| | Aretha Franklin Spirit In The Dark CD Aretha Franklin Discography of CDs
 (4 Customer Reviews)
SPIRIT IN THE DARK represents Aretha Franklin at the height of her majestic vocal power. This is Southern, gospel-based R&B/soul circa 1969/70, featuring the cream of the genre's players: the Dixie Flyers, the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, the under-rated Cornell Dupree, and the late guitar wizard Duane Allman (of the Allman Brothers.). The then-unbeatable production team of Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd, and Arif Mardin (guys who were clearly concerned with the music, not just the way the balance sheet looked) manned the controls to achieve a clean, undeniably powerful sound.
The material is a nice mix of pop ("Oh No Not My Baby"), blues ("The Thrill is Gone"), and mid-tempo soul tunes that balance strut with hurt ("Don't Play That Song"). At the center of each of these tracks, of course, are the Queen of Soul's powerhouse pipes. Here Franklin sings with passion tinged with vulnerability, and an authority that few contemporary singers--even decades after Franklin's heyday--can match. Though not as widely touted as I NEVER LOVED A MAN THE WAY I LOVE YOU or ARETHA NOW, SPIRIT IN THE DARK is among the most consistent and dynamic records of the singer's Atlantic tenure.
Audio Remixers: Tom Dowd; Arif Mardin.
Liner Note Author: David Nathan.
Recording information: Atlantic Recording Studios, New York, NY (05/26/1969-03/??/1970); Criteria Studios, Miami, FL (05/26/1969-03/??/1970).
Photographer: Jim Marshall .
Personnel: Aretha Franklin (vocals, piano); Aretha Franklin; Jimmy Johnson , Jay O'Rourke, Jimmy Johnson, Howard "Buzz" Feiten (guitar); Dave Crawford (organ, keyboards); David Hood, Harold Cowart, Tommy McClure (bass instrument); Ronald "Tubby" Ziegler (drums); Cornell Dupree, Duane Allman, Eddie Hinton, Jimmy O'Rourke, Charlie Freeman (guitar); Barry Beckett (electric piano, organ); Jim Dickinson, Mike Utley (keyboards); Ray Lucas, Roger Hawkins, Sammy Creason, Tubby Ziegler (drums); Pat Lewis, The Sweet Inspirations, Almeda Lattimore, Brenda Bryant, Margaret Branch, Evelyn Greene, Wyline Ivy (background vocals).
Audio Remasterers: Dan Hersch; Bill Inglot.
Rolling Stone (4/11/02, p.106) - Ranked #7 in Rolling Stone's "50 Coolest Records".
Rolling Stone (11/12/70, p.36) - "...The Queen has made a strong return to her gospel roots....Cut after cut is underlined by her rolling, gospel piano on solid fills and funky solos...sweet soul music..." Spirit In The Dark Music | List Price | $8.96 (You save $1.37) | | Category | Rock/Pop Albums, R&B CDs, Pop, Rap, Urban Soundtrack, Soul/R&B, Stax/Southern Soul, Atlantic Soul | | Label | Atlantic & Atco Remasters | | Orig Year | 1970 | | All Time Sales Rank |  17386  | | CD Universe Part number | 1117659 | | Catalog number | 71525 | | Discs | 1 | | Release Date | Dec 14, 1993 | | Studio/Live | Studio | | Mono/Stereo | Stereo | | Producer | Jerry Wexler; Tom Dowd; Arif Mardin; Jerry Wexler; Tom Dowd; Arif Mardin | | Engineer | Tom Dowd; Arif Mardin; Chuck Kirkpatrick; Jimmy Douglass; Lew Hahn; Ron Albert | | Personnel | Aretha Franklin - vocals, piano
Barry Beckett - electric piano, organ
Roger Hawkins
David Hood
Sweet Inspirations
Mike Utley - keyboards
Jim Dickinson
Sammy Creason
Howard "Buzz" Feiten - guitar
Ray Lucas
List all 27 contributors
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Aretha Franklin Spirit In The Dark Songs Spirit In The Dark Music Review Average Rating: (5 out of 5 stars)  marvelous
This album shows the great artist that Aretha Franklin is. Rythm and sound is spectacular.
