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This is her first album with Arista after ending a 13-year, largely successful stint with Atlantic Records. By as early as 1973, Franklin's album turnout became spotty as late-'70s entries, Sweet Passion and La Diva came and went quickly. For Aretha, Arista label president Clive Davis drummed out a certain amount of fanfare for this initial effort, and for the most part it was deserved. Aretha attempts to pull out all of the stops, which is suitable for a major artist coming to a new label. The best moments here reestablish Franklin as a phenomenal singer, not just an icon. The brilliantly sung "United Together" and autumnal "Come to Me" have both Franklin and producer Chuck Jackson seemingly like they'd recorded together for years. What undoes Aretha is a few overproduced tracks of dubious distinction. The too busy cover of the Doobie Brothers "What a Fool Believes" fails Franklin, skimming past the song's lyrical. Her gospel-fueled childhood recollection "School Days" and a discofied cover of "I Can't Turn You Loose" are both ingratiating and potentially nerve racking. This effort was meant to reestablish Franklin, and it was more popular than most of her late-'70s Atlantic albums, but this could have been better.
© Jason Elias /TiVo
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Jeff Porcaro, Drums - Willard Eugene Price, Composer, Lyricist - Jeremy Smith, Recording Engineer - Arif Mardin, Producer, Mixing Engineer, Performance Arranger - Aretha Franklin, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - DAVID FOSTER, Piano, Synthesizer - GENE PAUL, Mixing Engineer - LEW HAHN, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer - Louis Johnson, Bass - DAVID PAICH, Piano - George Devens, Percussion - Michael O'Reilly, Assistant Engineer - Stewart Whitmore, Assistant Engineer - Myrna Matthews, Background Vocal - Edie Lehman, Background Vocal - Marty McCall, Background Vocal
(P) 1989 Arista Records LLC
Todd Cochran, Programmer - Jeff Porcaro, Drums - Jeremy Smith, Recording Engineer - Arif Mardin, Producer, Mixing Engineer, Performance Arranger - Otis Redding, Composer, Lyricist - Aretha Franklin, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - DAVID FOSTER, Piano, Synthesizer - GENE PAUL, Mixing Engineer - LEW HAHN, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer - Louis Johnson, Bass - STEVE LUKATHER, Guitar - Cissy Houston, Background Vocal - Myrna Smith, Background Vocal - Sylvia Shemwell, Background Vocal - Michael O'Reilly, Assistant Engineer - Stewart Whitmore, Assistant Engineer - Steve Porcaro, Synthesizer - David Williams, Guitar - Estelle Brown, Background Vocal - Brenda Corbett, Background Vocal - Bob Christianson, Synthesizer
(P) 1980 Arista Records LLC
Tony Coleman, Drums, Keyboards, Bass, Background Vocal - Bernard Purdie, Drums - Cornell Dupree, Guitar - Aretha Franklin, Keyboards, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Background Vocal - Richard Tee, Keyboards - Cissy Houston, Background Vocal - Phil Perry, Composer, Lyricist - Paul Jackson Jr., Guitar - Myrna Smith, Background Vocal - Sylvia Shemwell, Background Vocal - Chuck Jackson, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Background Vocal - Reggie Dozier, Mixing Engineer - Ed Greene, Drums - Michael Lang, Keyboards - Lee DeCarlo, Engineer - Estelle Brown, Background Vocal - Myrna Matthews, Background Vocal - Frank Kejmar, Engineer - Edie Lehmann, Background Vocal - Marty McCall, Background Vocal - Scotty Edwards, Bass - Michael McGloiry, Guitar - James Jamerson, Sr., Bass
(P) 1980, RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment.
