Episode 149: “Respect” by Aretha Franklin
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
00:00
Aretha Franklin, Diana Washington, and Barb Astraisand
Aretha compared herself to Barb Astraisand, though in live performances she was playing with a small jazz group. She went for the same kind of jazz soul crossover audience as Diana Washington or R.A. Charles. The strategy seems to have been to get something like the success of her idol Sam Cook - who could play to soul audiences but also play the Cobra Gabbana. But even though she hadn't built up an audience, musicians were starting to pay attention.
Transcript
Play full episode
