Aretha Franklin-"A Portrait of The Queen 1970-1974" [5CD or 6LP Set: 12/1/2023-BMG]

From SuperDeluxeEdition.com-
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, Spirit in the Dark, Young Gifted and Black, Hey Now Hey [The Other Side of the Sky] and Let Me In Your Life. 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.

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Yeah, sucks about the vinyl-only bonus; wonder if it'll be downloadable.

As for the reissues, same ol' same ol'. Re-release With Everything I Feel in Me through La Diva--then we'll talk.

Thanks for posting, though!:D

Thanks for the info. Between the upcoming Aretha and Tina releases, I will be broke come Christmas!

Tracklisting for the [vinyl only] disc on A Portrait of The Queen.

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

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sansradio

Yeah, sucks about the vinyl-only bonus; wonder if it'll be downloadable.

As for the reissues, same ol' same ol'. Re-release With Everything I Feel in Me through La Diva--then we'll talk.

Thanks for posting, though!:D

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You're welcome! If I remember correctly, Aretha Franklin's Estate owns the masters for With Everything I Feel In Me, Sweet Passion, Almighty Fire & La Diva and so they'll have to go through them in order to put those out.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Motown Eddie

You're welcome! If I remember correctly, Aretha Franklin's Estate owns the masters for With Everything I Feel In Me, Sweet Passion, Almighty Fire & La Diva and so they'll have to go through them in order to put those out.

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Maybe if they sell enough of this box set, maybe they’ll be a follow up with those last four albums with some outtakes and bonus tracks from them to boot. I’ll be grabbing a copy for myself. I really enjoy the 60s album set from a few years ago.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Motown Eddie

Tracklisting for the [vinyl only] disc on A Portrait of The Queen.

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

---

Ah, so deceptive marketing's at play--all previously released and available. I'll give them the grace of first-time-on-vinyl, perhaps, but still a hard pass. [And they're such horrible teases for using one of the session photos from WEIFIM for the cover shot. Booooo!]

It's a nice collection for younger/newer fans who are enthralled by vinyl. Vinyl sales generate more revenue, and costs more, so it makes sense that they'd try to provide some bonus with the vinyl edition.

Damn! And I thought we'd FINALLY get Aretha's Van McCoy-produced album on CD this time around, along with her remaining Atlantic LP titles which apparently never measured up for a long-awaited CD release. It's time to get the lead out! For many of us older fans, it's now or never.

Full tracklisting and pre-order links for the CD edition of Aretha's A Portrait of The Queen box set [along with the Bonus Tracks]-

[CD1: This Girl's In Love With You]
1. Son Of A Preacher Man
2. Share Your Love With Me
3. Dark End Of The Street
4. Let It Be
5. Eleanor Rigby
6. This Girl's In Love With You
7. It Ain't Fair
8. The Weight
9. Call Me
10. Sit Down And Cry
Bonus Tracks:
11. The Fool On The Hill [This Girl's In Love With You Outtake]
12. Pledging My Love / The Clock [2018 Mono Remaster]
13. You Keep Me Hangin' On [This Girl's In Love With You / Spirit In The Dark Outtake]
14. I'm Trying To Overcome [This Girl's In Love With You / Spirit In The Dark Outtake]
15. Are You Leaving Me [Demo]

[CD2: Spirit In The Dark]
1. Don't Play That Song
2. The Thrill Is Gone [From Yesterday's Kiss]
3. Pullin'
4. You And Me
5. Honest I Do
6. Spirit In The Dark
7. When The Battle Is Over
8. One Way Ticket
9. Try Matty's
10. That's All I Want From You
11. Oh No Not My Baby
12. Why I Sing The Blues
Bonus Tracks:
13. You're Taking Up Another Man's Place [Spirit In The Dark Outtake]
14. My Way [Spirit In The Dark Outtake]
15. Bridge Over Troubled Water [Long Version]

[CD3: Young, Gifted And Black]
1. A Brand New Me
2. April Fools
3. I've Been Loving You Too Long
4. First Snow In Kokomo
5. The Long And Winding Road
6. Didn't I [Blow Your Mind This Time]
7. Border Song [Holy Moses]
8. Young, Gifted And Black
9. All The King's Horses
10. Rock Steady
11. Day Dreaming
12. Oh Me Oh My [I'm A Fool For You Baby]
Bonus Tracks:
13. My Cup Runneth Over [Young, Gifted And Black Outtake]
14. You're All I Need To Get By [Take 2]
15. Lean On Me
16. Heavenly Father [Young, Gifted And Black Outtake]
17. Spanish Harlem [Alternate Mix]

[CD4: Hey Now Hey [The Other Side Of The Sky]]
1. Hey Now Hey [The Other Side Of The Sky]
2. Somewhere
3. So Swell When You're Well
4. Angel
5. Sister From Texas
6. Mister Spain
7. That's The Way I Feel About Cha
8. Moody's Mood
9. Just Right Tonight
Bonus Tracks:
10. Master Of Eyes [The Deepness Of Your Eyes]
11. Sweetest Smile And The Funkiest Style [Hey Now Hey The Other Side Of The Sky Outtake]
12. The Boy From Bombay
13. This Is [Hey Now Hey The Other Side Of The Sky Outtake]
14. Tree Of Life [Hey Now Hey The Other Side Of The Sky Outtake]
15. Do You Know [Hey Now Hey The Other Side Of The Sky Outtake]
16. Can You Love Again [Hey Now Hey The Other Side Of The Sky Outtake]
17. I Want To Be With You [Hey Now Hey The Other Side Of The Sky Outtake]

[CD5: Let Me In Your Life]
1. Let Me In Your Life
2. Every Natural Thing
3. Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing
4. I'm In Love
5. Until You Come Back To Me [That's What I'm Gonna Do]
6. The Masquerade Is Over
7. With Pen In Hand
8. Oh Baby
9. Eight Days On The Road
10. If You Don't Think
11. A Song For You
Bonus Tracks:
12. Suzanne [Hey Now Hey The Other Side Of The Sky Outtake]
13. The Happy Blues [Let Me In Your Life Outtake]
14. At Last [Let Me In Your Life Outtake]
15. Love Letters [Let Me In Your Life Outtake]
16. Til It's Over [Demo]

Amazon USA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKXZ2T71/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon Canada
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CKXZ2T71/?tag=imwanca-20

Amazon UK
Available for pre-order soon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CKXZ2T71/?tag=imwan-21

Well, I might get both copies now!