By john c (12.2.233.107) on Wednesday, March 05, 2003 - 03:33 pm:

The "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" section of Aretha's "Respect" is one of the more famous lines in pop music. It's not in Otis Redding's version, though, and I was wondering if someone other than Otis came up with that part. Does anyone know?

By Eli (151.197.37.171) on Wednesday, March 05, 2003 - 03:58 pm:

It is an Aretha thing and she created it for her version..

By Livonia Ken (136.2.1.101) on Wednesday, March 05, 2003 - 04:05 pm:

The stuff I have read indicated that most of the add-on stuff including the spelling and sock-it-to-me bits were conceived by Aretha and Carolyn Franklin. The rhythm arrangement also went a long way towards making Aretha's version definitive. More funky, less driving than Otis' original.

Regards,
Ken

By dvdmike (12.84.99.160) on Wednesday, March 05, 2003 - 04:18 pm:

Otis himself said he prefered Aretha's version of "Respect" over his own.

By fayette (64.12.97.7) on Wednesday, March 05, 2003 - 04:27 pm:

speaking if otis did you guys listen to the
lyrics of sitting on the dock of the bay.it
seem otis saw his death.or maybe that's just
what i thought.

By Chancellor of Soul (63.78.189.114) on Wednesday, March 05, 2003 - 05:36 pm:

Hey John C,
"Respect", was recorded in New York on February
14, 1967. You hit it on the button Livonia Ken,
it was Aretha and her sister Carolyn, who came
with the call and response of R-E-S-P-E-C-T and
the sock-it-to-me answerback. Also on hand was
Erma Franklin who also contribute to the background as well. The musicians were, Jimmy
Johnson on guitar, Charlie Chalmers and the
great King Curtis on tenor sax, Willie Bridges
on baritone sax, Spooner Oldham on the organ,
Tommy Cogbill on the bass and Melvin Lastie on
the cornet. On that particular afternoon, the
same musicians were working on King Curtis' LP
entitled, " King Curtis Plays The Great Memphis
Hits". During the evening portion, they would
work with Aretha. When they did the solo part
of the song, the players borrowed a middle part
from Sam & Dave's hit, " When Something Is Wrong
With My Baby", but the King Curtis version.
So if you listen carefully to bridge solo part
of "Respect", it's really the middle stolen from
"When Something Is Wrong". Of course this classic
was released from her masterpiece Lp, " I Never
Loved A Man The Way I Love You".
"Respect", hit No 1 both on the R&B and Pop charts
for 8 weeks. 1967 was definetly the year for
Aretha. In the words of Ebony magazine writer
David Llorens it was, " Retha, Rap, and Revolt"!!


Peace,
Mike Boone
(Chancellor of Soul)

By john c (12.2.233.107) on Wednesday, March 05, 2003 - 06:09 pm:

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for the great response. It's just one of those things that I been wondering about for awhile.

Mike, thanks for the details. I don't usually associate Cogbill and Jimmy Johnson with NY sessions. Great bass line.

By Chancellor of Soul (63.78.189.114) on Thursday, March 06, 2003 - 12:24 pm:

You're welcome John C. Anytime.

Peace,
Mike Boone
(Chancellor of Soul)

By Joe Moorehouse (64.12.97.7) on Friday, March 07, 2003 - 07:37 am:

I don't know if it's true or not, but the story at the time in Detroit was that the Rationals version (which had been a top ten hit locally in September and October of '66) inspired Aretha to cover Respect.

Of course I also remember hearing that the Rats version of Handbags and Gladrags inspired Rod Stewart to cover that. I guess they were just an inspiring band.

By StingBeeLee (68.43.129.202) on Friday, March 07, 2003 - 11:48 am:

Aretha and Carolyn contributed a great deal to the album "I never loved a man". Aretha played the piano, suggested lyric changes, changed tempos. She came in the session with some ideal of what it would sound like, and Jerry Wexler came in with some ideal of what it would sound like. From my understanding, they collaberated together. What (producer) credits did Aretha get? Nothing. If's as it she came into the studio with an empty head and Atlantic filled it with soul music.

By RD (63.188.33.80) on Friday, March 07, 2003 - 12:33 pm:

Barrett Strong never got a production credit on his collaborations with Norman Whitfield, though from all accounts he was right there in the studio. Strong wasn't just Whitfield's lyricist. He played piano and came up with the basic structures as well as most of the lyrics.

Barrett came up with the groove for "Money"--and played piano on the session, as did two white guys (bass and guitar players) who got off a bus in front of Hitsvilles played on the session, left, and were never heard from again--but the songs' only credits go to Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford. Brian Holland thumped the wrong side of a tambourine on the session to get a tom tom effect.

Does anybody know who these two white guys are that Barrett spoke of once in a rare interview?

By shawn1 (65.57.25.100) on Sunday, March 09, 2003 - 02:36 pm:

I would have LOVED to be in the studio been the studio with Aretha and Cissy Houston .Especially on Ain't No Way of God !Shawn

By Bigjime (198.81.27.10) on Sunday, March 09, 2003 - 11:56 pm:

The story that I heard regarding the Rationals is that Jerry Wexler wanted to sign them to Atlantic but they insisted that their manager, Jeep Holland should continue to produce their records. Wexler refused and they ended up signing with Cameo. Wexler then supposedly played the Rationals version of "Respect" for Aretha, and that's when she decided to record it.