Aretha Live at Fillmore West

Performer: Aretha Franklin
Artist: Ray Charles; Cornell Dupree; Billy Preston; Arif Mardin; King Curtis; Bernard Purdie; The Memphis Horns
Engineer: Ray Thompson
Producer: Jerry Wexler; Arif Mardin
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Personnel: Aretha Franklin (vocals, electric piano); Ray Charles (vocals, electric piano); King Curtis (soprano & tenor saxophones); Billy Preston (organ). The Kingpins: Cornell Dupree (guitar); Truman Thomas (electric piano); Jerry Jemmott (bass); Bernard Purdie (drums); Pancho Morales (congas). The Memphis Horns: Andrew Love, Lou Collins (tenor saxophones); Jimmy Mitchell (baritone saxophone); Wayne Jackson, Roger Hopps (trumpets); Jack Hale (trombone). The Sweethearts Of Soul: Margaret Branch, Brenda Bryant, Pat Smith (background vocals). Recorded live at Fillmore West, San Francisco, California on February 5 and 7, 1971. Originally released on Atlantic (7205). Includes liner notes by David Nathan. Personnel: Aretha Franklin (vocals, piano, electric piano); Ray Charles (vocals, piano, electric piano); Pat Smith , Brenda Bryant, Margaret Branch (vocals, background vocals); Cornell Dupree (guitar); Arif Mardin (strings, synthesizer); King Curtis (saxophone, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Lou Collins, Andrew Love (saxophone, tenor saxophone); James Mitchell (saxophone); Jimmy Mitchell (baritone saxophone); Roger Hopps, Wayne Jackson (trumpet); Jack Hale (trombone); Truman Thomas (electric piano, keyboards); Billy Preston (organ, keyboards); Bernard "Pretty" Purdie (drums); Pancho Morales (congas, percussion); The Sweethearts of Soul (background vocals). Audio Remasterers: Dan Hersch; Bill Inglot. Liner Note Author: David Nathan. Recording information: Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA (02/05/1971/02/07/1971). Photographer: Jim Marshall . Rhino Handmade issued the Aretha Franklin/King Curtis Live at Fillmore West box collection in 2005 as a limited edition via their Internet-only site. This double disc collects the original Franklin album, presents it in gloriously remastered sound, and adds a bonus disc of alternate takes and unused songs from the four-night stand. The original LP was a double, and for good reason. Franklin used King Curtis' band, the Kingpins, for these dates -- after being persuaded by producer Jerry Wexler -- in lieu of her regular road band. It was a solid call on Wexler's part. The music here sparkles and crackles with the energy of a top-flight rhythm section -- Cornell Dupree on guitar, Bernard Purdie on drums, and Jerry Jemmott on bass, with Billy Preston on organ, Curtis on saxophone, and the Memphis Horns. The backing vocals were provided by Franklin's own crew, the Sweethearts of Soul (Brenda Bryant, Margaret Branch, and Pat Smith). Whew! Franklin also plays a Fender Rhodes on four cuts, including "Eleanor Rigby," "Spirit in the Dark," "Don't Play That Song," and "Dr. Feelgood." In addition, there is a guest duet vocal by Ray Charles on "Spirit in the Dark." Beginning with "Respect" (a house-burning tear-up read), Franklin then digs deep into her pop song bag of tricks for "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With," and also redeems Bread's saccharine "Make It with You" -- all of them in the first set! The second set contains the originals "Spirit in the Dark," including a long reprise with Charles, and "Dr. Feelgood." The album-ending "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)," written by Ashford & Simpson, is a scorched-earth soul ballad that unites the entire crowd. The bonus material is just as righteous, with unused cuts such as "Call Me," "Mixed-Up Girl," "Share Your Love with Me," and "You're All I Need to Get By." The disc is filled out with alternate takes of nine album cuts that easily could have been included on the released version. In sum, it makes for the most dramatic and deeply satisfying of Aretha Franklin's live recordings, and is a historical document that every soul fan should own -- especially as a new and much improved package with great liner notes by David Nathan. ~ Thom Jurek Aretha Franklin's 1971 album Live at Fillmore West was as seminal a soul breakthrough as Albert King's visit had been for blues. It finally cemented her status beyond soul audiences as both a recording and live attraction, and it matched her with a phenomenal rhythm section in King Curtis and the Kingpens. Franklin adroitly mixed pop, rock, and soul material throughout the three nights, including Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With," and