Sweet Passion
1977 studio album by Aretha Franklin
Sweet Passion | ||||
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Studio album by Aretha Franklin | ||||
Released | May 19, 1977 | |||
Recorded | 1976–1977 | |||
Genre |
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Length | 45:30 | |||
Label | Atlantic (#19102) | |||
Producer | Aretha Franklin, Lamont Dozier, Marvin Hamlisch, Carole Bayer Sager | |||
Aretha Franklin chronology | ||||
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Singles from Sweet Passion | ||||
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Sweet Passion is the twenty-third studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin. It was released on May 19, 1977, by Atlantic Records. Following Franklin's Gold-certified 1976 soundtrack album, Sparkle, she paired up with Motown producer Lamont Dozier to produce Sweet Passion. It was, however, a commercial and critical failure.
The album's lead single, "Break It To Me Gently", topped the Billboard R&B chart but peaked at No. 85 on the Hot 100 and dropped off the chart after two weeks.
Critical reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Christgau's Record Guide | C+[2] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Bay State Banner noted that "her voice seems to free itself, even during the most stilted and contrived show tunes, stronger and lots weightier than Natalie Cole's cheery mimicry."[4]
Track listing
Side one
- "Break It To Me Gently" (Marvin Hamlisch, Carole Bayer Sager) - 3:21
- "When I Think About You" (Aretha Franklin) - 4:46
- "What I Did for Love" (Marvin Hamlisch, Edward Kleban) - 5:17
- "No One Could Ever Love You More" (Lamont Dozier) - 3:36
- "A Tender Touch" (Aretha Franklin) - 3:58
Side two
- "Touch Me Up" (Lamont Dozier)- 4:38
- "Sunshine Will Never Be The Same" (Lamont Dozier) - 3:36
- "Meadows of Springtime" (Aretha Franklin) - 5:26
- "Mumbles / I've Got the Music in Me" (Clark Terry, Aretha Franklin, Bias Boshell) - 3:40
- "Sweet Passion" (Aretha Franklin) - 7:12
Personnel
- Aretha Franklin – vocals, keyboards (5, 9, 10)
- H. B. Barnum – rhythm arrangements (2, 3, 5, 8–10), horn arrangements (2, 3, 5, 8–10), string arrangements (2, 3, 5, 8, 10), keyboards (5)
- Ray Brown – bass guitar (3, 8, 9)
- Sonny Burke – keyboards (2, 3, 4, 6, 7)
- Joe Clayton – congas (1), percussion (5)
- Gary Coleman – percussion (2, 4, 6, 7, 10)
- Ronald Coleman – keyboards (2, 4, 6, 7)
- Lamont Dozier – rhythm arrangements (4, 7)
- Scott Edwards – bass guitar (2, 4, 6, 7, 10)
- James Gadson – drums (2, 4, 6, 7, 10)
- McKinley Jackson – rhythm arrangements (4, 6, 7), horn arrangements (6)
- Harold Mason – drums (1, 3, 5, 8, 9)
- Craig McMillian – guitar (3, 8, 9)
- Mike Morgan – guitar (3, 8, 9)
- Gene Page – horn and string arrangements (4, 7)
- David Paich – keyboards (1)
- Ray Parker Jr. – guitar (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10)
- Chuck Rainey – bass guitar (1, 5)
- Lee Ritenour – guitar (1, 4–6, 10)
- Sylvester Rivers – keyboards (1, 3, 8, 9)
- Bob Zimmitti – percussion (3, 8, 9)
Production
- Producers – Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager (Track 1); Lamont Dozier and Aretha Franklin (Tracks 2–10).
- Co-Producers on Track 1 – David Paich and Marty Paich.
- Engineers – Frank Kemjar (Tracks 1, 5 & 10); Reginald Dozier (Tracks 2, 4, 6–8); Barney Perkins (3, 6 & 9).
- Mixing – Reginald Dozier (Tracks 2–10); Barney Perkins (Track 6).
- Recorded and Mixed at ABC Recording Studios (Los Angeles, CA) and Whitney Recording Studios (Glendale, CA).
- Track 1 mixed at Studio 55 (Los Angeles, CA).
- Mastered by Dennis King at Atlantic Studios (New York, NY).
- Art Direction – Bob Defrin
- Photography – David Alexander
References
- ^ Sweet Passion review at AllMusic. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: F". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 24, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 262.
- ^ Freedberg, Mike (30 June 1977). "Record Reviews". Bay State Banner. No. 89. p. 13.
