White, fearing losing control of Aretha and unwilling to accept that she could make money by singing deep soul, terrorized the studio, and nearly ended the contract before it started. He picked fights with the White Muscle Shoals band members, tried to tell musicians what to play (even though White could barely read music) and showed himself a monster to everyone but Aretha. So instead of ending the deal, Wexler, Muscle Shoals, Aretha, and co. decided to make art out of the situation. And the rest, to use the most shopworn of cliched quotes, is history.
Although the first song, "I Never Loved A Man the Way That I Love You" was originally written for a Motown pop cover band, Aretha and the Muscle Shoals crew turned it into an ode of deep pathos that remains timeless to this day. Spooner Oldham's slow, dark and bluesy organ riffs, the muted horns of King Curtis' vaunted rhythm section and Aretha's church piano came together for a voodoo blend of heavy blues and Ray Charles-esque manic-country soul.
But I don't have to tell you the primary instrument that carried the song, do I? Whatever happened to cause her to let out all her years of studying under gospel's Dutch masters and the flood of emotions of her abusive relationship in a vocal explosion was nothing short of a blessing. Nothing in pop music has been the same since. In Aretha's liberation with her vocal lines came a whole new language and artistic paradigm to modern pop. Taking Mahalia Jackson's endless range and ability to render immense emotions that you didn't know you had, Clara Ward's breathtaking ability to squeeze feeling through pinpoint phrasing; and a staggering penchant for taking massive vocal risks, Aretha created an art so close to god, I would be foolish to describe it in one sentence.
On "Never Loved A Man," she rips through conventional vocal bars with an immense sadness nearly everyone was in awe of but few could understand. She went past modern interpretation and gave her audience something equivalent to blend of deep dark blues and a constant, never-ending full tent revival. All done with a visceral impact clarity and range that still sounds transcendental today.
After White freaked out and canceled the deal, only to be cajoled back in the studio with more money; they moved to New York to record "Drown In My Own Tears," an old Ray Charles number. In a way, its the queen paying tribute to him, blending jazz chords, bluesy horns and straight gospel singing into a puree that would sound like ear candy if Aretha didn't sing the song as if she were a moment a way from suicide ("Drown in my own tears.")
Article comments
1 - Elvira Black
This is terrific, Robert.
2 - Michael J. West
A damn fine article about a damn fine album. One of my favorites (although, blasphemically, I never much cared for her version of "Respect"; I've always preferred Otis Redding's original).
That said, I have one tiny, tiny nit to pick:
Out of all the living soul geniuses, (her, Stevie, Sly, Prince)
James Brown doesn't count as a living soul genius?
3 - Robert lashley
Elvira: Thank you
Michael: I can dig it, and you're right. I should put the godfather at the end of that caption.
4 - Bryan
"I Never Loved A Man The Way That I Love You" would make a terrific title for a lesbian anthem.
5 - ART
OK LANG
6 - Paul Hill
I have been a fan of Aretha Franklin since she was 14. I heard her as a small boy on a crusade with her father and her voice changed my life. I watched her get pregnant at 14 and again only a few years later, marry and divorce Ted White, hoped she'd find happiness with Ken Cunningham, even Glenn Thurman, but I don't think anything will ever compensate for the early loss of her mother and the eternal desire to please her father. I watched her siblings die one by one and the ups and downs of each of her children and wondered how she could ever be so strong. I think one scripture encapsulates this marvelous woman, "Raise up a child in the way (she) is to go and when (she is)old, they will not depart from it." Her faith has kept her sober, strong and unbending. I've watched her go and come back and I'm glad she's back.
7 - lilkunta
What album had a pic of an abused Aretha? Ive never seen that!
Also, Ive read varous AF interviews & she says Ted was emotionally abusive. She detailed her time in Alabama hen me made them leave after just 1 song being recorded. Bue h was physically abusive as well?