This 2-CD collection of Aretha Franklin’s singles from the years she became “The Queen of Soul” isn’t coming out until September 28, 2018. No matter. We all know these classic soul songs only this new set looks like it will feature remastered versions of the originals. I started listening to Aretha Franklin in 1967 with “Respect.” More Top 10 hits followed: “Chain of Fools,” “A Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel Like)”, “Think,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” and “(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You’ve Been Gone.” Aretha Franklin had a long, successful career, but I consider these early years with Atlantic Records to be her best. What’s your favorite Aretha Franklin song?
TRACK LIST:
DISC ONE:
1. I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) [Mono] [Remastered]
2. Do Right Woman – Do Right Man (Mono) [Remastered]
3, Respect (Mono) [Remastered]
4. Dr. FeelGood (Mono) [Remastered]
5. Baby I Love You (Mono) [Remastered]
6. Going Down Slow (Mono) [Remastered]
7. A Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel Like) [Mono] [Remastered]
8. Baby, Baby, Baby (Mono) [Remastered]
9. Chain Of Fools (Mono) [Remastered]
10. Prove It (Mono) [Remastered]
11. (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You’ve Been Gone (Mono) [Remastered]
12. Ain’t No Way (Mono) [Remastered]
13. Think (Mono) [Remastered]
14. You Send Me (Mono) [Remastered]
15. The House That Jack Built (Mono) [Remastered]
16. I Say A Little Prayer (Mono) [Remastered]
17. See Saw (Mono) [Remastered]
18. My Song (Mono) [Remastered]
DISC TWO:
1. The Weight (Mono) [Remastered]
2. Tracks Of My Tears (Mono) [Remastered]
3. I Can’t See Myself Leaving You (Mono) [Remastered]
4. Gentle On My Mind (Mono) [Remastered]
5. Share Your Love With Me (Mono) [Remastered]
6. Pledging My Love / The Clock (Mono) [Remastered]
7. Eleanor Rigby (Mono) [Remastered]
8. It Ain’t Fair (Mono) [Remastered]
9. Call Me (Mono) [Remastered]
10. Son Of A Preacher (Mono) [Remastered]
11. Spirit In The Dark (with The Dixie Flyers) [Mono] [Remastered]
12. The Thrill Is Gone (with The Dixie Flyers) [Mono] [Remastered]
13. Don’t Play That Song (with The Dixie Flyers) [Mono] [Remastered]
14. Let It Be (with The Dixie Flyers) [Mono] [Remastered]
15. Border Song (Holy Moses) [Mono] [Remastered]
16. You And Me (with The Dixie Flyers) [Mono] [Remastered]
Probably Respect, A Natural Woman or Think. Living near Detroit it’s been nothing but Aretha on the tv this last week. Her best work was on soul/R&B songs. Didn’t much care for her versions of Eleanor Rigby, Border Song or The Weight. Her best work was done during this period.
Steve, you’re right. Aretha’s “experiments” with “Eleanor Rigby” and “The Weight” are hard for me to listen to.
I’m still fond of them. At least “Rigby”…
I Say a Little Prayer For You! Her early work was better IMHO because there were people to tone down all her soulful excesses!
Bob, I really enjoy listening to Aretha’s music from the Sixties!
She’s never engaged in the excessive melisma and other substitutions for actual talent we’ve heard from too many since. Even her weaker work strikes me as Franklin holding back, or simply not feeling the song.
If you have Sirius/XM satellite radio, Channel 49 (the Soul Music channel) has been playing Aretha 24/7. Great stuff!
Favorites: Chain of Fools, Since You’ve Been Gone, Don’t Play That Song, and ‘Til You Come Back to Me.
Deb, I do have Sirius/XM radio and listen to the SOUL TOWN channel constantly when I’m driving around running errands. Their tribute to Aretha is impressive!
Respect, Think, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, Chain of Fools, (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You’ve Been Gone, I Ain’t Never Loved a Man (her first Atlantic single).
Not a big fan of her covers like Eleanor Rigby.
Jeff, Aretha had a string of hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s that became classics.
I like lots of her music, but “Think” and “Respect” are probably my favorites. I have many memories of hearing her music in various places, they always had an impact. I also liked her part in the film The Blues Brothers.
Rick, I see you’re back up and running! How did things go at the Apple Store?
Okay. It worked fine when I got it there. If I had done a system reset – different than a reboot in that all power is removed, as far as I could tell, I needn’t have hauled the thing down there. I was there 10 minutes, including the time it took to ask a question about an iPad setting.
Rick, glad to hear your problem was a quick and easy fix!
I’ve been digging into her early years so thoroughly over the last twenty years that I’ve been neglecting most of her later work…my default choice these days among her CBS records, for example, would be “Take It Like You Give It”…
Todd, have you heard Just A Matter Of Time – Classic Columbia Recordings 1962-1966? Aretha’s singing style changed when she went to Atlantic Records. Columbia really didn’t know what to do with her.