Aretha | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 27, 1961 [1] | |||
Recorded | August 1, 1960 – January 10, 1961 | |||
Studio | Columbia Recording Studios, (New York City, New York) | |||
Genre | Vocal pop | |||
Length | 32:47 | |||
Label | Columbia (CS8412) | |||
Producer | John H. Hammond | |||
Aretha Franklin chronology | ||||
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Singles from Aretha | ||||
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Aretha is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Aretha Franklin, released on February 27, 1961, by Columbia Records. It features the Ray Bryant Combo. The album is Aretha's first release for Columbia, and is also known under its working title Right Now It's Aretha. [1] Following in the footsteps of her close friend Sam Cooke, Aretha was "discovered" by famed Columbia Records producer John H. Hammond, who on the liner notes of the 1973 edition of "The Great Aretha Franklin: The First 12 Sides" mentions that she was in fact recommended by the composer Curtis Reginald Lewis. With the support of her father, Reverend C.L. Franklin, Aretha traveled to New York City's Columbia Record Studios to record her debut album for the label. Hammond paired Aretha Franklin with Ray Bryant and arranger J. Leslie McFarland, while taking charge of the album's production, which received mixed reviews.
The album showcases an 18-year-old Franklin, covering a range of pop standards. Columbia was experimenting to see what kind of music worked best with Aretha's style. Though rare to find an original 6-eye pressing on vinyl, Columbia Records re-released these sessions and retitled them as "The Great Aretha Franklin: The First 12 Sides", in 1972. The exact same recording "The Great Aretha Franklin: The First 12 Sides", was once more re-released on vinyl, this time in 1973 by CBS/Embassy, trademarks of Columbia Records, probably being a UK edition, which on the center label bears these identification numbers: EMB S-31006 (KC 31953). There are some minor changes in the track list for the 1973 edition as well. (See the separate track listing below the 1972 listing).
The cover notes on this edition were written by John Hammond, October 5, 1972. Among other things he mentions that all the sides on the record were originally made as singles, primarily for the jukebox market. At the end he writes: For some strange reason, this album has always been something of a secret, and I can only hope that it gets across to a new generation of Aretha admirers. Let me hasten to add that there has been no overdubbing, rechanneling or other messing around with the pure gold of the original.
Aretha Arrives is the eleventh studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on August 4, 1967, by Atlantic Records. Its first single release was "Baby I Love You", a million-selling Gold 45, which hit #1 R&B and #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, followed by her cover version of The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" in 1968. This was her second album for Atlantic. The sessions for the album were delayed because Franklin shattered her elbow in an accident during a Southern tour. She decided she was ready to record before her doctor thought she was ready. While she still did not have full mobility, she provided piano accompaniment on the slower songs and played with her left hand only on "You Are My Sunshine". In 2024, the song Prove It from the album was sampled by Canadian rapper Drake on his single The Heart Part 6.
Aretha Now is the thirteenth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on June 14, 1968, by Atlantic Records. Quickly certified Gold, it eventually reached a million in US sales. It hit No. 3 on Billboard's album chart. In 1993, it was reissued on CD through Rhino Records. The album was rated the 133rd best album of the 1960s by Pitchfork.
With Everything I Feel in Me is the twenty-first studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, Released on November 25, 1974, by Atlantic Records.
Aretha In Paris is a live album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released in 1968, by Atlantic Records. The album was recorded in Paris, France, on May 7, 1968. It reached the top 20 of Billboard's album chart. It was reissued on compact disc through Rhino Records in the 1990s.
Soul '69 is the fourteenth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin; released in 1969 by Atlantic Records, the album features cover material. The album charted at number 1 on Billboard's R&B albums chart and at number 15 on Billboard's Top Albums, but launched two largely unsuccessful singles, "Tracks of My Tears", which reached number 21 on "Black Singles" and number 71 on "Pop Singles", and "Gentle on My Mind", which charted at number 50 and number 76 respectively. The album was re-released on compact disc through Rhino Records in the 1990s.
Aretha is the thirty-first studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, originally released on October 27, 1986, by Arista Records. It is the third album with the Aretha title to be released by Franklin, following her 1961 album and 1980 album.
Aretha is the twenty-sixth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin. It was released on September 30, 1980, by Arista Records. This is Franklin's second eponymous album, and her first for Arista Records after a 12-year tenure with Atlantic Records.
"Jimmy Lee" is a song written by Narada Michael Walden, Lisa Walden, Preston Glass, and Jeffrey Cohen for American singer Aretha Franklin, who recorded it for her 1986 album Aretha. Produced by Narada Michael Walden, the track was released as the lead single from the album in late 1986.
Super Hits is a greatest hits album from Miles Davis. Released in 2001, it reached #22 on Billboard's Jazz Albums chart.
Soul Street is an album by saxophonist Jimmy Forrest compiled from four different sessions between 1960 and 1962 and released on New Jazz Some tracks appear as CD bonus tracks on other CDs but this is the only album on which the Big Band tracks appear.
Samuel "Sticks" Evans was an American drummer, percussionist, music teacher, arranger and musical director. He was credited variously as Sammy "Stick" Evans, Samie Evans, Sammy Evans, Sammie Evans, Stick Evans, Sticks Evans, and Belton Evans.
ChaunceyLeon Westbrook, known professionally as Chauncey "Lord" Westbrook, was an American jazz guitarist.
Stable Mates is a split album by A. K. Salim and Yusef Lateef recorded in 1957 for the Savoy label.
The Birth of a Band! is an album by Quincy Jones that was released by Mercury with performances by Zoot Sims, Clark Terry, Harry Edison, and Phil Woods.
Skull Session is an album by American jazz composer/arranger Oliver Nelson featuring performances recorded in 1975 for the Flying Dutchman label.
Swinging Like Tate is an album by saxophonist Buddy Tate which was recorded in 1958 and released on the Felsted label.
The Hawk in Paris is an album by saxophonist Coleman Hawkins featuring compositions related to Paris performed with an orchestra arranged and conducted by Manny Albam which was recorded in 1956 for the RCA Records subsidiary Vik label.
A Brand New Me is a compilation album by American recording artist Aretha Franklin. It was released on November 10, 2017, by Rhino Records and Atlantic Records. The album features archival vocal performances that Franklin recorded for Atlantic Records accompanied by new orchestral arrangements by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and newly recorded backing vocals, in addition to the original (archived) background vocal and instrumental accompaniments. Producer Nick Patrick said of the album: "There is a reason that Aretha Franklin is called the 'Queen of Soul.' There is nothing more exciting than that incredible voice taking you on an emotional roller coaster ride through her amazing repertoire of songs. To have the opportunity to work with that voice on this project has been the greatest honor and to hear a symphony orchestra wrapped around those performances is breathtaking." Franklin died in August 2018, nine months after the album's release.