Bread's "Make It With You," and the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby," as well as tried and true favorites "Respect," "Don't Play That Song," and "Spirit in the Dark," which brought Ray Charles out of the audience for a spirited duet. There's more than enough here to make this absolutely essential. ~ Ron Wynn When Aretha Franklin recorded 1971's LIVE AT FILLMORE WEST, she was backed by a group of veteran session musicians on a mix of popular interpretations along with some of her trademark numbers. Opening with Otis Redding's "Respect," Franklin made Stephen Stills' "Love The One You're With" her own with the help of Billy Preston's joyous organ playing while Bread's saccharine "Make It With You" was injected with a healthy shot of sexy sassiness. Aretha Franklin's underrated piano playing and a healthy display of her gospel roots make FILLMORE one of the more special recordings in Lady Soul's vast canon. Franklin's skill on the eighty-eights particularly shines on her swinging treatment of the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" and the jubilant "Don't Play That Song." Franklin also plays electric piano on "Dr. Feelgood," and from this point on she turns Bill Graham's hall into a Baptist church. Between the call-and-response of her background singers and King Curtis' skillful band-leading/saxophone playing, Franklin's high point came when she brought Ray Charles out for the reprise of the testimonial "Spirit In The Dark" followed by the uplifting "Reach Out And Touch (Somebody's Hand)." When Aretha Franklin recorded 1971's LIVE AT FILLMORE WEST, she was backed by a group of veteran session musicians on a mix that included interpretations of popular songs and some of her trademark numbers. Franklin makes Stephen Stills' "Love The One You're With" her own with the help of Billy Preston's joyous organ work, while Bread's saccharine "Make It With You" is injected with a healthy shot of sexy sassiness. Franklin's underrated piano playing and a healthy display of her gospel roots make FILLMORE a special recording in Lady Soul's vast canon. Franklin's skill on the eighty-eights particularly shines on her swinging treatment of the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" and the jubilant "Don't Play That Song." Franklin also plays electric piano on "Dr. Feelgood," and from this point on she turns Bill Graham's hall into a Baptist church. The call-and-response of her background singers and King Curtis' skillful band-leading/saxophone playing lead up to the high point where she brings Ray Charles out for the reprise of the testimonial "Spirit In The Dark" followed by the uplifting "Reach Out And Touch (Somebody's Hand)." Aretha Franklin's 1971 album Live at Fillmore West was as seminal a soul breakthrough as Albert King's visit had been for blues. It finally cemented her status beyond soul audiences as both a recording and live attraction, and it matched her with a phenomenal rhythm section in King Curtis and the Kingpens. Franklin adroitly mixed pop, rock, and soul material throughout the three nights, including Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With," and Bread's "Make It With You," and the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby," as well as tried and true favorites "Respect," "Don't Play That Song," and "Spirit in the Dark," which brought Ray Charles out of the audience for a spirited duet. There's more than enough here to make this absolutely essential. ~ Ron Wynn

Rolling Stone (7/22/71, p.36) - "...irresistible, simply because when Aretha's good, she's truly inspired..." Rolling Stone (9/30/71, p.42) - "...the greatest vocal virtuoso in rock today..." Rolling Stone (7/22/71, p.36) - "...irresistible, simply because when Aretha's good, she's truly inspired..." Uncut (p.120) - 3 stars out of 5 - "It all adds up to a rare historical document..."

Aretha Franklin is one of the most important and influential female soul singers of the 20th century. The daughter of famed preacher Rev. C.L. Franklin, Memphis-born Aretha started out singing gospel while still in her teens in the 1950s, subsequently moving on to jazz and pop. She didn't hit her stride until her string of 1960s R&B hits on Atlantic records--"Respect," "Chain of Fools," and many others--which earned her the lifelong title "the Queen of Soul." Franklin's powerful, emotional voice goes straight to the heart--no list of the greatest voices in recorded history would be complete without her.

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