Soul '69

Last updated

Soul '69
Soul '69.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 17, 1969
RecordedApril 17–18 & September 24, 1968
StudioAtlantic Studios, (New York City, New York)
Genre Soul, jazz
Length40:49
Label Atlantic (#8212), Rhino
Producer Tom Dowd, Jerry Wexler
Aretha Franklin chronology
Aretha in Paris
(1968)
Soul '69
(1969)
Soft and Beautiful
(1969)
Singles from Soul '69
  1. "The Tracks of My Tears"
    Released: 1969
  2. "Gentle on My Mind"
    Released: April 1969

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.

Contents

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Rolling Stone (positive) [3]

The album was critically well received. Music journalist Stanley Booth wrote in Rolling Stone that Soul '69 was "quite possibly the best record to appear in the last five years", describing it as "excellent in ways in which pop music hasn't been since the Beatles spear-headed the renaissance of rock". [3] In spite of critical praise and popular success, however, the album has sunk into obscurity, becoming one of what journalist Richie Unterberger terms as "[Aretha Franklin's] most overlooked '60s albums". [4]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Ramblin'" Big Maybelle 3:10
2."Today I Sing the Blues" Curtis Reginald Lewis 4:25
3."River's Invitation" Percy Mayfield 2:40
4."Pitiful" Rose Marie McCoy, Charlie Singleton3:04
5."Crazy He Calls Me" Bob Russell, Carl Sigman 3:28
6."Bring It On Home to Me" Sam Cooke 3:45
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Tracks of My Tears" Smokey Robinson, Pete Moore, Marv Tarplin 2:56
8."If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody" Rudy Clark 3:08
9."Gentle on My Mind" John Hartford 2:28
10."So Long" Russ Morgan, Remus Harris, Irving Melsher4:36
11."I'll Never Be Free" Bennie Benjamin, George David Weiss 4:15
12."Elusive Butterfly" Bob Lind 2:45

Personnel

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You</i> 1967 studio album by Aretha Franklin

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" and "I Never Loved a Man ". The former topped the Billboard Hot 100, while latter reached the top 10.

<i>Lady Soul</i> 1968 studio album by Aretha Franklin

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.

<i>Aretha Now</i> 1968 studio album by Aretha Franklin

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.

<i>Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky)</i> 1973 studio album by Aretha Franklin

Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky) is the nineteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Aretha Franklin.

<i>With Everything I Feel in Me</i> 1974 studio album by Aretha Franklin

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I've Been Loving You Too Long</span> 1965 single by Otis Redding

"I've Been Loving You Too Long" (originally "I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)") is a soul music ballad written by Otis Redding and Jerry Butler. Considered by music critics and writers to be one of Redding's finest performances and a soul classic, it is a slow, emotional piece with Redding's pleading vocals backed by producer Steve Cropper's arpeggiated guitar parts and a horn section.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Think (Aretha Franklin song)</span> 1968 single by Aretha Franklin

"Think" is a song written by American singer Aretha Franklin and Ted White, and first recorded by Franklin. It was released as a single in 1968, from her Aretha Now album. The song reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Franklin's seventh top 10 hit in the United States. The song also reached number 1 on the magazine's Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles, becoming her sixth single to top the chart. Franklin re-recorded the song in the Atlantic Records New York studio for the soundtrack of the 1980 film The Blues Brothers and in 1989 for the album Through the Storm. Pitchfork placed it at number 15 on its list of "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s".

"I'm in Love" is a song written by Bobby Womack. It was first recorded by Wilson Pickett in 1967, which gave him a top-ten R&B hit on Billboard's chart in 1968, peaking at number 4 as well as peaking at number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"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.

<i>Aretha in Paris</i> 1968 live album by Aretha Franklin

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.

<i>Aretha</i> (1986 album) 1986 studio album by Aretha Franklin

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.

<i>Aretha</i> (1980 album) 1980 studio album by Aretha Franklin

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.

<i>Through the Storm</i> (Aretha Franklin album) 1989 studio album by Aretha Franklin

Through the Storm is the thirty-second studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin. It was released on April 25, 1989, by Arista Records.

"(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone" is a song by singer Aretha Franklin. Released from her Lady Soul album in 1968, the song was successful, debuting at number 31 and peaking at number 5 on the Hot 100 for five weeks, and spending three weeks at number 1 on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart. The B-side, "Ain't No Way", was also a hit, peaking at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 9 on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart.

<i>Aretha</i> (1961 album) 1961 studio album by Aretha Franklin with the Ray Bryant Combo

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. 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.

<i>What You See Is What You Sweat</i> 1991 studio album by Aretha Franklin

What You See Is What You Sweat is the thirty-third studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on June 25, 1991, by Arista Records. It peaked at number 153 on Billboard's album chart, dropping off after seven weeks. This was Franklin's first new release in the Nielsen SoundScan era.

<i>Mr. Blues Plays Lady Soul</i> 1969 studio album by Hank Crawford

Mr. Blues Plays Lady Soul is the sixth album led by saxophonist Hank Crawford featuring performances recorded in 1969 for the Atlantic label.

<i>The Very Best of Aretha Franklin, Vol. 1</i> 1994 compilation album by Aretha Franklin

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.

<i>A Brand New Me</i> (Aretha Franklin album) 2017 compilation album by Aretha Franklin, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

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.

<i>The Atlantic Singles Collection 1967–1970</i> 2018 compilation album by Aretha Franklin

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.

References

  1. Unterberger, Richie, "Soul '69 review", AllMusic.
  2. Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0195313734.
  3. 1 2 Booth, Stanley (March 1, 1969). "Soul '69". Rolling Stone . San Francisco: Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
  4. Soul '69 at AllMusic.