In the February of 1971 it was to be my all-important 18th birthday. My father who had retired officially from the navy in late January was able to pull off a very special treat to celebrate. His last job in the Royal Navy was as Staff Weapons Electrical Officer Bellerophon, which was the headquarters for Reserve Ships, based in HMS Belfast berthed alongside the shore establishment HMS Excellent.
HMS Belfast was also officially retired in January 1971 but it would be July before she was moved to her new berth and restoration on the Thames in London. My father wangled the use of the Captain’s Cabin on HMS Belfast before he left the ship for an early celebration of my 18th. I was permitted to talk to the chef and choose the menu. Beef Wellington and Baked Alaska. A wonderful memory.
Every time we go to London we always head to the river and say a quick hello to the ship and to my father….
So to the music of 1971 and there was still a very mixed bag in the top 10 of the day. Number one was Dawn with Knock Three Times followed by Rod Stewart – Maggie May (a hot favourite at the club I frequented on Tuesday and Thursday nights), TRex with Hot Love, George Harrison – My Sweet Lord, The Tams – Hey Girl Don’t Bother Me,The Mixtures –Pushbike Song, Diana Ross – I’m Still Waiting (popular too on Tuesdays and Thursdays to end the night with!) The New Seekers – Never Ending Song of Love and Judy Collins with Amazing Grace.
I still have a couple of these on my playlist today 47 years later, and since Rod Stewart is still going strong… here is Maggie May with an extra acoustic intro…..and buy his music Rod Stewart Amazon
And that end of the evening final smoochy song…….Diana Ross – I’m Still Waiting and buy her music Diana Ross Amazon
As you will have noticed in the last few weeks I have been featuring your requests from the previous posts.
Please put a link to your favourite track that brings back memories in the comments section with a brief note to tell us why it is so important to you. In a few weeks I will be sharing more request shows.
Thanks for tuning in and have a wonderful weekend.. Sally
Welcome to the new series and over the next few weeks we will be sharing the career and music of Josh Groban.
Today an introduction to this extremely talented singer, songwriter and actor, who has wowed audiences around the world with his distinctive baritone voice. I will hand over to William now to take us through his early years.
Josh Groban was born in Los Angeles in 1981 into a musical family. His mother Lindy was a school teacher and his father Jack a businessman and also an accomplished pianist. One of his grandmothers began to teach piano to Josh at age three and his parents introduced him to a wide variety of musical styles from opera to pop. A trait echoed in his own music years later, Groban has said that he was drawn to musicians “who decided not to settle into one particular musical style.”
It was not long before Josh was performing on stage when his music teacher chose him to sing the George Gershwin song ‘S’wonderful’ from the Broadway hit ‘Funny Face’. At that time Josh was more focused on his acting and performed in his high school’s production of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’.
In 1997 and 1998 Josh attended the Interlochen Centre for the Arts summer camp in Michigan, majoring in music theater and taking vocal lessons.
Seth Riggs, Josh’s vocal coach, happened to be a friend of David Foster, a Grammy-winning producer, writer and arranger as well as Brian Avnet who was to become his manager and introduced them in 1998. This introduction led to Josh Groban acting as a rehearsal singer at some high-profile events including the 1999 Grammy Awards, where as a stand-in for Andrea Bocelli, he rehearsed David Foster’s ‘The Prayer’ with Celine Dion. Although nervous at the prospect, Josh was so impressive that the host of the event Rosie O’Donnell, asked him to appear on her show the following week, leading to an appearance on ‘Ally McBeal’.
Josh majored in theater at The Los Angeles High School for the Arts and graduated in 1999. Following four months of the first semester at Carnegie Mellon University studying musical theater, Josh Groban left after being offered a recording contract, and the start of his meteoric singing career.
Creator David E. Kelley created character Malcolm Wyatt for Groban in the season finale of ‘Ally McBeal’ aired in May 2001. The character of Malcolm Wyatt was so popular, prompting 8,000 emails from viewers, that Groban was asked to return the next season to reprise his role and perform “To Where You Are.” Avnet claims this sequence of events effectively got Groban’s career off the ground
Some of the prestigious nominations for Josh Groban’s work.
Josh Groban has been nominated for four Grammy Awards. In 2005 for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for ‘You Raise Me Up’. 2009 for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for ‘Noel’, which was also nominated for International Album of the Year in 2008 for the Juno Awards. 2016 Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for ‘Stages’ and again in 2017 for ‘Stages Live’
In 2017 Josh was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance of an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical in ‘Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812′
Josh Groban has released 7 Studio Albums, 4 Live Albums and 30 singles with over 30 million records sold worldwide. Josh Groban Discography
Here is how it all began….. Celine Dion shares how she first met Josh Groban and they then perform ‘The Prayer’.
