Ktt purrs to knock-the-wall-down power in a heartbeat. Hearing sisters Carolyn and Erma mouth the title in the background is a hoot. Taken from an appearance on The Flip Wilson television program, YouTube has an abbreviated performance of the song: Aretha Franklin-Mr Spain (youtube.com) Love the rainbow outfit and the understated earrings ... 2.) That's The Way I Feel About Cha (Bobby Womack - Jim Grisby - Joe Hicks) - 7:10 rating: *** stars As much as I like Franklin's slowed-down, bluesy cover of 'That's The Way I Feel About Cha', Bobby Womack's original remains the classic. 3.) Moody's Mood (James Moody - Jimmy McHugh - Dorothy Fields) - 2:55 rating: *** stars I'm not a big jazz fan, but I can certainly admire the technique she displays on this track. The sped-up, multi-track vocals are pretty amazing. The song also makes it clear why Atlantic management wasn't all that thrilled at the thought of a "jazz" album. 4.) Just Right Tonight (Aretha Franklin - Avery Parrish - Buddy Feyne - Quincy Jones - Robert Bruce) - 7:42 rating: *** stars Powered by Franklin's keyboards, 'Just Right Tonight closed the album with an extended big band jazz-soul vamp. It improved when Franklin's powerhouse voice kicked in.
© Scott R. Blackerby August, 2024
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Genre: soul Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Sweet Passion Company: Atlantic Catalog: SD 19102 Year: 1977 Country/State: US Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: 1 Catalog ID: 1009 Price: $10.00
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The combination of Aretha Franklin and writer/producer Lamont Dozier should have sparked mega-sales. Naturally, it didn't. In fact,1977's Dozier produced "Sweet Passion" stands as one of Franklin's forgotten albums, generating little in the way of commercial sales, or critical attention at the time it was released. So what went wrong with this one ? Pure speculation and after-the-fact double guessing on my part. Witnessed by lackluster promotion and the fact only one single was floated off the album, for its part Atlantic seemed to have little interest in Franklin at this point in time. I'm guessing disco, punk, new wave, and other musical genres took precedence over an established soul singer in the mid-'70s. Another problem, while Dozier produced most of the album, schlock-meister Marvin Hamlisch was brought in to produce one track, with Marty and David Paich collaborating on another. At least to my ears, the end result gave the album an odd, fragmented feel. Written and produced by Hamlisch, 'Break It To Me Gently' had a very white-bread, pop feel which might explain why Atlantic decided to release if as the album's lone single. Great if you liked Hamlisch and Carole Bayer-Sager penned theatrical tunes. Not so good for everyone else. Similarly, Franklin seemed at a loss in terms of musical direction; taking stabs at a broad catalog of genres that ultimately watered-down the end result. That's not to say the album was a complete waste. Hardly known as a prolific writer, this time around Franklin was credited with four of the ten tunes, including the two standout performances in 'When I Think About You', 'A Tender Touch', and the title track. Franklin clearly still had the goods, but would have benefited from a supportive musical guide.
By the way, Franklin's seldom looked as beguiling or radiant as on the David Alexander photographs.
"Spirit In the Dark" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Break It To Me Gently (Marvin Hamlisch - Carole Bayer Sager) - 3:20 I'm
not a musician so when it comes to technicalities I'm pretty weak.
That said, this ballad's always bugged me. Not that there was anything
wrong with the song itself which actually started out with a bit of promise,
rather Franklin's performance just rubs me the wrong way - for some reason
the song just brought out the worst in her including a trilly
performance. The fact the tune was written by
Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager
certainly didn't help. Gawd only knows why Atlantic tapped
it as a single ... maybe they were looking to kill her career. rating:
** stars Complete
with driving melody and some of the best multi-tracked vocals she's ever
laid down, the Franklin penned 'When I Think About You' was a major return
to form. You had to scratch your head an wonder why Atlantic
didn't go with this one as the single. rating:
**** stars Another
Hamlisch-penned tear jerker (and the center piece of his work on "A
Chorus Line"), that had its admirers, but I personally could live
without. Admittedly Franklin turned in a killer performance (I'm
guessing she identified with the lyrics), but the song simply never kicked
into gear; the Liberace-styled piano was bad, and the backing singers were
just way out of place. rating:
*** stars The
first of three Lamont Dozier tunes,
'No One Could Ever Love You More' at
least saw Franklin breaking away from Marvin Hamlisch ballads.
