A hip little live date from Aretha Franklin – one that's got a very jazzy feel, and some great small combo backings! The album's almost a distillation of the jazzy styles on Aretha's first albums for Columbia – taken into even leaner territory here, in ways that really set Franklin loose on vocals – making for some of her most forceful moments on record at the time. The quartet features pianist Teddy Harris, who steps back on a few tunes to let Franklin take over the piano – and titles include "Once In A Lifetime", "Love For Sale", "Impossible", "Today I Love Everybody", and "Without The One You Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record from Aretha – and on that always seems to get overlooked! The album's arranged by Gene Page, and it's got a sweet slightly funky electric side that opens up a whole new side of Aretha's style. Includes the nice groover "Mr DJ (5 For The DJ)", plus the cuts "It Only Happens When I Look At You", "Without You", "The Sha-La Bandit", "You",a nd "Walk Softly". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic stuff – as Aretha's version of the Ashford & Simpson hit "You're All I Need" is augmented with lovely strings and large arrangements by Arif Mardin, very much in the style that Aretha was moving into after her first few sessions with Atlantic. "Pullin" is a bit harder, and has a nice hook! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A beautiful album that perfectly mixes both sides of Aretha Franklin's talents – the hard-edged soul singer who first flourished at Atlantic records in the late 60s, and the artist who was growing even more as a vocalist – really reaching out her wings to more sophisticated material! There's a balance here that makes the record one of the deepest that Franklin ever recorded for Atlantic – lots of larger Arif Mardin touches, but also some raw moments that really round things out – on titles that include Aretha's classic take on the Weldon Irvine/Nina Simone tune "Young Gifted & Black", the funky classic "Rock Steady", the wonderful mellow groover "Day Dreaming", the hit "Brand New Me", and the strangely compelling "First Snow In Kokomo" – plus other titles that include "All The King's Horses", "Oh Me Oh My", "Border Song", "Didn't I Blow Your Mind", "April Fools", "I've Been Loving You Too Long", and "The Long & Winding Road". LP, Vinyl record album

Classy later soul from Aretha Franklin – a set that's free from some of the too-commercial modes of other 80s work, but which still pushes the envelope nicely from her years at Atlantic! Production is both by Arif Mardin and Chuck Jackson – the former one of Franklin's best collaborators in earlier years, the latter a great help here on songwriting as well! At its best, the record's got some of the smoother, jazzier inflections that Aretha was picking up at Atlantic in the 70s – and titles include "Come To Me", "Love Me Forever", "Can't Turn You Loose", "United Together", "Whatever It Is", "School Days", and "Together Again". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A real standout from Aretha Franklin's years on Arista – a set produced by Luther Vandross, with a soaring groove that really opens Aretha up nicely! Luther's more in the mode here of his 70s club productions than his 80s hits – that warm, midtempo vibe that's full of lush moments, but never in ways that are cloyingly commercial. Franklin's vocals light up the tunes in the way that Luther's own might do – really soaring out beautifully in this setting. Titles include "I Got Your Love", "Giving In", "Get It Right", "Pretender", "Every Girl", "I Wish It Would Rain", and "Better Friends Than Lovers". LP, Vinyl record album

Essential work by Aretha Franklin – one of her best albums for Atlantic in the late 60s, with tracks that virtually define the sound of hard soul during the late 60s! The album's filled with excellent material – featuring 2 killer tracks recorded in Muscle Shoals ("Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" and "I Never Loved A Man"), plus lots of other great hard soul groovers done with Aretha's guiding light, Arif Mardin, in Atlantic's New York studios – including the tracks "Respect", "Baby, Baby, Baby", "Save Me", and "Dr. Feelgood". Includes bonus mono versions of 3 tracks. CD

One of Aretha Franklin's undisputed classics from her late 60s run on Atlantic Records – a seminal session that furthered her deep soul agenda with key backings from Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd – both of whom handle the mix of rawness and polish that made Aretha so great at the time! The Sweet Inspirations provide sublime backing vocals behind Franklin's maturing delivery of the lyrics – and the music is by an all-star group of players that includes Spooner Oldham, Bobby Womack, Jimmy Johnson, King Curtis, Tommy Cogbill, Roger Hawkins, and even Eric Clapton – clearly the cream of the crop, more than willing to be part of such an amazing set! Cuts include "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman", "Chain Of Fools", "Money Won't Change You", "Come Back Baby", and "Ain't No Way". CD includes the bonus tracks "Chain of Fools (unedited version)", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (mono single version)", "Since You've Never Been Gone (Sweet Sweet Baby) (mono single version)", and "Ain't No Way (mono single version)"! CD

