Aretha Franklin -- RIP

Ugh.

Her version of Stevie's "Until You Come Back To Me" is heavenly.

That whole album! And I discovered it only last year.

been listening to this great collection of her early work:

https://www.discogs.com/Aretha-Franklin-The-Queen-In-Waiting-The-Columbia-Years-1960-1965/master/463932

RIP ;_;

And this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHsnZT7Z2yQ

RIP, Aretha.

Very sad but also strangely comforting that a musical legend was able to enjoy an entire natural human lifespan for once (just this moment thinking about how long she outlasted her much younger 'Knew You Were Waiting' duet partner).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwMr7kr6ops

RIP
Live
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STKkWj2WpWM
In the studio, with David Hood on drums:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STKkWj2WpWM

st this moment thinking about how long she outlasted her much younger 'Knew You Were Waiting' duet partner).

I thought about this very point last night.

Sad news.

Everyone will extol the 1960s stuff, but for me, Who's Zoomin' Who is the one. What a ripper of a groove, and her voice never sounded better.

Aretharrgh, Roger Hawkins on drums, David Hood plays bass

( was just trying to avoid mistakenly typing Bernard Purdue there and overstepped my mark)

Aretha (1986) >>> Who's Zoomin' Who.

crying.

Had a ticket to see her at Radio City circa 1986 -- alas, she canceled.

RIP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7Vt1c2BzC4

THANKS!

"Aretha (1986) >>> Who's Zoomin' Who."

I meant the track rather than the album. But I will check that other one out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKBTFaan32Q

Her version of Stevie's "Until You Come Back To Me" is heavenly.

― I Never Promised You A Hose Harden (Eric H.), Thursday, August 16, 2018 3:10 PM (twenty-eight minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

seconded

I saw her at Radio City circa 2006. She mostly eschewed her catalog of hits and instead sang some unfamiliar R&B, some gospel, and a bit of opera. I felt it was too short, it seemed about 45 minutes. Maybe her voice was getting worn by that point. I remember her being quite witty between songs, and playing some piano. Brought her son out to do a solo rap number.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9V1r2RV_V8

I can go on all day about her piano abilities, the least praised element in her artistry.

OTM. On all her records -- but especially on Amazing Grace -- her playing is never less than brilliant.

I was a late arrival to her '70s material, but hoo boy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tMFqa_K7bg

the greatest

rip

THat is a good oen that doesn't get enough airplay

I listen to my favorite of her self-written songs at least once a week:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXQBRHhfwo4

wondering if there's a better album than young, gifted and black. really not sure

Spirit in the Dark!

maybe...

That Kennedy Centre clip upthread is majestic.

Aretha + Luther = perfection.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsnQXghCpFg

not in her wheelhouse, but a gutsy performance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjTXRo-rxGA

aw man, rip aretha

just a phenomenal, once-off talent

Jon Pareles' NYT obit:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/16/obituaries/aretha-franklin-dead.html

RIP

I can go on all day about her piano abilities, the least praised element in her artistry.

― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, August 16, 2018 9:43 AM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Very OTM, she was so passionate and inventive, and it takes a special level of skill to sing like she does while playing such complex parts

https://youtu.be/3HsOF9WKIwo

Part of the legend is that when she went from Columbia to Atlantic Records they realized she sang better whilst playing piano

wondering if there's a better album than young, gifted and black. really not sure

it's perfect

that expanded Live At The Fillmore from a few years back, with Mixed Up Girl and the epic 20 minute Spirit In The Dark w/Ray is essential.

Young, Gifted, & Black is my favorite as well, Side A is about as perfect as music gets.

I was curious if she had recorded "Lift Every Voice" and found this video gem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QK4p22LHtw

RIP :(

My favorite moments: https://www.spin.com/featured/aretha-franklin-greatest-hits-best-songs/

I picked 10 deep cuts for Stereogum:

https://www.stereogum.com/2010538/aretha-franklin-best-deep-cuts/franchises/list/

Thanks, Phil, for writing about "The Woman" and "Pullin'," which I almost wrote about.

There’s quite a few on Alfred’s list I am unfamiliar with and Phil’s list is totally new to me. Thanks, guys.

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/DefensiveShrillKitfox-max-1mb.gif

Phil’s list is totally new to me

would love to hear "pullin'" for the first time again, congrats

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rWyxnpp5w8

Holy shit I didn't know until now that 'I Say A Little Prayer' was originally a b-side. That's outrageous.

Oh “Pullin’” is on Spirit in the Dark? Then I have heard it, just been a few decades is all

Her piano is integral to "Pullin'" -- it's pullin'!

