Aretha Franklin

Just for a thrill
You changed the sunshine to rain
And just for a thrill
You filled my heart with so much pain

To me you were my pride and joy
Oh but to you I was merely a toy
A plaything, a plaything, a plaything
That you could toss around at will

And just for a thrill, a thrill, a thrill
You made my life, you made my life one sad song
And just for a thrill
You took me by the hand and you just led, you led me along

And although you're free I know you're having fun
Oh but to me and in my heart you'll still be the only one
Because you, oh you made my heart stand still, yeah
Just for your own personal thrill, thrill

Aretha Franklin is both a 20th and 21st century musical and cultural icon known simply by her first Aretha. She is the reigning and undisputed “Queen Of Soul” with a legacy that spans five decades. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Aretha began her career singing gospel at her father, minister C. L. Franklin’s church as a child. In 1960, at the age of 18, Aretha embarked on a secular career, recording for Columbia Records with modest success.

After moving to Atlantic Records in 1967, she released a steady string of US top ten hits through 1973 including “Spanish Harlem”, “Chain Of Fools”, “Baby I Love You”, “Since You’ve Been Gone”, “Daydreaming”, “The House That Jack Built”, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", ”Think“ and her first chart-topper “Respect” – a song that also won Aretha her first of 18 Grammys. During this time, several of her songs were also successful overseas.

By the mid-70s, Aretha’s commercial success waned and she left Atlantic for Clive Davis' Arista Records in 1980. Her 1982 song “Jump to It,” returned her to the top 40 for the first time in six years. 1985’s Who’s Zoomin' Who? got her back into the top 10 twice with its title track and “Freeway Of Love”. Four more songs reached the top 40 through 1986.

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The Tender, the Moving, the Swinging Aretha Franklin

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Just for a ThrillAretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin

The Tender, the Moving, the Swinging Aretha Franklin