Aretha Franklin - Greatest Hits (1980-1994)

This compilation collects the Queen of Soul's biggest hits from 1980-1994, after she left her legendary tenure with Atlantic and moved on to Arista. The material collected here is not quite as essential as her Atlantic recordings -- instead, the focus seems to weigh heavily toward middle-of-the-road, adult contemporary soul pop, which continued to translate into chart success, albeit a little more sporadic. This album includes her '80s smashes "Freeway of Love," "Jump to It," "Who's Zoomin' Who," "Another Night," and "Jimmy Lee," as well as her chart-topping 1987 duet with George Michael, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)," and her adult contemporary hit duet with Michael McDonald, "Everchanging Times." Also included is the soulful "Doctor's Orders" with ace crooner Luther Vandross, and "United Together," the greatest song Whitney Houston never recorded. This collection is not free of annoying omissions, among those are her essential duet with Eurythmics, "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves"; her hit duet with Elton John, "Through the Storm"; and her hit remake of The Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash." That song, however, is included as a bonus track on select pressings of the album. A few new tracks are thrown in, including the Babyface-penned, assembly-line ballad "Willing to Forgive," which became her first American Top 40 hit in five years, and her version of the Clivelles and Cole club anthem "A Deeper Love," which went on to top the dance charts. The album closes with two live tracks, one being "You Make Me Feel (Like a Natural Woman)" with Bonnie Raitt and Gloria Estefan, and the fantastically soulful "I Dreamed a Dream." Not a bad collection by any means, but some of the material is a little spotty, and it could have been quite better had they included all the hits. ~ Jose F. Promis, All Music Guide

Name Credits Alan Prubin Musician Alex Foster Musician Alfonso Thornton Vocals (Background) Aretha Franklin Piano, Producer, Keyboards, Vocals (Background), Vocals Babyface Producer, Keyboards, Drum Programming Barney Perkins Mixing Benjamin Wright Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements Bernard "Pretty" Purdie Drums, ? Bernard Jacobs Stylist Bob Rosa Mixing, Engineer Bobby Wooten Keyboards, Synthesizer Bass, Bass, Keyboard Synthesizer, Synthesizer Strings, Producer, Drum Programming, Rhythm Arrangements Bonnie Raitt Performer, Introduction Brenda Corbett Vocals (Background) Brenda White Vocals (Background) Bruno Marrocchio Hair Stylist Burt Bacharach Producer, Keyboards C+C Music Factory Arranger, Mixing, Producer Carole Bayer Sager Producer Charles Jackson Vocals (Background) Christopher Stern Design Chuck Jackson Producer Chuck Jackson & Maxine Brown Producer Chuck Leavell Keyboards Cindy Mizelle Vocals (Background) Cissy Houston Vocals (Background) Clarence Clemons Saxophone Claytoven Richardson Vocals (Background) Clive Davis Executive Producer Cornell Dupree Guitar Corrado Rustici Guitar (Synthesizer), Guitar Crusher Bennett Conga Cynthia Mizelle Vocals (Background) Dana Jon Chappelle Engineer Daryl Simmons Producer David Cole Arranger, Vocals (Background), Keyboards, Producer, Mixing David Conley Producer David Earl Taylor Musician David Foster Keyboards David Frazer Engineer David Friedman Vibraphone David Nathan Liner Notes David Sancious Synthesizer David Taylor ? David Ward II Assistant Engineer Dean Parks Guitar Deborah Cooper Vocals (Background) Doc Powell Guitar Earl Gardner Musician Ed Greene Drums Edie Lehmann Vocals (Background) Edward James Olmos Introduction Estelle Brown Vocals (Background) Everette Harp Saxophone Fonzi Thornton Vocals (Background) Frank Crawford Musician Frank Kejmar Engineer George Michael Performer George Wadenius Guitar Gloria Estefan Performer Greg "Gigi" Gonaway Percussion, Tambourine Harold Wheeler Arranger Hubert Eaves III Keyboards, Drum Programming Humberto Gatica Mixing James Jamerson Bass, Basic Track Jason Miles Keyboards Jason Shablik Engineer, Assistant Engineer Jeanie Tracy Vocals (Background) Jeannie Tracey Vocals (Background) Jennifer Hall Vocals (Background) Jerry Hey Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements, Trumpet Jim "Z" Zumpano Engineer Jim Gilstrap Vocals (Background) Jim Lebadd Cover Art, Design Keith Richards Guitar, Producer Ken Ehrlich Producer Kenny G Sax (Tenor) Kevin Dorsey Vocals (Background) Kevyn Aucoin Make-Up Kitty Beethoven Vocals (Background) L.A. Reid Drum Programming, Producer Larry Frantangelo ? Larry Williams Programming, Producer Laundon Von Kendricks Vocals (Background) Lawrence Fratangelo Musician Lee DeCarlo Engineer Lee Decarlos Engineer Leon Pendarvis Conductor Lisa Fischer Vocals (Background) Lou Marini Musician Luther Vandross Performer, Vocals (Background), Producer, Vocal Arrangement M. Birch Johnson Musician Marc Russo Saxophone Marcus Miller Rhythm, Synthesizer, Synthesizer Arrangements, Rhythm Arrangements, Bass Margaret Branch Vocals (Background) Marti McCall Vocals (Background) Maude Gilman Art Direction Maureen Droney Engineer Michael Barbiero Mixing Michael Boddicker Keyboards, Producer, Programming Michael Brauer Mixing, Engineer Michael Frondelli Mixing Michael Hutchinson Mixing Michael Iacopelli Assistant Engineer, Engineer Michael Lang Keyboards Michael McDonald Performer Michael McGloiry Guitar Michelle Cobbs Vocals (Background) Myrna Matthews Vocals (Background) Myrna Smith Vocals (Background) Narada Michael Walden Piano, Drums, Percussion, Producer Nat Adderley Keyboards Nathan East Bass Ortheia Barnes Vocals (Background) Paul Brown Engineer Paul Jackson, Jr. Guitar Paulette McWilliams Vocals (Background) Paulinho Da Costa Percussion Phillip Ballou Vocals (Background) Preston Glass Keyboards, Vocals (Background), Vibraphone, Drum Programming Randy Jackson Guitar (Bass), Synthesizer Bass Ray Bardani Engineer, Mixing Ray Gomez Guitar Reginald Dozier Mixing Richard Tee Keyboards Rick Iantosca Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar Ricky Crespo Producer, Programming Robbie Kondor ? Robert Clivillés Mixing, Drums, Percussion, Arranger, Producer Rod Stewart Introduction Ron Wood Guitar Ronnie Cuber Musician Rudolph Stanfield Musician Santana Rhythm Section Percussion Scott Edward Bass Scott Edwards Bass Skip Anderson Keyboards Steve Kroon Conga, Triangle Steve Lillywhite Engineer Susan Mendola Art Direction, Design Sylvia Shemwell Vocals (Background) Tawatha Agee Vocals (Background) The Sweet Inspirations Vocals (Background) Theodore Richard White Musician Tim White Photography Tom Barney Musician Tony Coleman Bass, Vocals (Background), Drums, Keyboards Vicki Randle Vocals (Background) Walter Afanasieff Synthesizer, Keyboards, Producer, Piano, Programming Wayne Wallace Trombone Yogi Horton Drums Yvonne Lewis Vocals (Background)