William Price King is an American jazz singer, crooner, and composer.
His interest in music began at an early age when he studied piano and clarinet in high school. At Morehouse College in Atlanta where he grew up, he sang in the Glee Club and studied classical music. After graduation he went off to the Yale School of Music where he earned a Masters degree. From there he journeyed to New York where he created a jazz trio ‘Au Naturel’ which performed in some of the hottest venues in Manhattan including gigs on Broadway and the famous ‘Rainbow Room.’ These gigs opened doors for performances in Montreal and a European tour.
While touring Europe he met a lovely French lady, Jeanne Maïstre, who, a year later became his wife. King left the group ‘Au Naturel’ and settled in the south of France where he started a new life on the French Riviera, opening his own music school – the “Price King Ecole Internationale de Chant.” He has had the pleasure over the years of seeing many of his students excel as singers on a professional level, and some going on to become national celebrities. He continues to coach young singers today, in his spare time.
His debut jazz album was entitled “Home,” and was a collection of contemporary compositions he composed, with lyrics written by his wife Jeanne King. His second album was a Duo (Voice and Guitar) with Eric Sempé on the guitar. This album included original songs as well as well known standards from contemporary jazz and pop artists. The “King-Sempé” duo toured France and thrilled audiences for more than three years before going their separate ways. King has formed a new duo called “Clear Cut,” and is now exploring new ideas, in a smooth jazz/soul/folk direction.
In addition to singing and composing, King has been collaborating with author Sally Cronin over the past few years on her blog “Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life,” with the series “A Man And His Music – Jazz, Contemporary, Classical, and Legends” and now, the “William Price King Music Column.” Working with author Sally Cronin has been an exhilarating experience in many ways and has brought a new dimension to King’s creative life. King has also created a micro blog, “Improvisation,” which features and introduces mostly jazz artists from across the jazz spectrum who have made considerable contributions in the world of jazz; and also artwork from painters who have made their mark in the world of art. This micro blog can be found on Tumblr.
His vocal mentors are two of the greatest giants in jazz, Nat King Cole and Mel Tormé. King has a distinctive wide-ranging voice which displays a remarkable technical facility and emotional depth.
Since the beginning of this series, I have asked you to share your favourite music with links in the comments. I thought I would create a special playlist, sharing the track and link to the latest post of those requesting the song.
Next week I am back in the driving seat with more tracks that are on my personal playlist and some of the background behind them.
Jacquie Biggar is clearly a romantic musical fan and she has requested this track from 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, which was watched many times when I was growing up. If you love romance, you will enjoy Jacquie’s blog and books…
Janice Spina has requested another classic musical favourite with Singing in the Rain with Gene Kelly.. here is an excerpt from the film. Janice is an award winning children’s author and also writes as J.E. Spina for adults.
John Rieber – enjoys all music but mentioned E.L.O (Electric Light Orchestra) and since I can tell that the Flash Mob videos are popular.. here is All Over the World with a tribute to the Mobbers and a not to John’s travels.
Judy E. Martin is a humourist and poet, who sees the irreverent side of life…head over and enjoy her gardening poetry… She is also clearly an optimist! As she has chosen In the Summertime by Mungo Jerry…hahaha.
Hopefully by the time you read this the sun will be shining, especially as we have the Royal Wedding tomorrow.. Enjoy your weekend, and next week back to the regular Drive-Time Playlist, and another chance for you to add your requests to the comments. Thanks Sally
We began the William Price King Music Column in January of this year. And since we are on a week break before beginning the new series on Josh Groban next Wednesday, I thought today I would share the artists that have been featured so far with one of the tracks that hit the charts.
If you missed the series, or any of the episodes, just follow the links.
William Price King is an American jazz singer, crooner, and composer.
His interest in music began at an early age when he studied piano and clarinet in high school. At Morehouse College in Atlanta where he grew up, he sang in the Glee Club and studied classical music. After graduation he went off to the Yale School of Music where he earned a Masters degree. From there he journeyed to New York where he created a jazz trio ‘Au Naturel’ which performed in some of the hottest venues in Manhattan including gigs on Broadway and the famous ‘Rainbow Room.’ These gigs opened doors for performances in Montreal and a European tour.
While touring Europe he met a lovely French lady, Jeanne Maïstre, who, a year later became his wife. King left the group ‘Au Naturel’ and settled in the south of France where he started a new life on the French Riviera, opening his own music school – the “Price King Ecole Internationale de Chant.” He has had the pleasure over the years of seeing many of his students excel as singers on a professional level, and some going on to become national celebrities. He continues to coach young singers today, in his spare time.
