FRANKLIN, ARETHA

Personnel: Aretha Franklin (vocals, piano); George Benson (vocals); Rev. James Cleveland (conductor); David Williams (guitar, bass); Steve Lukather, Buzzy Feiten (guitar); Phil Ayling (recorder); Eddie Daniels (alto saxophone); Jerry Hey, Larry Williams, Jim Horn, Ronnie Cuber, Seldon Powell, Jon Faddis, Urban Green (horns); Greg Phillinganes (acoustic & electric pianos, keyboards, synthesizer, mini Moog); David Foster (electric piano, synthesizer); David Paich (electric piano); Robbie Buchanan (mini Moog); Marcus Miller, Louis Johnson, Abe Laboriel (bass); Jeff Porcaro (drums); Paulinho Da Costa (percussion); Steve Ferrone (tambourine); Marcy Levy, Mark Stevens, Jo Ann Harris, Cissy Houston, Darlene Love, Margaret Branch, Linda Lawrence (background vocals). Producers: Arif Mardin, Aretha Franklin. Reissue producer: Nedra Olds-Neal. Recorded at Cherokee Studios, Wally Heider Studios & Sunset Sound, Los Angeles, California; Atlantic Studios, New York, New York. Includes liner notes by Arif Mardin. After making the leap to Arista Records at the dawn of the '80s, Aretha Franklin united with legendary producer/arranger Arif Mardin for LOVE ALL THE HURT AWAY. The result was a star-studded affair that found Lady Soul combining slick '80s R&B with more of an adult contemporary sound. Her cover of Sam & Dave's "Hold On I'm Comin'" updates this classic with background vocals by the Sweet Inspirations and Darlene Love as a mechanized horn section blares away. Likewise for Jagger/Richard's "You Can't Always Get What You Want," where a choir led by the legendary Reverend James Cleveland helps make this a bouncy and surreal remake. When Franklin slows the tempo down, her impressive pipes remind us why she is the Queen Of Soul. George Benson's honey-sweet singing makes an effective foil during his duet on the title track and on "It's My Turn," Franklin's vocals cascade over a bed of lighter-than-air strings before some trademark call-and-response with her background vocalists. Equally impressive are the Franklin-penned "Whole Lot Of Me" and "Kind Of Man" which close out the album on a winning note.

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