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''Lady Soul'' is the twelfth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin released in early 1968, by Atlantic Records.


Background

''Lady Soul'' was Franklin's third R&B chart-topper and reached number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, tying with ''
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You ''I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You'' is the tenth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin released on March 10, 1967, by Atlantic Records. It was Franklin's first release under her contract with the label, following her departure f ...
'' for her highest-charting album on the pop chart. The album also included some of her biggest hit singles: "Chain of Fools" (#2 Pop), and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (#8 Pop), and "(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone" (#5 Pop). It eventually sold well over a million copies in the United States alone. The album was reissued on
Rhino Records A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species ...
in a deluxe edition in 1995. Gospel/R&B singer Cissy Houston (mother of
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed " The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston i ...
) and her group the
Sweet Inspirations The Sweet Inspirations were an American R&B girl group mostly known for their work as backup singers on studio recordings for other R&B and rock artists. A founding member of the group was Dionne Warwick, who was later replaced by her aunt, Ciss ...
are credited as background vocals on several tracks, along with Aretha's sisters Carolyn and Erma Franklin. Eric Clapton, at the time a member of the band
Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
, is credited as the guitarist on the track "Good to Me as I Am to You". ''Lady Soul'' peaked at #1, #2 and #3 on ''Billboard'''s Black Albums, Pop Albums and Jazz Albums charts respectively. The single "Ain't No Way" – B-Side of "Since You've Been Gone (Sweet, Sweet, Baby)" – peaked at #9 on the Black Singles chart and #16 on the Pop Singles chart.


Legacy

The album was included in the book ''
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'' is a musical reference book first published in 2005 by Universe Publishing. Part of the ''1001 Before You Die'' series, it compiles writings and information on albums chosen by a panel of music critics ...
''. In 2003 the
TV network A television network or television broadcaster is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, where a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay television providers. Until the mi ...
VH1 named ''Lady Soul'' the 41st greatest album of all time. In 2003 and 2012, it ranked at number 85 on ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
''s list "
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a recurring opinion survey and music ranking of the finest albums in history, compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and indust ...
". It rose to number 75 in a 2020 reboot of the list. The album was rated the 29th best album of the 1960s by ''Pitchfork''.


Track listing

:All tracks produced by Jerry Wexler and Recording engineered by
Tom Dowd Thomas John Dowd (October 20, 1925 – October 27, 2002) was an American recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. He was credited with innovating the multitrack recording method. Dowd worked on a veritable "who's who" of recording ...
. Notes * Chain of Fools (Unedited Version) was originally issued on the 1973 compilation album ''
The Best of Aretha Franklin ''The Best of Aretha Franklin'' is a 1973 compilation by Aretha Franklin. It contains alternate takes and is one of only a few quadraphonic releases. It was reissued on DVD-Audio by Rhino Handmade in August 2010. It is not to be confused with a 1 ...
''.


Charts


Singles

Note: Numbers in italic (following original single release information) denote peak positions on ''Billboard'''s "Top/Best Selling R&B Singles" and "Hot 100" charts respectively - courtesy BPI Communications and Joel Whitburn's Record Research Publications.


Personnel

* Aretha Franklin – vocals, backing vocals, piano * Eric Clapton,
Bobby Womack Robert Dwayne Womack (; March 4, 1944 – June 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Starting in the early 1950s as the lead singer of his family musical group the Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing gui ...
,
Joe South Joe South (born Joseph Alfred Souter; February 28, 1940 – September 5, 2012) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Best known for his songwriting, South won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1970 for " Ga ...
, Jimmy Johnson – guitar *
Tommy Cogbill Thomas Clark Cogbill (April 8, 1932 – December 7, 1982) was an American bassist, guitarist and record producer known for his work in R&B, soul and country music. Life and career Cogbill was born in Johnson Grove, Tennessee. He was a high ...
– bass guitar *
Spooner Oldham Dewey Lindon "Spooner" Oldham (born June 14, 1943) is an American songwriter and session musician. An organist, he recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, at FAME Studios as part of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section on such hit R&B songs as Percy S ...
– piano, electric piano, organ *
Bernie Glow Bernie Glow (February 6, 1926 – May 8, 1982) was an American trumpet player who specialized in jazz and commercial lead trumpet from the 1940s to 1970s. Glow's early career was on the road with Artie Shaw, Woody Herman and others during the las ...
, Joe Newman,
Melvin Lastie Melvin Clarke Lastie, Sr. (November 18, 1930 – December 4, 1972) was an American R&B trumpeter, flugelhornist, and cornetist. He also played jazz and was a session musician on many soul and rock records of the 1960s. Lastie was born in Ne ...
– trumpet * Tony Studd – trombone *
King Curtis Curtis Ousley (born Curtis Montgomery; February 7, 1934 – August 13, 1971), known professionally as King Curtis, was an American saxophonist who played rhythm and blues, jazz, and rock and roll. A bandleader, band member, and session musician ...
– tenor saxophone * Frank Wess,
Seldon Powell Seldon Powell (15 November 1928 – 25 January 1997) was an American soul jazz, swing, and R&B tenor saxophonist and flautist born in Lawrenceville, Virginia. He worked with Tab Smith (1949), Lucky Millinder (1949–51), Neal Hefti, and L ...
– flute, tenor saxophone *
Haywood Henry Frank Haywood Henry (January 10, 1913 – September 15, 1994) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist. In 1978 he was induced into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Career Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Henry began on clarinet before choosing ...
– baritone saxophone *
The Sweet Inspirations The Sweet Inspirations were an American R&B girl group mostly known for their work as backup singers on studio recordings for other R&B and rock artists. A founding member of the group was Dionne Warwick, who was later replaced by her aunt, Ciss ...
- backing vocals *
Carolyn Franklin Carolyn Ann Franklin (May 13, 1944 – April 25, 1988) was an American singer-songwriter. Besides her own musical success, Franklin was best known as the daughter of prominent Detroit preacher and civil rights activist C. L. Franklin and the youn ...
– backing vocals * Cissy Houston – backing vocals * Roger Hawkins,
Gene Chrisman The American Sound Studio was a recording studio located in Memphis, Tennessee which operated from 1964 to 1972. Founded by Chips Moman, the studio at 827 Thomas Street came to be known as American North, and the studio at 2272 Deadrick Street c ...
– drums * Warren Smith
vibraphone The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist ...


See also

* List of number-one R&B albums of 1968 (U.S.)


References

{{Authority control 1968 albums Aretha Franklin albums Albums produced by Jerry Wexler Atlantic Records albums Rhino Records albums Albums conducted by Ralph Burns Albums arranged by Arif Mardin