A completely cooking little live set from Aretha Franklin – massively expanded here – and a crowning moment not just in her career, but for Atlantic Records soul in general! Aretha's working here before a very enthusiastic crossover crowd at the Fillmore West in San Francisco – getting tight backing from the combo of King Curtis (Memphis Horns, Billy Preston, and Pretty Purdie in tow!) – and hitting a groove that's often rawer, grittier, and more deep-soul tuned than some of her studio sides from the time! The recording quality is totally great – and goes out of its way to preserve the presence of the audience, and showcase Ac appearance on one track, but the whole show is really Franklin's own – a majestic little live date that features the tunes "Spirit In The Dark", "Respect", "Make It With You", "Don't Play That Song", "Dr Feelgood", and "Love The One You're With". Plus, the CD features full versions of 2 tracks that were originally edited on the album – as well as 13 more bonus tracks on CD2, alternates and unused songs that include "Call Me", "Mixed Up Girl", "Share Your Love With Me", "Don't Play That Song", and "You're All I Need To Get By". Lots of great notes, excellent photos, and a much-improved version of the original album! CD

Includes 84 tracks plus a 79 page booklet. CD

'69 was certainly Aretha's year – as the success of her initial round of Atlantic recordings had pushed her fully into the limelight, making her one of the most exposed, most reported-on artists in soul music! This album was cut during the height of that time, with Arif Mardin handling all of the arrangements, and Aretha singing a mix of soul, blues, and pop tunes, all nicely reworked in her own famous style. Titles include "Tracks Of My Tears", "So Long", "I'll Never Be Free", "Gentle On My Mind", "Bring It On Home To Me", and "Crazy He Calls Me". CD

A classic 70s soul soundtrack – and a dream of a combination! Curtis Mayfield wrote the soundtrack and produced the album – and the result is a killer batch of 70s soul tracks that matches Aretha's strong vocals with the hip Curtom sound of Chicago! Aretha was still doing pretty well at this point, but the album really gave her a push – and the super-hip setting let her record some of her best work of the 70s. If you own only one Aretha Franklin album from the 70s, it should probably be this one – as the mixture of soul, funk, and soundtrack grooves is great, and a refreshing change from some of the cliches that could show up on other records. Features the sublime "Something He Can Feel", plus "Loving You Baby", "Look Into Your Heart", "Sparkle", and Jump". LP, Vinyl record album

Given that Atlantic's big claim to fame with Aretha was that they took her from being a supper club jazz singer and made her a hard soul act, we've always been a bit surprised at the way they chose to hook her up with some Bacharach tunes after her first few sides – giving her a classier uptown sound to mix with the deeper southern style that broke her out big. This album's a great example of how Aretha can mix the two styles – as it features the title rendition of "This Girl's In Love With You", and great versions of "Dark End Of The Street" and "Sit Down & Cry", and the sublime "Call Me", which is a perfect blend of the two styles in one song. And oddly, the "classier" material was recorded down in Miami, Atlantic's new home for soul in the south. LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A huge amount of gems from the key Atlantic Records years of Aretha Franklin – titles that include "Call Me", "I Never Loved A Man", "Respect", "Chain Of Fools", "Do Right Woman", "Dr Feel Good", "Save Me", "Think", "Ain't No Way", "Share Your Love With Me", "The House That Jack Built", "Rock Steady", "Spanish Harlem", "Angel", "Until You Come Back To Me", "Day Dreaming", "Oh Me Oh My", and "Wholly Holy". LP, Vinyl record album

A big one from Aretha Franklin's 80s comeback years on Arista Records – a set that features a surprising guest appearance from Keith Richards, but mostly concentrates on Franklin's successful run with producer/arranger Narada Michael Walden – who continues to do a great job of updating her sound! There's less deep soul numbers here than in the early days, and instead Aretha goes for a gentler expression of her range – but one that still soars in all the right places. The album features duets with Larry Graham and George Michael – and titles include "An Angel Cries", "Rock A Lott", "He'll Come Along", "Jimmy Lee", "I Knew You Were Waiting For Me", "Jumpin Jack Flash", and "Look To The Rainbow". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

