Aretha Franklin

This outstanding collection gathers all of Aretha Franklin early hits from the period 1960-62, when she started to gain renown. What distinguished her from other female singers was, above all, the sheer power of her voice – its high belting chest register pushed into the soprano range without the operatic tonal roundness of a trained soprano extension. This is not mere technical gibberish: it defines a way of singing common to most popular vocalists in our time. But Aretha did it better than almost anyone. And unlike some, she has an upper extension, but she uses it for coloration, mostly in soft singing, not for sustained high passages or surging climaxes.

PERSONNEL:

ARETHA FRANKLIN, lead vocals
On all tracks, plus:

A1, A5 & A6: C. Massey (sax), Robert Ascher (tb), Bucky Pizzarelli (g),
Russ Savakus (b), Aretha Franklin or Ernie Hayes (p), Gary Chester (d),
Charles Libove, Bernard Eichenbaum, George Ockner, Harry Lookovsky, Harry Katzman (vln).
Unidentified female backing vocals.
New York, August 16, 1961.

A2 & A9: Tyree Glenn (tb), Chauncey “Lord” Westbrook (g), Ray Bryant (p), Bill Lee (b),
Osie Johnson (d). New York, August 1, 1960.

A3: Aretha Franklin (p), Bill Lee (b), Belton “Sticks” Evans (d). New York, November 29, 1960.

A4: Lucky Warren (ts), Chauncey “Lord” Westbrook (g), Ray Bryant (p), Bill Lee (b),
Belton “Sticks” Evans (d). New York, December 19, 1960.

A7, A8 & B9: Stanley Webb, James Richardson, Toots Mondello, Romero Penque (sax),
Bernie Privin, Joe Wilder, Bernie Glow, Jimmy Nottingham (tp),
Jimmy Cleveland, Urbie Green, Robert Alexander, Morty Bowman (tb),
Bucky Pizzarelli, Don Armone (g), Bill Lee (b), Aretha Franklin or Mo Wechsler (p),
Teddy Somer (d). New York, November 7, 1961.

B1: Phil Bodner (sax), Joe Wilder (tp), Mundell Lowe (g), Jimmy Rowser (b),
Tommy Flanagan (p), Teddy Sommer (d), Gene Orloff, Julius Schachter, Arnold Eidus, Harry Katzman, Hinda Barnett, Anthony Bambino (vln), Leon Frengut and Harold Furmansky (vla), Peter Makas and George Koutzen (cello). New York, December 21, 1961.

B2: Oliver Nelson and Jerry Dodgion (sax), Joe Newman (tp), Al Grey (tb), Mundell Lowe (g),
Larry Gales (b), Wynton Kelly (p), Jimmy Cobb (d). New York, January 25, 1962.

B3-B8: Unidentified personnel.
New York, April 27 (B3-B5), May 4 (B6) & May 11 (B7-B8), 1962.

SIDE A:

1 OPERATION HEARTBREAK
2 TODAY I SING THE BLUES
3 WON’T BE LONG
4 IT AIN’T NECESSARILY
5 I SURRENDER, DEAR
6 ROCK-A-BYE YOUR BABY WITH A DIXIE MELODY
7 ROUGH LOVER
8 IT’S SO HEARTBREAKIN’
9 OVER THE RAINBOW

SIDE B:

1 THAT LUCKY OLD SUN
2 AC-CENT-TCHU-ATE THE POSITIVE
3 TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS
4 WITHOUT THE ONE YOU LOVE
5 DON’T CRY, BABY
6 LOVER, COME BACK TO ME
7 TROUBLE IN MIND
8 GOD BLESS THE CHILD
9 HARD TIME