Ain't No Way
| "Ain't No Way" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Aretha Franklin | ||||
| from the album Lady Soul | ||||
| A-side | "(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone" | |||
| Released | March 1968 | |||
| Format | 7" single | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 4:12 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Carolyn Franklin | |||
| Producer(s) | Jerry Wexler | |||
| Aretha Franklin singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Ain't No Way" is a song written by singer-songwriter Carolyn Franklin and sung by her elder sister Aretha Franklin as the B-side to her 1968 hit, "(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone". This song should not be confused with a different song of the same title, recorded by Aretha Franklin on her 2003 CD So Damn Happy: "Ain't No Way" by Barry J. Eastmond and Gordon Chambers.
History
Written by Carolyn Franklin, her sister Aretha recorded the song and released it on her acclaimed Lady Soul album. Released as the B-side of her top-five hit single, "(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone", the song peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 9 on the Hot R&B Singles Chart in 1968. Carolyn and members of the Sweet Inspirations performed backing vocals on the track. The Sweet Inspirations' founder Cissy Houston showcased her operatic like upper range during Franklin's bridges and the ending of the track.
Covers
In 1983, Whitney Houston made her world debut on Merv Griffin Show singing the tune with mother Cissy Houston.[1] Whitney performed the track several times during her 1994 U.S. Bodyguard World Tour. In 1997, she performed it live on her 1997 HBO special, Classic Whitney Live from Washington, D.C., and the 1999 VH-1 Divas Live special as a duet with Mary J. Blige.
In 2005, Blige covered the track as a duet with Patti LaBelle off LaBelle's Classic Moments album, with their version peaking at number 18 on the R&B charts. LaBelle had performed the song as a tribute to Franklin at the Essence Awards in 1994.
Christina Aguilera performed the song to great acclaim in a tribute to Aretha during the 53rd Grammy Awards. Also, Amber Riley, who portrays Mercedes Jones in Glee, covered the song for the show. In 2011, Joe Bonamassa and Beth Hart covered the song in their collaborative album, Don't Explain. In 2013, singer Sasha Allen performed the song in The Voice. In 2017, singer Demi Lovato covered the song for Spotify Singles.
In 2017, British Hip-Hip group Corners sampled the song in their track of the same name on their debut album, “Corners”.
Credits
- Lead vocal and piano by Aretha Franklin
- Background vocals by the Sweet Inspirations and Carolyn Franklin
- Additional background vocals by Cissy Houston
- Produced by Jerry Wexler
Charts
| Charts (1968) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 16 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues | 9 |