Who's Zoomin' Who?
| Who's Zoomin' Who? | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Aretha Franklin | ||||
| Released | July 1985 | |||
| Recorded | October 1984 - May 1985 | |||
| Genre | Pop, rock, R&B, dance | |||
| Length | 47:15 | |||
| Label | Arista | |||
| Producer | Narada Michael Walden For Perfection Light Productions (Tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8), Aretha Franklin (Tracks 3, 9), Dave Stewart (Track 5) | |||
| Aretha Franklin chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    link |
| Robert Christgau | A link |
| Rolling Stone | Favorable link |
Who's Zoomin' Who? is an album by Aretha Franklin, originally released in the summer of 1985, on Arista Records. It was the first million-selling Platinum record of Franklin's recording career.
She told Rolling Stone magazine she wanted to do "a record with a younger sound to it. I'd been listening to the radio and I really liked what I heard. I figured to myself that it was time for me to do something serious."[1]
The album's rock-oriented lead single, "Freeway of Love", produced by Narada Michael Walden, was one of Aretha's biggest career hits. It held the #1 position on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for five consecutive weeks and also reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Freeway of Love" also won a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The follow-up single was the album's title track, "Who's Zoomin' Who?", which reached #2 on the R&B chart as well as #7 on Billboard's Hot 100. It also returned Aretha to the Top 10 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart.
With this disc, Aretha also established herself as a star of music video. Popular videos for "Freeway of Love", "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" and "Another Night" - filmed at Detroit's Club Taboo on Woodbridge which Aretha co-owned - enjoyed heavy rotation.
At the time of its release, Aretha rated it as one of her best albums ever.[1]
The television series Grey's Anatomy borrowed the "Who's Zoomin' Who?" name for their season one finale.
This album has never been out of print and was ranked #89 in Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Albums of the '80s.
Track listing
- Side One
- "Freeway of Love" (Jeffrey Cohen, Narada Michael Walden) - 5:52
- "Another Night" (Beppe Cantarelli, Roy Freeland) - 4:31
- "Sweet Bitter Love" (Van McCoy) - 5:11
- "Who's Zoomin' Who" (Aretha Franklin, Preston Glass, Narada Michael Walden) - 4:44
- Side Two
- "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" (with Eurythmics) (Annie Lennox, David A. Stewart) - 5:52
- "Until You Say You Love Me" (Preston Glass, Narada Michael Walden) - 4:23
- "Ain't Nobody Ever Loved You" (Jeffrey Cohen, Narada Michael Walden) - 4:50
- "Push" (Duet with Peter Wolf) (Jeffrey Cohen, Narada Michael Walden) - 4:35
- "Integrity" (Aretha Franklin) - 4:25
Production & Personnel
- Tracks 3 & 9 Arranged & produced by Aretha Franklin. Recorded at United Sound (Detroit; vocals & instruments recorded by Mike Iacopelli) & The Power Station (strings; recorded by Josh Abbey & arranged by Paul Riser). **Robert Kandor: Synthesizers; Nat Adderley, Jr.: Keyboards; William Powell, Steve Khan: Guitars; Louis Johnson: Bass; Yogi Horton: Drums; Steve Kroon: Percussion; Dizzy Gillespie: Trumpet Solo on track 9; Sandra Feva, Margaret Branch, Corbett: Vocal Backing on track 9
- Track 5 Arranged & produced by Dave Stewart. Engineered by Adam Williams & Don Smith, with assistance by Jay Willis (for recording of vocals, guitars, keyboards & bass). Drums recorded by Shelly Yakus. Mixed by Dave Stewart & Don Smith.
- Annie Lennox: Vocals, Keyboards; Dave Stewart: Rhythm Guitar & Keyboards; Mike Campbell: Lead Guitar; Benmont Tench: Organ; Nathan East: Bass; Stan Lynch: Drums, Percussion; The Charles Williams Singers: Gospel Choir
- All other tracks arranged & produced by Narada Michael Walden for Perfection Light Productions. Engineered & mixed by "Dr." Dave Frazer, with additional mixing by Michael Brauer (for M.H.B. Productions). Second Engineers: Maureen "Mo-Mo" Draney, Ray Pyle, Dana Jon Chapelle, Gordon "Trix" Logan, Tim Crich, Moira Marquis, Paul Hamingson
- Narada Michael Walden: Drums, Percussion; Randy Jackson: Electric & Synthesized Bass; Walter Afanasieff: Keyboards; Preston Glass: Keyboards & Keyboard Vibes, Vocal Backing; Ray Gomez, Carlos Santana: Guitars; Corrado Rustici: Guitars & Guitar Synthesizers; Greg Gonaway: Tambourine; Andy Narell: Steel Drums; Santana Rhythm Section: Percussion; Clarence Clemons: Saxophone; Carolyn Franklin, Sylvester, Jeanie Tracy, Vicki Randle, Jim Gilstrap, Kitty Beethoven, Laundon Von Hendricks, Nikita Jermaine, Karen Benington, Craig Thomas: Vocal Backing
External links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Rolling Stone magazine, circa 1985 - upon the release of "Who's Zoomin' Who", "Aretha Franklin's New Wave of Pop" written by Eliza Graham, page 11.
