Aretha Sings Covers
What needs to be said about the genius of Aretha Franklin and her influence has been said. One part of that genius was her ability to take possession of other people’s songs. Mention songs like Respect or Say A Little Prayer or Spanish Harlem, and few will say Otis Redding or Dionne Warwick or Ben. E. King. When Aretha took those songs, they became hers.
Many others she re-interpreted in such a way that her version would become virtually a different song, not infrequently eclipsing the almost ineclipsable. Consider what she did with the Beatles ballad The Long And Winding Road or Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water — both fine ballads beloved of crooner types — by giving them a bit of gospel. The Beatles track acquires a depth neither the composition nor Phil Spector’s production suggested in The Beatles hands. The S&G track acquires a spiritual dimension that was hinted at in the original but not quite realised
So by way of tribute, here is a mix of Aretha Franklin singing other people’s songs. In the parentheses I cite the respective song’s original performer.
As always, the mix is timed to fit in a standard CD-R length, includes home-shouted covers. PW in comments.
1. Soulville (1968 – Dinah Washington)
2. Groovin’ (1968 – The Young Rascals)
3. Until You Come Back To Me (1973 – Stevie Wonder)
4. You’re All I Need To Get By (1971 – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell)
5. Long And Winding Road (1972 – The Beatles)
6. Young, Gifted And Black (1972 – Nina Simone)
7. People Get Ready (1968 – The Impressions)
8. A Change Is Gonna Come (1967 – Sam Cooke)
9. Drown In My Own Tears (1967 – Sonny Thompson)
10. Bridge Over Troubled Water (1971 – Simon & Garfunkel)
11. Don’t Play That Song (1970 – Ben. E. King)
12. A Brand New Me (1972 – Jerry Butler)
13. Tracks Of My Tears (1968 – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles)
14. The Weight (1969 – The Band)
15. Dark End Of The Street (1970 – James Carr)
16. Eleanor Rigby (1970 – The Beatles)
17. Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing (1974 – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell)
18. Something He Can Feel (1976 – Irene Cara)
19. Oh Happy Day (with Mavis Staples) (1987 – Edwin Hawkins Singers)
20. Ever Changing Times (with Michael McDonald) (1991)
21. I Dreamed A Dream (1991 – from “Les Misérables”)
PW = amdwhah
Thank you, dude! (And I’d add, just because, that Aretha’s version of “The Weight” features slide guitar by Duane Allman and horns by King Curtis.)
Thanks very much. Having friends over for drinks this evening to celebrate the life of this truly extraordinary lady, and I’ll definitely be playing this.
Thanks for the Aretha covers. I am really looking forward to her versions Nice share
regards
Rhodb
After all these years, i discover her more and more. Thanks for this one, much appreciated !
Thanks Dude, as always for a superb, carefully selected collection of tunes by this fantastic singer and troubled soul. I especially like the fantastic version of “Until You Come Back To Me”, one of her more underrated songs and a great Stevie Wonder cover. RIP Aretha.
ZIPPYSHARE SAYS FILE DOES NOT EXIST
@SUNSTORM File has been re-upped
Thanks for great job, but please if possible, back to zippyshare.Rapidgator is very slow, and you can download only one file in hour.In meantime, forget the your incredible blog and go to another. .To th next time.Once again, your job is fantastic, and go on.
All new mixes go up on Zippyshare and — because Zippy is banned in the UK and Germany — on Rapidgator.
Please re-up?
Re-upped
Hello Halfhearteddude,
would you be so nice and re-up the compliation yet again?
Thank you!