Most music fans know Aretha Franklin’s great hits while she was recording for Atlantic Records. But few realize that Aretha Franklin recorded seven albums with Columbia Records first. “The package includes CDs of Aretha’s seven full-length albums for Columbia; two CDs reflecting her collaborations with producers Bobby Scott (in 1963) and Clyde Otis (in 1964); and a bonus CD of singles produced by Bob Johnston and rarities that were “sweetened” and released after Aretha left the label.” Also included is a 48-page booklet with Aretha’s complete discography. The bonus DVD holds five Aretha Franklin performances on The Steve Allen Show. If you’re a fan of the Queen of Soul, this set is a must-buy!
People forget that she made lots of music before “Respect.”
There’s plenty of good music on these Columbia albums that Aretha did before she moved to Atlantic Records and became a hit machine, Deb.
What’s the sound quality like on these, especially things like the Steve Allen Show cuts? And boy, do I wish I could see a batch of Steve Allen Shows on DVD…
This does look interesting, but I wonder if I’m mostly just interested in the hits I knew and loved in my late college and after years. I heard a LOT of Aretha on jukeboxes, in smoky bars, way back in the day.
The sound quality is pretty good, Rick. All the albums have been remastered. The TV sound is typical TV sound. The Columbia albums have more of a range of music on them: Broadway hits, standards, ballads, etc. When Aretha went to Atlantic Records, she became a soul singer.
Aretha was signed in 1961, I believe, but it wasn’t until 1967 and Jerry Wexler that they found a way to make her commercially big.
Aretha’s career really took off when she went to Atlantic Records, Jeff. They realized what a powerful singer she was and the type of material that would showcase it.
(Patti or Bill or anyone else who uses Blogger: if you drop by, Blogger’s doing that crazy thing hi-jacking the comments again! All my brilliant words of wisdom, vanished into the ether. I feel like Samuel Taylor Coleridge–I’ll NEVER get those fabulous words back!)
Thankfully, WORDPRESS is well-behaved, Deb. None of your words of wisdom have been lost here. I just lose a graphic from time to time.
Just checked, Deb, and blogger is still doing it.
Aretha is one of those artists whose work I either love or hate. I think later on she became too wedded to that soulful style that sounds affected to me. Before that, she was better. Maybe the producer had something to do with it.
The first few albums Aretha recorded for Atlantic Records from 1967 to 1972 are classics, Bob. After that, decline set in.
“decline set in” made me think of Fantasy Island: De Cline! De Cline!
The problem at Columbia is that they wanted her to be the New Dinah Washington…and while this allowed/required her to record some interesting material she probably wouldn’t’ve tried otherwise, it also meant that only a few of her strongest works, such as “Soulville” or “Take It Like You Give It” or even her cover of “Mockingbird” were recorded before she moved over to Atlantic (and Chess, I think it was, had some of her pre-CBS gospel out…). YEAH was an elusive album, with its fake nightclub “ambient sound” somewhat annoyingly getting in the way of the “concert in the studio” approach of the music, more than was necessary (CBS had this Cute Idea repeatedly, with various artists, for a decade or so).
I have the previous complilations from CBS and Sony, but the folks keep upping the ante. So I’ll need this one, too. My mother once saw the newly secular Franklin open once for Joe Turner…a show we can all envy her, I think.
I sure envy your mother, Todd. Hearing Aretha Franklin early in her career would have been memorable.
The cover photo, of course, is from the shoot for YEAH.
I love that photo cover, Todd!