We continue our look back at the music of 50 years ago….
Donald Fagen of Steely Dan once wrote a song called “Hey Nineteen” in which an aging gentleman sings to his much younger girlfriend ‘Hey Nineteen, we got nothing in common. She don’t remember the Queen Of Soul”. Fortunately, those of us of a certain age do remember the glory years of the Queen, Aretha Franklin including a wonderful “live” LP from 1971 recorded at the legendary Fillmore West in San Francisco. Promoter Bill Graham’s western outpost had hosted most of the biggest names in Bay Area music including the Grateful Dead, Santana, CCR, Quicksilver Messenger Service and the Jefferson Airplane, when he brought Aretha to town for three nights in early March 1971.
Her producer, Jerry Wexler, had her learn some current, what he called “hippie songs” for the crowd. So, along with ‘Respect”, she also belted out “Love The One You’re With, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, Bread’s “Make It With You” and Reach Out & Touch”. She also did her uptempo version of Eleanor Rigby, which I always thought was a perfect example of an artist embracing a song that didn’t seem right for them….singing it in the first person…and making it her own.
Of course, what would an Aretha show be without some church…a long version of Spirit In The Dark in which she brought out Ray Charles for a lively guest spot. She also got bluesey with Don’t Play That Song and a beautiful version of Dr Feelgood.
It helped that she was surrounded by maybe the best soul band in history. King Curtis & his Kingpins…featuring Bernard Purdie on drums, Cornell Dupree on guitar, Jerry Jemmott on bass, Billy Preston on organ and Curtis on sax…along with the Memphis Horns. Aretha played Fender Rhodes on a few of the cuts.
But you came for the “Voice” and she delivers. She tells the audience at the beginning to “let it all hang out” and promises “they will enjoy this show as much as any they have seen”. They respond. Now a live recording can never catch the real energy and excitement of actually being there. That’s why we go to concerts. But this is a good example of an artist at the peak of her craft…backed by crack pros delivering…and it captures a moment in time pretty damn well.
We will always remember “The Queen of Soul”.