Opening up with some raunchy Ray Parker Jr. guitar, this upbeat tune wasn't
any great shakes, but at least had a memorable chorus and was
short. rating:
*** stars Another
Franklin original, 'A Tender Touch' had that magical, breezy feel
recalled her early sound and glories. The song would have been
even better without the suffocating string arrangement.
rating: **** stars (side 2) 1.) Touch Me Up Lamont Dozier) - 4:38 I've seen 'Touch Me Up' described as a disco tune. While it was a dance track, I can assure you Franklin's back-to-church vocals were anything but mindless disco. Great, driving tune that should have returned Franklin to the airwaves. Neither the video, or sound quality are great, but YouTube has a live performance of the song at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBBKOlTyZb8 rating: **** stars 2.) Sunshine Will Never Be The Same (Lamont Dozier) - 3:36 Dozier
seemed to have penned 'Sunshine
Will Never Be The Same' specifically for Franklin, nailing the kind of lyric
and easy-going, breezy melody that allowed her to simply dominate the
song. Another album highlight. rating:
**** stars When
you thought the worst was over, along came the ballad 'Meadows of
Springtime'. About all I can say is the song never recovered
from Franklin's extended, opening spoken word introduction. Chronic over singing
didn't help in terms of likeability. rating:
** stars Showcasing
her scat moves, Franklin's jazz fans will probably love the
'Mumbles /
Introduction: I've Got The Music In Me'
medley. Technically I guess it was impressive, but personally, it
didn't do much for me.
rating: *** stars It took awhile to kick in gear and was way too long, but 'Sweet Passion' unleashed that voice ... rating: **** stars
As mentioned above, the album spun off a quickly forgotten single:
-
1977's 'Break It To Me Gently' b/w 'Meadows Of Springtime' (Atlantic catalog
3303) # 85 pop; # 1 R&B
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ne
You're With', Simon and Garfunkel's 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' and
Bread's 'Make It with You'. There wasn't anything wrong with those
performances; in fact her cover of the Stephen Stills' tune was one of the
album highlights. On the other hand Franklin focus on pop and rock
tunes left precious little room for her soul catalog. Sure 'Respect'
was here (in a speeded-up, hyper-velocity arrangement), as was an extended
'Dr. Feelgood' and an even longer 'Spirit In the Dark' (including a cameo
from Ray Charles). Personally I would have liked more classic soul
tunes and less pandering to the hippie crowd. From a sonic standpoint
you had to admire Franklin's willingness to release this set with minimal
post-production overdubs and fixes. You got to hear audience noises;
blown notes, and occasional out-of-tunes vocals. Few artists were
willing to release something as honest as this
set. 
bum's
jazz orientation), as well as producers Jerry Wexler and Tom Dowd.
Demonstrating her impressive jazz chops on a collection of blues and jazz
covers, tracks like "If
You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody"
and "I'll
Never Be Free" were almost a full
return to her earliest work for Columbia Records. In fact "Today
I Sing the Blues" was a remake of
one of her earliest Columbia sides. The twelve track set was certainly
eclectic with Franklin's choice of material covering everything from Big
Maybelle's "Ramblin'" to Smokey Robinson and the Miracles'
"Tracks of My Tears". Even stranger was her Gospel powered
remake of Bob Lind's "Elusive
Butterfly".
Atlantic certainly invested heavily in the album; Franklin undertaking
recording sessions with both members of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
(bassist Roger Hawkins and keyboard player Spooner Oldham) and stellar New
York jazz musicians like bassist Ron Carter, drummer Grady Tate and
keyboardist Joe Zawinul. Gawd knows Franklin's voice remained a
treasure and the album was certainly worth hearing, but if you were
expecting to hear a continuation of "Aretha Now",
"Lady Soul", or even "Aretha In Paris"
her abrupt change in musical direction was going to come as a
surprise. I can already hear hardcore ReRe fans screaming for my head,
but too much of this sounded like Las Vegas nightclub act remakes with
Franklin fighting Arif Mardin's big band horn arrangements for the
spotlight. Was this one of my favorite Franklin album's? No
way. I remain a fan of her soul oriented catalog, but that didn't mean
I couldn't admire her performances on this set. 
nklin also was credited as a co-producer). The set was also a
reunion of sorts with some of the studio musicians she'd worked with during
those earlier years, including (guitarist Cornell Dupree, bassist Chuck
Rainey, keyboardist Richard Tee and drummer Bernard Purdie.
It was also notable for the fact Franklin played piano on all ten
tracks. Other promising characteristics included the fact the
only Franklin original "With
Everything I Feel In Me" was a classic
performances. Her cover of Barry Mann's "When
You Get Right Down To It" was wonderful, even better than the Ronnie Dyson
version and her performance on sister Carolyn's "Sing It Again - Say It
Again" provided another album highlight. Still, those three tunes
were the
exceptions to the rule. Far too much of the set found Franklin
continuing her awkward drift through musical genres, seemingly uncertain if
her future was in soul, pop, or more adult contemporary material. Was
it an essential Franklin release ? Nah, but any self-respecting fan
will want a copy anyway. And of course there was Joel Brodsky's
stunning cover of photo ...
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