Last summer I had the great honor of Aretha Franklin playing me several tracks from a new album called “A Woman Falling Out of Love.” They were wonderful. Out in East Hampton, Aretha and her sister in law Earline made us a lunch of “Aretha’s Chili” with cornbread, and we got to hear the songs on Miss Franklin’s laptop. Now the album is ready. It drops May 3rd at Wal Mart and on walmart.com. The track listing follows. The first single, “How Long I’ve Waited,” was written by Aretha herself. So was “This You Should Know.” I am happy to say that a couple of tracks were written by Norman West, a sort of unsung hero of classic R&B. First he was with the Del Rios, and then co-founded The Soul Children at Stax Records. Also featured on this album are gospel star Karen Clark and Aretha’s famous arranger, H.B. Barnum. The CD is classic Aretha, and feels like she reached back to her early 70s sound–no artifice. This is the genuine article. Hooray!
PS Aretha says this is an album for the ladies. She writes: “OK ladies take a good look at the photo of me on this album; this is how you’re supposed to look when you’re a woman falling out of love. Don’t sit by the phone waiting for him to call you, girlfriend; I want you to listen very closely to the lyrics of the songs on this album and you’ll hear a few good tips. Go out and have a ball!” – Love always, Ree Ree
1. How Long I’ve Waited – Written and Produced by Aretha Franklin
2. Sweet Sixteen – Written by Riley B. King and Joe Bihari, Produced by Aretha Franklin
3. This You Should Know – Written and Produced by Aretha Franklin
4. U Can’t See Me – Written and produced by Curtis Boone
5. Theme From A Summer Place – Lyrics by Mack Discant, Music by Max Steiner, Produced by Aretha Franklin.
6. The Way We Were – Written by Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman and Marvin Hamlisch, Produced and Arranged by Marty Paich
7. New Day – Written Kecalf Franklin Cunningham and Norman West, Produced by Brian Garrett and Joseph Hall
8. Put It Back Together Again – Written by Norman West
9. Faithful (featuring Karen Clark-Sheard) – Produced by Sanchez G. Harley and Co-Produced by Jacqui Whittman
10. His Eye Is On The Sparrow (Performed by Eddie Franklin) – Written by Charles H. Gabriel and Civilla H. Martin, Produced by Aretha Franklin
11. When Two Become One – Written by Curtis Boone
Bonus Track:
12. My Country ‘Tis of Thee – Lyrics by Samuel Francis Smith, Music from Thesaurus Musicus, 1744, Arrangement by Aretha Franklin and H.B. Barnum
