Aretha Franklin -- RIP

Listening to Spirit in The Dark... as soon as “she started singing “Dont Play That Song” I bawled so hard right here at my desk at work

love u lady

Rest In Peace Glorious Sister

Shifting things around so have severql hard drives disconnected but did find the one with a 1971 Montreux live set on . So did get to listen to her today.
She did some great stuff. RIP.

in the Kennedy Center Honors video that Alfred posted i love the spin she puts on the opening line of the song. Truly incredible to hear a voice like that at 70. I've watched that about twenty times today and it's overwhelming every single time.

someone posted some inane interview on fb today and the interviewer asks her what song of hers she thought Adele could cover and she said something like "hopefully one I have the publishing rights to" lol

like many of us, I think, I feel more gratitude than grief ... it was a long run and she overcame so much so many times and sounded just like herself the whole way

the epithet "King" seems corny to me, even for Elvis, but "Queen of Soul" feels modest in her case

as Sam Phillips said of Howling Wolf, this is where the soul of man never dies

Carl Wilson pays tribute via an extended appreciation of one of her quintessential songs.

she makes me think of Ella Fitzgerald, in that 99.9% of vocalists might as well have a try with their hobby, but won't get close to her. RIP.

Great piece, cryptosicko - thanks.

The piece I wanted to read: Aretha as pianist.

lol, just saw the National Review obituary for Aretha Franklin that went out of it's way to say she wasn't as good as Kelly Clarkson or Linda Ronstadt pic.twitter.com/4xLEYeLirE

— Nathan McDermott (@natemcdermott) August 17, 2018

"of the rock era" - WTAF

I wouldn't rate her as the finest singer of the post-punk era...

oh well:

https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2018/08/16/aretha-was-much-more-than-just-the-queen-of-soul/

I heard that! The kicker of course was "Queen of Soul is inadequate, just like Rush Limbaugh, Right-Wing Radio Host."

My mom, the Rush fan, gushed about how "beautifully" he spoke. I had to see for myself.

Right-wingers just aren't very good at this:

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/fox-news-remembers-aretha-franklin-with-photo-of-patti-labelle_us_5b75bbcfe4b0182d49b1e165

this is great

Ashanti shared a beautiful Aretha Franklin memory... of the time she called her and told her not to get SARS in Canada?!?!? pic.twitter.com/MZL2U6dqUW

— Ira (@ira) August 17, 2018

yes that tweet made me giggle uncontrollably, which was a nice respite from feeling sad.

what...is Rush Limbaugh...talking about?

How he and Aretha are alike.

https://bittersoutherner.com/the-houses-aretha-built-patterson-hood

He must have heard me mention his dad upthread

just beautiful <3

It took me ages to persuade her to play piano on ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash,’ Rolling Stones songwriter and guitarist Keith Richards told me in 2015, referring to her version of the song she recorded for the 1986 Whoopi Goldberg film of the same title.

“The deal was,” Richards recalled, “that if we came to Detroit, she’d do it, because she hates traveling. I said, ‘I’ll make a deal with you: We’ll come to Detroit, but you’ve got to play piano.’ It’s automatic with her: She starts playing those beautiful gospel chords. She doesn’t think of herself as much of a piano player, but when [she’s] singing with it, it’s a different thing.”

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-aretha-franklin-piano-20180816-story.html#

Ann Powers:

Franklin, who died Thursday at the age of 76, was a child of the African-American Great Migration that created our nation's version of modernity and of the golden age of gospel that formed the fundament of rock and soul. Her music did the crucial work of art in the 20th century: It captured the experience of living through profound change and showed how to preserve integrity in its wake. She was a central player in the civil rights movement, American democracy's fundamental historical struggle. The key words in Franklin's most famous songs — respect, freedom, the word chains turning in a deliberate slip of the tongue to change — articulate personhood by connecting the body to the mind, the feet that wander to the arms that hold loved ones close. And the voice that echoes in our memories, from its belly growl to those heaven-hitting squalls, embodies liberty itself.

