Aretha Franklin — the Queen of Soul, as Steely Dan reminded the “sweet young thing” in “Hey Nineteen” — died in August 2018. Jon Pareles recounted her life and work in his excellent New York Times obituary. Dominic Green paid tribute to her as “simply the finest popular singer of her generation.” Dominic also wrote a brilliant review of the Amazing Grace documentary for the Spectator. Yesterday was the anniversary of her birth. Let us take a brief look back in search of uplift.
Aretha’s father, the Reverend C.L. Franklin, was the renowned Detroit preacher whose New Bethel Baptist Church provided the original venue for Aretha and her sisters, Erma and Carolyn. He was known as the Man With the Million Dollar Voice — but for his sermons, not for his singing. “The Eagle stirreth her nest” was his most famous sermon and is accessible on YouTube. Aretha became a child star as a gospel singer, signing a recording contract with Columbia Records at age 18 via the legendary producer John Hammond. At Columbia Aretha floundered as the label tried to turn her into a nightclub singer. Columbia never quite found the means to showcase her awesome talent.
Aretha arrived in the spring of 1967, courtesy of Jerry Wexler and Atlantic Records. Wexler signed Aretha to Atlantic in the fall of 1966. He sat Aretha at a piano and placed her in the midst of sympathetic musicians at the famed Muscle Shoals Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Ronnie Shannon had written “I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Loved You)” specifically for Aretha. When they recorded it at Muscle Shoals, everyone involved knew that Aretha had found herself musically.
The Atlantic session resumed in New York and included the recording of Otis Redding’s “Respect,” the song that broke Aretha nationally overnight. According to Peter Guralnick’s invaluable history Sweet Soul Music, Redding had a foreboding. He told Wexler upon hearing Aretha’s version of “Respect” in the studio for the first time: “I just lost my song. That girl took it away from me.” Onstage at the Monterey International Pop Festival later that year, Redding reiterated: “The girl took that song away from me.” If you were listening to the radio in the spring of 1967, you remember: The girl took the song away from him.
Listening to Aretha, I began to understand that soul music is secularized gospel music. I should have figured it out earlier, I admit, but I wasn’t familiar with gospel music. In “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man,” written by Dan Penn and Chips Moman, you can’t miss the lesson. What a tutorial this is, also from her epochal 1967 debut on Atlantic. Here we arrive at a pinnacle of Western civilization.
To close out the album Aretha perfectly captured the spirit of the moment in “Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream.” It’s hard not to feel nostalgic for the optimism represented by the dawn of Aretha’s successful career on Atlantic in the heyday of soul music. I certainly feel nostalgic now listening to “Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream.” The dream seems to have been waylaid, if not exactly lost, and more than the music has suffered as a result.
Aretha’s glorious body of work on Atlantic ensued. Aretha followed up that debut album with Aretha Arrives later that year. “Going Down Slow” went back to Jimmy Oden recording as St. Louis Jimmy in 1941.
Aretha knew she had hit her stride. “Ain’t No Way” and “Since You’ve Been Gone” were among the highlights on Lady Soul (1968). Let’s go with “Since You’ve Been Gone” as we listen to a voice from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away: “You said I do and I said I will.”
She could give any song the soul treatment and seemed inclined to prove it. Bacharach and David’s “I Say a Little Prayer” was one of the gems on Aretha Now (1968). Aretha brought an authentic gospel touch to a beautiful pop song.
I think it would probably be a good idea to decline the haunting “River’s Invitation” on Soul ’69 (1969). The song was written by the great Percy Mayfield. Kenny Burrell on guitar is among the outstanding session players backing Aretha,
“Spirit in the Dark” summons a churchly feeling or makes a secular declaration. You be the judge. The song comes from the album of the same name (1970).
Soul music encountered hard times after 1969, but you’d never know it from Aretha’s “Call Me” on This Girl’s In Love With You (1970). It sounds like a scene from an overheard conversation. Aretha plays piano backed by the Muscle Shoals musicians. “Baby, will you call me the moment you get there?” This was the eighth of Aretha’s 20 number 1 R&B hits.
“Oh Me Oh My” and “Day Dreaming” were among the highlights on Young, Gifted and Black (1971). Donny Hathaway plays electric piano and Hubert Laws flute on “Day Dreaming.”
Bill Graham simply introduced Aretha as “the number 1 lady” on Live at Fillmore West (1971). Ashford and Simpson’s “You’re All I Need to Get By” is one of the album’s best tracks. Aretha is backed by the Sweet Inspirations and a group of great musicians including King Curtis.
Aretha literally returned to the church for her surprisingly successful live album Amazing Grace (1972). It’s full of classic Sunday morning songs. The exuberant “How I Got Over” was written by Clara Ward in 1951. Ward was hugely influential on Aretha’s career. I learn from Dominic Green’s review of the film that Ward was sitting in the first row with Aretha’s father. (A little more research reveals that they were an item. Ward died tragically at the age of 48 the year after Amazing Grace came out. Reverend Franklin sang at her funeral.) Dominic deems this Aretha’s best album.
“Angel” may be the most beautiful track on Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky) (1973).
Let Me In Your Life is a buried treasure. It is full of great tracks such as “With Pen in Hand” and “A Song for You.” You probably know “Until You Come Back to Me,” written by Stevie Wonder et al., but I bet it’s been a while since you listened to it. Stevie recorded it for Motown in 1967. However, Motown kept it in the vault for 10 years. I don’t know why. Aretha turned it into a huge hit in 1974. Produced by Arif Mardin, arranged by Deodato, the recording includes Aretha on piano, Joe Farrell on flute, and Cissy Houston on the background vocals. Let us take our leave of Aretha this morning with this magnificent track.
Notice: All comments are subject to moderation. Our comments are intended to be a forum for civil discourse bearing on the subject under discussion. Commenters who stray beyond the bounds of civility or employ what we deem gratuitous vulgarity in a comment — including, but not limited to, “s***,” “f***,” “a*******,” or one of their many variants — will be banned without further notice in the sole discretion of the site moderator.