His debut jazz album was entitled “Home,” and was a collection of contemporary compositions he composed, with lyrics written by his wife Jeanne King. His second album was a Duo (Voice and Guitar) with Eric Sempé on the guitar. This album included original songs as well as well known standards from contemporary jazz and pop artists. The “King-Sempé” duo toured France and thrilled audiences for more than three years before going their separate ways. King has formed a new duo called “Clear Cut,” and is now exploring new ideas, in a smooth jazz/soul/folk direction.
In addition to singing and composing, King has been collaborating with author Sally Cronin over the past few years on her blog “Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life,” with the series “A Man And His Music – Jazz, Contemporary, Classical, and Legends” and now, the “William Price King Music Column.” Working with author Sally Cronin has been an exhilarating experience in many ways and has brought a new dimension to King’s creative life. King has also created a micro blog, “Improvisation,” which features and introduces mostly jazz artists from across the jazz spectrum who have made considerable contributions in the world of jazz; and also artwork from painters who have made their mark in the world of art. This micro blog can be found on Tumblr.
His vocal mentors are two of the greatest giants in jazz, Nat King Cole and Mel Tormé. King has a distinctive wide-ranging voice which displays a remarkable technical facility and emotional depth.
Welcome to the weekly round up with the posts that you might have missed. I have been editing Tales from the Irish Garden and breaking that up with time in said garden, planting pots and (if I am honest) sitting in patches of sunlight reading! It is another lovely day here so will be doing the same, as around here one is not really sure if this is ‘summer’ and you need to make the most of it.
We have some major work coming up with contractors in to lay a lawn and add some new fencing. We have been in the house two years in June and these will be the last of the major renovations…really looking forward to having the garden in bloom again.
As usual the posts this week do not all originate from my keyboard, and a huge thank you to the contributors for their commitment to delivering fabulous posts.
William Price King finished his series on the legend, Aretha Franklin in style on Wednesday, with plenty of tracks to bring back memories and to dance to. There is a slight break this week but then from the 23rd, William will be sharing the story behind the talented singer and songwriter, Josh Groban.
Paul Andruss shared some stunning images of late Spring bulbs that brought some colour into our lives, especially those of us who have been waiting rather a long time for spring to even begin! The gardening column is clearly popular and don’t forget that our resident expert is happy to answer your questions. Not just for those of us in the UK and Ireland but across the world.
Carol Taylor enticed us and informed us with her post this week on the glories of beef.. in a Strogranoff, Corned and in the fabulous Thai Salad Nam Doc Nua… again if you have questions about any of the recipes or any food or cookery queries then fire away.
My guest today is the generous, forthright and passionate advocate for civil liberties, The Militant Negro™. Not a day goes by when one or more of my posts are shared on his eclectic blog and I know that I am just one amongst many have reason to be grateful for his kindness. You will find the arts, poetry, fiction as well as down to earth and compelling documentation of the the many civil rights violations that are part of all our cultures.
If you are a frequent visitor to the blog you will have seen D.G. Kaye… Debby Gies here many times as a contributor, commenter and supporter. It is no secret that we are friends. This however, does not influence my views on her books, and this applies to her most recent release. Twenty Years: After “I Do” : Reflections on Love and Changes Through Aging.
Posts from Your Archives – Travel with D.G. Kaye – Debby Gies
Time for the third of Debby Gies, D.G. Kaye’s travel posts. I would love to be a fly on the wall when she is traveling. Apart from her usual finesse with the check-in and carry on bags, there is the matter of the toxic passengers and glares over protective masks.. You don’t mess with Debby that is for sure.. As to the bathroom facilities…..aghhhhhhhh.
We were now into June of 1985 and getting the hang of things. We had met more people in the apartments and were planning our next trip later in the summer. I also send photographs of our trip to Disney World to my parents.
Get Caught Reading Month – Authors who have inspired me – Jean M. Auel – Earth Children Series.
These books did not just inspire me to continue writing, but to explore my own heritage, back 20,000 years to a woman’s bones in a cave in the southern France, northern Spain region.
Another background story to my characters and jobs in Just an Oldd Job Girl. Originally hosted by Diana Wallace Peach. This week the cosmetic department.
One of the most common contributory factors to heart disease is stress… finding the right balance in our lives and diet is essential to reduce the risk of acute stress becoming a permanent state.
Since the beginning of this series, I have asked you to share your favourite music with links in the comments. I thought I would create a special playlist, sharing the track and link to the latest post of those requesting the song.
