La Diva
Encyclopedia
La Diva is an Aretha Franklin
album released in 1979. In an attempt to make a comeback, Franklin decided to record a disco
-oriented album with the help of the late Van McCoy
. In fact it was McCoy's final work as he died in June of that year. The record was released as disco
music was running its course and New Wave rock
was becoming the new musical trend.
The album was a commercial failure. It peaked at #146 on Billboard
s album chart and sold less than 75,000 copies in the United States. It stands as the lowest charting and poorest selling album of Aretha's entire Atlantic Records catalogue. "Ladies Only" reached #33 on Billboard's R&B Singles Chart and "Half A Love" #65. La Diva marked the end of Aretha's 12-year tenure with Atlantic.
This album was recorded at Aretha's vocal peak, and features 3 of her own compositions, as well as a composition by her eldest son Clarence Franklin. Although remembered as Aretha's failed disco lp, "La Diva" also includes substantial funk/ R&B tracks as well: The Emotions "Reasons Why", Zulema's "Half a Love" and scorching versions of Lalome Wahsburn's "It's Gonna Get A Bit Better" and her own "Honey I Need Your Love."
This album was taken out of print in 1982.
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
album released in 1979. In an attempt to make a comeback, Franklin decided to record a disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
-oriented album with the help of the late Van McCoy
Van McCoy
Van Allen Clinton McCoy was an accomplished musician, music producer, arranger, songwriter, and orchestra conductor. He is known best for his 1975 internationally successful song "The Hustle", which is still played in dance halls and on radio to this day more than thirty years since his death...
. In fact it was McCoy's final work as he died in June of that year. The record was released as disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
music was running its course and New Wave rock
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
was becoming the new musical trend.
The album was a commercial failure. It peaked at #146 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s album chart and sold less than 75,000 copies in the United States. It stands as the lowest charting and poorest selling album of Aretha's entire Atlantic Records catalogue. "Ladies Only" reached #33 on Billboard's R&B Singles Chart and "Half A Love" #65. La Diva marked the end of Aretha's 12-year tenure with Atlantic.
This album was recorded at Aretha's vocal peak, and features 3 of her own compositions, as well as a composition by her eldest son Clarence Franklin. Although remembered as Aretha's failed disco lp, "La Diva" also includes substantial funk/ R&B tracks as well: The Emotions "Reasons Why", Zulema's "Half a Love" and scorching versions of Lalome Wahsburn's "It's Gonna Get A Bit Better" and her own "Honey I Need Your Love."
This album was taken out of print in 1982.
Side one
- "Ladies Only" (Aretha FranklinAretha FranklinAretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
) 5:15 - "It's Gonna Get a Bit Better" (Lalome Washburn) 5:20
- "What If I Should Ever Need You" (Charles H. Kipps) 3:32
- "Honey I Need Your Love" (Aretha FranklinAretha FranklinAretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
) 2:45 - "I Was Made for You" (Clarence Franklin) 4:03
Side two
- "Only Star" (Aretha FranklinAretha FranklinAretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
) 5:04 - "Reasons Why" (Skip Scarborough, Wanda Hutchinson, Wayne Vaughan) 3:55
- "You Brought Me Back to Life" (Van McCoyVan McCoyVan Allen Clinton McCoy was an accomplished musician, music producer, arranger, songwriter, and orchestra conductor. He is known best for his 1975 internationally successful song "The Hustle", which is still played in dance halls and on radio to this day more than thirty years since his death...
) 4:24 - "Half a Love" (Zulema Cusseaux) 5:25
- "The Feeling" (Van McCoyVan McCoyVan Allen Clinton McCoy was an accomplished musician, music producer, arranger, songwriter, and orchestra conductor. He is known best for his 1975 internationally successful song "The Hustle", which is still played in dance halls and on radio to this day more than thirty years since his death...
) 4:45
Personnel
- Aretha FranklinAretha FranklinAretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
- Vocals, PianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, Background Vocals - Van McCoyVan McCoyVan Allen Clinton McCoy was an accomplished musician, music producer, arranger, songwriter, and orchestra conductor. He is known best for his 1975 internationally successful song "The Hustle", which is still played in dance halls and on radio to this day more than thirty years since his death...
- ProducerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, Song writer, KeyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, Background Vocals - Destry - Background Vocals
- Zulema Cusseaux - Songwriter, Background Vocals
- Albert Bailey - Background Vocals
- Brenda Hilliard - Background Vocals
- Jerome Jackson - Background Vocals
- Richard Harris - Background Vocals
- Pete Marshall - Background Vocals
- Carolyn FranklinCarolyn FranklinCarolyn Ann Franklin was an American singer and songwriter and the baby sister of musician Aretha Franklin and daughter of prominent preacher C. L. Franklin.-Biography:...
- Background Vocals - Sharon BrownSharon Brown (singer)Sharon Brown is a singer-songwriter and musician who was born in Harlem, New York, U.S.. She is the niece of songwriter Phil Medley, who co-wrote the song "Twist and Shout". She is also the daughter of drummer William Brown, who played with musicians such as The Isley Brothers and Cannonball...
- Background Vocals - Pat Williamson - Background Vocals
- Cornell DupreeCornell DupreeCornell Luther Dupree was an American jazz and R&B guitarist. He worked at various times with Bill Withers, Donny Hathaway, King Curtis and Steve Gadd, appeared on David Letterman, and wrote a book on soul and blues guitar: Rhythm and Blues Guitar ISBN 0-634-00149-3...
- Guitar - Jack Cavari - Guitar
- Tom Hanlon - Guitar
- Richard TeeRichard TeeRichard Tee was a pianist, studio musician, singer and arranger.Tee graduated from the High School of Music and Art and attended the Manhattan School of Music. Though better known as a studio and session musician, Tee led a jazz ensemble, the Richard Tee Committee, and was a founding member of the...
- Keyboards - Ken Ascher - Keyboards
- Paul GriffinPaul Griffin (musician)Paul Griffin was an American session musician and pianist, who recorded with hundreds of artists from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
- Keyboards - Gordon Edwards - Bass
- Brian Aslop - Bass
- Chris Parker - Drums
- Errol "Crusher" Bennett - Percussion
- George Devens - Percussion
- Ken BichelKen BichelKen Bichel is an American actor, composer, pianist, and synthesizer musician. Bichel attended the Juilliard School where he graduated with a Bachelors degree in piano performance in the late 1960s...
- Synthesizer - Gene Orloff - Conductor