Aretha Franklin :The Greatest

[mumbojumbo]

On Radio 4,the hip cats say that AF was the greatest singer in the soul arena,or at least the greatest female singer.I think there are several women who are feeling a little sore at this juncture,but moidesty demands they demur and accept thuis flimsy consensus without protest.I will invite pop-pickers to select some valid rivals from the post war era

1.BNina Simone/Tina turner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ckv6-yhnIY / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL1l0Fz5RlE
2.Etta James
3.Janis Joplinhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZt1xKtPbUQ
4.PP Arnold https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1-g5VG2pWg
5.Diana Ross
6.Mary Wells
7.Bettye swann
8.Staple Singers
9.Pointer sisters
10. Joss Stone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJeRNmIumEw

Runners up A Winehouse,D.Springfield,Elfie Brooks,Barbara dixon,Cilla Black and Beyonce

Some of these did not get the acclaim offered to Aretha,but many were not in cahoots with establishment figures.Her endorsement by Donald Tramp pushes out of my top ten

[bovlomov]

On Radio 4,the hip cats say that AF was the greatest singer in the soul arena,or at least the greatest female singer.I think there are several women who are feeling a little sore at this juncture,but moidesty demands they demur and accept thuis flimsy consensus without protest.I will invite pop-pickers to select some valid rivals from the post war era...

I'm not sure AF was THE BEST soul singer, but I can think of no one better. I'd put Gladys Knight in there as well.

As for your runners up. Winehouse had something about her, but her voice was too mannered for my taste. A pastiche. Cilla's voice was like fingernails down a blackboard.

By the way - I heard that Aretha was the best singer OF ALL TIME. I'm not sure how they know.

[Mick F]

Strange how tastes vary.
I can see why people like soul and AF ......... but I could never stand it, and still don't like it, and I doubt I ever will.

Mrs Mick F has put Radio Cornwall on now as she normally does at 9am.
David White is doing a whole hour of soul .......... thank goodness I'm off for a ride shortly.

[reohn2]

It's all about taste,taste varies from person to person.
AF IMO was a great singer,but why does there have to be a hierarchy?

[Cyril Haearn]

Lisa Stansfield

[661-Pete]

Oh dear!

Watching the BBC news last night, we were regaled with 15 minutes of this woman's output (Singing? Sorry, I call it 'screeching'). And immediately following, more screeching from teenage girls having just passed their A-levels.

I accept that this singer must have had lots of fans. I'm not one of them. Of course I'd heard of her - just as I'd heard of David Bowie, Prince, George Michael, Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston, etc. etc. Doesn't mean that I have to be a fan of any of them. And I feel that their respective demises ought to have been accorded their proper place in the news broadcasts.

I.e. further down the list. So I can turn off the TV without thinking I may be missing something more important.

That's all. Call me what you like!

[bovlomov]

Watching the BBC news last night, we were regaled with 15 minutes of this woman's output

Did the BBC seek the views of the PM and Leader of the Opposition on this important matter? It's the kind of thing Cameron and Blair excelled at.

[al_yrpal]

I like almost all sorts of music, some of it pretty whacky too but there are some genres I cannot stand, one is Soul and the other is Rap which I dont think is even music. I also hate what I term as female wobble music, where decent melodies get heavily distorted or even destroyed by ululation. Aretha Franklin wasnt even remotely the greatest for me. The Greatest is Allison Kraus the American Bluegrass singer who holds a record 27 Grammy Awards. I do love Bob Marley though…

I note that some would like to politicise this discussion, my response is get a life…

Al

[661-Pete]

Watching the BBC news last night, we were regaled with 15 minutes of this woman's output

Did the BBC seek the views of the PM and Leader of the Opposition on this important matter? It's the kind of thing Cameron and Blair excelled at.

They may have done - I wasn't paying that much attention....

[bovlomov]

I note that some would like to politicise this discussion, my response is get a life…

Charming!

Pete mentioned that AF's death was too high up the news agenda. I asked whether the BBC had sought the views of senior politicians. That isn't really politicising the discussion.

I'm pleased to read your opinions however.

[Cunobelin]

I pathologically hate the need to see someone as being the "greatest".... let me explain

Connected with Aretha Franklin so directly relevant is Carole King.

She wrote over 400 songs, 100 of them hits, (some in partnership with Gerry Goffin) including Aretha's hit "Natural Woman"

Tapestry was the first record by a female artist to gain "Diamond" sales, and in 1972 the album Tapestry cleared the Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and topped it off with Bets Female Pop Vocal Performance.

She has continued to win awards and A aGershwin prize (first female artist to do so), a Kennedy Centre Honour in 2015 and her songs have been covered (or written for) artist from James Taylor, Aha, Kylie Minogue, Lulu, Linda Rot, Helen Reddy, Isaac Hayes and Martika.

Her discography is a record of American music covering almost every genre at some point

There are so many songs that are "staples", that she wrote

Yet is she any "greater" than Aretha

Aretha sang at Rosa Parks funeral, and that of Martin Luther King


Both are icons of Musical history and both deserve a place as icons in history.

However they are so totally different in their achievements and feats that trying to make a decision as to which is "greater" is ridiculous.

[reohn2]

I like almost all sorts of music, some of it pretty whacky too but there are some genres I cannot stand, one is Soul and the other is Rap which I dont think is even music. I also hate what I term as female wobble music, where decent melodies get heavily distorted or even destroyed by ululation. Aretha Franklin wasnt even remotely the greatest for me. The Greatest is Allison Kraus the American Bluegrass singer who holds a record 27 Grammy Awards. I do love Bob Marley though…

Al

This is what I meant about taste(simlarly so 661-Pete's post)one man's meat is another's poison.

[Cyril Haearn]

Plus One for Bob Marley
And the Specials

Obama + trump -both- like AF, how did she achieve that?

[Mick F]

3hrs on the bike was bliss.
No news fake or otherwise, and no Aretha Franklin.

To be frank, I was surprised that she had died only yesterday. I thought she died yonks ago.

[philvantwo]

Is Radio Cornwall a BBC station Mick F?