Amazing Grace (Aretha Franklin album)

Amazing Grace
Live album by Aretha Franklin
Released June 1, 1972
Recorded January 13–14, 1972
Genre Gospel, soul
Length 85:43
Label Atlantic (#2-906), Rhino
Producer Jerry Wexler, Arif Mardin, Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin chronology
Young, Gifted and Black
(1972)		 Amazing Grace
(1972)		 Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky)
(1973)

Amazing Grace is the third live album by American singer Aretha Franklin. Released on June 1, 1972 by Atlantic Records, it ultimately sold over two million copies in the United States alone, earning a double platinum certification. As of 2015, it stands as the biggest selling disc of Franklin's entire fifty-plus year recording career as well as the highest selling live gospel music album of all time. It later went on to win Franklin the 1973 Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance.

The double album was recorded at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles during January 1972. A film documenting the making of the album was set to be released in 1972, but was shelved by Warner Bros. Amazing Grace was remastered and re-released in 1999 as a two-compact disc set with many unreleased takes.

Track listing

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Robert ChristgauB+[2]
Rolling Stonefavourable[3]

Disc 1

  1. "Mary Don't You Weep" (Inez Andrews)
  2. "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" /"You've Got a Friend" (Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey, Frank Frazier) / (Carole King)
  3. "Old Landmark" (A. M. Brunner)
  4. "Give Yourself to Jesus" (Robert Fryson)
  5. "How I Got Over" (Clara Ward)
  6. "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" (Joseph Scriven, Charles Converse)
  7. "Amazing Grace" (John Newton)

Disc 2

  1. "Precious Memories" (Traditional)
  2. "Climbing Higher Mountains" (Traditional)
  3. Remarks by Reverend C.L. Franklin
  4. "God Will Take Care of You" (Traditional)
  5. "Wholy Holy" (Marvin Gaye, Renaldo Benson, Alfred Cleveland)
  6. "You'll Never Walk Alone" (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II)
  7. "Never Grow Old" (Traditional)

Amazing Grace: The Complete Recordings

Disc 1
  1. Organ Introduction (On Our Way)
  2. Opening Remarks
  3. On Our Way
  4. Aretha's Introduction
  5. Wholy Holy
  6. You'll Never Walk Alone
  7. What a Friend We Have in Jesus
  8. Precious Memories
  9. How I Got Over
  10. Precious Lord (Take My Hand)
  11. You've Got a Friend
  12. Climbing Higher Mountains
  13. Amazing Grace
  14. My Sweet Lord (Instrumental)
  15. Give Yourself to Jesus
Disc 2
  1. Organ Introduction (On Our Way)/Opening Remarks
  2. On Our Way
  3. Aretha's Introduction
  4. What a Friend We Have in Jesus
  5. Wholy Holy
  6. Climbing Higher Mountains
  7. God Will Take Care of You
  8. Old Landmark
  9. Mary Don't You Weep
  10. Never Grow Old
  11. Remarks by Rev. C.L. Franklin
  12. Precious Memories
  13. My Sweet Lord (Instrumental)

Documentary

Amazing Grace, a documentary/concert film directed by Sydney Pollack for Warner Bros., was set to be released as part of a double bill with Super Fly in 1972.[4] However, Pollack was unable to complete the film because he had not used a clapperboard to synchronize the picture and sound at the beginning of each take.[5] The film ended up in the studio vaults for over 38 years. Before Pollack's death in 2008, he turned the footage over to producer Alan Elliott, who after two years succeeded in synchronizing the picture and sound and completing the film.[5]

Elliott first planned to release the film in 2011, but was prevented from doing so when Franklin sued him for using her likeness without permission.[5] However, Franklin's original contract for the film was later discovered at Warner Bros., and Elliott planned to show the film at the Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and Chicago International Film Festival in 2015.[5][6] Franklin once again sued and was granted an emergency injunction against the Telluride screening, saying she had not given permission to screen the footage.[7] Franklin issued a statement saying, "Justice, respect and what is right prevailed and one’s right to own their own self-image."[8] Due to the ongoing litigation, the film was then removed from the schedules of both the Chicago[6] and Toronto[9] festivals as well.

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ "Allmusic review".
  2. ↑ "Robert Christgau review".
  3. ↑ "Rolling Stone review".
  4. ↑ Burlingame, Jon (January 7, 2010). "'Grace' film finally near". Variety.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Willman, Chris (2015-09-04). "Sydney Pollack's 'Amazing Grace': The Tortured 4-Decade History of the Film Aretha Franklin Wants to Stop". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-09-07.
  6. 1 2 Romano, Nick (2015-09-06). "Amazing Grace documentary pulled from Chicago Film Festival". EW.com. Retrieved 2015-09-07.
  7. ↑ Clark, Noelene; Robinson, Will (2015-09-04). "Aretha Franklin blocks Amazing Grace screening at Telluride Film Festival". EW.com. Retrieved 2015-09-07.
  8. ↑ Romano, Nick (2015-09-05). "Aretha Franklin responds after blocking Amazing Grace screening at Telluride Film Festival". EW.com. Retrieved 2015-09-07.
  9. ↑ Siegemund-Broka, Austin (2015-09-08). "TIFF: Aretha Franklin Doc 'Amazing Grace' Screening Canceled". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-09-09.

External links

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