It's hard to believe that after just a few short years of recording for Atlantic records, Aretha Franklin could come up with enough gold records to warrant a full album of hits for the label – but that's definitely the case with this classic collection from 1969! The fantastic evolution of Franklin's genius is very much on display here – with arrangements by Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd – on tunes written by Otis Redding, Dan Penn, Steve Cropper, Don Covay, and even Aretha herself! Titles include "I Never Loved A Man", "Do Right Woman", "Respect", "Dr Feelgood", "Think", "Chain Of Fools", "Natural Woman", "Ain't No Way", "Since You've Been Gone", "The House That Jack Built", "See Saw", "Baby I Love You", and "I Say A Little Prayer". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A real standout from Aretha Franklin's years on Arista – a set produced by Luther Vandross, with a soaring groove that really opens Aretha up nicely! Luther's more in the mode here of his 70s club productions than his 80s hits – that warm, midtempo vibe that's full of lush moments, but never in ways that are cloyingly commercial. Franklin's vocals light up the tunes in the way that Luther's own might do – really soaring out beautifully in this setting. Titles include "I Got Your Love", "Giving In", "Get It Right", "Pretender", "Every Girl", "I Wish It Would Rain", and "Better Friends Than Lovers". CD

A pretty amazing batch of early Aretha Franklin – before she was known as the Queen Of Soul, and had the big, soaring and emotional voice to bring flight to songs from the Great American Songbook – classics by the Gershwins, Johnny Mercer, Irving Berlin and more! You certainly could not be faulted for overlooking the Columbia recordings, in the years before Aretha worked with producer Jerry Wexler and pretty much revolutionized soul and pop music to come – we've done that ourselves. But this early stuff shows just how hugely, and diversely talent Aretha always was. More tender, soaring and gentle material for Aretha, beautiful stuff that's well chosen for this 18 track set: "My Little Brown Book", "Trouble In Mind", "Love For Sale", "Skylark", "How Glad I Am", "Are You Sure", "That Lucky Old Sun", "Cold, Cold Heart"., "It Ain't Necessarily So", "Try A Little Tenderness" and more. CD

Essential work by Aretha Franklin – one of her best albums for Atlantic in the late 60s, with tracks that virtually define the sound of hard soul during the late 60s! The album's filled with excellent material – featuring 2 killer tracks recorded in Muscle Shoals ("Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" and "I Never Loved A Man"), plus lots of other great hard soul groovers done with Aretha's guiding light, Arif Mardin, in Atlantic's New York studios – including the tracks "Respect", "Baby, Baby, Baby", "Save Me", and "Dr. Feelgood". CD

Essential work by Aretha Franklin – 2 killer tracks recorded in Muscle Shoals! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Aretha's grooving sweetly here in the early 80s for Arista – on a record that's produced by none other than Luther Vandross – and it's a damn strong one, too! Aretha wasn't the first, or the last classic soul singer to embrace the 80s, but relatively few outshined their younger peers as brilliantly as Aretha does here! She's great on this one! There's plenty of space in the arrangements for Aretha to do here thing – emoting naturally, improvising some of vocals, and really just knocking it out of the park. Luther's production shows ample love and respect for the previous generation of soul, while still sounding right at home in '82 – with some timeless ballads along with contemporary chart-ready grooves. Titles include "Jump To It", "Love Me Right", "If She Son't Want Your Lovin'", "This Is For Real", "It's Just Your Love", "I Want To Make It Up To You" and "It's Just Your Thing". CD

One of her coolest records from the 70's. Her version of "Moody's Mood" is more than enough proof that she's got great jazz chops, and "Master Of Eyes" is a nice dark soul track. Quincy Jones arranged and produced, and he brings a lot to Aretha's style. 7-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

With remixes by Hex Hector, Johnny Vicious, and Love To Infinity. 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

The title's certainly right on this one, because the album is soft and beautiful – recorded by Aretha Franklin in a moody late nite mode that's similar to early 60s work by Sarah Vaughn or Dinah Washington on Roulette! Backings are by Belford Hendricks – relatively full, with strings and sometimes a bit of backing vocals – and Aretha's vocals drift nicely over the top with a relatively slow pace overall. And while this isn't the hard-hitting Atlantic soul that made her fame, the record's still a great demonstration of Franklin's many talents – and heck, if she'd cut a set like this these days, we're sure she'd get a Grammy for returning to the classics! Titles include "Only The Lonely", "Shangri-La", "A Mother's Love", "Jim", "Friendly Persuasion", and "People". LP, Vinyl record album