Tony Coleman, Composer, Lyricist, Drums, Keyboards, Bass, Background Vocal - Bernard Purdie, Drums - Cornell Dupree, Guitar - Aretha Franklin, Keyboards, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Background Vocal - Richard Tee, Keyboards - Cissy Houston, Background Vocal - Phil Perry, Composer, Lyricist - Paul Jackson Jr., Guitar - Myrna Smith, Background Vocal - Sylvia Shemwell, Background Vocal - Chuck Jackson, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Background Vocal - Reggie Dozier, Mixing Engineer - Ed Greene, Drums - Michael Lang, Keyboards - Lee DeCarlo, Engineer - Estelle Brown, Background Vocal - Myrna Matthews, Background Vocal - Frank Kejmar, Engineer - Edie Lehmann, Background Vocal - Marty McCall, Background Vocal - Scotty Edwards, Bass - Michael McGloiry, Guitar - James Jamerson, Sr., Bass
(P) 1980 Arista Records LLC
Eddie Setser, Composer, Lyricist - Mark Gray, Composer, Lyricist - Tony Coleman, Drums, Keyboards, Bass, Background Vocal - Jerry Michael, Composer, Lyricist - Bernard Purdie, Drums - Cornell Dupree, Guitar - Aretha Franklin, Keyboards, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Background Vocal - Richard Tee, Keyboards - Cissy Houston, Background Vocal - Phil Perry, Composer, Lyricist - Paul Jackson Jr., Guitar - Myrna Smith, Background Vocal - Sylvia Shemwell, Background Vocal - Chuck Jackson, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Background Vocal - Reggie Dozier, Mixing Engineer - Ed Greene, Drums - Michael Lang, Keyboards - Lee DeCarlo, Engineer - Estelle Brown, Background Vocal - Myrna Matthews, Background Vocal - Frank Kejmar, Engineer - Edie Lehmann, Background Vocal - Marty McCall, Background Vocal - Scotty Edwards, Bass - Michael McGloiry, Guitar - James Jamerson, Sr., Bass
(P) 1980 Arista Records LLC
Todd Cochran, Programmer - Jeff Porcaro, Drums - Hamish Stuart, Background Vocal - Jeremy Smith, Recording Engineer - Arif Mardin, Producer, Mixing Engineer - Aretha Franklin, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Background Vocal - DAVID FOSTER, Piano, Synthesizer - MICHAEL MCDONALD, Composer, Lyricist - GENE PAUL, Mixing Engineer - LEW HAHN, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer - Louis Johnson, Bass - STEVE LUKATHER, Guitar - KENNY LOGGINS, Composer, Lyricist - David Sanborn, Alto Saxophone - Michael O'Reilly, Assistant Engineer - Stewart Whitmore, Assistant Engineer - David Williams, Guitar
(P) 1980 Arista Records LLC
Tony Coleman, Drums, Keyboards, Bass, Background Vocal - Bernard Purdie, Drums - Cornell Dupree, Guitar - Aretha Franklin, Composer, Lyricist, Keyboards, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Background Vocal, Performance Arranger - Richard Tee, Keyboards - Cissy Houston, Background Vocal - Phil Perry, Composer, Lyricist - Paul Jackson Jr., Guitar - Myrna Smith, Background Vocal - Sylvia Shemwell, Background Vocal - Chuck Jackson, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Background Vocal - Reggie Dozier, Mixing Engineer - Ed Greene, Drums - Michael Lang, Keyboards - Lee DeCarlo, Engineer - Estelle Brown, Background Vocal - Myrna Matthews, Background Vocal - Frank Kejmar, Engineer - Edie Lehmann, Background Vocal - Marty McCall, Background Vocal - Scotty Edwards, Bass - Michael McGloiry, Guitar - James Jamerson, Sr., Bass
(P) 1980 Arista Records LLC
Patrick Henderson, Composer, Lyricist - Jeff Porcaro, Drums - Peter Gordon, French Horn - Kenny Moore, Composer, Lyricist - Gene Orloff, Concert Master - Mitsue Takayama, Viola - Jeremy Smith, Recording Engineer - Arif Mardin, Producer, Mixing Engineer, Performance Arranger - Lewis Delgatto, Baritone Saxophone - Aretha Franklin, Piano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - LEW HAHN, Recording Engineer - Michael Brecker, Tenor Saxophone - DAVID PAICH, Organ - STEVE LUKATHER, Guitar - Seldon Powell, Tenor Saxophone - Randy Brecker, Trumpet - Myrna Smith, Background Vocal - Harry Lookofsky, Violin - Sylvia Shemwell, Background Vocal - Barry Rogers, Trombone - Michael O'Reilly, Assistant Engineer, Mixing Engineer - Gerald Tarack, Violin - JONATHAN Abramowitz, Cello - Mike Porcaro, Bass - Stewart Whitmore, Assistant Engineer - David "Fathead" Newman, Tenor Saxophone - David Williams, Guitar - Estelle Brown, Background Vocal - Joe Mardin, Assistant Engineer - Julien Barber, Viola - Alfred Brown, Viola - Lew Soloff, Trumpet - Dave Tofani, Alto Saxophone - Robert Brown, Composer, Lyricist - Peter Dimitriades, Violin - Joe Malin, Violin - Alan Shulman, Cello - Fred Zlotkin, Cello - Marilyn Wright, Violin - Harold Kohon, Violin - Fred Buldrini, Violin - John Trevor Clark, French Horn
(P) 1980 Arista Records LLC
