Aretha studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin . It was released on September 30, 1980, by Arista Records . This is Franklin's second eponymous album, and her first for Arista Records after a 12-year tenure with Atlantic Records .[ 5]
Aretha Released September 30, 1980 Recorded April–July 1980 Genre Length 39 :23 Label Arista Producer
"United Together" "What a Fool Believes" "Come to Me"
Franklin's first Arista single release, "United Together", reached number 3 on the Soul chart and crossed over to number 56 on Billboard ' s Hot 100Billboard
The album's opening track, "Come to Me", appeared again on Franklin's 1989 album, Through the Storm
Information is taken from the album's liner notes[ 6]
Title Writer(s) 1. "Come to Me" Willard Gene Price 3:42 2. "I Can't Turn You Loose " Otis Redding 3:55 3. "United Together" Phil Perry , Chuck Jackson 5:02 4. "Take Me With You" Phil Perry, Terry Coleman, Chuck Jackson 4:05 5. "Whatever It Is" Mark Gary, Eddie Setser, Jerry Michael 3:38 6. "What a Fool Believes " Kenny Loggins , Michael McDonald 5:13 7. "Together Again" Aretha Franklin, Phil Perry, Chuck Jackson 3:34 8. "Love Me Forever" Franklin, Kenny Moore, Patrick Henderson 4:47 9. "School Days" Franklin 4:54
Information is taken from the album's liner notes[ 6]
Aretha Franklin – lead vocals (all tracks), backing vocals (3–7, 9), piano (8), keyboards (3–5, 7, 9), arranger (7, 9)
David Foster – Rhodes electric piano , synthesizer (1–2, 6)David Paich – acoustic piano (1), Hammond organ (8)Todd Cochran – synthesizer programming (2, 6)
Steve Porcaro , Bob Christianson – additional synthesizers (2)Ed Greene (3–5, 7, 9), Jeff Porcaro (1–2, 6, 8), Bernard Purdie (3–5, 7, 9) – drumsScott Edwards (3–5, 7, 9), Louis Johnson (1–2, 6), James Jamerson Sr. (3–5, 7, 9), Mike Porcaro (8) – bass guitar
Michael McGlory, Cornell Dupree , Paul Jackson Jr. (3–5, 7, 9), Steve Lukather , David Williams (2, 6, 8) – guitar
George Devens – percussion (1)
Richard Tee , Michael Lang (3–5, 7, 9) – keyboardsTony Coleman – keyboards, bass guitar, drum overdubs, backing vocals (3–5, 7, 9)
Michael Brecker (additional on 8), Seldon Powell (additional on 8), David "Fathead" Newman (solo on 8) – tenor saxophoneLew Del Gatto – baritone saxophone (8)
Dave Tofani (8), David Sanborn (solo on 6) – alto saxophoneRandy Brecker (additional on 8), Lew Soloff (lead on 8) – trumpetBarry Rogers – trombone (8)
John T. Clark, Peter Gordon – French horns (8)
Jonathan Abramowitz, Julien Barber, Alfred Brown, Frederick Buldrini, Peter Dimitriades, Harold Kohon, Harry Lookofsky , Alan Shulman , Joe Malin, Mitsue Takayama, Gerald Tarack, Mark Wayne-Wright, Fred Zlotkin – strings (8)
Gene Orloff – strings, concertmaster (8)Strings and Horns arranged by Arif Mardin and Benjamin Wright
Estelle Brown (2, 8), Brenda Corbett, Cissy Houston (2), Charles Jackson (3–5, 7, 9), Edie Lehmann, Myrna Matthews, Marti McCall (1, 3–5, 7, 9), Sylvia Shemwell, Myrna Smith (2, 8), Hamish Stuart (6), the Sweet Inspirations (3–5, 7, 9) – backing vocals
Produced by Chuck Jackson (tracks 3, 4, 5, 7 and 9) and Arif Mardin (tracks 1, 2, 6 and 8).
Co-producer on track 9: Aretha Franklin
Engineers: Lee DeCarlo and Frank Kejmar (tracks 3, 4, 5, 7 and 9); Jeremy Smith (tracks 1, 2, 6 and 8).
Additional engineer: Lewis Hahn
Assistant engineers: Michael O'Reilly, Stewart Whitmore
Mixing on tracks 3, 4, 5, 7 and 9: Reginald Dozier
Re-mixing: Lewis Hahn and Gene Paul (tracks 1–7 and 9); Arif Mardin and Michael O'Reilly (track 8).
Re-mix assistant on track 8: Joe Mardin
Recorded at MCA Whitney Recording Studios (Glendale), Record Plant (Los Angeles), Sound Labs Studios (Hollywood) and Atlantic Studios (New York City).
Edited at Cherokee Studios (Los Angeles).
Mixed at MCA Whitney Recording Studios and Cherokee Studios.
Mastering: Ken Perry and Bill Inglot at Sterling Sound (New York).
Art direction and design: Ria Lewerke-Shapiro
Photography: George Hurrell
^ Elias, Jason. Aretha at AllMusic
^ "Review: Aretha Franklin – Aretha" (PDF) . Billboard ISSN 0006-2510 . Retrieved 30 May 2020 – via American Radio History.^ Christgau, Robert. "Aretha review" . Robert Christgau . Retrieved April 28, 2015 . ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide . Random House. 1992. p. 263.^ Holden, Stephen (October 11, 1981). "Aretha Franklin: Gospel and Glamour". The New York Times . ProQuest 121764881 . ^ a b Franklin, Aretha (1980). Aretha (Liner Notes) . Arista. ^ "Aretha Franklin Chart History (Billboard 200)" . Billboard ^ "Aretha Franklin Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)" . Billboard ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1981" . Billboard . Retrieved April 12, 2021 .^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1981" . Billboard . Retrieved April 12, 2021 .