Aretha's tour of the south continues – recording here at Atlantic's new home in Miami, with studio work from The Dixie Flyers, Dave Crawford, Roger Hawkins, Duane Allman, and Eddie Hinton – all very much in the tradition of the Muscle Shoals work that supported Aretha on earlier recordings. Aretha's playing piano on all tracks – and titles include her remake of "Don't Play That Song", plus "You & Me", "Pullin", "Spirit In The Dark", "Try Matty's", "Oh No Not My Baby", and "One Way Ticket". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A huge hit for Aretha Franklin – and a record that brought her famous vocals to a whole new generation of listeners! The sound is definitely different than before – a change from both the deep soul of Atlantic years, and the initial classy approach of her time at Arista – and working with lots of help from Narada Michael Walden, Aretha gets an 80s groove that turns out to be a perfect platform for her sound – one that lets her vocals really take off, while still getting plenty of great hooks as well – all in a mode that somehow sounds far less commercial than we remember at the time. Includes the massive hits "Freeway Of Love" and "Who's Zoomin Who" – plus "Ain't Nobody Every Loved You", "Push", "Integrity", "Sisters Are Doin It For Themselves", and "Sweet Bitter Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge amount of gems from the key Atlantic Records years of Aretha Franklin – titles that include "Call Me", "I Never Loved A Man", "Respect", "Chain Of Fools", "Do Right Woman", "Dr Feel Good", "Save Me", "Think", "Ain't No Way", "Share Your Love With Me", "The House That Jack Built", "Rock Steady", "Spanish Harlem", "Angel", "Until You Come Back To Me", "Day Dreaming", "Oh Me Oh My", and "Wholly Holy". CD

Killer late 70s work from Aretha Franklin – and a set that features production by Curtis Mayfield, in a style that's quite similar to his work with the lady on the Sparkle soundtrack! Aretha somehow sounds deeper here in Curtis' company than on some of her other 70s recordings – and there's a definite Curtom bent to the entire production, given that Rich Tufo handles all the arrangements, and backings feature instrumentation from both him and Mayfield. The album's nicely restrained at most points – never reaching too far to fall into cliche – and Franklin's vocals are as great as ever. Titles are almost all originals by Curtis – and tunes include "Lady Lady", "Almighty Fire", "I Needed You Baby", "Close To You", "No Matter Who You Love", and "I'm Your Speed". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary album – one that has Aretha Franklin returning to her roots in gospel music – but working with all the strength and power that Atlantic Records had to offer! From early years recording as a young voice alongside her father's congregation, Aretha has matured into a hell of a lead singer – and really knocks it out of the park here alongside the mighty James Cleveland, and the Southern California Community Choir! While it might have been nice to record the set back home in Detroit, the California setting for the material works perfectly to elevate Franklin to a special place in the heavens – tying together her heritage in beautiful ways, and making for another great stride forward in her career during the 70s. One of the best ideas ever for a soul music concept album – with titles that include "Mary Don't You Weep", "How I Got Over", "Precious Memories", "Wholy Holy", "Never Grow Old", "Amazing Grace", and Climbing Higher Mountains". CD

A big one from Aretha Franklin's 80s comeback years on Arista Records – a set that features a surprising guest appearance from Keith Richards, but mostly concentrates on Franklin's successful run with producer/arranger Narada Michael Walden – who continues to do a great job of updating her sound! There's less deep soul numbers here than in the early days, and instead Aretha goes for a gentler expression of her range – but one that still soars in all the right places. The album features duets with Larry Graham and George Michael – and titles include "An Angel Cries", "Rock A Lott", "He'll Come Along", "Jimmy Lee", "I Knew You Were Waiting For Me", "Jumpin Jack Flash", and "Look To The Rainbow". LP, Vinyl record album

A well-done showcase of Aretha's best early work for Atlantic Records – a collection that really gets at the deepest soul side of her style, and focuses on the transformation of sound that occurred when Franklin moved over to the label from Columbia. The set's overflowing with greatness – a total of 14 tracks in all, with killer arrangements by Arif Mardin, and landmark production from Tom Dowd, Jerry Wexler, and Mardin. Titles include "Spanish Harlem", "Chain Of Fools", "I Say A Little Prayer", "Dr Feelgood", "Respect", "Baby I Love You", "I Never Loved A Man", "Call Me", and "You're All I Need To Get By". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Essential work by Aretha Franklin – one of her best albums for Atlantic in the late 60s, with tracks that virtually define the sound of hard soul during the late 60s! The album's filled with excellent material – featuring 2 killer tracks recorded in Muscle Shoals ("Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" and "I Never Loved A Man"), plus lots of other great hard soul groovers done with Aretha's guiding light, Arif Mardin, in Atlantic's New York studios – including the tracks "Respect", "Baby, Baby, Baby", "Save Me", and "Dr. Feelgood". CD

