Lady Soul

Lady Soul is an album by Aretha Franklin, released in 1968. The album was her second R&B chart-topper, the follow-up to "Aretha Arrives" and included some of her biggest hit singles, "Chain of Fools" (#2 Pop), and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (#8 Pop), and "(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone" (#5 Pop). It eventually sold over a million copies in the United States alone. The album was reissued on Rhino Records in the early 1990s.

Lady Soul peaked at #1, #2 and #3 on Billboard's Black Albums, Pop Albums and Jazz Albums charts respectively. The single "Ain't No Way" (B-Side of "Since You've Been Gone (Sweet, Sweet, Baby)") peaked at #9 on the Black Singles chart, and #16 on the Pop Singles chart.

Gospel/R&B singer Cissy Houston (mother of Whitney Houston) and her group the Sweet Inspirations are credited as background vocals on several tracks, along with Aretha's sisters' Carole and Emma Franklin. In 2003 the TV network VH1 named Lady Soul the 41st greatest album of all time. It is number 84 on Rolling Stone's list "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".

Track listing

All tracks produced by Jerry Wexler

Recording engineer: Tom Dowd

Side One

1. "Chain Of Fools" (Don Covay) 2:46

Recorded on June 23, 1967
Aretha Franklin - vocals and piano; Jimmy Johnson and Joe South - guitars; Spooner Oldham - elctric piano; Tommy Cogbill - bass; Roger Hawkins - drums; The Sweet Inspirations, Carole, Emma Franklin & Ellie Greenwich - backgroung vocals

2. "Money Won't Change You" (James Brown, Nat Jones) 2:09

3. "People Get Ready" (Curtis Mayfield) 3:42

Recorded on December 19 and 20, 1967
Aretha Franklin - vocals and piano; Bobby Womack - guitar; Spooner Oldham - organ; Tommy Cogbill - bass; Roger Hawkins - drums; Melvin Lastie, Joe Newman, Bernie Glow - trumpets; Tony Studd - bass trombone; King Curtis, Seldon Powell - tenor saxophones; Frank Wess - tenor saxophone and flute; Haywood Henry - baritone saxophone; Carolyn Franklin & The Sweet Inspirations - backgroung vocals; horn arrangement: Arif Mardin

4. "Niki Hoeky" (J. Leslie McFarland, Sidney Wyche) 2:31

5. "(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman" (Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Jerry Wexler) 2:44

Recorded on February 16, 1967
Aretha Franklin - vocals; Spooner Oldham - piano; Tommy Cogbill - bass; Gene Chrisman - drums; The Sweet Inspirations, Carole & Emma Franklin - backgroung vocals; strings conducted by Ralph Burns

Side Two

1. "(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone" (Aretha Franklin, Ted White) 4:23

Recorded on December 16 and 17, 1967
Aretha Franklin - vocals; Jimmy Johnson and Bobby Womack - guitars; Spooner Oldham - elctric piano; Tommy Cogbill - bass; Roger Hawkins - drums; Melvin Lastie, Joe Newman, Bernie Glow - trumpets; Tony Studd - bass trombone; King Curtis, Seldon Powell, Frank Wess - tenor saxophones; Haywood Henry - baritone saxophone; The Sweet Inspirations, Carole & Emma Franklin - backgroung vocals; horn arrangement: Arif Mardin

2. "Good to Me As I Am to You" (Aretha Franklin, Ted White) 3:56

Recorded on December 16 and 17, 1967
Aretha Franklin - vocals and piano; Spooner Oldham - organ; Tommy Cogbill - bass; Roger Hawkins - drums; Melvin Lastie, Joe Newman, Bernie Glow - trumpets; Tony Studd - bass trombone; King Curtis, Seldon Powell - tenor saxophones; Frank Wess - tenor saxophone and flute; Haywood Henry - baritone saxophone. Eric Clapton of "Cream" - guitar obbligato. Note: Jimmy Johnson & Bobby Womack played guitar on the take but were left off the mix-down.

3. "Come Back Baby" (Ray Charles) 2:25

Recorded on December 19 and 20, 1967
Aretha Franklin - vocals; Jimmy Johnson and Bobby Womack - guitars; Spooner Oldham - organ; Tommy Cogbill - bass; Roger Hawkins - drums; Melvin Lastie, Joe Newman, Bernie Glow - trumpets; Tony Studd - bass trombone; King Curtis, Seldon Powell, Frank Wess - tenor saxophones; Haywood Henry - baritone saxophone; The Sweet Inspirations, Carole & Emma Franklin - backgroung vocals; horn arrangement: Arif Mardin

4. "Groovin'" (Felix Cavaliere, Eddie Brigati) 4:17

5. "Ain't No Way" (Carolyn Franklin) 4:11

Recorded on December 19 and 20, 1967
Aretha Franklin - vocals and piano; Warren Smith - vibraharp; Tommy Cogbill - bass; Roger Hawkins - drums; Melvin Lastie, Joe Newman, Bernie Glow - trumpets; Tony Studd - bass trombone; King Curtis and Seldon Powell - tenor saxophones; Frank Wess - tenor saxophone and flute; Haywood Henry - baritone saxophone; Carolyn Franklin and The Sweet Inspirations - backgroung vocals; Cissy Houston - vocal obbligato; string and horn arrangement: Arif Mardin

Bonus Selections

1. "Chain Of Fools (Unedited Version)"

Originally issued on the quad album The Best Of Aretha Franklin, Atlantic #QD-8305, January 08, 1973

2. "(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman" (Mono Single Version)

3. "Since You've Been Gone (Sweet Sweet Baby)" (Mono Single Version)

4. "Ain't No Way" (Mono Single Version)

Singles

1. "(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman"

Atlantic single #2441
Released: September 07, 1967
R&B #2, Pop #8

2. "Chain Of Fools"

Atlantic single #2464
Released: November 22, 1967
R&B #1, Pop #2

3 (A-side). "Since You've Been Gone (Sweet Sweet Baby)"

Atlantic single #2486
Released: February 09, 1968
R&B #1, Pop #5

3 (B-side). "Ain't No Way"

Atlantic single #2486
Released: February 09, 1968
R&B #9, Pop #16

Note: Numbers in italic (following original single release information) denote peak positions on Billboard's "Top/Best Selling R&B Singles" and "Hot 100" charts respectively - courtesy BPI Comminications and Joel Whitburn's Record Research Publications.