Hi everyone, this week we’re kicking off a month long look at some of the best soul artists of the sixties. This week we’ll be checking out the music of Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding & Wilson Pickett.
Recommendations Of The Week (streaming music):
Aretha Franklin:
Take A Look: The Complete Columbia:
Singer, pianist and Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame member Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee on March 25, 1942, the daughter of the Reverend Clarence Franklin and his wife Barbara. Aretha grew up singing Gospel and honing an incredible voice! She released her first album, The Gospel Soul of Aretha Franklin, in 1956. She released 18 albums in the sixties, mainly for Columbia and Atlantic Records. This boxed set features the eight full length albums she recorded for Columbia Records in the sixties: Aretha Franklin With The Ray Bryant Combo, The Electrifying Aretha Franklin, The Tender, The Moving, The Swinging Aretha Franklin, Laughing On The Outside,Tiny Sparrow: The Bobby Scott Sessions, Unforgettable: A Tribute To Dinah Washington, Take A Look: The Clyde Otis Sessions, Runnin’ Out Of Fools, A Bit Of Soul, Yeah!!! & The Queen In Waiting.
Aretha’s top forty hits of the sixties include: Rock-A-Bye-Your-Baby, I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You, Respect, Baby I Love You, A Natural Woman, Chain of Fools, Since You’ve Been Gone, Think & I Say A Little Prayer.
The Take A Look collection features some of those songs and many other great songs– more than 100 songs in all.
Stream it for free!
Here’s a link to stream the Take A Look collection:
Otis Redding:
I’ve Been Loving You Too Long by Otis Redding from the album Iconic Performances from the Monterey International Pop Festival
Otis Redding was born September 9, 1941 in Dawson, Georgia. He grew up in Macon, Georgia and moved to Los Angeles, California in 1960 to pursue a music career. He had an energetic performance style and an emotionally charged way of singing. And his career was just shifting into high gear when he was killed in a plane crash in 1967. His posthumous hit Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay hit number 1 on the Billboard chart in 1968.
Despite the fact that Otis Redding’s career was cut tragically short, he still managed to record ten albums in the sixties and they are: Pain in My Heart, The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads, Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul, The Soul Album, Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul, King & Queen, Live in Europe, The Dock of the Bay, In Person at the Whiskey a Go Go & Love This Man.
Otis Reddings top forty hits include: I’ve Been Loving You Too Long, Respect, Satisfaction, Try A Little Tenderness, Tramp, Knock On Wood, (Sitting On) The Dock of the Bay & The Happy Song.
Unfortunately, The Freegal Music Catalog doesn’t feature any of Otis Reddings studio recordings.
However, there is a cool collection put out by the Monterey International Pop Festival Foundation and titled, appropriately enough, Iconic Performances from the Monterey International Pop Festival, which features Otis singing one of his greatest hits – I’ve Been Loving You Too Long. The album also features spirited performances by Paul Butterfield Blues Band, The Grateful Dead, Simon & Garfunkel, Laura Nyro, Janis Joplin, The Jefferson Airplane, The Who, The Jimi Hendrix Experience & Hugh Masakela
Here’s a link to stream the album Iconic Performances from the Monterey International Pop Festival:
Wilson Pickett:
It’s Too Late
Wilson Pickett was born on March 18, 1941 in Prattville, Alabama. Wilson grew up in a family of eleven children and like both Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding he sang Gospel as a youth. He began his music career singing with the Falcons who had a chart hit in 1962 with the song You’re So Fine before leaving to launch a solo career in 1963. Pickett released eight albums in the sixties: It’s Too Late, In The Midnight Hour, The Wicked Pickett, The Exciting Wilson Pickett, The Midnight Mover, I’m in Love & Hey Jude.
I’m going to recommend you give a listen to his Pickett’s 1963 debut LP It’s Too Late. This album is a classic soul LP and a a great Wilson Pickett album to boot! The LP features the following songs: If You Need Me, I’m Gonna Love You, Baby Don’t You Weep, Peacebreaker, I’m Down To My Last Heartbreak, R.B. Special, I Can’t Stop, It’ll Never Be The Same, Baby Call On Me, Give Your Lovin’ Right Now & It’s Too Late.
Here’s a link to stream the It’s Too Late LP:
Artists of the Week Music on CD:
Aretha Franklin:
I Never Loved A Man
This 1967 LP is one of Aretha’s finest albums. It includes the following songs: Respect, Drown in My Own Tears, I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You), Soul Serenade, Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream,Baby, Baby, Baby, Dr. Feelgood [Love Is a Serious Business] , Good Times, Do Right Woman – Do Right Man, Save Me & A Change Is Gonna Come.
Here’s a link to request the CD version of I’ve Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You:
Otis Redding:
The Original Album Collection
This five-disc set collects five of Redding’s Atco albums in one package, including 1964’s Pain in My Heart, 1965’s The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads, and 1966’s Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul, The Soul Album, and Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul.”
This Otis Redding set isn’t quite ready to circulate yet; however, it will appear in our New Items section on on StarCat shortly.
Wilson Pickett:
In The Midnight Hour & The Exciting Wilson Pickett
Two of Wilson Pickett’s classic sixties albums released in 1965 & 1966 respectively, In the Midnight Hour and The Exciting Wilson Pickett are, and excuse the humorous license, exciting!
Songs in this two album collection include: In The Midnight Hour, Teardrops Will Fall, Take A Little Love, I Found A Love, Don’t Fight It, Land of 1000 Dances & Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won’t Do).
This double album set too will be available for circulation shortly – keep a look out for it in StarCat and our New Items section.
Videos Of This Weeks’ Artists/Groups
Aretha Franklin
Respect
I Say A Little Prayer
You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman
Otis Redding:
Satisfaction
Try A Little Tenderness
Shake
Wilson Pickett:
In The Midnight Hour
Land of 1000 Dances
Mustang Sally
References:
Print References:
The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn (Billboard Books. New York. 2009.)Sixties Rock: A Listener’s Guide by Robert Santelli (Contemporary Books. Chicago. 1985.)
Online References:
Seeing Aretha Franklin Sing For The Last Time by Marc Silver. From NPR. August 1, 2017.
Aretha Franklin Biography
https://www.biography.com/people/aretha-franklin-9301157
Aretha Franklin AllMusic Biography by Richie Unterberger
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/aretha-franklin-mn0000927555
Otis Redding AllMusic Biography by Richie Unterberger
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/otis-redding-mn0000414251
Otis Redding III Biography
http://www.otisreddingiii.com/bio.html
Wilson Pickett AllMusic Biography by Richie Unterberger
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/wilson-pickett-mn0000677781
Wilson Pickett, 64, Soul Singer of Great Passion, Dies By JEFF LEEDS. JAN. 20, 2006. New York Times.
Have a great day
Linda, SSCL
P.S. If you have any questions about how to download or stream free music through the Freegal Music service to a desktop or laptop computer or how to download and use the Freegal Music app let us know! Drop by the library or give us a call at: 607-936-3713
*You must have a library card at a Southern Tier Library System member library to enjoy the Freegal Music Service. Your card can be from any library in the system, and the system includes all public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler and Allegheny Counties and including our own Southeast Steuben Count Library in Corning, New York. Library cards are free and at our library you can obtain one by visiting the Circulation Desk and presenting staff with a form of ID that features both your name and your current address.
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