Christmas sounds, and a bit more too – an interesting collection of material recorded by Aretha Franklin in the early 60s for Columbia, and in the late 80s for Arista! There's definitely a fair bit of Holiday tunes on the set, but they're also mixed in with a few standards too – but these are done in a warmly jazzy style from the 60s, so that they fit right in with the sentiment of the Christmas songs – and round things out with a nice sense of variety. Titles include "Winter Wonderland", "Over The Rainbow", "Kissin By The Mistletoe", "The Christmas Song", "Accentuate The Positive", "God Bless The Child", "The Lord's Prayer", "Oh Happy Day", and "Joy To The World". CD

Aretha's grooving sweetly here in the early 80s for Arista – on a record that's produced by none other than Luther Vandross – and it's a damn strong one, too! Aretha wasn't the first, or the last classic soul singer to embrace the 80s, but relatively few outshined their younger peers as brilliantly as Aretha does here! She's great on this one! There's plenty of space in the arrangements for Aretha to do here thing – emoting naturally, improvising some of vocals, and really just knocking it out of the park. Luther's production shows ample love and respect for the previous generation of soul, while still sounding right at home in '82 – with some timeless ballads along with contemporary chart-ready grooves. Titles include "Jump To It", "Love Me Right", "If She Don't Want Your Lovin'", "This Is For Real", "It's Just Your Love", "I Want To Make It Up To You" and "It's Your Thing". CD

Aretha's grooving sweetly on a record that's produced by Luther Vandross – and a damn strong one, too! Aretha wasn't the first, or the last classic soul singer to embrace the modern sounds of the early 80s, but relatively few outshined their younger peers as brilliantly as Aretha does here. She's great on this one! There's plenty of space in the arrangements for Aretha to do her thing – emoting naturally, improvising some of the vocals, and really just knocking it out of the park. Luther's production shows ample love and respect for the previous generation of soul, while still sounding right at home in '82 – with some timeless ballads along with contemporary chart-ready groovers. Titles include "Jump To It", "Love Me Right", "If She Don't Want Your Lovin'", "This Is For Real", "It's Just Your Love", "I Want To Make It Up To You" and "It's Just Your Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Aretha Franklin's undisputed classics from her late 60s run on Atlantic Records – a seminal session that furthered her deep soul agenda with key backings from Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd – both of whom handle the mix of rawness and polish that made Aretha so great at the time! The Sweet Inspirations provide sublime backing vocals behind Franklin's maturing delivery of the lyrics – and the music is by an all-star group of players that includes Spooner Oldham, Bobby Womack, Jimmy Johnson, King Curtis, Tommy Cogbill, Roger Hawkins, and even Eric Clapton – clearly the cream of the crop, more than willing to be part of such an amazing set! Cuts include "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman", "Chain Of Fools", "Money Won't Change You", "Come Back Baby", and "Ain't No Way". LP, Vinyl record album

A completely cooking little live set from Aretha Franklin – and a crowning moment not just in her career, but for Atlantic Records soul in general! Aretha's working here before a very enthusiastic crossover crowd at the Fillmore West in San Francisco – getting tight backing from the combo of King Curtis (Memphis Horns, Billy Preston, and Pretty Purdie in tow!) – and hitting a groove that's often rawer, grittier, and more deep-soul tuned than some of her studio sides from the time! The recording quality is totally great – and goes out of its way to preserve the presence of the audience, and showcase Aretha's own interaction and strong sense of personality. Ray Charles makes a surprising guest appearance on one track, but the whole show is really Franklin's own – a majestic little live date that features the tunes "Spirit In The Dark", "Respect", "Make It With You", "Don't Play That Song", "Dr Feelgood", and "Love The One You're With". CD

An early 80s gem from Aretha Franklin – one of the best of her years at Arista Records, thanks to solid help in the studio from the mighty Arif Mardin! Mardin's in perfect form here – the same blend of older soul and jazzier, more sophisticated styles that he was also bringing to Chaka Khan at the time – although Franklin's arguably more deserving of his talents, given her long relationship with the producer! There's a full, mature feel here – one that really gets Aretha back in gear as a singer, and shows off her talents to a new generation in new ways – yet all without trying too hard for a crossover hit. Tunes include a few originals by Franklin, and titles include "Kind Of Man", "Whole Lot Of Me", "Love All The Hurt Away", "You Can't Always Get What You Want", "It's My Turn", "There's A Star For Everyone", and "Hold On I'm Coming". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic 70s soul soundtrack – and a dream of a combination! Curtis Mayfield wrote the soundtrack and produced the album – and the result is a killer batch of 70s soul tracks that matches Aretha's strong vocals with the hip Curtom sound of Chicago! Aretha was still doing pretty well at this point, but the album really gave her a push – and the super-hip setting let her record some of her best work of the 70s. If you own only one Aretha Franklin album from the 70s, it should probably be this one – as the mixture of soul, funk, and soundtrack grooves is great, and a refreshing change from some of the cliches that could show up on other records. Features the sublime "Something He Can Feel", plus "Loving You Baby", "Look Into Your Heart", "Sparkle", and Jump". CD

