''Aretha'' is the thirty-first

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by American singer

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

, originally released on October 27, 1986 by

Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...

. It is the third album with the ''Aretha'' title to be released by Franklin, following her 1961 album and 1980 album.

Background

As with Franklin's previous album, ''

Who's Zoomin' Who? ''Who's Zoomin' Who?'' is the thirtieth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on July 9, 1985, by Arista Records. A departure from the Luther Vandross-produced adult contemporary sound of her previous albums '' Jump to It'' ...

'', ''Aretha'' was produced mainly by

Narada Michael Walden Narada Michael Walden ( ; Michael Walden; born April 23, 1952) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He acquired the nickname Narada from Sri Chinmoy. He began his career as a drummer, working primarily in the jazz ...

and includes her duet with

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation and is one of the best-selling musici ...

, "

I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) "I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me)" is a song released by American singer Aretha Franklin and English singer George Michael as a duet in 1987. The song was a number one hit in the United States and the United Kingdom. ''Billboard'' listed "I Knew ...

", which became Franklin's first #1 Pop single since "

Respect Respect, also called esteem, is a positive feeling or action shown towards someone or something considered important or held in high esteem or regard. It conveys a sense of admiration for good or valuable qualities. It is also the process of ...

" in 1967, and would also be her last. The album also yielded three other hit singles: "Jimmy Lee", "Rock-A-Lott" and a hard rock cover of

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

' classic, "

Jumpin' Jack Flash "Jumpin' Jack Flash" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released as a non-album single in 1968. Called "supernatural Delta blues by way of Swinging London" by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, the song was perceived by some as ...

". All music videos were extremely popular on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...

and other video outlets. Franklin's vocal from "Rock-A-Lott" was sampled extensively in the 49ers' 1990 hit " Touch Me", while her version of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" was the title song for the comedy film of the same name starring

Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ' ...

. All four of the singles were shot as music videos that received extensive play. The album cover was

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...

's final work before his death in early 1987. The album was remastered and re-released as an "Expanded Edition" in December 2014 by Funky Town Grooves, with bonus tracks and a second CD of material.

Commercial performance

Following Franklin's first-ever

Platinum record Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

, ''

'', ''Aretha'' was certified Gold by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

, after only several weeks on the market, with no additional certification added. This marked Franklin's seventh

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

album.

Track listing

Personnel

Musicians

* Aretha Franklin – lead vocals, acoustic piano (4) *

– lead vocals (2) *

Larry Graham Larry Graham Jr. (born August 14, 1946) is an American bassist and baritone singer, both with the psychedelic soul/funk band Sly and the Family Stone and as the founder and frontman of Graham Central Station. In 1980, he released the single "O ...

– lead vocals (8) *

Walter Afanasieff Walter Afanasieff (born Vladimir Nikitich Afanasyev; February 10, 1958), formerly nicknamed Baby Love in the 1980s, is an American record producer and songwriter of Russian-Chinese descent. He was a collaborator with Mariah Carey on her first ...

– acoustic piano (1), synthesizers (1-3, 5, 6), Moog synth bass (2), programming (2, 3), keyboards (8) *

David Sancious David Sancious (born November 30, 1953) is an American musician. He was an early member of Bruce Springsteen's backing group, the E Street Band, and contributed to the first three Springsteen albums, and again on ''Human Touch'' (1992), '' Trac ...

– synthesizers (1), harp (3), synth horns (5) * Chuck Leavell – keyboards (4) * Nick Johnson – keyboards (7) *

Nat Adderley Jr. Nathaniel Adderley Jr. (born May 23, 1955) is an American pop music, pop and rhythm and blues music arranger and pianist who spent much of his music career arranging as music director for Luther Vandross tours and contributed as co-songwriter on ...

– keyboards (9) *

Corrado Rustici Corrado Rustici (born 1957) is an Italian musician, songwriter and producer. Recording career Rustici was a founder member of the Naples-based progressive rock group Cervello. The band recorded the album '' Melos'' in 1973, with Rustici on guitar ...

–

Charvel Charvel is a brand of electric guitars founded in the 1970s by Wayne Charvel in Azusa, California and originally headquartered in Glendora, California. Since 2002, Charvel has been under the ownership of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. H ...

MIDI MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and re ...

guitar synthesizer A guitar synthesizer is any one of a number of musical instrument systems that allow a guitarist to access synthesizer capabilities. Overview Today's guitar synths are direct descendants of 1970s devices from manufacturers (often in partner ...

