Rare and Unreleased Recordings From the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul
Aretha Franklin
Engineer: Tom Dowd,
Producer: Quincy Jones, Aretha Franklin, Arif Mardin, Jerry Wexler
Rhino Records (USA), 2007
2 CD
Catalogue #: 8122799703
EAN: 0081227997038
UPC: 081227997038
You save: 25%
Personnel: Aretha Franklin (vocals, piano); Cornell Dupree, Duane Allman, Eddie Hinton, Jimmy Johnson , Joe South (guitar); Hugh McCracken (gut-string guitar); Frank Wess, George Dorsey (alto saxophone); Charlie Chalmers (tenor saxophone); Willie Bridges (baritone saxophone); Wayne Jackson (trumpet, flugelhorn); Richard Williams , Melvin Lastie (trumpet); Tony Studd (bass trombone); Spooner Oldham, Barry Beckett (organ); Jim Dickinson (keyboards); Chuck Rainey, David Hood, Eric Gale, Jerry Jemmott, Tommy Cogbill, Tommy McClure (bass guitar); Al Jackson Jr., Roger Hawkins (drums); Cissy Houston, Sweethearts Of Soul, Dee Dee Warwick, Erma Franklin, Pat Lewis, Sylvia Shemwell, The Sweet Inspirations, Almeda Lattimore, Brenda Bryant, Margaret Branch, Evelyn Green, Wylene Ivy, Carolyn Franklin (background vocals).
This excellent set of rare and unreleased recordings is the mother lode for fans of Aretha Franklin's classic Atlantic material. Its two discs are packed with demos, outtakes, and B-sides that represent Franklin, arguably, at her rawest, most dynamic, and most appealing. The set, arranged chronologically, begins with stripped-down demos from her 1966 debut, I NEVER LOVED A MAN THE WAY THAT I LOVE YOU (including a smoking version of "Dr. Feelgood"), and continues through her early '70s recordings for Atlantic.
In addition to the queen's powerhouse performances, the set also impresses with its wide range of material. Franklin offers interpretations of Paul McCartney's "Fool on the Hill," Ashford & Simpson's "You're All I Need to Get By," Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne," and Bobby Womack's "I'm in Love," among other surprises. The soul siren's facility with both pop and hard R&B is underscored by a serious gospel fervor. Many of the arrangements will sound surprisingly spare and/or different to those familiar with the released recordings from the era, but it's that difference that makes RARE & UNRELEASED such a treasure trove.
Tracklist
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin is one of the most important and influential female soul singers of the 20th century. The daughter of famed preacher Rev. C.L. Franklin, Memphis-born Aretha started out singing gospel while still in her teens in the 1950s, subsequently moving on to jazz and pop. She didn't hit her stride until her string of 1960s R&B hits on Atlantic records--"Respect," "Chain of Fools," and many others--which earned her the lifelong title "the Queen of Soul." Franklin's powerful, emotional voice goes straight to the heart--no list of the greatest voices in recorded history would be complete without her.