Annette Rochelle Aben has a music background and I would love to do a road trip with her… I am sure we would have a few laughs and plenty of sing-alongs. Her request was for Michael Franti and Spearhead. Michael Franti and Spearhead Amazon
The next request is from author N.A. (Noelle) Granger who has just posted details of her new historical novel…a departure from her murder mysteries. She has requested Private Dancer by Tina Turner – Buy the music here: Tina Turner Amazon
Next it is Jan Sikes, who too has a music background.. this song was new to me.. “So This is Life” by Courtney Patton and you can buy her music here. Courtney Patton Amazon
The next request comes from author Judith Barrow and is for Willie Nelson and The Traveling Wilburys. End of the Line from the album Roy Orbison Collected
The last track today is from children’s author and travel writer Darlene Foster with a wedding song that brings a tear to her eye.. Anne Murray – Can I have this Dance for the Rest of My Life — one of my music idols.. and you can buy her music here: Anne Murray Amazon
My thanks to all those who requested their favourite tracks.. one more post next week and then back to the normal Friday posts. Thanks Sally.. keep singing and dancing...
Over the last few weeks William Price King has taken us through the early years and career of Aretha Franklin.
From the age of fourteen to the present day Aretha Franklin has been entertaining and delighting audiences with her incredible voice. She has recorded 112 charted singles on Billboard, including 17 top ten pop singles, 100 R&B entries and twenty number-one R&B singles, becoming the most charted female artist in the chart’s history.
She has also won prestigious awards, honorary degrees and Presidential recognition.
This legendary artist has been entertaining fans for six decades and today William shares just some of the massive hits from the 70s through to today.
“Amazing Grace” is the third live album that Aretha Franklin recorded. Released on June 1, 1972 by Atlantic Records, it sold over two million copies in the United States alone, earning a double platinum certification. As of 2017, it stands as the biggest selling disc of Franklin’s entire fifty-plus year recording career as well as the highest selling live gospel music album of all time. It won Franklin the 1973 Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance.
The double album was recorded at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles during January 1972.
Rolling Stone, in a review of the album wrote: “Amazing Grace is more a great Aretha Franklin album than a great gospel album. She plays havoc with the traditional styles but she sings like never before on record. The liberation and abandon she has always implied in her greatest moments are now fully and consistently achieved.”
“Jump To It” is the thirty-first studio album by Aretha Franklin, produced by Luther Vandross and released in the summer of 1982. This disc gave Aretha her tenth #1 R&B album – at the time it was the all-time record. It enjoyed a seven-week run at #1 on Billboard’s R&B albums chart and also reached #23 on Billboard’s main album chart. It was hailed as a comeback album, given that it provided Aretha with her first Gold-certified disc and Top 40 song since “Sparkle” in 1976. The title track, “Jump To It,” was Aretha’s first Pop Top 40 hit since 1976 and her first #1 R&B hit since 1977’s “Break It To Me Gently”. The infectious song was nominated for a Grammy Award. The album itself received an “American Music Award for Best Soul Album.
“Jump To It” was written by Vandross and Marcus Miller and features background vocals performed by Vandross and Cissy Houston. This major hit held the #1 spot on Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart for four consecutive weeks.
“Freeway of Love” is a Grammy Award-winning hit song released as the first single from Franklin’s Platinum-certified 1985 album “Who’s Zoomin’ Who?” It was produced by Narada Michael Walden. It was one of 1985’s biggest hits in the US, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and topping the Hot R&B Singles chart for five weeks. The accompanying promotional music video was filmed entirely in Detroit, Michigan and was one of the most popular videos of the year. In a remixed “rock” version, the song also topped the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
This single became Aretha’s fifteenth Top 10 pop hit in the United States and earned her 12th Grammy Award, for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The song features a notable contribution from Clarence Clemons, the saxophonist from Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. Sylvester and Jeanie Tracy provided backup vocals.
“I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) is also a Grammy Award-winning number-one song recorded by Aretha Franklin and George Michael as a duet in 1987. It was written by Simon Climie and Dennis Morgan, and produced by Narada Michael Walden. It is Franklin’s biggest hit on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, spending several weeks at number two.
The song was a one-off project that helped Michael achieve his ambition to sing with one of his favorite artists, and it reached #1 in both the UK Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100. The song was Franklin’s first and only UK number-one hit, and only her fourth top ten achievement in the country since “I Say a Little Prayer,” nearly two decades earlier.
“A Rose is Still a Rose” is Franklin’s thirty-seventh studio album. Released in March, 1998, it resulted in the singer’s most critically acclaimed and best-selling album of the 1990s. It was also Aretha’s first Gold-certified studio album in twelve years and received two Grammy nominations: for “Best R&B Album” and “Best R&B Song” for the title track “A Rose Is Still A Rose”. The single became a success on release, reaching #26 on the Hot 100, the forty-fifth top 40 Pop hit of Franklin’s long career. The album was issued in March 1998, a month behind Franklin’s show stopping Grammy performance. It had robust sales from the start, debuting at #30 on the Billboard 200 and #7 on the R&B chart.
“A Rose is Still a Rose” was written and produced for Aretha Franklin by Lauryn Hill. The song is feminist-based, focused on a motherly figure giving advice to a younger woman who keeps getting into bad relationships. Throughout the song, Franklin advises that in spite of everything and despite the woman’s “scorned and thorn crowns” that the woman is “still a rose.”
