ARETHA better now than ever?
Ron Buckmire
I bought a collection of Aretha Franklin's greatest hits called "Aretha's
Gold" and I was wondering if people know why it seems on the older tracks
that the background vocals are better than the lead vocals! Who did the
background vocals on things like "Respect", "Do Right Woman", "You Make Me
Feel Like A Natural Woman"? As her career progressed her lead vocals seem to
have become more of the main focus of the track (like "House That Jack Built"
and "Chain Of Fools"). Maybe it was just the whim of the producer (Arif Mardin)?
In the stuff in the 80s that Narada Michael Walden has produced Aretha's voice
is right there, barreling through the record, like on "Everyday People", "It
Isn't, It Wasn't It Never Will Be" (duet with Whitney) and "Freeway Of Love".
I'm just wondering who was doing the excellent backing vocals on the early
stuff (that is, was it Aretha herself?). Also, do people think her voice has
improved or declined with age, or is it just 'different'?
--
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Jeff Davis
>
>I'm just wondering who was doing the excellent backing vocals on the early
>stuff (that is, was it Aretha herself?). Also, do people think her voice has
>improved or declined with age, or is it just 'different'?
>
>--
Aretha's voice has not been as touched by time as many voices have. She's
still the best, and I don't mean technique..I have no idea what her range
is...what kind of octave jumps (like Sarah Vaughn) she can make etc. Her
chorus on "Think" (c. May 1968, with it's obvious allusions to Martin
Luther King) is still the high water mark of popular music of the last 35
years. (IMPGHO, of course)
--
Jeff Davis <da...@keats.ca.uky.edu>
I'm just winking happy thoughts into my little tiddle cup
Jim Hori
>Gold" and I was wondering if people know why it seems on the older tracks
>that the background vocals are better than the lead vocals! Who did the
>background vocals on things like "Respect", "Do Right Woman", "You Make Me
>Feel Like A Natural Woman"? As her career progressed her lead vocals seem to
She had several different groups of singers. One included her
sisters Irma and Carolyn, another put out records as the
Sweet Inspirations (the group that included Cissy (Whitney's
mom) Houston. No way any of the singers behind Aretha are
better than her, they would been making these records themselves
if that was true rather than Aretha.
>have become more of the main focus of the track (like "House That Jack
>and "Chain Of Fools"). Maybe it was just the whim of the producer (Arif Mardin)?
Jerry Wexler did the early stuff, Tom Dowd and Arif were around and
gradually began being listed as co-producers.
>In the stuff in the 80s that Narada Michael Walden has produced Aretha's voice
>is right there, barreling through the record, like on "Everyday People", "It
>Isn't, It Wasn't It Never Will Be" (duet with Whitney) and "Freeway Of Love".
>I'm just wondering who was doing the excellent backing vocals on the early
>stuff (that is, was it Aretha herself?). Also, do people think her voice has
>improved or declined with age, or is it just 'different'?
The Atlantic material features background singing because
that music was closer to Aretha's church roots, where call
and response is a fundamental form.
She can't hit the high notes she once could. You can hear
her glissing up and then stop - the young Aretha with the
more flexible voice would just keep going. My favorite
background vocal arrangments on Aretha songs:
Ain't No Way (sister Carolyn hitting an incredible high note repeatedly)
I Can't See Myself Leaving You (a perfect song and arrangement)
I Say A Little Prayer
Gentle On My Mind (Aretha transforms this song into a gospel rave up,
her and her backup singers having an explosive good
time)
Niki Hoeky
....
jimh
Ron Buckmire
>She can't hit the high notes she once could. You can hear
>her glissing up and then stop - the young Aretha with the
>more flexible voice would just keep going. My favorite
>background vocal arrangments on Aretha songs:
>Ain't No Way (sister Carolyn hitting an incredible high note repeatedly)
>I Can't See Myself Leaving You (a perfect song and arrangement)
>I Say A Little Prayer
>Gentle On My Mind (Aretha transforms this song into a gospel rave up,
> her and her backup singers having an explosive good
> time)
Ok, where do I get these records? Is there a box set or something?
