Track Listing

1. Ramblin'
2. Today I Sing The Blues
3. River's Invitation
4. Pitiful
5. Crazy He Calls Me
6. Bring It On Home To Me
7. Tracks Of My Tears
8. If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody
9. Gentle On My Mind
10. So Long
11. I'll Never Be Free
12. Elusive Butterfly

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8543 in Music
• Released on: 1994-01-31
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

CD Description
The title is a bit of a misnomer--this album, originally released in 1969, should have been called "Aretha's Jazz" or "The Queen of Soul Swings". Aretha's powerful, authoritative singing is consistent with her best '60s & early '70s work, but here she applies it to an interesting mix of '50s & '60spop, soul/R&B and jazz standards. The beat tends to swing, sway and "cook" rather than snap, the horn section swells with rich, punchy unison passages rather than riffing or honking and the instrumental solos have a jazzy, thoughtful feel.
The background vocals still have that gospel-chorus-derived sound, however, and Aretha's voice still soars to the heavens. She makes every song sound like it belongs to her alone--whether it's Glen Campbell's "Gentle On My Mind"or Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' "Tracks of My Tears". Each track is given a jazz-accented rendition with Aretha's voice redefining the tune's meaning. Not an album for those just getting familiar with the Queen of Soul's body of work, but it will show her fans a rarely-seen side of her talent.

Customer Reviews

A rave review of a litle known album by the Queen of Soul
Aretha's forgotten gem! If you're looking for hit singles, forget it - it's just Aretha with a stellar cast of musicians, turning her mighty talents to jazz standards, to the blues and lending her own inimitable voice to a few pop tunes too.

There's a rollicking big band version of Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home To Me", and a haunting take on "Tracks of My Tear". If you think Smokey's version can't be bettered, just listen to this! Those 60s country-folk tunes "Elusive Butterfly" and "Gentle on My Mind" get the full-on soul treatment, with congas, flashing Fender Rhodes chords from Joe Zawinul and, of course, the girls chirping away merrily in the background.

But 2 tracks in particular stand out as a reminder that, when Aretha's firing on all cylinders, the sheer intensity and feeling in her voice can reduce you to a trembling wreck. Aretha takes James Ray's song of love betrayed,"If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody", to new heights, as she pleads "Tell me why, why did you have to hurt me?". "I'll Never Be Free" is about that one love in your life which remains, burning in your soul, long after you've gone your separate ways ("Each time I hold somebody new, My arms grow cold, thinking of you"). And when Aretha sings it, you know she's lived it.

Quite simply, this album is Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, at her very best - and then some!

Not strictly Soul, but still a gem
Aretha's collaboration with Jerry Wexler came about because, despite an obvious talent, her Record label, Columbia, had failed to ignite the fire within her, having pigeon -holed as a Jazz singer. Wexler gave her an edge, and that produced the groundbreaking "Never Loved a Man" album.

Ironic, then , that 5 albums later, Wexler took her back to Jazz, but this time with the R&B edge that allowed Aretha room to swoop and soar around the melody in her inimitable style. Soul 69 is, then, something of a misnomer, but don't let that put you off.

Starting with a big band rendition of Ramblin', it is clear that this will be an Aretha album with a difference. "River's Invitation" and "Crazy..." are notable for Kenny Burrell's guitar, and "Tracks of my Tears" and "Gentle on my Mind" both swing along in a way that neither Smokey nor Glenn Cambell could have envisaged.

For me, the stand out tracks are "Today I Sing the Blues" and "I'll Never Be Free", both aching with loss, made more poignant because Aretha was enduring troubled times, her marriage to Ted White close to breakdown.

Soul 69 is not an archetypal Aretha album, with it's big band styling, but get past that and you can hear the Queen of Soul in her usual vocal form. This is one to be savoured over time and you will come to appreciate it's place in the hearts of Aretha devotees.