Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, sadly passed away on Thursday the 16th of August 2018. She had a fantastic voice, and a long career at the top of her game.
I thought about choosing a more obscure song, but really her most popular ones showcase that amazing voice perfectly. So I’ve gone with one of the most obvious songs, because it’s just beautiful.
“I Say A Little Prayer” was originally written for Dionne Warwick by Hal David and Burt Bucharach, one of the greatest pop writing duos ever. Her version actually charted higher; it’s not bad at all. That version was released in 1967.
It must be said however, that even by their own admission, Aretha Franklin’s 1968 version blows it out of the water.
It builds in the verses, with a lovely funky beat, sweet strings, and of course Aretha’s golden voice. For the chorus, the Sweet Inspirations (backing vocals) have a call and response thing going on with Franklin, creating a very dynamic feel. The song actually came about because they were all messing about in the studio and released it was a hit!
You just can’t help but love it…