Live at Filmore West [Remastered]

by Aretha Franklin

Overview

Rhino Handmade issued the Aretha Franklin/King Curtis Live at Fillmore West box collection in 2005 as a limited edition via their Internet-only site. This double disc collects the original Franklin album, presents it in gloriously remastered sound, and adds a bonus disc of alternate takes and unused songs from the four-night stand. The original LP was a double, and for good reason. Franklin used King Curtis' band, the Kingpins, for these dates -- after being persuaded by producer Jerry Wexler -- in lieu of her regular road band. It was a solid call on Wexler's part. The music here sparkles and crackles with the energy of a top-flight rhythm section -- Cornell Dupree on guitar, Bernard Purdie on drums, and Jerry Jemmott on bass, with Billy Preston on organ, Curtis on saxophone, and the Memphis Horns. The backing vocals were provided by Franklin's own crew, the Sweethearts of Soul (Brenda Bryant, Margaret Branch, and Pat Smith). Whew! Franklin also plays a Fender Rhodes on four cuts, including "Eleanor Rigby," "Spirit in the Dark," "Don't Play That Song," and "Dr. Feelgood." In addition, there is a guest duet vocal by Ray Charles on "Spirit in the Dark." Beginning with "Respect" (a house-burning tear-up read), Franklin then digs deep into her pop song bag of tricks for "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With," and also redeems Bread's saccharine "Make It with You" -- all of them in the first set! The second set contains the originals "Spirit in the Dark," including a long reprise with Charles, and "Dr. Feelgood." The album-ending "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)," written by Ashford & Simpson, is a scorched-earth soul ballad that unites the entire crowd. The bonus material is just as righteous, with unused cuts such as "Call Me," "Mixed-Up Girl," "Share Your Love with Me," and "You're All I Need to Get By." The disc is filled out with alternate takes of nine album cuts that easily could have been included on the released version. In sum, it makes for the most dramatic and deeply satisfying of Aretha Franklin's live recordings, and is a historical document that every soul fan should own -- especially as a new and much improved package with great liner notes by David Nathan. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	04/30/2013
Label:	Wea Japan
UPC:	4943674137565
Rank:	2601

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Aretha Franklin   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals,Piano (Electric)
The Memphis Horns   Guest Artist
Bernard "Pretty" Purdie   Guest Artist,Drums
King Curtis   Guest Artist,Saxophone,Sax (Tenor),Sax (Soprano),Orchestra Leader
Arif Mardin   Guest Artist,Strings,Synthesizer
Billy Preston   Guest Artist,Organ,Piano,Keyboards
Cornell Dupree   Guest Artist,Guitar (Bass),Guitar
Ray Charles   Guest Artist,Piano,Vocals,Featured Artist,Piano (Electric)
Tommy McClure   Guitar (Bass)
Almeda Lattimore   Vocals (Background)
Margaret Branch   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Brenda Bryant   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Chuck Rainey   Guitar (Bass)
Jack Hale   Trombone
James Mitchell   Saxophone
David Hood   Guitar (Bass)
Wayne Jackson   Trumpet
Roger Hawkins   Drums
Bernard Purdie   Drums
Jerry Jemmott   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Jim Dickinson   Keyboards
Ray Lucas   Drums
Mike Utley   Keyboards
The Sweet Inspirations   Horn,Vocals (Background)
Sammy Creason   Drums
Charlie Freeman   Guitar
Truman Thomas   Keyboards,Piano (Electric)
Barry Beckett   Piano (Electric)
Eddie Hinton   Guitar
Jimmy Mitchell   Saxophone,Sax (Baritone)
Pat Smith   Vocals (Background),Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Roger Hopps   Trumpet
Lou Collins   Saxophone,Sax (Tenor)
The Sweethearts of Soul   Vocals (Background)
Jimmy Johnson   Guitar
Pancho Morales   Congas,Percussion
Andrew Love   Saxophone,Sax (Tenor)

Technical Credits

Ray Charles   Performer
Betty Nelson   Composer
Bill Inglot   Remastering
King Curtis   Leader
Kingpins   Group
David Gates   Composer
David Nathan   Liner Notes
Deadric Malone   Composer
John Lennon   Composer
Valerie Simpson   Composer
Ertegun and Nelson   Composer,Lyricist
Jerry Wexler   Producer
Ray Thompson   Engineer
Otis Redding   Composer
The Memphis Horns   Group
Arif Mardin   Arranger,Producer,Horn Arrangements
Ahmet Ertegun   Composer
Nickolas Ashford   Composer
Aretha Franklin   Composer
Tom Dowd   Producer,Horn Arrangements
Alfred Braggs   Composer
Geoff Gans   Art Direction
Daniel Hersch   Remastering
Jim Marshall   Photography
Stephen Stills   Composer
Ted White   Composer
Paul McCartney   Composer
Paul Simon   Composer