One of Aretha's sadly overlooked 70s gems – a great little session produced by Lamont Dozier, with a mix of smooth soul, driving rhythms, and just the right amount of rough edges to keep things real, very much in the tone of Lamont's own strong work for the ABC label at the same time. Lamont also wrote a fair number of the tunes – and titles include "Sunshine Will Never Be The Same", "Touch Me Up", "A Tender Touch", "No One Could Ever Love You More", and "When I Think About You". LP, Vinyl record album

Aretha Franklin at the end of the 80s – capping off a big run of records for Arista with another successful collaboration with Narada Michael Walden! There's a bit more of a groove here than before – a nice bounce on many cuts that almost brings in a slight new jack flavor – but handled with a bit more class, given Walden's legacy – and the album's got a lot of collaborative moments, including appearances from James Brown, Whitney Houston, Elton John, The Four Tops, and Kenny G. Titles include "Gimme Your Love", "Mercy", "It Isn't It Wasn't It Ain't Never Gonna Be", "Through The Storm", "If Ever A Love There Was", "Think 1989", and "Come To Me". CD

... CD

A beautiful album that perfectly mixes both sides of Aretha Franklin's talents – the hard-edged soul singer who first flourished at Atlantic records in the late 60s, and the artist who was growing even more as a vocalist – really reaching out her wings to more sophisticated material! There's a balance here that makes the record one of the deepest that Franklin ever recorded for Atlantic – lots of larger Arif Mardin touches, but also some raw moments that really round things out – on titles that include Aretha's classic take on the Weldon Irvine/Nina Simone tune "Young Gifted & Black", the funky classic "Rock Steady", the wonderful mellow groover "Day Dreaming", the hit "Brand New Me", and the strangely compelling "First Snow In Kokomo" – plus other titles that include "All The King's Horses", "Oh Me Oh My", "Border Song", "Didn't I Blow Your Mind", "April Fools", "I've Been Loving You Too Long", and "The Long & Winding Road". CD

A beautiful album that perfectly mixes both sides of Aretha Franklin's talents – the hard-edged soul singer who first flourished at Atlantic records in the late 60s, and the artist who was growing even more as a vocalist – really reaching out her wings to more sophisticated material! There's a balance here that makes the record one of the deepest that Franklin ever recorded for Atlantic – lots of larger Arif Mardin touches, but also some raw moments that really round things out – on titles that include Aretha's classic take on the Weldon Irvine/Nina Simone tune "Young Gifted & Black", the funky classic "Rock Steady", the wonderful mellow groover "Day Dreaming", the hit "Brand New Me", and the strangely compelling "First Snow In Kokomo" – plus other titles that include "All The King's Horses", "Oh Me Oh My", "Border Song", "Didn't I Blow Your Mind", "April Fools", "I've Been Loving You Too Long", and "The Long & Winding Road". LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic career-spanning collection of work from Aretha Franklin – the first we've ever seen to start with her earliest years, then follow the greatness of her voice and spirit as it blossomed strongly over the decades! Sure, most folks know Franklin's classic work on Atlantic – but this package features earlier sides for Chess and Columbia, later work from Arista – and a whole host of rare and unreleased material – plus special tracks from side projects that worked together to form a crucial part of Aretha's legacy over the years! In addition to the rare tracks, there's some other great surprises here – and titles include "Until You Come Back To Me (work tape)", "Chain Of Fools (alt version)", "Rock Steady (alternate mix)", "Call Me (alt version)", "How I Got Over (live single edit)", "Someday We'll All Be Free", "A Rose Is Still A Rose", "Master Of Eyes", "A Change Is Gonna Come (mono)", "One Step Ahead", "Never Grow Old", "Today I Sing The Blues", "You Light Up My Life (unissued)", "Think", "I Knew You Were Waiting (with George Michael)", "Respect", and her version of "Natural Woman" from the 2015 Kennedy Honors ceremony. CD

