Those in a more conformed country like Japan, where they are born and find themselves surrounded by similar ones, tend to be satisfied with vague and unconscious unity as far as they stay in the community : while for those in America, a multi-racial and immigrant nation, it is important to join in the community which gets the individuals together and it leads to their own identifications. I cannot mention in detail what I am talking about, though, I am convinced that religion plays a huge part of it. In spite of diversified sects the Christian doctrine 'Salvation of soul' prevails throughout them, and in the sense of tying races together I can understand the clergy take an important role in the movements towards abolishing racial discrimination including the Civil Rights Movement. Because of having the background as a daughter of a famous preacher, Aretha Franklin's especially spreading high-tone vibes and soft-but-steady delivery suggest 'Salvation of soul' beyond races (Am I talking big?). Different from the shades of R&B which is likely to be earthy and private or the glitters of Motown which is likely to be taken as flattering whites, many of Aretha's tunes including love songs for several years since 1967 cast dignity rather than sensuality upon us. That is just like a God's blessing, indeed. Her elder sister Erma Franklin also has a settled voice in a little low timbre. Compared with Aretha who was also a splendid pianist and had the ability to convince skillful musicians and finally got plenty of fine tunes, Erma was at a disadvantage but left some nice sides.
Her compilation "Golden Classics" contains songs from the album "Her Name is Erma" and singles in her Epic years and tunes of Bert Bern's Shout years. As for her Epic tunes, I am not so impressed by standards or the like including Billie Holiday's Detour Around or Johnny Ace's R&B ballad Pledging My Love, or popular tunes including a R&B chestnut It's Over or Abracadabra, written by Van McCoy of The Hustle fame. Meanwhile Each Night I Cry, her youngest sister Carolyn wrote, is a pretty gospel-blues tune. Carolyn also wrote sweet ballads like Baby, Baby, Baby or Ain't No Way for Aretha, and she reveals her rather immature but wide-ranged voice on her RCA solo album "Baby Dynamite !", which has sophisticated and urbanized sounds such as Motown. On the compilation "Sister Soul" which was recently released and correctly remastered, you can enjoy various kinds of styles, from sentimental pops delivery of her hit It's True I'm Gonna Miss You to rushing rocker Boxer.
Bert Berns, who was her producer in her Shout days and also worked with Van Morrison on Brown Eyed Girl, was a man of 'good sense'. His own ways of arranging the introduction gradually expanding into climax make me feel divine, as you find on Big Boss Man, Piece of My Heart, Baby, What You Want Me to Do, Open Up Your Soul. The blues Don't Catch The Dog's Bone, a bouncing rocker I'm Just Not Ready for Love, and a gospel-ballad Don't Have the Right to Cry are also good. You can find some of Bert Berns' signature works on "The Heart and Soul of Bert Berns". Piece of My Heart and Garnet Mimms' Cry Baby are more famous for Janis Joplin's renditions. Commonly folks are inclined to feel 'cool' for Janis' exposing herself to the air, however, I want to give the decision to the originals because I don't feel so good for Janis' self-conscious soul-scraping singing which she made against the originals' wonderful soul-shining style. Erma was crucially unlucky that Bert Berns suddenly passed away.
You can hear the following Brunswick songs on "Super Soul Sister" including all of the album "Soul Sister" and bonus tracks. You can also enjoy Erma's songs on a compilation "The Story of Brunswick". While since late '60s Brunswick had fine soul tunes of Jackie Wilson or The Chi-Lites, Brunswick sometimes impolitely released tunes using the same backing 'karaoke'. Although Brunswick producers Carl Davis & Eugene Records wrote Gotta Find Me a Lover (24 Hours a Day) and Erma also wrote for herself, Erma had almost only the covers of others' tunes. You can find they themselves are pretty good for her readings and arrangements when you listen to Doors' Light My Fire or Dusty Springfield's Son of a Preacher Man or Jackie Wilson's songs. Erma finally played a supporting part as a backing singer of Aretha and so on, though, she was still lucky that she managed to be digged up among most of talents who were born with determined 'blood' or 'environment' and still have been buried alive. (2005/02/12)(2006/09/16)