''Sweet Passion'' is the twenty-third
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
by
American singer
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...
. It was released on May 19, 1977, by
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...
. Following Franklin's
Gold-certified 1976 soundtrack album, ''
Sparkle'', she paired up with
Motown
Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
producer
Lamont Dozier to produce ''Sweet Passion''. It was, however, a commercial and critical failure.
The album's lead single, "
Break It To Me Gently", topped the
''Billboard'' R&B chart but peaked at No. 85 on the
Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...
and dropped off the chart after two weeks.
Critical reception
The ''
Bay State Banner
''The Bay State Banner'' is a weekly newspaper primarily geared toward the readership interests of the African-American community in Boston, Massachusetts. Distributed free of charge, it was founded in 1965 by Melvin B. Miller, who remained the ...
'' noted that "her voice seems to free itself, even during the most stilted and contrived show tunes, stronger and lots weightier than Natalie Cole's cheery mimicry."
Track listing
Side one
#"
Break It To Me Gently" (
Marvin Hamlisch
Marvin Frederick Hamlisch (June 2, 1944 – August 6, 2012) was an American composer and conductor. He is one of a handful of people to win Emmy Awards, Emmy, Grammy Awards, Grammy, Academy Awards, Oscar, and Tony Awards, Tony awards, a feat ...
,
Carole Bayer Sager
Carole Bayer Sager (born Carol Bayer on March 8, 1944) is an American lyricist, singer, songwriter, and painter.
Early life and career
Carole Bayer was born in New York City, to Anita Nathan Bayer and Eli Bayer. Her family was Jewish. She gradu ...
) - 3:21
#"When I Think About You" (Aretha Franklin) - 4:46
#"
What I Did for Love" (Marvin Hamlisch,
Edward Kleban) - 5:17
#"No One Could Ever Love You More" (
Lamont Dozier) - 3:36
#"A Tender Touch" (Aretha Franklin) - 3:58
Side two
#"Touch Me Up" (Lamont Dozier)- 4:38
#"Sunshine Will Never Be The Same" (Lamont Dozier) - 3:36
#"Meadows of Springtime" (Aretha Franklin) - 5:26
#"Mumbles /
I've Got the Music in Me" (
Clark Terry, Aretha Franklin,
Bias Boshell) - 3:40
#"Sweet Passion" (Aretha Franklin) - 7:12
Personnel
* Aretha Franklin – vocals, keyboards (5, 9, 10)
*
H. B. Barnum – rhythm arrangements (2, 3, 5, 8–10), horn arrangements (2, 3, 5, 8–10), string arrangements (2, 3, 5, 8, 10), keyboards (5)
*
Ray Brown – bass guitar (3, 8, 9)
*
Sonny Burke
Joseph Francis "Sonny" Burke (March 22, 1914 – May 31, 1980) was an American musical arranger, composer, Big Band leader and producer.
Early life and career
Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania to Francis P. Burke and Rhoda Nihany, Burke grew up in D ...
– keyboards (2, 3, 4, 6, 7)
* Joe Clayton – congas (1), percussion (5)
* Gary Coleman – percussion (2, 4, 6, 7, 10)
*
Ronald Coleman – keyboards (2, 4, 6, 7)
*
Lamont Dozier – rhythm arrangements (4, 7)
* Scott Edwards – bass guitar (2, 4, 6, 7, 10)
*
James Gadson – drums (2, 4, 6, 7, 10)
* McKinley Jackson – rhythm arrangements (4, 6, 7), horn arrangements (6)
* Harold Mason – drums (1, 3, 5, 8, 9)
* Craig McMillian – guitar (3, 8, 9)
* Mike Morgan – guitar (3, 8, 9)
*
Gene Page – horn and string arrangements (4, 7)
*
David Paich – keyboards (1)
*
Ray Parker Jr. – guitar (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10)
*
Chuck Rainey – bass guitar (1, 5)
*
Lee Ritenour
Lee Mack Ritenour ( ; born January 11, 1952) is an American jazz guitarist who has been active since the late 1960s.
Biography
Ritenour was born in 1952, in Los Angeles, California. At the age of eight he started playing guitar and four years l ...
– guitar (1, 4–6, 10)
*
Sylvester Rivers – keyboards (1, 3, 8, 9)
* Bob Zimmitti – percussion (3, 8, 9)
Production
* Producers – Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager (Track 1); Lamont Dozier and Aretha Franklin (Tracks 2–10).
* Co-Producers on Track 1 – David Paich and
Marty Paich.
* Engineers – Frank Kemjar (Tracks 1, 5 & 10); Reginald Dozier (Tracks 2, 4, 6–8); Barney Perkins (3, 6 & 9).
* Mixing – Reginald Dozier (Tracks 2–10); Barney Perkins (Track 6).
* Recorded and Mixed at
ABC Recording Studios (Los Angeles, CA) and Whitney Recording Studios (Glendale, CA).
* Track 1 mixed at Studio 55 (Los Angeles, CA).
* Mastered by Dennis King at
Atlantic Studios
Atlantic Studios is the recording studio network of Atlantic Records. Although the historic recording studio was located at 1841 Broadway (at the corner of 60th Street), in New York City, Atlantic Recording Studios was initially located at 234 Wes ...
(New York, NY).
* Art Direction – Bob Defrin
* Photography – David Alexander
References
{{Authority control
1977 albums
Aretha Franklin albums
Albums arranged by Gene Page
Albums arranged by H. B. Barnum
Albums produced by Lamont Dozier
Atlantic Records albums