Aretha Arrives in great style – and a mixture between her earlier vocal jazz years at Columbia, and her later southern soul sides of the 60s! Arif Mardin is already arranging Aretha's work at this point, and the backing group includes southern soul studio giants like Spooner Oldham, Tommy Cogbill, and Roger Hawkins – but there's also a number of tracks that have mellow strings and horns by Ralph Burns, very much in the lush style of Burns' work for other vocalists – and a bit different than some of Franklin's other Atlantic work. The Sweet Inspirations back up Aretha on "Ain't Nobody (Gonna Turn Me Around)", and a few other tracks feature backings by sisters Erma and Carolyn – who are always a welcome addition! Titles include "Prove It", "Never Let Me Go", "I Wonder", "Going Down Slow", and "Night Life". CD

A long-overdue look at the 45rpm legacy of Aretha Franklin at Atlantic Records – a set that brings together all the great singles she cut during her early years at the label – some of which you'll know as the cornerstones of her albums from the time, others that are maybe a bit more obscure! Jerry Wexler is at the production helm on all these numbers – as the man who really helped Aretha find her special style at the label – and the cuts also feature arrangements from Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd, both studio talents who'd really help Franklin open up with a new sense of power and majesty as the 60s moved on! All tracks are presented in their tight 45rpm single mixes – and titles include "Call Me", "Spirit In The Dark", "Don't Play That Song", "Border Song", "Share Your Love With Me", "My Song", "The Weight", "See Saw", "Ain't No Way", "Think", "The House That Jack Built", "I Say A Little Prayer", "Since You've Been Gone", "Baby I Love You", "Respect", "I Never Loved A Man", "Do Right Woman", "Chain Of Fools", "Don't Play That Song", "Eleanor Rigby", "Natural Woman", "You Send Me", "Tracks Of My Tears", and "I Can't See Myself Leaving You". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Drinking Again", "Trouble In Mind", "Without The One You Love", "Take A Look", "Evil Gal Blues", "Muddy Water", "What A Difference A Day Made", "Maybe I'm A Fool", and "Only The Lonely". CD

It's hard to believe that after just a few short years of recording for Atlantic records, Aretha Franklin could come up with enough gold records to warrant a full album of hits for the label – but that's definitely the case with this classic collection from 1969! The fantastic evolution of Franklin's genius is very much on display here – with arrangements by Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd – on tunes written by Otis Redding, Dan Penn, Steve Cropper, Don Covay, and even Aretha herself! Titles include "I Never Loved A Man", "Do Right Woman", "Respect", "Dr Feelgood", "Think", "Chain Of Fools", "Natural Woman", "Ain't No Way", "Since You've Been Gone", "The House That Jack Built", "See Saw", "Baby I Love You", and "I Say A Little Prayer". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of earlier work by Aretha Franklin – issued by Chess after her fame on Atlantic, but featuring tunes cut when a younger woman, working with famous father Reverend CL Franklin! Given that CL was one of the biggest stars of Chess' gospel recordings, there was plenty of material recorded back in the day – and Aretha's heard here on some great live tunes that mostly just feature piano backings. Nice raw energy here – 9 tracks in all, including 'Precious Lord", "You Grow No Closer", "The Day Is Past And Gone" and "He Will Wash You White As Snow". LP, Vinyl record album

A great early album from the young Aretha Franklin – a set that shows a very different trajectory in her sound, but a great one too! There's less of the deep soul of Franklin's Atlantic recordings, but that's more than compensated for a great jazzy vibe – served up courtesy of the piano of Ray Bryant, whose group here really makes the album cook! And it's not just Ray on piano – the set also features Al Sears on tenor and Quentin Jackson on trombone – and Bryant steps aside to let Aretha play some piano too. Tracks include "Won't Be Long", "Love is The Only Thing", "Sweet Lover", "All Night Long", "Who Needs You", "Today I Sing The Blues", and "Maybe I'm A Fool". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Aretha Franklin's undisputed classics from her late 60s run on Atlantic Records – a seminal session that furthered her deep soul agenda with key backings from Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd – both of whom handle the mix of rawness and polish that made Aretha so great at the time! The Sweet Inspirations provide sublime backing vocals behind Franklin's maturing delivery of the lyrics – and the music is by an all-star group of players that includes Spooner Oldham, Bobby Womack, Jimmy Johnson, King Curtis, Tommy Cogbill, Roger Hawkins, and even Eric Clapton – clearly the cream of the crop, more than willing to be part of such an amazing set! Cuts include "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman", "Chain Of Fools", "Money Won't Change You", "Come Back Baby", and "Ain't No Way". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A completely cooking little live set from Aretha Franklin – and a crowning moment not just in her career, but for Atlantic Records soul in general! Aretha's working here before a very enthusiastic crossover crowd at the Fillmore West in San Francisco – getting tight backing from the combo of King Curtis (Memphis Horns, Billy Preston, and Pretty Purdie in tow!) – and hitting a groove that's often rawer, grittier, and more deep-soul tuned than some of her studio sides from the time! The recording quality is totally great – and goes out of its way to preserve the presence of the audience, and showcase Aretha's own interaction and strong sense of personality. Ray Charles makes a surprising guest appearance on one track, but the whole show is really Franklin's own – a majestic little live date that features the tunes "Spirit In The Dark", "Respect", "Make It With You", "Don't Play That Song", "Dr Feelgood", and "Love The One You're With". CD