Did Bill Withers rip that off for "Harlem"?

RIP i wish i had more to add other than she was great

A throwaway but I love this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2pdSQlm0GA

I am so sad that she’s gone but idk what to say other than that I am sad ;_;

i have had (You Make Me Feel) Like A Natural Woman in my head all day

it's quite possible, though I don't remember, that i might've first seen her on TV singing at MLK's funeral.

“Black people will be free... You got to disturb the peace when you can’t get no peace.”

-Aretha Franklin pic.twitter.com/5C7zDeVVe9

— Advancement Project (@adv_project) August 16, 2018

Choice singles for me are “i can’t wait to see my baby’s face” and “one step ahead”. They’re not her most iconic and not a great showcase of how powerful her voice could get but they’re very elegant and sensuous in how easily she nails the performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRSi_7r64Xk

Yeah, that’s a good one

i LOVE "One Step Ahead" thanks for reminding me to listen to it.

I first hear it after hearing the sample on Miss Fat Booty!

Listening to Spirit in The Dark... as soon as “she started singing “Dont Play That Song” I bawled so hard right here at my desk at work

love u lady

Rest In Peace Glorious Sister

Shifting things around so have severql hard drives disconnected but did find the one with a 1971 Montreux live set on . So did get to listen to her today.
She did some great stuff. RIP.

in the Kennedy Center Honors video that Alfred posted i love the spin she puts on the opening line of the song. Truly incredible to hear a voice like that at 70. I've watched that about twenty times today and it's overwhelming every single time.

someone posted some inane interview on fb today and the interviewer asks her what song of hers she thought Adele could cover and she said something like "hopefully one I have the publishing rights to" lol

like many of us, I think, I feel more gratitude than grief ... it was a long run and she overcame so much so many times and sounded just like herself the whole way

the epithet "King" seems corny to me, even for Elvis, but "Queen of Soul" feels modest in her case

as Sam Phillips said of Howling Wolf, this is where the soul of man never dies

Carl Wilson pays tribute via an extended appreciation of one of her quintessential songs.

she makes me think of Ella Fitzgerald, in that 99.9% of vocalists might as well have a try with their hobby, but won't get close to her. RIP.

Great piece, cryptosicko - thanks.

The piece I wanted to read: Aretha as pianist.

lol, just saw the National Review obituary for Aretha Franklin that went out of it's way to say she wasn't as good as Kelly Clarkson or Linda Ronstadt pic.twitter.com/4xLEYeLirE

— Nathan McDermott (@natemcdermott) August 17, 2018

"of the rock era" - WTAF

I wouldn't rate her as the finest singer of the post-punk era...

oh well:

https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2018/08/16/aretha-was-much-more-than-just-the-queen-of-soul/

I heard that! The kicker of course was "Queen of Soul is inadequate, just like Rush Limbaugh, Right-Wing Radio Host."

My mom, the Rush fan, gushed about how "beautifully" he spoke. I had to see for myself.

Right-wingers just aren't very good at this:

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/fox-news-remembers-aretha-franklin-with-photo-of-patti-labelle_us_5b75bbcfe4b0182d49b1e165

this is great

Ashanti shared a beautiful Aretha Franklin memory... of the time she called her and told her not to get SARS in Canada?!?!? pic.twitter.com/MZL2U6dqUW

— Ira (@ira) August 17, 2018

yes that tweet made me giggle uncontrollably, which was a nice respite from feeling sad.

what...is Rush Limbaugh...talking about?

How he and Aretha are alike.

https://bittersoutherner.com/the-houses-aretha-built-patterson-hood

He must have heard me mention his dad upthread

just beautiful <3

It took me ages to persuade her to play piano on ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash,’ Rolling Stones songwriter and guitarist Keith Richards told me in 2015, referring to her version of the song she recorded for the 1986 Whoopi Goldberg film of the same title.

“The deal was,” Richards recalled, “that if we came to Detroit, she’d do it, because she hates traveling. I said, ‘I’ll make a deal with you: We’ll come to Detroit, but you’ve got to play piano.’ It’s automatic with her: She starts playing those beautiful gospel chords. She doesn’t think of herself as much of a piano player, but when [she’s] singing with it, it’s a different thing.”

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-aretha-franklin-piano-20180816-story.html#

Ann Powers:

Franklin, who died Thursday at the age of 76, was a child of the African-American Great Migration that created our nation's version of modernity and of the golden age of gospel that formed the fundament of rock and soul. Her music did the crucial work of art in the 20th century: It captured the experience of living through profound change and showed how to preserve integrity in its wake. She was a central player in the civil rights movement, American democracy's fundamental historical struggle. The key words in Franklin's most famous songs — respect, freedom, the word chains turning in a deliberate slip of the tongue to change — articulate personhood by connecting the body to the mind, the feet that wander to the arms that hold loved ones close. And the voice that echoes in our memories, from its belly growl to those heaven-hitting squalls, embodies liberty itself.

