I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 10, 1967 | |||
Recorded | January 10 – February 26, 1967 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | Southern soul | |||
Length | 32:51 | |||
Label | Atlantic | |||
Producer | Jerry Wexler | |||
Aretha Franklin chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [2] |
Robert Christgau | A [3] |
The Village Voice | A [4] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [5] |
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You is the tenth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on March 10, 1967 by Atlantic Records. It was Franklin's first release under her contract with the label, following her departure from Columbia Records after nine unsuccessful jazz standard albums, and marked a commercial breakthrough for her, becoming her first top 10 album in the United States, reaching number 2 on the Billboard 200. Two singles were released to promote the album: "Respect" (an Otis Redding cover) and "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)". The former topped the Billboard Hot 100, while latter reached the top 10.
Although initially released to a mixed critical response, the album was eventually widely reappraised and is now regarded as one of the greatest and most influential albums of all time, being included in Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list, in which it was ranked at number 13 in the 2020 iteration, as well as in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . Franklin's cover of "Respect" became her signature song and was ranked by Rolling Stone as the greatest song of all time in 2021.
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You is Aretha's first album with Atlantic Records. The title track was recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. [6] [7] After an altercation broke out between Franklin's then husband, Ted White, trumpeter Ken Laxton and FAME studios owner/producer Rick Hall, producer Jerry Wexler arranged to continue recording the LP at Atlantic Studios, New York. [8] [6] The B-side, "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man", was unfinished at FAME studios as the session ended abruptly. Members of the Muscle Shoals rhythm section were flown to New York to complete "Do Right Woman" and a number of other tracks (including "Respect"). There was a discrepancy in the tape-recording speeds of the two studios. The foundation track of "Do Right Woman" recorded at Muscle Shoals and the later tracks added at Atlantic's New York studio are slightly out of tune with each other: Producer Chips Moman regretted that the piano was faintly sharp. [9]
The record spent several weeks at number 2 on the main Billboard album chart and 14 weeks at number 1 in the magazine's Top R&B Albums chart. It was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1967, eventually selling nearly two million. It was voted number 352 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000). [10] It received a number 83 ranking on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, 84 in a 2012 revised list [11] and 13 in the 2020 edition. [12] The album was also included in both the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (2005) and 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (2008). [13] When Rolling Stone listed the "Women in Rock: 50 Essential Albums" in 2002 and again 2012, the album was named at number one. [14] The album included two top-10 singles: "Respect" was a number-1 single on Billboard 's Hot 100 Pop singles chart, and "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" peaked at number 9. The album was rated the 10th best album of the 1960s by Pitchfork . [15]
In 1967, Rolling Stone chided the album for "the lack of versatility on the part of the sidemen. The drums weren't hard enough, the guitar was weak, and the production lacked polish." [16] In 2002, though, they placed the album at number 1 on their "Women in Rock: 50 Essential Albums" list. In 2003, the album was ranked number 83 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Music Critic Robert Christgau, gave the album an A, stating that "Not all of the tracks sound inspired" but also that it was the best album she had made up until that point. [17] Q included the album on their list of the "100 Greatest Albums Ever". [18] Q also gave the album 4 stars and said "[the album] came out in May 1967 and was number 2 in America within weeks ... now it stands untainted by time. She seemed so much a force of nature it's strange to recall that this was actually her tenth album ..." [19]
In the obituary for Aretha Franklin, Rolling Stone made this comment about I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You: "It puts the emphasis not just on the great songs, or the amazing music, but on the person speaking them, her world, her story and whatever journey she's on in life. It rings out like revealed truth happening in real time, a declaration of independence." [20]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Respect" | Otis Redding | 2:29 |
2. | "Drown in My Own Tears" | Henry Glover | 4:07 |
3. | "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" | Ronnie Shannon | 2:51 |
4. | "Soul Serenade" | Curtis Ousley, Luther Dixon | 2:39 |
5. | "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream" | Aretha Franklin, Ted White | 2:23 |
6. | "Baby, Baby, Baby" | Aretha Franklin, Carolyn Franklin | 2:54 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
7. | "Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business)" | Aretha Franklin, Ted White | 3:23 |
8. | "Good Times" | Sam Cooke | 2:10 |
9. | "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" | Dan Penn, Chips Moman | 3:16 |
10. | "Save Me" | Aretha Franklin, Carolyn Franklin, Curtis Ousley | 2:21 |
11. | "A Change Is Gonna Come" | Sam Cooke | 4:20 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
12. | "Respect" (stereo version) | Otis Redding | 2:28 |
13. | "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" (stereo version) | Ronnie Shannon | 2:47 |
14. | "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" (stereo version) | Dan Penn, Chips Moman | 3:14 |
Chart (1967) | Peak position |
---|---|
UK Albums (OCC) [22] | 36 |
US Billboard 200 [23] | 2 |
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [24] | 1 |
Aretha Louise Franklin was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the "Queen of Soul", Rolling Stone twice named her as the greatest singer of all time. With global sales of over 75 million records, Franklin is one of the world's best-selling music artists.
