Fifty years ago, this set of photographs was captured showing the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, recording The Weight. You might remember it as the anthem penned by members of The Band: “I pulled into Nazareth, just a feelin’ ’bout a half past dead…”
Released on her Soul ’69 album, the song also featured the slide guitar of Duane Allman, of Allman Brothers fame.
But Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler had a different idea: “I took her to church, sat her down at the piano, and let her be herself.”
And what Wexler discovered—a fact often overshadowed by her formidable voice—was that Franklin was also a highly talented pianist and musical arranger. She went into vast written detail about the sound she was seeking, and how to achieve it. The Queen of Soul, yes, but also The Queen of the Studio.
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