Submitted by lchmmp ("Chillan, Chile") 
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No Spirit = Happy!
This is one of the albums from Aretha's Golden Period, as I call it. But during my first listen, I didn't get the usual "goosebumps", and I wondered why. It's heavy on piano, heavy on backup singers, heavy on Gospel, so I should love it. After reading in the liner notes about Aretha's general happy state at the time this record was cut, I knew the reason. It seemed too happy for me. Even the darkest song on the album, the superb "The Thrill Is Gone", ends up with Aretha exulting that she's free from her lover's spell. I waited, song after song, for the hammer of hurt to fall, but it never did. But on my second listen, I had different expectations and I was able to appreciate it for what it is: a statement of joy and strength. The talent is evident throughout, and the album is top flight, just what you would expect from Aretha. My only complaint is that "Oh No Not My Baby" is given too light a treatment, too fast and busy. Other than that, this is just more gold from the Queen.
Submitted by stevenx9 (Mandeville, LA USA)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No My favorite Aretha album
Along with "Soul 69" and "Lady Soul" this is one of Ree Ree's most cohesive albums. Her piano playing, the background singers and all of the musicians nail it on almost every track. I find myself drawn to "One Way Ticket" over and over not so much for what she is singing but HOW she is doing it. I've never been a fan of Aretha's more hard edged material like "Dr Feelgood". Even the title cut here I find a little over the top. The lady always gets me with the rhythm numbers. On those her musicality really shines. When you realize that all the arrangements grew out of what Aretha did with just her voice and the piano I think you realize on this project more than many others that her sense of rhythm and harmony are simply incomparable. Her voice and piano playing are at the core of everything here and that's why I rate this one near the top of my list of favorite Aretha albums. Though it's hard to pick just one or two.
Submitted by Jay M (Louisville Ky)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No Aretha's loyal fan!!!
Excellent, superb, powerful, emotional,
sensitive, everything good!!!
Submitted by Jonathan (Winnsboro, South Carolina 29180)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No | Have you heard this album? |  |
Buy Spirit In The Dark CD Purchase Spirit In The Dark CD To buy, Click on price to add to cart | Aretha Franklin Aretha Now CD (1968)
Spirit In The Dark album
 $6.09   
Digitally remastered by Bill Inglot and Dan Hersch (DigiPrep).
Aretha Now opens with the explosive "Think," an ecstatic performance propelled by the singer's gospel-like fervour and punchy piano playing. It set the tone for yet another self-assured selection, in which Franklin brought her expressive voice to bear on a series of excellent songs. She brings new authority to material first recorded by Sam Cooke ("You Send Me"), Don Covay ("See-Saw") and Dionne Warwick ("I ...
| | Aretha Franklin Soul '69 CD (1969)
Spirit In The Dark CD music
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The title is a bit of a misnomer--this album, originally released in 1969, should have been called "Aretha's Jazz" or "The Queen of Soul Swings." Aretha's powerful, authoritative singing is consistent with her best '60s & early '70s work, but here she applies it to an interesting mix of '50s & '60s pop, soul/R&B and jazz standards. The beat tends to swing, sway and "cook" rather than snap, the horn section swells with rich, punchy unison passages rather than riffing or honking and the instrumental solos have a jazzy, thoughtful feel.
The background vocals still have that gospel-chorus-derived ...
| | Aretha Franklin Young, Gifted And Black CD (1971)
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Recorded over a seven-month period in 1970 and 1971, YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACK captures Aretha Franklin at the peak of her artistic and commercial powers. A stirring, rock-solid release that holds its own with the singer's better-known albums, it also includes some eclectic song choices. Nestled against original, uptempo groovers like "Rock Steady," for example, is a soulful reading of the Beatles' "The Long and Winding Road." (Beatles sideman Billy Preston's signature organ playing is featured throughout the recording.)
Upon its release in January 1972, the album yielded ...
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Includes liner notes by David Nathan and original release liner notes by Jon Landau.
Aretha's Franklin's position as soul music's premier female vocalist was consolidated by this album. Her strident reading of Don Covay's 'Chain Of Fools' set the tone for a collection on which the singer unveiled several stellar original compositions and reinterpreted a batch of classic songs. Franklin's gospel roots were clearly displayed ...
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