(1, 2, 5), guitar (8) *

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...

– lead guitar (4) * Allen Rogan – guitar (4) *

Ronnie Wood Ronald David Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock musician, best known as an official member of the Rolling Stones since 1975, as well as a member of Faces and the Jeff Beck Group. Wood began his career in 1964, playing guitar with a nu ...

– guitar (4) * Vernon "Ice" Black – guitar (6) * Teddy White – rhythm guitar (6) * Greg Porée – guitar (7) * David T. Walker – guitar (7) *

Doc Powell Doc Powell is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He was born and raised in Spring Valley, New York. He attended college at University of Charleston. Career He has worked with Wilson Pickett, who chose him to be his musical director. He has ...

– guitar (9) *

Randy Jackson Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American record executive and television presenter, perhaps best known as a judge on ''American Idol'' from 2002 to 2013. Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician playing bas ...

– acoustic bass (1), bass guitar (2-4, 6, 8),

Moog bass The Moog Taurus is a foot-operated analog synthesizer designed and manufactured by Moog Music, originally conceived as a part of the Constellation series of synthesizers. The initial Taurus I was manufactured from 1975 to 1981; a less popular re ...

(5) *

James Jamerson, Jr. James Jamerson Jr. (born James L. Jamerson III; August 24, 1957 – March 23, 2016) was an American bass player and noted studio musician. During his over three-decades long career he recorded with Bob Dylan, Tavares, The Temptations, and many more. ...

– bass guitar (7) * Francisco Centeno – bass guitar (9) *

– drums (1-3, 5, 6, 8), acoustic piano intro (1), programming (6), percussion (8) * Steve Jordan – drums (4) *

James Gadson James Gadson ( James Edward Gadson; born June 17, 1939) is an American drummer and session musician. Beginning his career in the late 1960s, Gadson has since become one of the most-recorded drummers in the history of R&B. He is also a singer and ...

– drums (7) *

Yogi Horton A yogi is a practitioner of Yoga, including a sannyasin or practitioner of meditation in Indian religions.A. K. Banerjea (2014), ''Philosophy of Gorakhnath with Goraksha-Vacana-Sangraha'', Motilal Banarsidass, , pp. xxiii, 297-299, 331 Th ...

– drums (9) *

Preston Glass Preston Glass (born January 9, 1960) is an American musician, songwriter and producer. Glass is the winner of six BMI Awards. He has also worked several famous artists such as Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Kenny G, Natalie Cole and ...

– drum programming (2), percussion (2), bells (3), keyboards (8) *

Gigi Gonaway Gregory "Gigi" Gonaway is an American drummer and percussionist, born in Phoenix, Arizona. His father, Eldridge Gonaway was an attorney and city developer and his Mother, Lois (née Warrior) is a retired registered nurse. Gonaway has been making ...

– tambourine (2), percussion (2, 5), timbales (5), backing vocals (5) * Jason Martin – cymbal (5) * Paul Rekow – congas (6), shekere (6) * Orestes Vilato – timbales (6), cowbell (6) * Daryl "Munyungo" Jackson – percussion (7) *

Kenny G Kenneth Bruce Gorelick (born June 5, 1956), known professionally as Kenny G, is an American smooth jazz saxophonist, composer, and producer. His 1986 album ''Duotones'' brought him commercial success. Kenny G is one of the best-selling artis ...

– tenor saxophone (1) *

Marc Russo Yellowjackets is an American jazz fusion band founded in 1977 in Los Angeles, California. History In 1977, guitarist Robben Ford, for his first solo album, recruited keyboardist Russell Ferrante, electric bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Rick ...

– alto saxophone (1) * Eddie Mininfield – tenor saxophone (5) * David Wallace – trombone (1) *

Jerry Hey Jerry Hey (born 1950) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, horn arranger, string arranger, orchestrator and session musician who has played on hundreds of commercial recordings, including Michael Jackson's '' Thriller'', ''Rock with You'', ...

– trumpet (1), horn arrangement (1), string arrangement (2, 3, 6, 8) * Ernie Fields, Jr. – horns (7) * Charles Veal – strings (7) *

Sanford Allen Sanford Allen (born 1939) is an American classical violinist. At the age of 10, he began studying violin at the Juilliard School of Music and continued at the Mannes School of Music under Vera Fonaroff. He was the first African-American regular mem ...

– strings (9) *

Gil Askey Gilbert Askey (March 9, 1925 – April 9, 2014) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, producer and musical director who was born in Austin, Texas, and emigrated to Australia in 1988. Personal life Askey was born in Austin, Texas, on March 9 ...

