Aretha Franklin - "Queen of Soul"
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Proclaimed as the greatest singer of all time by Rolling Stone magazine, Aretha Franklin is a music icon. She is the recipient of The Presidential Medal of Freedom, bestowed by the President of the Unite States, it is the highest civilian award in the US. She has won 18 Grammy Awards, The Grammy Legend and Lifetime Achievement Awards. She is the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
THE QUEEN OF SOUL creates a rich musical portrait of Franklin's incomparable run at Atlantic Records between 1967 and 1976. Packed with 87 songs arranged chronologically, the set opens with generous selections from the first five studio albums she recorded for the label - I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, Aretha Arrives, Lady Soul, Aretha Now, and Soul '69. Recorded between 1967 and 1968, all five of the albums topped the R&B charts and gave the world classics like "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," "Chain of Fools," "Think," and the #1 smash "Respect." The set also mixes in several rare outtakes of songs like "It Was You" from Aretha Arrives and "Talk to Me, Talk to Me" from Soul '69. The collection also spotlights the great music Franklin recorded in the 1970s, including the two albums she
released to open the decade - This Girl's in Love with You and Spirit in the Dark. The former boasted an electrifying version of the Band's "The Weight" with Duane Allman on slide guitar, while the latter featured the hit "Don't Play That Song."
Along with several singles from this era ("Spanish Harlem" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water"), THE QUEEN OF SOUL also gathers up several live performances with "Spirit in the Dark" (Reprise with Ray Charles) from Aretha Live at the Fillmore West (1971), plus several songs from her live album Amazing Grace (1972). The latter recording won the Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance in 1973 and remains Franklin's best-selling album to date.
Otis Redding - "The King of Soul"
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"One of the most influential soul singers of the 1960s, Otis Redding exemplified to many listeners the power of Southern
"deep soul" -- hoarse, gritty vocals, brassy arrangements, and an emotional way with both party tunes and aching ballads.”
-Allmusic.com
THE KING OF SOUL's arrival coincides with the 50th anniversary of Redding's debut album, Pain In My Heart, which helped define the sound of Stax Records in Memphis, Tennessee. This new set features 92 songs and retraces the singer's career from his meteoric rise to his untimely death in a 1967 plane crash. The songs reveal the breadth of Redding's talent, starting with his gift for songwriting: "I Can't Turn You Loose," "Ole Man Trouble" and "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," his posthumous #1 hit. His reputation as a magnetic and dynamic performer is well served by a selection of live performances recorded in 1966 at the Whisky a Go Go in L.A. ("These Arms of Mine" and "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag") and in 1967 during the legendary Stax/Volt Revue tour of Europe ("Shake" and "Try a Little Tenderness.")
Redding was also an expert interpreter of other artist's work, putting his distinct twist on everything from Solomon Burke's "Down in the Valley" and William Bell's "You Don't Miss Your Water," to the Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and Smokey Robinson's "My Girl." THE KING OF SOUL also spotlights his unforgettable collaborations with singer Carla
Thomas like "Lovey Dovey" and "Tramp."
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