Lady Soul is the twelfth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin released in early 1968 by Atlantic Records. The album stayed at number 1 for 16 weeks on Billboard's R&B album chart, and it hit number 2 on the pop album chart during a year-long run.
Young, Gifted and Black is the eighteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Aretha Franklin, released in early 1972, by Atlantic Records. The album climbed to number 2 on Billboard's R&B albums survey and peaked at Number 11 on the main album chart. It was quickly certified Gold by the RIAA. Its title was cut from "To Be Young, Gifted and Black", recorded and released by Nina Simone in 1969.
Dusty in Memphis is the fifth studio album by English singer Dusty Springfield. Initial sessions were recorded at American Sound Studio in Memphis, while Springfield's final vocals and the album's orchestral parts were recorded at Atlantic Records' New York City studios. The album was released in March 1969 in the United States by Atlantic Records, and Philips Records distributed the record outside the U.S. Springfield worked on the album with a team of musicians and producers that included Jerry Wexler, Arif Mardin, Tom Dowd, conductor Gene Orloff, backing vocalists the Sweet Inspirations, bassist Tommy Cogbill, and guitarist Reggie Young.
"Respect" is a song written and originally recorded by American soul singer Otis Redding. It was released in 1965 as a single from his third album Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul and became a crossover hit for Redding.
"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" is a 1967 song by American soul singer Aretha Franklin released as a single by the Atlantic label. The words were written by Gerry Goffin from an idea by Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler, and the music was composed by Carole King. Written for Franklin, the record was a big hit reaching number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became one of her signature songs. It made history on the UK Singles Chart a week after her death, finally becoming a hit almost 51 years after it was first released, entering at No. 79. Franklin also included a live recording on the album Aretha in Paris in 1968.
Amazing Grace is a live album by American singer Aretha Franklin. It was recorded in January 1972 at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, with Reverend James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir accompanying Franklin in performance. The recording was originally released as a double album on June 1, 1972, by Atlantic Records.
A Rose Is Still a Rose is the thirty-fourth studio album by American recording artist Aretha Franklin. It was released on March 24, 1998, by Arista Records. Conceived after a longer hiatus and a complete departure from her previous studio album What You See Is What You Sweat (1991), the album includes influences of 1990s hip hop as well as modern-day contemporary R&B and soul music. Throughout the project, Franklin worked with many famed hip hop producers and rappers, such as Lauryn Hill, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Jermaine Dupri, and Daryl Simmons. With the latter acts producing most of the album, A Rose Is Still a Rose deviated from the adult contemporary sound of Franklin's older work.
"I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" is a 1967 single released by American soul singer Aretha Franklin. Released on Atlantic Records as the first big hit of her career and the lead single from her tenth studio album of the same name, it became a defining song for Franklin, peaking at number one on the rhythm and blues charts and number nine on the pop charts. The B-side was "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man". Before this Franklin had placed only two Top 40 singles on the pop chart during her modest tenure with Columbia Records.
