The Very Best of Aretha Franklin, Vol. 1
| The Very Best of Aretha Franklin, Vol. 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by Aretha Franklin | ||||
| Released | March 18, 1994 | |||
| Recorded | January 1967 - October 1969 | |||
| Genre | Soul music | |||
| Length | 47:26 | |||
| Label | Rhino Records | |||
| Producer | Gary Stewart | |||
| Aretha Franklin chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
The Very Best of Aretha Franklin, Vol. 1 is a compilation album by singer Aretha Franklin, released by Rhino Records in March 1994. The album compiles 13 of her first 14 singles for Atlantic Records all of which were recorded during the 1960s. The original recordings were produced by Jerry Wexler, and this compilation was certified platinum by the RIAA.[1]
Content
This compilation contains thirteen of Franklin's initial fourteen singles released in the United States on Atlantic from her debut "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" of February 1967 through "Call Me" of January 1970. The first eight all made the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, including her chart-topping signature song, "Respect." No single included charted lower than #19 on the Hot 100. Missing is her eleventh single of this sequence, "I Can't See Myself Leaving You" of April 1969; also missing is her 1968 version of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" released as a single in the United Kingdom only.
The other three tracks appeared as b-sides, two of which charted on the Hot 100 independently of their hit sides. The single mixes do not appear here on every track.
All basic tracks were recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, with the studio's core session musicians. Additional overdubbing on select recordings took place at Atlantic Studios in New York City.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Respect" (Atlantic 2403 Billboard #1) | Otis Redding | 2:25 |
| 2. | "Baby I Love You" (Atlantic 2427 Billboard #4) | Ronnie Shannon | 2:51 |
| 3. | "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" (Atlantic 2386 Billboard #9) | Ronnie Shannon | 2:43 |
| 4. | "Chain of Fools" (Atlantic 2464 Billboard #2) | Don Covay | 2:48 |
| 5. | "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" (Atlantic 2386b) | Chips Moman, Dan Penn | 3:15 |
| 6. | "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (Atlantic 2441 Billboard #8) | Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Jerry Wexler | 2:44 |
| 7. | "(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone" (Atlantic 2486 Billboard #5) | Aretha Franklin, Ted White | 2:25 |
| 8. | "Ain't No Way" (Atlantic 2486b Billboard #16) | Carolyn Franklin | 2:54 |
| 9. | "Think" (Atlantic 2518 Billboard #7) | Aretha Franklin, Ted White | 4:14 |
| 10. | "See Saw" (Atlantic 2574 Billboard #14) | Steve Cropper, Don Covay | 2:19 |
| 11. | "The House That Jack Built" (Atlantic 2546 Billboard #6) | Bob Lance, Fran Robbins | 2:46 |
| 12. | "I Say a Little Prayer" (Atlantic 2546b Billboard #10) | Burt Bacharach, Hal David | 2:22 |
| 13. | "The Weight" (Atlantic 2603 Billboard #19) | Robbie Robertson | 3:36 |
| 14. | "Eleanor Rigby" (Atlantic 2683 Billboard #17) | John Lennon, Paul McCartney | 2:38 |
| 15. | "Share Your Love with Me" (Atlantic 2650 Billboard #13) | Alfred Braggs | 3:20 |
| 16. | "Call Me" (Atlantic 2706 Billboard #13) | Aretha Franklin | 3:56 |
Collective personnel
- Aretha Franklin — vocals, piano
- Bernie Glow, Wayne Jackson, Melvin Lastie, Joe Newman — trumpets
- Tony Studd — bass trombone
- Charles Chalmers, King Curtis, Andrew Love, Seldon Powell, Frank Wess — tenor saxophone
- Willie Bridges, Haywood Henry — baritone saxophone
- Barry Beckett, Spooner Oldham — keyboards
- Duane Allman, Eddie Hinton, Jimmy Johnson, Chips Moman, Joe South — guitars
- Tommy Cogbill, David Hood, Jerry Jemmott — bass
- Gene Chrisman, Roger Hawkins — drums
- Carolyn Franklin, Erma Franklin, Ellie Greenwich, Cissy Houston, The Sweet Inspirations — backing vocals
