| Aretha | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 27, 1986 | |||
| Recorded | 1986 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 45:26 | |||
| Label | Arista | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Aretha Franklin chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Aretha | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | B− [2] |
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.
As with Franklin's previous album, Who's Zoomin' Who? , Aretha was produced mainly by Narada Michael Walden and includes her duet with George Michael, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)", which became Franklin's first #1 Pop single since "Respect" in 1967, and would also be her last. The album also yielded three other hit singles: "Jimmy Lee", "Rock-A-Lott" and a hard rock cover of The Rolling Stones' classic, "Jumpin' Jack Flash". All music videos were popular on MTV, BET and other video outlets. [3]
Franklin's vocal from "Rock-A-Lott" was sampled extensively in the 49ers' 1990 hit "Touch Me", while her version of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" was the title song for the comedy film of the same name starring Whoopi Goldberg. All four of the singles were shot as music videos that received extensive play.
The album cover was Andy Warhol's final work before his death in early 1987. [4]
The album was remastered and re-released as an "Expanded Edition" in December 2014 by Funky Town Grooves, with bonus tracks and a second CD of material. [5]
Following Franklin's first-ever Platinum record, Who's Zoomin' Who? , Aretha was certified Gold by the RIAA, after only several weeks on the market. It eventually moved 900,000 copies.
This marked Franklin's seventh Gold album.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Jimmy Lee" |
| N.M. Walden | 5:47 |
| 2. | "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (with George Michael) | N.M. Walden | 4:01 | |
| 3. | "Do You Still Remember" |
| N.M. Walden | 5:10 |
| 4. | "Jumpin' Jack Flash" | Richards | 5:10 | |
| 5. | "Rock-A-Lott" |
| N.M. Walden | 6:21 |
| 6. | "An Angel Cries" |
| N.M. Walden | 4:59 |
| 7. | "He'll Come Along" | Aretha Franklin | Franklin | 4:11 |
| 8. | "If You Need My Love Tonight" (with Larry Graham) |
| N.M. Walden | 4:30 |
| 9. | "Look to the Rainbow" | Franklin | 5:14 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Rock-A-Lott" (Single Mix) | 4:41 |
| 11. | "Rock-A-Lott" (Radio Edit) | 5:32 |
| 12. | "Rock-A-Lott" (Street Mix) | 9:26 |
| 13. | "Rock-A-Lott" (Dub) | 6:40 |
| 14. | "Rock-A-Lott" (Acapella) | 6:59 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "If You Need My Love Tonight" (mislabeled as "An Angel Cries" 7" mix) | 4:34 |
| 2. | "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (Instrumental) | 4:03 |
| 3. | "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (Edited Remix) | 5:31 |
| 4. | "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (Percapella) | 5:17 |
| 5. | "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (Extended Remix) | 7:27 |
| 6. | "Jimmy Lee" (Extended Version) | 7:19 |
| 7. | "Jimmy Lee" (Dub Version) | 6:14 |
| 8. | "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (7" Mix) | 4:30 |
| 9. | "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (Street Mix) | 6:11 |
| 10. | "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (Edited Street Mix) | 4:40 |
| 11. | "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (Master Dub Mix) | 4:36 |
| 12. | "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (Beat Dub Mix) | 4:13 |
| 13. | "Aretha Megamix" (Who's Zoomin' Who / Another Night / Integrity / Freeway of Love) | 7:48 |
| Chart (1986–1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [6] | 33 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [7] | 56 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [8] | 60 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [9] | 45 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [10] | 20 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [11] | 12 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [12] | 12 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [13] | 23 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [14] | 51 |
| US Billboard 200 [15] | 32 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [16] | 7 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada) [17] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United States (RIAA) [18] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
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