– horn, rhythm and string arrangements (7); conductor (7) *

Paul Riser Paul Riser (born September 11, 1943) is an American trombonist and Motown musical arranger who was responsible for co-writing and arranging dozens of top ten hit records. His legacy as one of the "Funk Brothers" is similar to that of most of the ...

– horn, rhythm and string arrangements (9) * Kitty Beethoven – backing vocals (2, 5, 6) * Kevin Dorsey – backing vocals (2, 3, 5, 6) *

Jim Gilstrap James Earl Gilstrap (born November 10, 1946)''U.S. Public Records Index'' Vol 1 (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), 2010. is an American singer, considered one of the most prolific session musicians in the industry. He is best known for ...

– backing vocals (2, 3, 5, 6) * Jennifer Hall – backing vocals (2, 3, 5, 6) * Myrna Matthews – backing vocals (2, 3, 6) *

Claytoven Richardson Claytoven Richardson (born 1956, in Berkeley, California) is an American singer, instrumentalist, producer, songwriter, and author. Biography Born Clayton D. Richardson on May 23, 1956. Larry Batiste, a childhood friend (and later business pa ...

– backing vocals (2, 5) * Jeanie Tracy – backing vocals (2, 3, 6) * Ortheia Barnds – backing vocals (4) * Margaret Branch – backing vocals (4, 7) * Brenda Corbett – backing vocals (4, 7) * Dana Joe Chappelle – backing vocals (5) * Janice Lee – backing vocals (5) * Cynthia Shiloh – backing vocals (5) * Anukampa Walden – backing vocals (5) * Liz Jackson – backing vocals (6) * Esther Ridgeway – backing vocals (7) * Gloria Ridgeway – backing vocals (7)

Production

* Producers – Narada Michael Walden (tracks 1-3, 5 & 6); Keith Richards (track 4); Aretha Franklin (tracks 7 & 9). * Recording engineers – David Frazier (tracks 1-3, 5 & 6);

Steve Lillywhite Stephen Alan Lillywhite, (born 15 March 1955) is a British record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited on over 500 records, and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including new wave acts XTC, Big ...

(track 4); Russ Terrana (track 7); Jim Dougherty (track 9). * Assistant engineer – Dana Jon Chappelle * Additional assistant engineers – Maureen Droney, Mike Iacopelli, Gordon Lyon, Jim "Watts" Vereecke and Lenette Viegas. * Additional engineers – Dana Jon Chappelle (track 2 & 5); Maureen Droney (track 2); Gordon Lyon (track 3); Mike Iacopelli (track 4); Mark Roule (track 9). * Mixing – David Frazier (tracks 1-6 & 8); Mike Iacopelli (track 7 & 9). * Vocal engineer (track 7 & 9) – Mike Iacopelli * Recording studios – Tarpan Recording Studios (San Rafael, CA);

The Plant Studios The Record Plant is a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and currently operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it has produced highly influential albums, including Blo ...

(Los Angeles, CA);

The Automatt The Automatt was a sound recording studio in San Francisco, California, promoted for its early mix automation system. During its eight active years, 1976 to 1984, it was one of the top recording studios in the region. The Automatt was founded by p ...

(San Francisco, CA); Studio "D" (Sausalito, CA); Motown Recording Studios (Hollywood, CA);

Sigma Sound Studios Sigma Sound Studios was a recording studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.. It was founded in 1968 by recording engineer Joseph Tarsia. Located at 212 North 12th Street in Philadelphia, it was one of the first studios in the United States to ...

(New York, NY);

Electric Lady Studios Electric Lady Studios is a recording studio in Greenwich Village, New York City. It was commissioned by rock musician Jimi Hendrix in 1968 and designed by architect John Storyk and audio engineer Eddie Kramer by 1970. Hendrix spent only ten ...

(New York, NY);

United Sound Systems United Sound Systems is a recording studio and locally designated historic district in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Many popular music artists over the last seventy years have recorded at the facility, including blues musicians like John Lee ...

(Detroit, Michigan).

Artwork

* Art direction – Steven Shmerler * Design and layout – Maude Gilman * Photography – John Pinderhughes * Front cover art and line drawings –

Charts

References

External links

''Aretha'' (1986)
at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Aretha (1986 Album) 1986 albums Aretha Franklin albums Arista Records albums Albums produced by Narada Michael Walden Albums with cover art by Andy Warhol