Can you give me an album listing [on CD].
Leo Breebaart
> Her chorus on "Think" (c. May 1968, with it's obvious allusions to Martin
> Luther King) is still the high water mark of popular music of the last 35
> years. (IMPGHO, of course)
Nail on the head!
I have yet to meet the first person who doesn't like 'Think'. Throughout
the years certain popular songs go out of fashion, become dated, are
simply forgotten, or become so classic that people start disliking them
on principle, even though there is nothing wrong with the song itself
('Hotel California' and 'Jailhouse Rock' seem good examples).
But 'Think' is one of the very few songs that people cannot seem to get enough
of. I don't want to get too mystic here, but the song seems to have a kind of
vibrant 'aliveness' to it, that makes people want to start moving and
dancing or *at least* turn up the volume whenever they hear it.
I seriously suspect you could play this song during a 150 bpm house
party, and people would *still* go crazy.
--
Leo Breebaart (leo @ ph.tn.tudelft.nl)
Jim Hori
>>Ain't No Way (sister Carolyn hitting an incredible high note repeatedly)
>>I Can't See Myself Leaving You (a perfect song and arrangement)
>>I Say A Little Prayer
>>Gentle On My Mind (Aretha transforms this song into a gospel rave up,
>> her and her backup singers having an explosive good
>> time)
>Ok, where do I get these records? Is there a box set or something?
>Can you give me an album listing [on CD].
These songs appear on several different albums Aretha recorded
for Atlantic beginning in 1967. Read Peter Guralnick's great
"Sweet Soul Music" for background. He devotes a chapter to
Aretha where his take on this stuff is that it was as important,
galvanizing, and influential as Elvis Presley was in the 50s.
The albums: Lady Soul
Aretha Arrives
Aretha Now
Soul '69
I Never Loved A Man
Later came: Spirit In The Dark
Young, Gifted, and Black
You can't go wrong with any of these, her other records are more
inconsistent. I'm still in the vinyl age so I can't tell you if
any of these are on CD, but I know Atlantic has been reissuing
a lot of stuff recently. Not only do these records feature her
epochal voice and excellent piano, they include some of the best
rhythm section playing of the time, primarily from Muscle Shoals,
Alabama and Memphis based musicians, plus occasional guest shots
from people like Eric Clapton, King Curtis, and Duane Allman.
....
jimh
And a correction: her sister's name is spelled Erma.
Darryle E Merlette
>I'm just wondering who was doing the excellent backing vocals on the early
>stuff (that is, was more? it Aretha herself?). Also, do people think her
>voice has improved or declined with age, or is it just 'different'?
My cousin (Dave 'Pic' Conley) has produced some tracks for her
upcoming album. In his words: "Cigarettes and alcohol have taken
their toll on her voice, but she's still the queen. She's still
got it."
Darryle
None Of Ya Bizness
Me and my boys was sittin up watchin videos, and Aretha's new video came on.
You should have seen 3 dudes rollin when Aretha came out of left field with
"Let's kick the ballistics." like she was some hard-core rappess. But I must
admit, once we got through picking ourselves off the floor, we found the video
to be quite boomin.
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Robert E. Bennett
On the same tip, has anybody noticed how a lot of rappers (Latifah, Heavy D,
etc) are starting to integrate quite a bit of R&B/Funky singing in their
songs? Back in the days, the only singing that was done a record was by the
rappers themselves who usually used jingle themes to harmonize and rap to.
What y'all think about that? Also what about the flip situation, where R&B
singers integrate rap into their songs? Personally I think it hypes the song
(of course, it depends on who is actually singing and/or rapping and how
well the shit is mixed..) in both situations.
Peace
Rob Base.