The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section is a group of American session musicians based in the northern Alabama town of Muscle Shoals. One of the most prominent American studio house bands from the 1960s to the 1980s, these musicians, individually or as a group, have been associated with more than 500 recordings, including 75 gold and platinum hits. They were masters at creating a southern combination of R&B, soul and country music known as the "Muscle Shoals sound" to back up black artists, who were often in disbelief to learn that the studio musicians were white. Over the years from 1962 to 1969, there have been two successive groups under the name "Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section" and the common factor in the two was an association with Rick Hall at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals.
Boz Scaggs is the second studio album by American musician Boz Scaggs, released in 1969 by Atlantic Records. A stylistically diverse album, Boz Scaggs incorporates several genres, including Americana, blue-eyed soul, country, and rhythm and blues. The lyrics are about typical themes found in blues songs, such as love, regret, guilt, and loss. Scaggs recorded the album at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio with producer Jann Wenner, the co-founder of Rolling Stone magazine. The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section heavily contributed to the album, which included a young Duane Allman, before his rise to fame with the Allman Brothers Band.
This Girl's in Love with You is the sixteenth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on January 15, 1970 by Atlantic Records. It reached Billboard's Top 20 and was reissued on compact disc through Rhino Records in 1993. Her version of The Beatles' "Let It Be" was the first recording of the song to be commercially issued. Songwriter Paul McCartney sent Franklin and Atlantic Records a demo of the song as a guide.
Aretha's Greatest Hits is the third compilation album by American singer Aretha Franklin. Released on September 9, 1971, on Atlantic Records, the compilation contains three new recordings: "Spanish Harlem", "You're All I Need to Get By" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water".
FAME Studios is a recording studio located at 603 East Avalon Avenue in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, an area of northern Alabama known as the Shoals. Though small and distant from the main recording locations of the American music industry, FAME has produced many hit records and was instrumental in what came to be known as the Muscle Shoals sound. It was started in the 1950s by Rick Hall, known as the Founder of Muscle Shoals Music. The studio, owned by Hall until his death in 2018, is still actively operating. It was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on December 15, 1997, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. The 2013 award-winning documentary Muscle Shoals features Rick Hall, the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, and the Muscle Shoals sound originally popularized by FAME.
Aretha's Gold is a greatest hits album by Aretha Franklin, released in 1969 at Atlantic Recording Corporation. The album's tracks were recorded at Atlantic Studios, New York City, except "I Never Loved a Man " and "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man," which were recorded at the Fame Recording Studios, Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
Roe Erister "Rick" Hall was an American record producer, songwriter, and musician who became known as the owner of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. As the "Father of Muscle Shoals Music", he was influential in recording and promoting both country and soul music, and in helping develop the careers of such musicians as Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Duane Allman and Etta James.
"Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" is a song written by Chips Moman and Dan Penn, and made famous by Aretha Franklin. Her version was released on February 10, 1967. Rolling Stone listed it as number 476 in their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
30 Greatest Hits is a 1985 Aretha Franklin compilation album. The album chronicles majority of Franklin's hit singles during the Atlantic Records era from 1967 up to 1974. Following Franklin's death, the album entered the top ten of the Billboard 200 albums chart at number seven, in the week ending on August 25, 2018 earning 52,000 units with 18,000 of that were traditional sales. It climbed one spot higher the following week, becoming Franklin's highest-peaking compilation album in the United States.
The Very Best of Aretha Franklin, Vol. 1 is a compilation album by singer Aretha Franklin, released by Rhino Records in March 1994. The album compiles 13 of her first 14 singles for Atlantic Records all of which were recorded during the 1960s. The original recordings were produced by Jerry Wexler, and this compilation was certified platinum by the RIAA.
The Atlantic Singles Collection 1967–1970 is a compilation album of singer Aretha Franklin, released by Rhino Records in September 2018. The album contains her first 17 singles for Atlantic Records released in the United States from her debut for the label "I Never Loved a Man " of February 1967 through "Border Song " of October 1970. The Amazon sales website identifies these as digitally remastered versions of the original mono issues, although that is not indicated in the set's liner notes or packaging. The original recordings were produced by Jerry Wexler, at times in collaboration with Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin.
Atlantic picked her up and in early 1967 sent her to FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals.
The result – recorded at iconic Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama – was a new kind of soul power,