- v
- t
- e
- Aretha (1961)
- The Electrifying Aretha Franklin (1962)
- The Tender, the Moving, the Swinging Aretha Franklin (1962)
- Laughing on the Outside (1963)
- Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington (1964)
- Runnin' Out of Fools (1964)
- Yeah!!! (1965)
- Songs of Faith (1965)
- Soul Sister (1966)
- Take It Like You Give It (1967)
- I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967)
- Aretha Arrives (1967)
- Lady Soul (1968)
- Aretha Now (1968)
- Soul '69 (1969)
- Soft and Beautiful (1969)
- This Girl's in Love with You (1970)
- Spirit in the Dark (1970)
- Young, Gifted and Black (1972)
- Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky) (1973)
- Let Me in Your Life (1974)
- With Everything I Feel in Me (1974)
- You (1975)
- Sparkle (1976)
- Sweet Passion (1977)
- Almighty Fire (1978)
- La Diva (1979)
- Aretha (1980)
- Love All the Hurt Away (1981)
- Jump to It (1982)
- Get It Right (1983)
- Who's Zoomin' Who? (1985)
- Aretha (1986)
- Through the Storm (1989)
- What You See Is What You Sweat (1991)
- A Rose Is Still a Rose (1998)
- So Damn Happy (2003)
- This Christmas, Aretha (2008)
- A Woman Falling Out of Love (2011)
- Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics (2014)
- Aretha in Paris (1968)
- Aretha Live at Fillmore West (1971)
- Amazing Grace (1972)
- One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism (1987)
- Oh Me Oh My: Aretha Live in Philly, 1972 (2007)
albums
- Take a Look (1967)
- Aretha's Gold (1969)
- Aretha's Greatest Hits (1971)
- The Best of Aretha Franklin (1973)
- Aretha Sings the Blues (1980)
- 30 Greatest Hits (1985)
- Queen of Soul: The Atlantic Recordings (1992/2014)
- Greatest Hits: 1980–1994 (1994)
- The Very Best of Aretha Franklin, Vol. 1 (1994)
- Greatest Hits (1998)
- Aretha's Best (2001)
- Respect: The Very Best of Aretha Franklin (2002)
- The Queen in Waiting: The Columbia Years (1960–1965) (2002)
- Rare & Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul (2007)
- Jewels in the Crown: All-Star Duets with the Queen (2007)
- A Brand New Me (2017)
- The Atlantic Singles Collection 1967–1970 (2018)
- "Precious Lord (Part 1)" (1959)
- "Today I Sing the Blues" (1960)
- "Won't Be Long" (1960)
- "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" (1961)
- "Operation Heartbreak" (1961)
- "I Surrender, Dear" (1962)
- "Try a Little Tenderness" (1962)
- "Say It Isn't So" (1963)
- "Skylark" (1963)
- "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" (1964)
- "One Step Ahead" (1965)
- "You Made Me Love You" (1965)
- "Mockingbird" (1967)
- "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" (1967)
- "Respect" (1967)
- "Baby I Love You" (1967)
- "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (1967)
- "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man"
- "Chain of Fools" (1967)
- "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (1968)
- "(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone" (1968)
- "Think" (1968)
- "You Send Me" (1968)
- "The House That Jack Built" (1968)
- "I Say a Little Prayer" (1968)
- "See Saw" (1968)
- "My Song" (1968)
- "The Weight" (1969)
- "Tracks of My Tears" (1969)
- "I Can't See Myself Leaving You" (1969)
- "Gentle on My Mind" (1969)
- "Share Your Love with Me" (1969)
- "Eleanor Rigby" (1969)
- "Call Me" (1970)
- "Son of a Preacher Man" (1970)
- "Spirit in the Dark" (1970)
- "The Thrill Is Gone" (1970)
- "Don't Play That Song" (1970)
- "Border Song (Holy Moses)" (1970)
- "You're All I Need to Get By" (1971)
- "Bridge over Troubled Water" (1971)
- "Spanish Harlem" (1971)
- "Rock Steady" (1971)
- "Day Dreaming" (1972)
- "Angel" (1973)
- "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" (1973)
- "I'm in Love" (1974)
- "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (1974)
- "Something He Can Feel" (1976)
- "Break It to Me Gently" (1977)
- "What a Fool Believes" (1981)
- "It's My Turn" (1981)
- "Jump to It" (1982)
- "Get It Right" (1983)
- "Freeway of Love" (1985)
- "Who's Zoomin' Who" (1985)
- "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" (1985)
- "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (1986)
- "Jimmy Lee" (1986)
- "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (1987)
- "Rock-A-Lott" (1987)
- "Oh Happy Day" (1988)
- "Gimme Your Love" (1989)
- "Through the Storm" (1989)
- "It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be" (1989)
- "Everyday People" (1991)
- "Someday We'll All Be Free" (1992)
- "Ever Changing Times" (1992)
- "A Deeper Love" (1993)
- "Willing to Forgive" (1994)
- "A Rose Is Still a Rose" (1998)
- "Here We Go Again" (1998)
- "Put You Up on Game" (2007)
- "Angels We Have Heard on High" (2009)
- "Rolling in the Deep (The Aretha Version)" (2014)
- Awards and nominations
- Discography
- "Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)"
- Amazing Grace (2018 film)
- Genius (2021 television series)
- Respect (2021 film)
- Ted White
Category