Found this through a link in Mark Deming's AMG obit: A 24 minute ABC News documentary from '68 on Aretha, including footage of her in the studio recording material for Lady Soul (Bobby Womack cameos), learning "Ain't No Way" from sister Carolyn, lip-syncing "Chain of Fools" on Swingin' Time, MLK surprsing her at a testimonial ceremony...the whole thing is a treasure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=vHFR5QOoMEM

Aretha on What's My Line? in 1974

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpAXLTAJR8Q

I opened my set last night with (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, closed it with I Say A Little Prayer, and played eight tracks back to back at peak time, from Respect to A Deeper Love via Rock Steady and Who's Zoomin' Who. The word had got out, the place was rammed, and we all remembered her together. It was special.

https://pitchfork.com/news/aretha-franklin-public-viewing-announced/

Would loved to have gone to the memorial had we not let our passports expire (with no plans of renewal until Tr*mp is outta there).

https://africatimes.com/2018/08/17/cruising-in-kenya-learning-english-in-ethiopia-africans-remember-aretha/

The Singles Jukebox pays tribute

I really never thought of her taking “I Say a Little Prayer” from Warwick the way she did, eg, "Respect" from Otis. In fact I don't think I heard Aretha's version very much growing up, whereas Dionne's original was ubiquitous. But Sheila B on WFMU played the cover the other day, and I was struck by how the backup singers indeed do most of the chorus.

I prefer the Aretha version, with Roger Hawkins on drums, as I tried to say upthread.

But came to post that Aretha is one of the featured artists on Michael Bourne's SIngers Unlimited on WBGO right now. He is leading off with a duet between her and Tony Bennett.

Probably be a lot of other people singing showtunes though

http://www.vulture.com/2018/08/aretha-franklin-music-guide.html

Haven't read David Ritz' authorized book with Aretha, or his later unauthorized one that she didn't like. On this guide to Aretha's piece, he simply names off fave songs of hers from throughout her life (with video links included).

I too always heard Warwick's version of "I say a Little Prayer" more than Aretha's, which I was not that familiar with. Ritz states that "Aretha’s 1968 reinvention of “I Say a Little Prayer” becomes, in the words of its composer Burt Bacharach, “the definitive version.”

There was a discussion about this before, maybe even a poll. Feel like I was the lone holdout in favor of Aretha, but perhaps I am exaggerating.

No, I misremembered, I wasn’t the lone holdout at all, just that there were certain loud opinionated overbearingother ilx0rs expressing the opposite point of view.
Best Version Of "I Say A Little Prayer"

Also, interested in reading the David Ritz book(s), really liked the Marvin Gaye one, and Ray Charles one was okay, I guess

Holy jeez, make sure to read both pages in full.

Aretha’s funeral is AN EVENT pic.twitter.com/WOyJNcY2li

— Philip Lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) August 30, 2018

rick snyder sticks out like a bunion

I thought this was funny:

https://verysmartbrothas.theroot.com/the-schedule-for-aretha-franklins-funeral-is-the-most-o-1828718192

But if you’re going to this here funeral in person, well, I hope you have all of the snacks and make sure to bring plenty of water because while the service is already scheduled to be as long as the Easter Sunday service at a southern Baptist church with a new pastor trying to prove himself (9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.), I’d bet good money that it will last at least 12 hours. And I’m not even being facetious.

one look at the list and I started looking at it like my friends and I do at pearl jam shows, gearing up to make a run for it during 'bathroom songs'
Faith Hill = definite bathroom song

Stream is live.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnwyCzMsp5A

Couldn't watch any of the proceedings today, but--and I know I shouldn't think this way, much less post about--I'm watching the clip of Ariana Grande, Clinton looking on with a big grin on his face, and I'm thinking, not really the ideal picture.

Chaka Khan’s performance of “Going Up Yonder” was electrifying.

“She ain’t never worked for you, she worked above and beyond you.”

"Get your proposition right."

Fantasia and that choir. Wow

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-7XzbbSnivE

https://slate.com/culture/2018/09/aretha-franklin-family-criticizes-rev-jasper-williams-jrs-eulogy-about-black-on-black-crime-and-single-mothers.html

Catching up on some appearances I missed. Bishop Paul Morton and Yolanda Adams are impressive

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LmWWyB7TXhE

just got around to that Kennedy Center performance of Natural Woman - wow! the Obama tear at 1:29 is real

and that coat drop!

