I never loved a man the way I love you : Aretha Franklin, Respect, and the making of a soul music masterpiece

**__I Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You: Aretha Franklin, Respect, and the Making of a Soul Music Masterpiece__ presents the remarkable story of how The Queen of Soul created what __Rolling Stone__ called "the greatest soul album ever made."** The album she recorded that earned soul legend Aretha Franklin her first major hits after eleven previous efforts, __I Never Loved A Man the Way I Loved You__ was a pop and soul music milestone. Apart from its status as a #1 hit record, the album also had a much wider cultural impact. By early 1967, when the album was released, the Civil Rights Movement was well underway; Aretha's music gave it its theme song. And the #1 __Billboard__ pop chart single "Respect"—written by Otis Redding—not only won two Grammys for best R&B recording and best R&B solo female vocal performance, it became a passionate call to arms for the burgeoning feminist movement. Matt Dobkin has unearthed a wonderful story of the creation of an album that goes far beyond anything that's been written about Aretha before. With scores of interviews—including ones with Atlantic Records' famed producer Jerry Wexler, and the Muscle Shoals session musicians who recorded with Aretha—__I Never Loved A Man the Way I Love You__ is the story of a great artistic achievement. It's also the story of a star who is both more complex and determined than her modern image as a diva indicates. I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, Aretha Franklin's first album for Atlantic Records and famed producer Jerry Wexler, was a pop and soul music milestone that jump-started Franklin's languishing career. Almost overnight, Aretha became a top-selling recording artist and a cultural icon. But the album almost didn't happen. Matt Dobkin has unearthed fascinating details about the recording session in Muscle Shoals, Alabama: about the volatile behavior of Aretha's manager/husband, Ted White; about Aretha's reaction to the lack of black musicians in the session; and about how tempers and alcohol almost derailed the session with only a track and half in the can. This book goes far beyond anything that's been written about "The Queen of Soul" or her music before. I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You is the story of a great achievement and includes scores of fresh interviews: Wexler, the session men from Muscle Shoals, Aretha's own musicians, and others. It gives insight into a star more complex and determined than her modern diva image would seem to indicate. Aretha, a teenage mother and daughter of a commanding preacher father, rose above her circumstances and transformed them into art. She gave the civil rights movement, already well under way in 1967 when the album came out, a passionate call to arms. And with "Respect"--Along with the title track, one of the album's first two singles--she provided the burgeoning feminist movement with an enduring theme song. The first serious, nonbiographical look at Aretha Franklin's work, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You will deepen even ardent fans' understanding of one of the great soul artists of our time, a direct descendant of Bessie Smith and Billie Holliday

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You: Aretha Franklin, Respect, and the Making of a Soul Music Masterpiece presents the remarkable story of how The Queen of Soul created what Rolling Stone called “the greatest soul album ever made.”

The album she recorded that earned soul legend Aretha Franklin her first major hits after eleven previous efforts, I Never Loved A Man the Way I Loved You was a pop and soul music milestone. Apart from its status as a #1 hit record, the album also had a much wider cultural impact. By early 1967, when the album was released, the Civil Rights Movement was well underway; Aretha’s music gave it its theme song. And the #1 Billboard pop chart single “Respect”—written by Otis Redding—not only won two Grammys for best R&B recording and best R&B solo female vocal performance, it became a passionate call to arms for the burgeoning feminist movement.

Matt Dobkin has unearthed a wonderful story of the creation of an album that goes far beyond anything that’s been written about Aretha before. With scores of interviews—including ones with Atlantic Records’ famed producer Jerry Wexler, and the Muscle Shoals session musicians who recorded with Aretha—I Never Loved A Man the Way I Love You is the story of a great artistic achievement. It’s also the story of a star who is both more complex and determined than her modern image as a diva indicates.

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You: Aretha Franklin, Respect, and the Making of a Soul Music Masterpiece presents the remarkable story of how The Queen of Soul created what Rolling Stone called "the greatest soul album ever made." The album she recorded that earned soul legend Aretha Franklin her first major hits after eleven previous efforts, I Never Loved A Man the Way I Loved You was a pop and soul music milestone. Apart from its status as a #1 hit record, the album also had a much wider cultural impact. By early 1967, when the album was released, the Civil Rights Movement was well underway; Aretha's music gave it its theme song. And the #1 Billboard pop chart single "Respect"—written by Otis Redding—not only won two Grammys for best R&B recording and best R&B solo female vocal performance, it became a passionate call to arms for the burgeoning feminist movement. Matt Dobkin has unearthed a wonderful story of the creation of an album that goes far beyond anything that's been written about Aretha before. With scores of interviews—including ones with Atlantic Records' famed producer Jerry Wexler, and the Muscle Shoals session musicians who recorded with Aretha— I Never Loved A Man the Way I Love You is the story of a great artistic achievement. It's also the story of a star who is both more complex and determined than her modern image as a diva indicates. Looks At The Creation Of Aretha Franklin's First Hit Album And Sets Her Music Against A Background Of The Feminist And Civil Rights Movements Of The Late 1960s, Offering Insight Into The Artist's Personality And Cultural Impact. 1 The Voice Of Black America 1 -- 2 Three White Men 15 -- 3 The Jazz Singer 41 -- 4 From The Church To The Charts 65 -- 5 The New Deal 83 -- 6 Muscle Shoals, Alabama 99 -- 7 The Incident 133 -- 8 A Newfound Respect 155 -- 9 It's' Retha 187 -- 10 Ecstatic 207 -- Epilogue: Aretha's Vocal Art 219. Matt Dobkin. Includes Discography (p. 227-239) And Index. Last fall I went to an Aretha Franklin concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, not without some trepidation.