“Rolling in the Deep” is a song written by and originally recorded by British singer Adele for her second studio album, “21.”
In 2014, Franklin covered the song on her “Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics” album. It was released in September 2014 as the collection’s lead single. This version peaked at #1 on the US dance chart, giving Aretha Franklin her sixth number one on the chart. It also debuted at number 47 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Franklin thus becomes the first female, and fourth artist overall to place 100 songs on the charts (with her first entry on the chart being “Today I Sing the Blues” in 1960).
About Adele’s “21” album, Franklin explained:“I absolutely loved her CD. In addition to being a great singer, she’s a great writer, a deep, heavy writer. She doesn’t write the usual or the norm.”
(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. This 1967 single was inspired by Atlantic Records co-owner Jerry Wexler. As recounted in his autobiography, Wexler, a student of African-American musical culture, had been mulling over the concept of the “natural man,” when he drove by King on the streets of New York. He shouted out to her that he wanted a “natural woman” song for Aretha Franklin’s next album. In thanks, Goffin and King granted Wexler a co-writing credit.
The record was a big hit for Franklin, reaching number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became a standard song for her. Franklin also included a live recording on the album “Aretha in Paris” in 1968. Versions have also been performed and recorded by King herself, Mary J. Blige, Celine Dion, and many others. At the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors, Aretha Franklin performed the song to honor award-recipient Carole King.
William Price King is an American jazz singer, crooner, and composer.
His interest in music began at an early age when he studied piano and clarinet in high school. At Morehouse College in Atlanta where he grew up, he sang in the Glee Club and studied classical music. After graduation he went off to the Yale School of Music where he earned a Masters degree. From there he journeyed to New York where he created a jazz trio ‘Au Naturel’ which performed in some of the hottest venues in Manhattan including gigs on Broadway and the famous ‘Rainbow Room.’ These gigs opened doors for performances in Montreal and a European tour.
While touring Europe he met a lovely French lady, Jeanne Maïstre, who, a year later became his wife. King left the group ‘Au Naturel’ and settled in the south of France where he started a new life on the French Riviera, opening his own music school – the “Price King Ecole Internationale de Chant.” He has had the pleasure over the years of seeing many of his students excel as singers on a professional level, and some going on to become national celebrities. He continues to coach young singers today, in his spare time.
His debut jazz album was entitled “Home,” and was a collection of contemporary compositions he composed, with lyrics written by his wife Jeanne King. His second album was a Duo (Voice and Guitar) with Eric Sempé on the guitar. This album included original songs as well as well known standards from contemporary jazz and pop artists. The “King-Sempé” duo toured France and thrilled audiences for more than three years before going their separate ways. King has formed a new duo called “Clear Cut,” and is now exploring new ideas, in a smooth jazz/soul/folk direction.
In addition to singing and composing, King has been collaborating with author Sally Cronin over the past few years on her blog “Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life,” with the series “A Man And His Music – Jazz, Contemporary, Classical, and Legends” and now, the “William Price King Music Column.” Working with author Sally Cronin has been an exhilarating experience in many ways and has brought a new dimension to King’s creative life. King has also created a micro blog, “Improvisation,” which features and introduces mostly jazz artists from across the jazz spectrum who have made considerable contributions in the world of jazz; and also artwork from painters who have made their mark in the world of art. This micro blog can be found on Tumblr.
His vocal mentors are two of the greatest giants in jazz, Nat King Cole and Mel Tormé. King has a distinctive wide-ranging voice which displays a remarkable technical facility and emotional depth.
Since the beginning of this series, I have asked you to share your favourite music with links in the comments. I thought I would create a special playlist, sharing the track and link to the latest post of those requesting the song.
The first request from the first post in the series is from John W. Howell who also mentioned Whisky for my Men and Beer for my Horses.. I think we can see where this is going! Here is Willie Nelson with ‘On The Road Again’.
‘Late in the Evening’ by Paul Simon was Annette Rochelle Aben And you can find a Tanka by Annette in response to Colleen Chesebro’s weekly challenge if you click the link.
The next track to be requested was by D.G. Kaye.. Debby Gies and is Cheryl Lynn with ‘Got To Be Real’
The next favourite is one of mine too.. Neil Diamond with ‘Song Sung Blue’ requested by Judy E. Martin
I hope you have enjoyed this selection chosen by John, Debby, Annette and Judy… more next week.. Have a good weekend.. thanks Sally
Welcome to the third part of the Aretha Franklin story and here is a reminder of this incredible artist’s honours and achievements.