Found this through a link in Mark Deming's AMG obit: A 24 minute ABC News documentary from '68 on Aretha, including footage of her in the studio recording material for Lady Soul (Bobby Womack cameos), learning "Ain't No Way" from sister Carolyn, lip-syncing "Chain of Fools" on Swingin' Time, MLK surprsing her at a testimonial ceremony...the whole thing is a treasure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=vHFR5QOoMEM

Aretha on What's My Line? in 1974

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpAXLTAJR8Q

I opened my set last night with (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, closed it with I Say A Little Prayer, and played eight tracks back to back at peak time, from Respect to A Deeper Love via Rock Steady and Who's Zoomin' Who. The word had got out, the place was rammed, and we all remembered her together. It was special.

https://pitchfork.com/news/aretha-franklin-public-viewing-announced/

Would loved to have gone to the memorial had we not let our passports expire (with no plans of renewal until Tr*mp is outta there).

https://africatimes.com/2018/08/17/cruising-in-kenya-learning-english-in-ethiopia-africans-remember-aretha/

The Singles Jukebox pays tribute

I really never thought of her taking “I Say a Little Prayer” from Warwick the way she did, eg, "Respect" from Otis. In fact I don't think I heard Aretha's version very much growing up, whereas Dionne's original was ubiquitous. But Sheila B on WFMU played the cover the other day, and I was struck by how the backup singers indeed do most of the chorus.

I prefer the Aretha version, with Roger Hawkins on drums, as I tried to say upthread.

But came to post that Aretha is one of the featured artists on Michael Bourne's SIngers Unlimited on WBGO right now. He is leading off with a duet between her and Tony Bennett.

Probably be a lot of other people singing showtunes though

http://www.vulture.com/2018/08/aretha-franklin-music-guide.html

Haven't read David Ritz' authorized book with Aretha, or his later unauthorized one that she didn't like. On this guide to Aretha's piece, he simply names off fave songs of hers from throughout her life (with video links included).

I too always heard Warwick's version of "I say a Little Prayer" more than Aretha's, which I was not that familiar with. Ritz states that "Aretha’s 1968 reinvention of “I Say a Little Prayer” becomes, in the words of its composer Burt Bacharach, “the definitive version.”

There was a discussion about this before, maybe even a poll. Feel like I was the lone holdout in favor of Aretha, but perhaps I am exaggerating.

No, I misremembered, I wasn’t the lone holdout at all, just that there were certain loud opinionated overbearingother ilx0rs expressing the opposite point of view.
Best Version Of "I Say A Little Prayer"

Also, interested in reading the David Ritz book(s), really liked the Marvin Gaye one, and Ray Charles one was okay, I guess

Holy jeez, make sure to read both pages in full.

Aretha’s funeral is AN EVENT pic.twitter.com/WOyJNcY2li

— Philip Lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) August 30, 2018

rick snyder sticks out like a bunion

I thought this was funny:

https://verysmartbrothas.theroot.com/the-schedule-for-aretha-franklins-funeral-is-the-most-o-1828718192

But if you’re going to this here funeral in person, well, I hope you have all of the snacks and make sure to bring plenty of water because while the service is already scheduled to be as long as the Easter Sunday service at a southern Baptist church with a new pastor trying to prove himself (9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.), I’d bet good money that it will last at least 12 hours. And I’m not even being facetious.

one look at the list and I started looking at it like my friends and I do at pearl jam shows, gearing up to make a run for it during 'bathroom songs'
Faith Hill = definite bathroom song

Stream is live.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnwyCzMsp5A

Couldn't watch any of the proceedings today, but--and I know I shouldn't think this way, much less post about--I'm watching the clip of Ariana Grande, Clinton looking on with a big grin on his face, and I'm thinking, not really the ideal picture.

Chaka Khan’s performance of “Going Up Yonder” was electrifying.

“She ain’t never worked for you, she worked above and beyond you.”

"Get your proposition right."

Fantasia and that choir. Wow

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-7XzbbSnivE

https://slate.com/culture/2018/09/aretha-franklin-family-criticizes-rev-jasper-williams-jrs-eulogy-about-black-on-black-crime-and-single-mothers.html