Climbing Higher Mountains

The Queen of Soul herself, the great Lady Soul, Aretha Franklin, showing off her gospel roots. She sang at the Detroit church of her father, Reverend C.L. Franklin, with her sisters Carolyn and Erma while growing up in the 1950s and she made her first recordings as a gospel artist at the age of 14.

This cut is from her 1972 gospel album “Amazing Grace” which ultimately sold over two million copies in the United States alone, earning a double platinum certification. As of 2015, 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 went on to win Franklin the 1973 Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance.

This is not pure traditional gospel; this is more contemporary Aretha Gospel with a great band…check the bass line, the riffs on the lead guitar, the great rolling piano and finally the old B3 kicking in for the vamp…James Cleveland’s Southern California Community Choir for backups, and arrangements that feature her incredible vocal prowess. Great music.  My only criticism…it’s too darn short.  Just like Oliver Twist; “Please Ma’am, I want some more.”