Aretha Franklin -- RIP

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

Catching up on some appearances I missed. Bishop Paul Morton and Yolanda Adams are impressive

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LmWWyB7TXhE

just got around to that Kennedy Center performance of Natural Woman - wow! the Obama tear at 1:29 is real

and that coat drop!

The Amazing Grace film is something more complicated than a tour de force soundtrack (and I would rather hear her sing pop than gospel). but in the elbowing presence of James Cleveland and Rev Dad Franklin, an attempt by them to say yes, we, the "fathers of the church," are presenting this woman. As if.

J@son King told me at PopCon last week that he had a similar objection.

well, it's what happened and the reality of that world, I don't nec fault the film for it.

if anything it makes clear that this is showbiz

What the heck happened between Clara Ward and Aretha's mother? Looked like they were going at it for a few seconds, haha.

no idea, i thought Clara was overcome by the Spirit

I just read somewhere that it was Aretha's mom who was overcome, and she was trying to get to her daughter until Clara stopped her. Anyway, it looked pretty chaotic in the film.

Aretha’s Mom died in 1952 of a heart attack at age 34.

yeah, i was gonna say i didn't recall any such ID.

My error; thought I heard her introduced. It was the woman with the white streak in her hair.

I liked it and wished the men would shut the fuck up, especially the bisexual queen Cleveland.

I could have done without shots of Pollack and his film crew as well

If you cut it down to just the singing, it's a 50-minute film. No profit there. A feature needs to show behind-the-scenes.

I wish, like the Jackson film, we had had contextual interviews. A different film, of course.

Yes. Interviews would have been nice. Seeing the seemingly all white guy film crew bugged me more than seeing Rev Franklin and Rev Cleveland, as the latter were part of her life ( as annoying as they were). I guess the Revs did take up more onscreen time.

This was great! Can't imagine how or why this film would not feature Cleveland as prominently as it did...? It's his church, his choir, his ministry, his congregation. It seemed evident she savored bing back in church and not "on stage."

I also appreciated that we saw the film crew, saw the extent to which their presence presented a hurdle to clear in terms of maintaining a worship-first vibe.

I thought C.L. taking care to dry her face was a really tender and moving moment.

My only gripe—along the same lines—was that the mix (at least where I saw it) didn't really sound like the room. I would have preferred a really full ambient recording of the space.

yeah Cleveland was certainly important to the show (and mentored her in her youth, right?) but apparently Aretha herself, per the NYT feature a week ago, that his and C L's screentime made her "wallpaper" in her own film; that's why she disliked it, in part.

*Aretha herself felt that

yeah their connection and comfort level was cool to see

I can see that a little bit w/r/t C.L., he was def soaking it up a little....as a preacher's kid I can attest that this unfortunately comes w/ the territory

He didn't hide his queerness either, which I would've liked the film to explain at least.

not sure how the directorial conceit could have accommodated that, or to what end