"Think" | ||||
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Single by Aretha Franklin | ||||
from the album Aretha Now | ||||
A-side | "Think" | |||
B-side | "You Send Me" | |||
Released | May 2, 1968 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:16 | |||
Label | Atlantic 2518 | |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) | Jerry Wexler [3] | |||
Aretha Franklin singles chronology | ||||
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"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, [4] 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". [5]
Billboard described the single as a "pulsating swinger with another wild performance" that had a similar feel to "Respect" and which it expected would quickly reach a million sales. [6] Cash Box said it has "wailing lyrics of a hard-luck love affair" and "tremendous rhythmic drive." [7]
Chart (1968) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [8] | 6 |
France (IFOP) [9] | 4 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [10] | 12 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [11] | 9 |
UK Singles (OCC) [12] | 26 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [13] | 7 |
US Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles [13] | 1 |
US Cash Box [14] | 7 |
US Record World [15] | 7 |
West Germany (Official German Charts) [16] | 32 |
Chart (2013) | Peak position |
---|---|
France (SNEP) [17] | 135 |
Chart (2018) | Peak position |
---|---|
France (SNEP) [18] | 112 |
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan) [19] | 8 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [20] | 77 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Italy (FIMI) [21] with Otis Redding, sales since 2009 | Gold | 25,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [22] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [23] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [24] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Aretha Now . [25]
Musicians
Production
Franklin performed a new version of the song in a musical sequence of The Blues Brothers (1980). Because Franklin was not used to lip-syncing, this scene required a number of takes and considerable editing. [26] A 3:15 version of the song appears on the film's soundtrack album. In addition to Franklin, the recording features the Blues Brothers band and backup vocals from Franklin's sister Carolyn and cousin Brenda Corbett.
Franklin recorded an updated 3:38 version titled "Think (1989)" for her 1989 album Through the Storm . It was produced and arranged by Arif Mardin with his son Joe Mardin. She re-recorded the song for Mothers Against Drunk Driving as a public service announcement during the late 1980s.
Katharine McPhee's version of the song was released as a limited single from the American Idol 5: Encores (2006) album. The song became a minor Internet hit for McPhee—it was her first song to chart in the Pop 100, where it peaked at No. 90 due to download sales.
Chart | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard Pop 100 [27] | 90 |
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.
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.
"You're All I Need to Get By" is a song recorded by the American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and released on Motown Records' Tamla label in 1968. It was the basis for the 1995 single "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" from Method Man and Mary J. Blige.
"Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" is a 1968 single released by American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, on the Tamla label in 1968. The B-side of the single is "Little Ole Boy, Little Ole Girl" from the duo's United LP. The first release off the duo's second album: You're All I Need, the song—written and produced by regular Gaye/Terrell collaborators Ashford & Simpson—became a hit within weeks of release eventually peaking at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Soul Singles chart, the first of the duo's two number-one R&B hits. In the UK "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" reached number 34.
"Son of a Preacher Man" is a song written and composed by American songwriters John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins and recorded by British singer Dusty Springfield in September 1968 for the album Dusty in Memphis.
"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.
"I Say a Little Prayer" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dionne Warwick, originally peaking at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in December 1967. On the R&B Singles chart it peaked at number eight.
"(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 lyrics 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 reached 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.
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.
"Piece of My Heart" is a romantic soul song written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns, originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967. Franklin's single peaked in December 1967 at number 10 on the Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart in the United States.
"Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" is a song written by Morris Broadnax, Clarence Paul, and Stevie Wonder. The song was originally recorded by Stevie Wonder in 1967, but his version was not released as a single and did not appear on an album until 1977's anthology Looking Back. The best-known version of this song is the 1973 release by Aretha Franklin, who had a million-selling top 10 hit on Billboard charts. The song reached No. 1 on the R&B chart and No. 3 on the Hot 100 chart in 1974. It became an RIAA Gold record.
"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.
"Groovin'" is a song written by the American singer songwriters Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati, initially recorded by their group the Young Rascals in 1967. Cavaliere was inspired to compose the song by his girlfriend Adrienne Buccheri, whom he only got to meet every Sunday amidst heavy touring and recording. Musically, the song differs from most of band's previous output, leaving the garage rock genre for Latin American influences, such as baião. Lyrically, "Groovin'" tells the tale of a narrator spending time with his partner on a Sunday afternoon. The song was arranged and recorded at the Talentmasters Studios, New York City in March of 1967.
"Chain of Fools" is a song written by Don Covay. Aretha Franklin first released the song as a single in 1967 and subsequently it appeared on many of her albums. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues chart and number two on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. In the lyrics, the singer has been with her boyfriend for five years but realizes she's one of his "chain of fools," women with whom he's been cheating. Others tell her to leave him, but she says his love is too strong and she's too weak. Yet someday, she predicts the chain will break.
"Call Me" is a song written and recorded by American singer Aretha Franklin. The song was co-produced by Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin.
"(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.
"Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby)" is the title of a Top 30 hit single for Lulu which was recorded in September 1969 in the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio sessions for Lulu's Atco Records album debut New Routes. The song has been most notably remade by Aretha Franklin, The Raes, Buster Poindexter, Tina Arena, and Ronnie Spector on English Heart (2016).
"With Pen in Hand" is a song written by Bobby Goldsboro and first released on his March 1968 album, Honey. The song's lyrics address the subjects of divorce and losing custody of one's child, and are sung from the perspective of the parent who expects to be losing custody of their child, as they make a final plea to their spouse to reconcile before the divorce is finalized. "With Pen in Hand" has been a hit for multiple artists in the late 1960s and 1970s.
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.
..."Think," a volcanic soul stomp that cries for freedom.
Franklin brings the funk with gospel fervor...
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