An early 80s gem from Aretha Franklin – one of the best of her years at Arista Records, thanks to solid help in the studio from the mighty Arif Mardin! Mardin's in perfect form here – the same blend of older soul and jazzier, more sophisticated styles that he was also bringing to Chaka Khan at the time – although Franklin's arguably more deserving of his talents, given her long relationship with the producer! There's a full, mature feel here – one that really gets Aretha back in gear as a singer, and shows off her talents to a new generation in new ways – yet all without trying too hard for a crossover hit. Tunes include a few originals by Franklin, and titles include "Kind Of Man", "Whole Lot Of Me", "Love All The Hurt Away", "You Can't Always Get What You Want", "It's My Turn", "There's A Star For Everyone", and "Hold On I'm Coming". CD features bonus tracks – "Hold On I'm Comin (12" ext)", "Livin In The Streets (12" ext)", and "It's My Turn (single)". CD

A classic 70s soul soundtrack – and a dream of a combination! Curtis Mayfield wrote the soundtrack and produced the album – and the result is a killer batch of 70s soul tracks that matches Aretha's strong vocals with the hip Curtom sound of Chicago! Aretha was still doing pretty well at this point, but the album really gave her a push – and the super-hip setting let her record some of her best work of the 70s. If you own only one Aretha Franklin album from the 70s, it should probably be this one – as the mixture of soul, funk, and soundtrack grooves is great, and a refreshing change from some of the cliches that could show up on other records. Features the sublime "Something He Can Feel", plus "Loving You Baby", "Look Into Your Heart", "Sparkle", and Jump". LP, Vinyl record album

Aretha Franklin belts it out nicely on this one – stepping out with even more of a hard soul style than before, in a record that's a great close to her early years on Columbia Records! Arrangements are by Belford Hendricks and Clyde Otis – the latter of whom is clearly responsible for the deepening sound of Franklin's music here – although Hendricks' work also sounds pretty great too, with a leaner feel than before. Franklin's vocals really sparkle nicely on the set – sometimes supported with backing singers, sometimes all out on their own – always in that iconic style that inspired whole generation of female soul singers. Titles include "A Little Bit Of Soul", "Only The One You Love", "Deeper", "Remember Me", "Land Of Dreams", "Lee Cross", "I May Never Get To Heaven", and "Take It Like You Give It". LP, Vinyl record album

Aretha Franklin at the end of the 80s – capping off a big run of records for Arista with another successful collaboration with Narada Michael Walden! There's a bit more of a groove here than before – a nice bounce on many cuts that almost brings in a slight new jack flavor – but handled with a bit more class, given Walden's legacy – and the album's got a lot of collaborative moments, including appearances from James Brown, Whitney Houston, Elton John, The Four Tops, and Kenny G. Titles include "Gimme Your Love", "Mercy", "It Isn't It Wasn't It Ain't Never Gonna Be", "Through The Storm", "If Ever A Love There Was", "Think 1989", and "Come To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

An early moment of vocal strength from Aretha Franklin – a set in which she takes on the music of the recently-departed Dinah Washington, and really transforms it into her own! If you know other Aretha records on Columbia, you'll know that the label did a great job of opening up the jazzier side of her style – served up here with arrangements by Robert Mersey that are definitely different than Franklin's later music for Atlantic, but which also does a great job of bridging the worlds of postwar jazz and 60s soul! Titles include "Evil Gal Blues", "Soulville", "Unforgettable", "Cold Cold Heart", "Drinking Again", and "This Bitter Earth". LP, Vinyl record album