The Very Best of Aretha Franklin, Vol. 1

Last updated

The Very Best of Aretha Franklin, Vol. 1
Arethaverybestcover.jpg
Compilation album by
ReleasedMarch 18, 1994
RecordedJanuary 1967 – October 1969
Genre Soul music
Length47:26
Label Rhino Records
Producer Gary Stewart
Aretha Franklin chronology
Greatest Hits: 1980-1994
(1994)
The Very Best of Aretha Franklin, Vol. 1
(1994)
A Rose Is Still A Rose
(1998)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg link
NME 9/10 [1]

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. [2]

Contents

Content

This compilation contains thirteen of Franklin's initial fourteen singles released in the United States on Atlantic from her debut "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" of February 1967 through "Call Me" of January 1970. The first eight all made the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, including her chart-topping signature song, "Respect." No single included charted lower than No. 19 on the Hot 100. Missing is her eleventh single of this sequence, "I Can't See Myself Leaving You" of April 1969; also missing is her 1968 version of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" released as a single in the United Kingdom only.

The other three tracks appeared as b-sides, two of which charted on the Hot 100 independently of their hit sides. The single mixes do not appear here on every track.

All basic tracks were recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, with the studio's core session musicians. Additional overdubbing on select recordings took place at Atlantic Studios in New York City.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Respect" (Atlantic 2403 Billboard No. 1) Otis Redding 2:25
2."Baby I Love You" (Atlantic 2427 Billboard No. 4)Ronnie Shannon2:51
3."I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" (Atlantic 2386 Billboard No. 9)Ronnie Shannon2:43
4."Chain of Fools" (Atlantic 2464 Billboard No. 2) Don Covay 2:48
5."Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" (Atlantic 2386b) Chips Moman, Dan Penn 3:15
6."(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (Atlantic 2441 Billboard No. 8) Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Jerry Wexler 2:44
7."(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone" (Atlantic 2486 Billboard No. 5) Aretha Franklin, Ted White2:25
8."Ain't No Way" (Atlantic 2486b Billboard No. 16) Carolyn Franklin 2:54
9."Think" (Atlantic 2518 Billboard No. 7)Aretha Franklin, Ted White4:14
10."See Saw" (Atlantic 2574 Billboard No. 14) Steve Cropper, Don Covay2:19
11."The House That Jack Built" (Atlantic 2546 Billboard No. 6)Bob Lance, Fran Robbins2:46
12."I Say a Little Prayer" (Atlantic 2546b Billboard No. 10) Burt Bacharach, Hal David 2:22
13."The Weight" (Atlantic 2603 Billboard No. 19) Robbie Robertson 3:36
14."Eleanor Rigby" (Atlantic 2683 Billboard No. 17) John Lennon, Paul McCartney 2:38
15."Share Your Love with Me" (Atlantic 2650 Billboard No. 13)Alfred Braggs3:20
16."Call Me" (Atlantic 2706 Billboard No. 13)Aretha Franklin3:56

Collective personnel

Charts

Chart (1994)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [3] 105
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [4] 10
Chart (2018)Peak
position
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [5] 117
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [6] 85

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
France (SNEP) [7] 2× Gold150,000*
United States (RIAA) [8] Platinum1,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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>Young, Gifted and Black</i> 1972 studio album by Aretha Franklin

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Respect (song)</span> 1965 single by Otis Redding

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Say a Little Prayer</span> 1967 song by Burt Bacharach and Hal David

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman</span> 1967 song by Aretha Franklin

"(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 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.

<i>Amazing Grace</i> (Aretha Franklin album) 1972 live album by Aretha Franklin

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.

<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.

<i>Whos Zoomin Who?</i> 1985 studio album by Aretha Franklin

Who's Zoomin' Who? is the thirtieth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on July 9, 1985, by Arista Records. A departure from the Luther Vandross-produced adult contemporary sound of her previous albums Jump to It (1982) and Get It Right (1983), Franklin worked with producer Narada Michael Walden on the majority of the album, envisioning "a record with a younger sound to it". As a result, Who's Zoomin' Who? contains influences of several popular mid-1980s genres, including dance-pop, synth-pop, and contemporary R&B, as well as pop songs with crossover appeal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aretha Franklin discography</span>

This discography documents the releases of albums and singles by Aretha Franklin. Widely regarded as the "Queen of Soul", she has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling R&B female artists of all time. Billboard ranks her as the 34th Greatest Artist of all time. Franklin has scored 73 entries on the Billboard Hot 100, the most among women for nearly 50 years until Nicki Minaj passed her in 2017. Billboard listed her as the 41st Top Gospel Artist of the 2010s. She has accumulated 20 No. 1 hits on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

<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>A Rose Is Still a Rose</i> 1998 studio album by Aretha Franklin

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.

<i>Aretha Live at Fillmore West</i> 1971 live album by Aretha Franklin

Aretha Live at Fillmore West is a live album by American singer Aretha Franklin. Released on May 19, 1971, by Atlantic Records. It was reissued on compact disc in 1993 through Rhino Records. An expanded, limited edition 4-CD box set entitled, Don't Fight the Feeling: The Complete Aretha Franklin & King Curtis Live at Fillmore West was released by Rhino in 2005. This was limited to 5000 numbered copies. In addition, there is a guest duet vocal by Ray Charles on "Spirit in the Dark".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock Steady (Aretha Franklin song)</span> 1971 single by Aretha Franklin

"Rock Steady" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Aretha Franklin, released in October 1971 from her eighteenth album, Young, Gifted and Black (1972). The single reached the #9 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 charts that same year. It also peaked at #2 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart. The original A-side, a rendition of the song "Oh Me Oh My ", peaked at #73 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart.

<i>Rare & Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul</i> 2007 compilation album by Aretha Franklin

Rare & Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul is a 2007 two-disc compilation album featuring unreleased and rare songs by Aretha Franklin recorded between 1966 and 1973 on Atlantic Records. The liner notes, nominated for a Grammy at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, were co-written by Jerry Wexler, who was responsible for producing the sound which solidified Franklin as a legend, and David Ritz, who co-authored Franklin's 1999 autobiography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Henley discography</span>

The discography of Don Henley, singer and drummer for the rock group The Eagles, consists of five studio albums, two compilation albums, and 27 solo singles.

<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.

Nova Wav is a record production and songwriting duo composed of Brittany "Chi" Coney and Denisia "Blu June" Andrews. Over the course of their career, Nova Wav has written and produced on tracks and albums for artists including Beyoncé, Rihanna, DJ Khaled, Ariana Grande, Jay-Z, Saweetie, Nicki Minaj, Teyana Taylor, Kehlani and more. They were signed to Warner Chappell Music by Ryan Press and "Big Jon" Platt. They were named Billboards 2018 R&B/Hip-Hop 100 Power Players and listed on Revolt's Top 9 producers of 2019 that demanded the sound of Hip Hop and R&B.

References

  1. Dellar, Fred (October 22, 1994). "Long Play". NME . p. 47. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  2. RIAA Gold and Platinum database retrieved 25 October 2017.
  3. "Aretha Franklin Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  4. "Aretha Franklin Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  5. "ベリー・ベスト・オブ・アレサ・フランクリン VOL.1 | アレサ・フランクリン | ORICON NEWS" (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  6. "Swisscharts.com – Aretha Franklin – The Very Best Of Aretha Franklin, Vol. 1". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  7. "French album certifications – Aretha Franklin – The Very Best of Aretha Franklin" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  8. "American album certifications – Aretha Franklin – The Very Best of Aretha Franklin". Recording Industry Association of America.