From the age of fourteen to the present day Aretha Franklin has been entertaining and delighting audiences with her incredible voice. She has recorded 112 charted singles on Billboard, including 17 top ten pop singles, 100 R&B entries and twenty number-one R&B singles, becoming the most charted female artist in the chart’s history.
She has also won prestigious awards, honorary degrees and Presidential recognition. Here is just some of the highlights.
Twenty Grammy Awards including Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best Gospel Performance every year from 1968 to 1975 and further awards in 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 2006 and 2009. Aretha Franklin also one three special Grammy Awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994.
Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 presented by President W. Bush
Induction into the Music Hall of Fame in the UK in 2005 only the second woman to be inducted.
In 2008, a panel of peers and musical experts convened by Rolling Stone magazine voted Aretha Franklin the greatest singer of all time.
Aretha was named “MusiCares Person of the Year” in 2008.
Induction into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2012
In 2014, she was granted the honorary degree of Doctor of Arts from Harvard University for her contributions to music.
On June 8, 2017, the City of Detroit honored Franklin’s legacy by renaming a portion of Madison Street, between Brush and Witherell Streets, “Aretha Franklin Way.”
Time to hand over to William to share his selection of this incredible artist’s music from the 1970s onwards.
Franklin’s success expanded during the early 1970s in which she recorded top ten singles such as “Spanish Harlem”, “Rock Steady” and “Day Dreaming” as well as the acclaimed albums, “Spirit in the Dark”, “Young, Gifted & Black” and her gospel album “Amazing Grace,” which sold over two million copies.
“I Say a Little Prayer,” written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dionne Warwick in 1966, returned to the Pop & R&B Top Ten in the fall of 1968 via Aretha Franklin, taken from her 1968 album “Aretha Now.” Franklin and background vocalists “The Sweet Inspirations” were singing the song for fun while rehearsing the songs intended for the album when the viability of their recording “I Say a Little Prayer” became apparent, significantly re-invented from the format of the Dionne Warwick original via the prominence of Clayton Ivey’s piano work.
Similar to the history of Warwick’s double-sided hit, the Aretha Franklin version was intended the B-side of the July 1968 single release “The House that Jack Built” but began to accrue its own airplay that August. In October 1968 “I Say a Little Prayer” reached number ten and number three on the R&B singles chart. The same month the single was certified Gold by the RIAA. “Prayer” became Franklin’s ninth and last consecutive Hot 100 top 10 hit on the Atlantic label. Franklin’s “Prayer” has a special significance in her UK career, as with its September 1968 No. 4 peak it became Franklin’s biggest UK hit; subsequently Franklin has surpassed that track’s UK peak only with her No. 1 collaboration with George Michael, “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)”.
“Think” was released as single in 1968, from her “Aretha Now” album. The song, a feminist anthem, reached No. 7 on Billboard Hot 100, becoming Franklin’s seventh top 10 hit in the United States. The song also reached #1 on the magazine’s Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles, becoming her sixth single to top the chart. The song was written by Aretha and then husband Ted White. Franklin re-recorded the song in 1989 for the album “Through the Storm.” Pitchfork Media placed it at number 15 on its list of “The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s”.
“Spanish Harlem” – Aretha Franklin released a cover version of this song in 1971 that outperformed the original on the charts, charting #1 R&B for three weeks and #2 Pop for two weeks. Franklin’s version earned her a gold single” Purdie for sales of over one million. Dr. John played keyboards on Franklin’s version with Bernard “Pretty” Purdie on drums, and Chuck Rainey on bass. This version peaked at #6 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart. Franklin also changed the lyrics slightly, from “A red rose up in Spanish Harlem” to “There’s a rose in Black ‘n Spanish Harlem. A rose in Black ‘n Spanish Harlem.” Written by Jerry Leiber and Phil Spector, “Spanish Harlem” was originally released by Ben E. King in 1960.
Rock Steady,” released in 1971, from the album “Young, Gifted and Black” was written by Aretha Franklin. The single reached the #9 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that same year. It also peaked at #2 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart and is cited as one of the first disco songs. The B-side, “Oh Me Oh My (I’m a Fool for You Baby)” peaked at #73 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart.
Music critic Matthew Greenwald wrote: “Rock Steady is one of her few self-penned hits, and was also a very timely song indeed. Built on a sturdy, funk/R&B-driven base, the melody and bass lines have more than a hint of gospel to them. A wonderful dance record, it came at the dawn of the 1970s and perfectly bridged the gap between Memphis R&B and was what soon to become known as disco music. The lyrics are unashamedly sensual, with fabulous and effective references to driving, among other things, which mirror a sexual experience.”
“Bridge Over Troubled Water,” composed by singer-songwriter Paul Simon, carries the influence of gospel music and was the biggest single ever released by Simon and Garfunkel. Apparently Paul Simon wrote the song quite rapidly. When the song was finished, Simon asked himself, “Where did that come from? It doesn’t seem like me.” Indeed, the song sounds more like a traditional gospel tune than Paul Simon’s usual compositions and it was quite natural that Aretha Franklin would one day record this song.
