Aretha FRANKLIN - "This Old Heart Of Mine" (1993/NY/Rod Stewart)

Aretha FRANKLIN : Duets/ 21 april 1993.

"She didn't sing "Respect." And she didn't have to. "Aretha Franklin: Duets," a tribute to the great soul singer at the Nederlander Theater on Tuesday night, lavished praise on Ms. Franklin as stars stepped forward and declared how thrilled they were to share the stage with her. Bonnie Raitt, Smokey Robinson, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Gloria Estefan and P.M. Dawn joined Ms. Franklin in a benefit concert for Gay Men's Health Crisis, the AIDS organization. The actors Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro also appeared.
The concert was recorded for broadcast on May 9 on Fox. Despite delays and retakes that prolonged the event to four hours, the concert lived up to Ms. Franklin's magnificent voice. Her own recent tours have been frustrating teases, offering only hints of what she can do amid second-rate pop. Perhaps by adding competition, "Duets" brought out Ms. Franklin's improvisational genius. She can summon the agility of jazz, the pain of the blues, the sultriness of pop and the fervor of gospel, and while her voice is smokier now than it was in her 1960's heyday, she has all the range she needs.
For most songs, Ms. Franklin and a guest would trade verses, then share a call-and-response section in which Ms. Franklin would smoothly, playfully, amiably and ingeniously leave her partner in the dust. One by one they joined her; one by one, she would outsing them so thoroughly they could only hope for a quick and merciful conclusion. Rod Stewart, who shared two duets with her, was reduced to screeching by the end of "People Get Ready."
Ms. Franklin's ear for contrast led her to outmaneuver and complement each partner. With a star's sense of entitlement and a gospel singer's timing, she slipped between the lines of her partners' verses with encouraging "Yeah's" that were also goads to match her casual grace.
Mr. John sang his "Border Song" in short, hard, insistent phrases; Ms. Franklin traced curvy, long-lined melismas, floating while he jabbed. Ms. Estefan, in "Coming Out of the Dark," pushed her way toward a high register; Ms. Franklin, easily reaching the same notes, was at once richer and more commanding. She went easy on Mr. Robinson in "Just to See Her," adding touches of skepticism ("Do you really, baby?") between the song's suave promises of love. And in "Think," she scat-sang rings around the nervous-looking pop-rap duo P.M. Dawn.
The partner who came closest to Ms. Franklin's standard was Bonnie Raitt, who sang and played slide guitar in "Since You've Been Gone" and sat with Ms. Franklin and Ms. Estefan on stools to perform "A Natural Woman." Ms. Raitt sang in sustained, barely ornamented phrases, her voice clinging tenderly to each note; Ms. Franklin answered her with affectionate, elaborately detailed lines.
Without partners, Ms. Franklin turned the theater into a gospel church. In "I Never Loved a Man," at once a boast and a plea, she let words swell and twist, wringing out their emotion; an unaccompanied passage was pure gospel. And as she sat at a piano surrounded by the other performers and the New Jersey Mass Choir, she turned "Spirit in the Dark" into a miniature service, from slow reverence to jubilation, even including a touch of preaching and a tribute to her father, the Rev. C. L. Franklin.
Ms. Franklin also introduced her forthcoming single, a ballad called "Honey." Its writers, L. A. Reid and Babyface, have understood what spurred her greatest 1960's songs: a woman's devotion and strength colliding with male betrayal. Despite some gauche modern touches -- "I would understand if I wasn't good in bed," went one line -- "Honey" gave Ms. Franklin words and melodies that her voice could illuminate.
No Aretha Franklin concert would be complete without a fashion disaster; "Duets" saved its gaffe for the final number. Ms. Franklin appeared in a gauzy ballerina costume, gazing heavenward and pointing her arms diagonally like a third grader in a school recital while she lip-synched "It's My Turn." (Aretha Franklin lip-synching! The mind boggles.) Six slim dancers in similar costumes flanked her, making her look even more ungainly. The show's producer, Ken Ehrlich, had announced, perhaps as a disclaimer, that the number was Ms. Franklin's idea; it wouldn't be surprising if "It's My Turn" never appeared on the broadcast."
Jon PARELES, 29 april 1993, NYtimes.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Soul
• Aretha

[laggie24]

Rod could always behave so ridiculously... but that's what makes him a unique person in showbiz.

Aretha is superb :)))

[devilmirror]

5 stars for the Queen of Soul

[davoarg31]

Aretha & Rod!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks!!!

[Trinita75]

explosive duo !

[Piranga]

Rod is super, unique

[BlackHandCommandoo]

@landau1945 people who simply have no taste for good music, simply should not click on videos whose title contains the name rod stewart

because then those people are not bombarded with comments and do not make themselves unpopular with other users

[landau1945]

Stewart is total crap.Off key,out of tune.

Get off shouldn't be on the same stage as Ms Franklin.

[mujerazteca18]

they are totally selling that dress on ebay for a million dollars lol

[ZigZagWanderer]

Aretha just blows "him" away...as expected !

[Bigeasy0703]

Thanks for the post!

[Bigeasy0703]

Superb duo - love Aretha and Rod is so unique - love that raspy voice. Wish they'd do more together. I think it would be great!

[Bigeasy0703]

Superb duo - love Aretha and Rod is so unique - love that raspy voice. Wish they'd do more together. I think it would be great!