Tony Coleman, Drums, Keyboards, Bass, Background Vocal - Bernard Purdie, Drums - Cornell Dupree, Guitar - Aretha Franklin, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Keyboards, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Background Vocal, Performance Arranger - Richard Tee, Keyboards - Cissy Houston, Background Vocal - Paul Jackson Jr., Guitar - Myrna Smith, Background Vocal - Sylvia Shemwell, Background Vocal - Chuck Jackson, Producer, Background Vocal - Reggie Dozier, Mixing Engineer - Ed Greene, Drums - Michael Lang, Keyboards - Lee DeCarlo, Engineer - Estelle Brown, Background Vocal - Myrna Matthews, Background Vocal - Frank Kejmar, Engineer - Edie Lehmann, Background Vocal - Marty McCall, Background Vocal - Scotty Edwards, Bass - Michael McGloiry, Guitar - James Jamerson, Sr., Bass
(P) 1980 Arista Records LLC
Todd Cochran, Programmer - Jeff Porcaro, Drums - Hamish Stuart, Background Vocal - Jeremy Smith, Recording Engineer - Arif Mardin, Producer, Mixing Engineer - Aretha Franklin, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Background Vocal - DAVID FOSTER, Piano, Synthesizer - MICHAEL MCDONALD, Composer, Lyricist - GENE PAUL, Mixing Engineer - LEW HAHN, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer - Louis Johnson, Bass - STEVE LUKATHER, Guitar - KENNY LOGGINS, Composer, Lyricist - David Sanborn, Alto Saxophone - Michael O'Reilly, Assistant Engineer - Stewart Whitmore, Assistant Engineer - David Williams, Guitar
(P) 1980 Arista Records LLC
Todd Cochran, Programmer - Jeff Porcaro, Drums - Jeremy Smith, Recording Engineer - Arif Mardin, Producer, Mixing Engineer, Performance Arranger - Otis Redding, Composer, Lyricist - Aretha Franklin, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - DAVID FOSTER, Piano, Synthesizer - GENE PAUL, Mixing Engineer - LEW HAHN, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer - Louis Johnson, Bass - STEVE LUKATHER, Guitar - Cissy Houston, Background Vocal - Myrna Smith, Background Vocal - Sylvia Shemwell, Background Vocal - Michael O'Reilly, Assistant Engineer - Stewart Whitmore, Assistant Engineer - Steve Porcaro, Synthesizer - David Williams, Guitar - Estelle Brown, Background Vocal - Brenda Corbett, Background Vocal - Bob Christianson, Synthesizer
(P) 1980 Arista Records LLC
Tony Coleman, Drums, Keyboards, Bass, Background Vocal - Bernard Purdie, Drums - Cornell Dupree, Guitar - Aretha Franklin, Keyboards, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Background Vocal - Richard Tee, Keyboards - Cissy Houston, Background Vocal - Phil Perry, Composer, Lyricist - Paul Jackson Jr., Guitar - Myrna Smith, Background Vocal - Sylvia Shemwell, Background Vocal - Chuck Jackson, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Background Vocal - Reggie Dozier, Mixing Engineer - Ed Greene, Drums - Michael Lang, Keyboards - Lee DeCarlo, Engineer - Estelle Brown, Background Vocal - Myrna Matthews, Background Vocal - Frank Kejmar, Engineer - Edie Lehmann, Background Vocal - Marty McCall, Background Vocal - Scotty Edwards, Bass - Michael McGloiry, Guitar - James Jamerson, Sr., Bass
(P) 1980 Arista Records LLC
Todd Cochran, Programmer - Jeff Porcaro, Drums - Hamish Stuart, Background Vocal - Jeremy Smith, Recording Engineer - Arif Mardin, Producer, Mixing Engineer - Aretha Franklin, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Background Vocal - DAVID FOSTER, Piano, Synthesizer - MICHAEL MCDONALD, Composer, Lyricist - GENE PAUL, Mixing Engineer - LEW HAHN, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer - Louis Johnson, Bass - STEVE LUKATHER, Guitar - KENNY LOGGINS, Composer, Lyricist - David Sanborn, Alto Saxophone - Michael O'Reilly, Assistant Engineer - Stewart Whitmore, Assistant Engineer - David Williams, Guitar
(P) 1980 Arista Records LLC
Album review
This is her first album with Arista after ending a 13-year, largely successful stint with Atlantic Records. By as early as 1973, Franklin's album turnout became spotty as late-'70s entries, Sweet Passion and La Diva came and went quickly. For Aretha, Arista label president Clive Davis drummed out a certain amount of fanfare for this initial effort, and for the most part it was deserved. Aretha attempts to pull out all of the stops, which is suitable for a major artist coming to a new label. The best moments here reestablish Franklin as a phenomenal singer, not just an icon. The brilliantly sung "United Together" and autumnal "Come to Me" have both Franklin and producer Chuck Jackson seemingly like they'd recorded together for years. What undoes Aretha is a few overproduced tracks of dubious distinction. The too busy cover of the Doobie Brothers "What a Fool Believes" fails Franklin, skimming past the song's lyrical. Her gospel-fueled childhood recollection "School Days" and a discofied cover of "I Can't Turn You Loose" are both ingratiating and potentially nerve racking. This effort was meant to reestablish Franklin, and it was more popular than most of her late-'70s Atlantic albums, but this could have been better.
© Jason Elias /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 13 track(s)
- Total length: 00:58:34
- Main artists: Aretha Franklin
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Arista - Legacy
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B Soul
(P) 1980 Arista Records LLC
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