Franklin’s gospel-inspired cover version of “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” released in March 1971, reached number one on the US R&B chart and number six on the pop chart. The single was certified gold by the RIAA selling two million copies and later won the Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1972. Her version was included in “Greatest Moments, Volume III: Various Artists.” Franklin debuted her version of this song at the 1971 Grammy Awards and it was also recorded on her 1971 album “Aretha Live at Fillmore West.”
Here you will find a really powerful rendition of this song. Backed by a girl-group gospel chorus, Aretha belts out the song in a slow, powerful cadence, backing it up with an impressive performance on piano. A lovely organ part accentuates the gospel feeling.
“To Be Young Gifted And Black” is a song written by Nina Simone with lyrics by Weldon Irvine. It was written in memory of Simone’s late friend Lorraine Hansberry, author of the play “A Raisin in the Sun,” who had died in 1965 aged 34, and was a Civil Rights Movement anthem. Released as a single, it peaked at #8 on the R&B chart and #76 on the Hot 100. Franklin remodels Nina Simone’s “Young, Gifted and Black” as a gospel anthem. It is arguably its most potent recorded version.
“Young Gifted And Black” is Franklin’s twentieth studio album. Certified “Gold,” the album won Aretha a 1972 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance of the year. In 2003, the TV network VH1 named it the 76th greatest album of all time. The BBC music critic, Daryl Easlea, in his BBC review said “Young, Gifted and Black exudes superiority, confidence and class.”
In 1971, Franklin became the first R&B performer to headline Fillmore West, later recording the live album, “Aretha Live at Fillmore West.”
William Price King is an American jazz singer, crooner, and composer.
His interest in music began at an early age when he studied piano and clarinet in high school. At Morehouse College in Atlanta where he grew up, he sang in the Glee Club and studied classical music. After graduation he went off to the Yale School of Music where he earned a Masters degree. From there he journeyed to New York where he created a jazz trio ‘Au Naturel’ which performed in some of the hottest venues in Manhattan including gigs on Broadway and the famous ‘Rainbow Room.’ These gigs opened doors for performances in Montreal and a European tour.
While touring Europe he met a lovely French lady, Jeanne Maïstre, who, a year later became his wife. King left the group ‘Au Naturel’ and settled in the south of France where he started a new life on the French Riviera, opening his own music school – the “Price King Ecole Internationale de Chant.” He has had the pleasure over the years of seeing many of his students excel as singers on a professional level, and some going on to become national celebrities. He continues to coach young singers today, in his spare time.
His debut jazz album was entitled “Home,” and was a collection of contemporary compositions he composed, with lyrics written by his wife Jeanne King. His second album was a Duo (Voice and Guitar) with Eric Sempé on the guitar. This album included original songs as well as well known standards from contemporary jazz and pop artists. The “King-Sempé” duo toured France and thrilled audiences for more than three years before going their separate ways. King has formed a new duo called “Clear Cut,” and is now exploring new ideas, in a smooth jazz/soul/folk direction.
In addition to singing and composing, King has been collaborating with author Sally Cronin over the past few years on her blog “Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life,” with the series “A Man And His Music – Jazz, Contemporary, Classical, and Legends” and now, the “William Price King Music Column.” Working with author Sally Cronin has been an exhilarating experience in many ways and has brought a new dimension to King’s creative life. King has also created a micro blog, “Improvisation,” which features and introduces mostly jazz artists from across the jazz spectrum who have made considerable contributions in the world of jazz; and also artwork from painters who have made their mark in the world of art. This micro blog can be found on Tumblr.
His vocal mentors are two of the greatest giants in jazz, Nat King Cole and Mel Tormé. King has a distinctive wide-ranging voice which displays a remarkable technical facility and emotional depth.
Next week some more highlights of Aretha Franklin’s wonderful career including some of her more recent performances. And as always my thanks to William for his amazing column that brings us the music of the most iconic artists of the last century.
Welcome to the start of a new series of the Music Column with William Price King.. and before I hand over to William, in case you missed the Drive time Playlist on Friday, here are two performance that I am sure you will enjoy:
Now time to hand over to William for part one of the Aretha Franklin story.
Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee in March 1942 to Barbara and Clarence Franklin. At the time Clarence Franklin was a travelling preacher and her mother an accomplished pianist and vocalist. The family moved to Buffalo, New York when Aretha was still a toddler and then again two years later when her father took on the pastorship of the New Bethel Baptist Church in Michigan. Unfortunately, despite the prospects of this new permanent position Aretha’s parents separated with her mother returning to Buffalo with her brother Vaughn. Over the next few years Aretha and Barbara would visit each other in New York or Michigan, but sadly just before her tenth birthday her mother died.
