"Once In A While" - Aretha Franklin

[DwightTurner]

This song is a beaut! Who are the ladies doing the backing vocals for this track?

[DwightTurner]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS_IhMh61-k

[reese]

Maybe an early incarnation of the Sweet Inspirations.

[Kamasu_Jr]

Maybe an early incarnation of the Sweet Inspirations.

It doesn't sound like the Sweet Inspirations to me. The track was written by L.C. Cooke and produced by Bobby Scott in 1963,,according to notes in The Queen In Waiting. The Sweets were Clyde Otis' and Belford Hendricks' go to background singers since they were all from New Jersey.
Who knows who that is backing Aretha?

[reese]

My copy of THE QUEEN IN WAITING says the song was recorded in October of 1963 in NYC.

That said, it was just a guess of mine. I knew that Cissy and co. worked on some of Aretha's songs produced by Clyde Otis starting in 1964, so I figured they might have done the same for Scott in 1963.

My copy of Aretha's Columbia boxed set is on its way. Hopefully, the answer will be in the notes.

[Kamasu_Jr]

My copy of THE QUEEN IN WAITING says the song was recorded in October of 1963 in NYC.

That said, it was just a guess of mine. I knew that Cissy and co. worked on some of Aretha's songs produced by Clyde Otis starting in 1964, so I figured they might have done the same for Scott in 1963.

My copy of Aretha's Columbia boxed set is on its way. Hopefully, the answer will be in the notes.

Yaah it does say 1963. I can't read small print in a dark office. But Bobby Scott was a heavy musician/producer and arranger who worked with Tony Bennett, Billie Holiday, Bobby Darin and others. So there's no telling who he used as session singers in NYC. But the harmonies and sound of the singers convinced me it's definitely not the Sweet Inspirations. I thought I heard male voices on Once In A While, and another Scott produced track, Here Today And Gone Tomorrow, so it could possibly be the Ray Charles Singers, the Robert Mersey Singers or any other combo of choral singers. But now I'm only guessing.

[Motown_M_1056]

Yaah it does say 1963. I can't read small print in a dark office. But Bobby Scott was a heavy musician/producer and arranger who worked with Tony Bennett, Billie Holiday, Bobby Darin and others. So there's no telling who he used as session singers in NYC. But the harmonies and sound of the singers convinced me it's definitely not the Sweet Inspirations. I thought I heard male voices on Once In A While, and another Scott produced track, Here Today And Gone Tomorrow, so it could possibly be the Ray Charles Singers, the Robert Mersey Singers or any other combo of choral singers. But now I'm only
guessing.

Take A Look: The Complete Columbia Albums/Sessions was released today. I'm looking for a good sale price.