Artist: ARETHA FRANKLIN
Album: A PORTRAIT OF THE QUEEN 1970-1974 VINYL BOXSET (6LP BOX)

Release date: 01.12.2023
EAN/UPS: 4050538886122
Media type: LP

Aretha Franklin’s first five studio albums of the 1970s are collected in a new box set called A Portrait of the Queen 1970-1974.

The albums in question are 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) and Let Me In Your Life (1974). They have all been remastered from the analog master tapes by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering.

These were all were produced by Tom Dowd, Arif Mardin and Jerry Wexler, except for Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky) which saw Aretha work with Quincy Jones. This Girl’s in Love With You saw the first commercial release of The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’, which is remarkable (Paul McCartney apparently sent her a demo and Franklin’s album was issued on 15 January 1970, almost two months before The Beatles’ version).

A Portrait of the Queen is available as a 6LP set or a 5CD box. The vinyl version has a bonus disc of “session alternates, outtakes & demos” not included in the CD box which is a low blow. Both come with booklets featuring sleeve notes by Gail Mitchell and David Nathan

A Portrait of the Queen 1970-1974 will be released on 1 December 2023, via BMG.

 LP 1: THIS GIRL’S IN LOVE WITH YOU
     SIDE A
        Son Of A Preacher Man
        Share Your Love With Me
        Dark End Of The Street
        Let It Be
        Eleanor Rigby
    SIDE B
        This Girl’s In Love With You
        It Ain’t Fair
        The Weight
        Call Me
        Sit Down And Cry

    LP2: SPIRIT IN THE DARK
    SIDE C
        Don’t Play That Song
        The Thrill Is Gone (From Yesterday’s Kiss)
        Pullin’
        You And Me
        Honest I Do
        Spirit In The Dark
    SIDE D
        When The Battle Is Over
        One Way Ticket
        Try Matty’s
        That’s All I Want From You
        Oh No Not My Baby
        Why I Sing The Blues

    LP 3: YOUNG GIFTED AND BLACK
    SIDE E
        Oh Me Oh My (I’m A Fool For You Baby)
        Day Dreaming
        Rock Steady
        Young Gifted
        And Black
        All The King’s Horses
        A Brand New Me
    SIDE F
        April Fools
        I’ve Been Loving You
        Too Long
        First Snow In Kokomo
        The Long And Winding Road
        Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)
        Border Song (Holy Moses)

    LP 4: HEY NOW HEY (THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SKY)
    SIDE G
        Hey Now Hey (The Other Side Of The Sky)
        Somewhere
        So Swell When You’re Well
        Angel
        Sister From Texas
    SIDE H
        Mister Spain
        That’s The Way I Feel About Cha
        Moody’s Mood
        Just Right Tonight

    LP 5: LET ME IN YOUR LIFE
    SIDE I
        Let Me In Your Life
        Every Natural Thing
        Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing
        I’m In
        Love
        Until You Come Back To Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)
        The Masquerade Is Over
    SIDE J
        With Pen In Hand
        Oh Baby
        Eight Days On The Road
        If You Don’t Think
        A Song For You

    LP 6: BONUS TRACKS
    SIDE K
        Pledging My Love/The Clock
        You’re Taking Up Another Man’s Place
        Are You Leaving Me
        You’re All I Need To Get By (Take 2)
        Spanish Harlem (Aretha 3, rough mix, reel 12150)
    SIDE L
        Lean On Me
        Sweetest Smile And The Funkiest Style
        Do You Know
        At Last
        Master Of Eyes (The Deepness Of Your Eyes)
        Til It’s Over