This left the upbringing of the children to other members of the family, including her grandmother as her father grew to prominence within the baptist church, travelling to deliver sermons across the country. He was known as the man with the ‘million-dollar voice’ that brought in a substantial and steady income. His celebrity status attracted celebrities such as Martin Luther King and Sam Cooke to the family home.
Aretha had also been busy during this period, learning to play the piano by ear and just after her mother’s death, still only ten years old, she began to sing solos at the New Bethel church with her first solo being “Jesus, Be a Fence Around me”. At age fourteen and with her father now managing her career, she went on the road for his gospel tours across the country, performing as part of the ministry.
With her father’s influence she was signed to her first recording contract with J.V. B Records in 1956 and her first album “Songs of Faith” resulted in two singles “Never Grow Old” and “Precious Lord, Take My Hand’ being released to gospel radio stations.
From the age of fourteen to the present day Aretha Franklin has been entertaining and delighting audiences with her incredible voice. She has recorded 112 charted singles on Billboard, including 17 top ten pop singles, 100 R&B entries and twenty number-one R&B singles, becoming the most charted female artist in the chart’s history.
She has also won prestigious awards, honorary degrees and Presidential recognition. Here is just some of the highlights.
Twenty Grammy Awards including Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best Gospel Performance every year from 1968 to 1975 and further awards in 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 2006 and 2009. Aretha Franklin also one three special Grammy Awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994.
Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 presented by President W. Bush
Induction into the Music Hall of Fame in the UK in 2005 only the second woman to be inducted.
In 2008, a panel of peers and musical experts convened by Rolling Stone magazine voted Aretha Franklin the greatest singer of all time.
Aretha was named “MusiCares Person of the Year” in 2008.
Induction into the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2012
In 2014, she was granted the honorary degree of Doctor of Arts from Harvard University for her contributions to music.
On June 8, 2017, the City of Detroit honored Franklin’s legacy by renaming a portion of Madison Street, between Brush and Witherell Streets, “Aretha Franklin Way.”
Something to keep you going until next week when we pick up the story again.
(Sweet Sweet Baby) “Since You’ve Been Gone” was a single released from Aretha Franklin’s “Lady Soul” album in 1968. It peaked at #5 in the Top 100 for five weeks and in the #1 spot for three weeks in the R&B singles chart.
William Price King is an American jazz singer, crooner, and composer.
His interest in music began at an early age when he studied piano and clarinet in high school. At Morehouse College in Atlanta where he grew up, he sang in the Glee Club and studied classical music. After graduation he went off to the Yale School of Music where he earned a Masters degree. From there he journeyed to New York where he created a jazz trio ‘Au Naturel’ which performed in some of the hottest venues in Manhattan including gigs on Broadway and the famous ‘Rainbow Room.’ These gigs opened doors for performances in Montreal and a European tour.
While touring Europe he met a lovely French lady, Jeanne Maïstre, who, a year later became his wife. King left the group ‘Au Naturel’ and settled in the south of France where he started a new life on the French Riviera, opening his own music school – the “Price King Ecole Internationale de Chant.” He has had the pleasure over the years of seeing many of his students excel as singers on a professional level, and some going on to become national celebrities. He continues to coach young singers today, in his spare time.
His debut jazz album was entitled “Home,” and was a collection of contemporary compositions he composed, with lyrics written by his wife Jeanne King. His second album was a Duo (Voice and Guitar) with Eric Sempé on the guitar. This album included original songs as well as well known standards from contemporary jazz and pop artists. The “King-Sempé” duo toured France and thrilled audiences for more than three years before going their separate ways. King has formed a new duo called “Clear Cut,” and is now exploring new ideas, in a smooth jazz/soul/folk direction.
In addition to singing and composing, King has been collaborating with author Sally Cronin over the past few years on her blog “Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life,” with the series “A Man And His Music – Jazz, Contemporary, Classical, and Legends” and now, the “William Price King Music Column.” Working with author Sally Cronin has been an exhilarating experience in many ways and has brought a new dimension to King’s creative life. King has also created a micro blog, “Improvisation,” which features and introduces mostly jazz artists from across the jazz spectrum who have made considerable contributions in the world of jazz; and also artwork from painters who have made their mark in the world of art. This micro blog can be found on Tumblr.
His vocal mentors are two of the greatest giants in jazz, Nat King Cole and Mel Tormé. King has a distinctive wide-ranging voice which displays a remarkable technical facility and emotional depth.
This website is about the sharing from the owner of this site. Most of the sharing are about his experience, how to handle the difficulty of life in a positive way and travelling pictures and experiences. Sometimes blogger will be sharing some news. Thank you and God bless.
