5 CD & 6 LP box sets due this fall

BMG announces the release of the Aretha Franklin boxed set, A Portrait Of The Queen, featuring five classic albums from the early ‘70s, plus bonus material of session alternates, outtakes, B-sides, and demos. The limited 5 CD and 6 LP collection is due December 1st.

The set features the Lady Soul’s five original studio albums from the first half of the ‘70s – This Girl’s In Love With You, Spirit In The Dark, Young, Gifted And Black, Hey Now Hey (The Other Side Of The Sky) and Let Me In Your Life – and tracks her evolution as a singer/songwriter, showcases the fearlessness of her craft freely exploring genres and sounds, experimenting with writing and arranging various types of songs.

The CD set includes bonus material collecting session alternates, outtakes, B-sides, and demos compiled with their accompanying albums, while the LP set includes a sixth LP of highlights from the bonus material.

The albums in both the vinyl and CD sets are remastered from the original analog master tapes by Grammy Award-winning engineers Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering and Michael Graves at Osiris Studio, respectively. Produced by Grammy Award-winning Cheryl Pawelski, the sets boast extensive liner notes from Billboard’s Gail Mitchell and the British Ambassador of Soul David Nathan

By the time This Girl’s In Love With You was released on January 15, 1970, Franklin had completed over 80 recordings in just three years for Atlantic Records. Her 16th studio album, and eighth for Atlantic Records, reached Billboard’s Top 20 and includes her version of The Beatles’ “Let It Be,” which was the first recording of the song to be commercially issued—The Beatles single came in March 1970. The album also includes The Beatles “Eleanor Rigby,” The Band’s “The Weight,” and Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man.”

Released August 24, 1970, Spirit In The Dark was really a concept album, featuring two hit singles, “Don’t Play That Song (You Lied),” which peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B chart and No. 11 on the Hot 100, and the title track at No. 3 R&B and No. 23 Hot 100. Produced by Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd, and Arif Mardin, the album also features BB King’s “The Thrill Is Gone,” and the Muscle Shoals Rhythm section with an appearance by Duane Allman

A lifelong civil and women’s rights activist, Franklin addressed the era’s Black Power movement with her 18th album, Young, Gifted And Black, released January 24, 1972. Climbing to No. 2 on Billboard’s R&B albums chart, and peaking at No. 11 on the Hot 100, the album was certified gold by the RIAA shortly after release. Featuring The Delfonics’ “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time,” her self-penned “Day Dreaming” and “Rock Steady,” and the title track, which was originally recorded by its composer Nina Simone. Aretha won the 1972 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

Originally conceived as a jazz project by co-producers Aretha and Quincy Jones, Hey Now Hey (The Other Side Of The Sky) featured her No. 1 R&B and Top 20 single, “Angel,” written by Aretha’s sister, as well as Stephen Sondheim’s “Somewhere” from the Broadway musical West Side Story, which features Aretha on piano.

As one of her top-selling albums for Atlantic Records, Let Me In Your Life was Franklin’s 20th album and was released on February 25, 1974. The album yielded three hits: “Until You Come Back To Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do),” “I’m In Love,” and “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing.”

With an unmatched, church-bred voice, the Detroit-raised daughter of a preacher man was an 18-time Grammy Award winner the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Often overlooked as a piano-playing virtuoso, Elton John noted to Billboard in 2003, “She is the greatest soul singer ever—and one of the most underrated pianists.”

CD 1:

1. Son of a Preacher Man
2. Share Your Love With Me
3. Dark End of the Street
4. Let It Be
5. Eleanor Rigby
6. This Girl’s in Love With You
7. It Ain’t Fair
8. The Weight
9. Call Me
10. Sit Down and Cry
11. The Fool on the Hill (This Girl’s in Love with You Outtake)
12. Pledging My Love / The Clock (2018 Mono Remaster)
13. You Keep Me Hangin’ On (This Girl’s in Love with You / Spirit in the Dark Outtake)
14. I’m Trying to Overcome (This Girl’s in Love with You / Spirit in the Dark Outtake)
15. Are You Leaving Me (Demo)

CD 2:

1. Don’t Play That Song
2. The Thrill Is Gone (From Yesterday’s Kiss)
3. Pullin’
4. You and Me
5. Honest I Do
6. Spirit in the Dark
7. When the Battle Is Over
8. One Way Ticket
9. Try Matty’s
10. That’s All I Want From You
11. Oh No Not My Baby
12. Why I Sing the Blues
13. You’re Taking up Another Man’s Place (Spirit in the Dark Outtake)
14. My Way (Spirit in the Dark Outtake)
15. Bridge Over Troubled Water (Long Version)

CD 3:

1. A Brand New Me
2. April Fools
3. I’ve Been Loving You Too Long
4. First Snow in Kokomo
5. The Long and Winding Road
6. Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)
7. Border Song (Holy Moses)
8. Young, Gifted and Black
9. All the King’s Horses
10. Rock Steady
11. Day Dreaming
12. Oh Me Oh My (I’m a Fool for You Baby)
13. My Cup Runneth Over (Young, Gifted and Black Outtake)
14. You’re All I Need to Get By (Take 2)
15. Lean on Me
16. Heavenly Father (Young, Gifted and Black Outtake)
17. Spanish Harlem (Alternate Mix)

CD 4:

1. Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky)
2. Somewhere
3. So Swell When You’re Well
4. Angel
5. Sister From Texas
6. Mister Spain
7. That’s the Way I Feel About Cha
8. Moody’s Mood
9. Just Right Tonight
10. Master of Eyes (The Deepness of Your Eyes)
11. Sweetest Smile and the Funkiest Style (Hey Now Hey The Other Side of the Sky Outtake)
12. The Boy from Bombay
13. This Is (Hey Now Hey The Other Side of the Sky Outtake)
14. Tree of Life (Hey Now Hey The Other Side of the Sky Outtake)
15. Do You Know (Hey Now Hey The Other Side of the Sky Outtake)
16. Can You Love Again (Hey Now Hey The Other Side of the Sky Outtake)
17. I Want to Be With You (Hey Now Hey The Other Side of the Sky Outtake)

CD 5:

1. Let Me in Your Life
2. Every Natural Thing
3. Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing
4. I’m in Love
5. Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)
6. The Masquerade Is Over
7. With Pen in Hand
8. Oh Baby
9. Eight Days on the Road
10. If You Don’t Think
11. A Song for You
12. Suzanne (Hey Now Hey The Other Side of the Sky Outtake)
13. The Happy Blues (Let Me in Your Life Outtake)
14. At Last (Let Me in Your Life Outtake)
15. Love Letters (Let Me in Your Life Outtake)
16. Til It’s Over (Demo)