The Amazing Grace film is something more complicated than a tour de force soundtrack (and I would rather hear her sing pop than gospel). but in the elbowing presence of James Cleveland and Rev Dad Franklin, an attempt by them to say yes, we, the "fathers of the church," are presenting this woman. As if.

J@son King told me at PopCon last week that he had a similar objection.

well, it's what happened and the reality of that world, I don't nec fault the film for it.

if anything it makes clear that this is showbiz

What the heck happened between Clara Ward and Aretha's mother? Looked like they were going at it for a few seconds, haha.

no idea, i thought Clara was overcome by the Spirit

I just read somewhere that it was Aretha's mom who was overcome, and she was trying to get to her daughter until Clara stopped her. Anyway, it looked pretty chaotic in the film.

Aretha’s Mom died in 1952 of a heart attack at age 34.

yeah, i was gonna say i didn't recall any such ID.

My error; thought I heard her introduced. It was the woman with the white streak in her hair.

I liked it and wished the men would shut the fuck up, especially the bisexual queen Cleveland.

I could have done without shots of Pollack and his film crew as well

If you cut it down to just the singing, it's a 50-minute film. No profit there. A feature needs to show behind-the-scenes.

I wish, like the Jackson film, we had had contextual interviews. A different film, of course.

Yes. Interviews would have been nice. Seeing the seemingly all white guy film crew bugged me more than seeing Rev Franklin and Rev Cleveland, as the latter were part of her life ( as annoying as they were). I guess the Revs did take up more onscreen time.

This was great! Can't imagine how or why this film would not feature Cleveland as prominently as it did...? It's his church, his choir, his ministry, his congregation. It seemed evident she savored bing back in church and not "on stage."

I also appreciated that we saw the film crew, saw the extent to which their presence presented a hurdle to clear in terms of maintaining a worship-first vibe.

I thought C.L. taking care to dry her face was a really tender and moving moment.

My only gripe—along the same lines—was that the mix (at least where I saw it) didn't really sound like the room. I would have preferred a really full ambient recording of the space.

yeah Cleveland was certainly important to the show (and mentored her in her youth, right?) but apparently Aretha herself, per the NYT feature a week ago, that his and C L's screentime made her "wallpaper" in her own film; that's why she disliked it, in part.

*Aretha herself felt that

yeah their connection and comfort level was cool to see

I can see that a little bit w/r/t C.L., he was def soaking it up a little....as a preacher's kid I can attest that this unfortunately comes w/ the territory

He didn't hide his queerness either, which I would've liked the film to explain at least.

not sure how the directorial conceit could have accommodated that, or to what end

I mean it was just stuff happening in a room

Well, the film is a mess -- it's barely a film, just shards -- held together by Aretha's stoicism, the music, and the frantic manner in which Cleveland channels his flamboyance into performance (professionally, I'll add).

I don't know. A film about these shows could have integrated what we know about Cleveland in voice-over, interviews, titles, something; it's just too damn fraught, in retrospect. And there's rumors about Aretha's own bisexuality too.

I had problems with the MJ documentary not contexualizing events too.

Plus, how many white people know Clara Ward -- also bisexual!

yeah I guess a different approach that would have allowed for that (and eased the disjointedness) would be something more like a film-about-an-attempted-film

or a film about that gospel milieu, the people involved, her upbringing

but those performances are amazing, I had to duck out and ask to have it turned up

Her performance obviously makes the movie.

Re, other stuff, Was just reading Internet allegations stuff about Rev Franklin having been involved with Clara Ward for a long time, and that having broken up the marriage between Rev CL Franklin & Aretha’s Mom decades before this gig

church is a place to get busy

My favorite shot was the one where Aretha first sits down at the piano on the first night, just sitting there waiting for Cleveland to finish his introduction, with a blank expression on her face that you're tempted to read some kind of feeling/thought into. You can only imagine what was going through her head at that moment.

^^^ yes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDxzQJaA228

This is like my favorite song of all times

I've really, really warmed to it.

it’s def a fave of mine

A will that was found in a couch has been deemed valid, putting an end to the estate battle.

That’s wild

Just heard about this even though the upload's over a decade old:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdnj2gK68Y4

Two years before her breakthrough at Atlantic, and also that's Darlene Love in the middle of the trio of background singers! A slightly faster arrangement of the hit record by Betty Everett, but it's pretty awesome how much Aretha brings to the second half when she belts those notes. Even at 0:32, that tremor in her voice is amazing.

I feel very fortunate that I was able to take my whole family to what turned out to be her final concert.