The Greatest Singer Of All Time!
Aretha Franklin must have been considered the one that got away by Berry Gordy who did try to sign her to his record label, Motown.
Born in Detroit and with a gospel-singing father who managed her from an early age, Motown seemed like the natural choice.
However, Aretha’s father rejected Berry in 1960 as he didn’t believe the label was big enough for his daughter. Instead, he signed her to Columbia in 1961.
Aretha stayed with Columbia for five years without achieving any major success. By now, Motown was huge and some regret may have been in her father’s mind.
Nevertheless, in late 1966 Aretha signed for Atlantic Records. Just a few months later the following year, she went to a studio in Alabama that also had developed a house band, just like Motown had.
Set in Alabama, the house band (The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section) strangely wasn’t made up of an all-black cast like Motown’s Funk Brothers were, instead, the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section was all white.
After spending only one day in the studio, after a hefty argument, the session was over before it seemingly had begun.
Aretha’s husband thought she sang about another man and beat her up so badly that he knocked her teeth out. What you hear on the released recording is actually only the guide vocal as she, without teeth couldn’t sing anymore.
Still, the song they recorded on this day was quickly released. It was I Never Loved A Man (The Way That I Love You).
Even though it was just a guide vocal, it became her first top-ten hit and would serve as the starting point for Aretha’s incredible worldwide success.
Following her first hit, Aretha released legendary tunes such as Respect, Chain Of Fools, Think, I Say A Little Prayer, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, and Rock Steady.
It’s probably impossible to find a female soul singer who doesn’t hold Aretha in the highest possible regard. Her influence is so important to the genre she personifies it.
In 2010, Rolling Stone magazine ranked her #1 on their list of 100 Greatest Singers Of All Time.
Aretha Franklin Tunes | Related Pages
(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
Learn how to play (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recordings.
| C | G/B | Bb | F F C/E Dm |
Looking out on the morning rain, I used to feel so uninspired…
A Change Is Gonna Come
You can learn how to play A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke using chords, lyrics, a chord chart, chord analysis, and Spytunes video guitar lessons.
| G | G | Am | Em |
I was born by the river, in a little tent, oh and just like that river I’ve been…
I Say A Little Prayer
You can learn how to play I Say A Little Prayer by Aretha Franklin using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| F#m | Bm7 | Bm7 |2/4 E7 |4/4 Amaj7 |
The moment I wake up. Before I put on my makeup (makeup)…
Respect
You can learn how to play Respect by Aretha Franklin using chords, lyrics, TAB, a chord chart, a backing track, and Spytunes video guitar lessons.
| G7 | F7 |
(Oh) What you want, (Oh) Baby, I got it…
Think
Learn how to play Think by Aretha Franklin using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recordings.
| Bb | Eb Bb |
You better think (think). Think about what you’re trying to do to me…
Aretha Franklin on the web
Artists & Bands
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About me | Dan Lundholm
This was an article about Aretha Franklin tunes, by Dan Lundholm. Discover more about him and how you can learn guitar with Spytunes.
Most importantly, find out why you should learn guitar through playing tunes, not practising scales, and studying theory in isolation.
