Young, Gifted And Black is the eighteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Aretha Franklin, released in early 1972, by Atlantic Records. The album climbed to number 2 on Billboard’s R&B albums survey and peaked at Number 11 on the main album chart. It was quickly certified Gold by the RIAA. Its title was cut from “To Be Young, Gifted and Black”, recorded and released by Nina Simone in 1969. Franklin won a 1972 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.
Tracks
1 Oh Me Oh My (I’m A Fool For You Baby) (Jim Doris) 03:42 2 Day Dreaming (Aretha Franklin) 04:02 3 Rock Steady (Aretha Franklin) 03:16 4 Young, Gifted And Black (Nina Simone) 03:34 5 All The King’s Horses (Aretha Franklin) 03:56 6 A Brand New Me (Jerry Butler; Kenneth Gamble; Thom Bell) 04:26 7 April Fools (Burt Bacharach; Hal David) 03:29 8 I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (Jerry Butler; Otis Redding) 03:36 9 First Snow In Kokomo (Aretha Franklin) 04:04 10 The Long And Winding Road (John Lennon; Paul McCartney) 03:38 11 Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time) (Thom Bell; William Hart) 03:42 12 Border Song (Holy Moses) (Elton John; Bernie Taupin) 03:19
Musicians
1 Oh Me Oh My (I’m A Fool For You Baby) Bass - Eric Gale Drums - Al Jackson Jr Guitar - Hugh McCracken Organ - Donny Hathaway Piano - Aretha Franklin Background Vocals - The Sweet Inspirations Vocals - Aretha Franklin
2 Day Dreaming Bass - Chuck Rainey Drums - Bernard Purdie Guitar - Cornell Dupree Acoustic Guitar - Don Arnone Piano - Aretha Franklin Flute - Hubert Laws Background Vocals - Carolyn Franklin Background Vocals - Erma Franklin Background Vocals - Ann S Clark Background Vocals - Margaret Branch Background Vocals - Pat Smith Vocals - Aretha Franklin
3 Rock Steady Bass - Chuck Rainey Drums - Bernard Purdie Guitar - Cornell Dupree Organ - Donny Hathaway Piano - Aretha Franklin Sax - Andrew Love Trumpet - Wayne Jackson Percussion - Mac Rebennack Percussion - Bob Popwell Background Vocals - Carolyn Franklin Background Vocals - Erma Franklin Background Vocals - Ann S Clark Background Vocals - Margaret Branch Background Vocals - Pat Smith Vocals - Aretha Franklin
4 Young, Gifted And Black Bass - Chuck Rainey Drums - Ray Lucas Guitar - Cornell Dupree Electric Piano - Donny Hathaway Organ - Billy Preston Piano - Aretha Franklin Background Vocals - The Sweet Inspirations Vocals - Aretha Franklin
5 All The King’s Horses Bass - Chuck Rainey Drums - Bernard Purdie Guitar - Cornell Dupree Celeste - Aretha Franklin Organ - Donny Hathaway Vibraphone - Neil Rosengarden Background Vocals - Carolyn Franklin Background Vocals - Erma Franklin Background Vocals - Ann S Clark Background Vocals - Margaret Branch Background Vocals - Pat Smith Vocals - Aretha Franklin
6 A Brand New Me Bass - Eric Gale Drums - Al Jackson Jr Guitar - Hugh McCracken Organ - Donny Hathaway Piano - Aretha Franklin Background Vocals - The Sweet Inspirations Vocals - Aretha Franklin
7 April Fools Bass - Chuck Rainey Drums - Bernard Purdie Electric Piano - Aretha Franklin Guitar - Cornell Dupree Flute - Hubert Laws Vocals - Aretha Franklin
8 I’ve Been Loving You Too Long Bass - Bob Popwell Drums - Bernard Purdie Guitar - Cornell Dupree Organ - Donny Hathaway Piano - Aretha Franklin Sax - Andrew Love Trumpet - Wayne Jackson Background Vocals - Carolyn Franklin Background Vocals - Erma Franklin Background Vocals - Ann S Clark Background Vocals - Margaret Branch Background Vocals - Pat Smith Vocals - Aretha Franklin
9 First Snow In Kokomo Bass - Chuck Rainey Drums - Bernard Purdie Guitar - Cornell Dupree Organ - Donny Hathaway Piano - Aretha Franklin Trumpet - Neil Rosengarden Background Vocals - Carolyn Franklin Background Vocals - Erma Franklin Background Vocals - Ann S Clark Background Vocals - Margaret Branch Background Vocals - Pat Smith Vocals - Aretha Franklin
10 The Long And Winding Road Bass - Chuck Rainey Drums - Ray Lucas Guitar - Cornell Dupree Organ - Billy Preston Piano - Aretha Franklin Background Vocals - Carolyn Franklin Background Vocals - Erma Franklin Background Vocals - Ann S Clark Background Vocals - Margaret Branch Background Vocals - Pat Smith Vocals - Aretha Franklin
11 Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time) Bass - Chuck Rainey Drums - Bernard Purdie Guitar - Cornell Dupree Piano - Aretha Franklin Flute - Hubert Laws Vocals - Aretha Franklin
12 Border Song (Holy Moses) Bass - Chuck Rainey Drums - Ray Lucas Guitar - Cornell Dupree Organ - Billy Preston Piano - Aretha Franklin Background Vocals - JR Bailey Background Vocals - Ronnie Bright Background Vocals - Sammy Turner Background Vocals - The Sweet Inspirations Vocals - Aretha Franklin
Other Musicians
Background Vocals – The Sweethearts Of Soul (Tracks 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11)
Liner Notes
Producer – Arif Mardin, Jerry Wexler Producer – Tom Dowd (Tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) Arranged By (Horns) – Arif Mardin (Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 11, 12) Arranged By (Horns) – Tom Dowd (Tracks 3, 8) Arranged By (String) – Arif Mardin Arranged By (Woodwind) – Arif Mardin Concertmaster – Gene Orloff Engineer (Recording) – Gene Paul (Tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 10 11, 12) Engineer (Recording) – Chuck Kirkpatrick, Howie Albert, Ron Albert (Tracks 2, 3, 5, 8, 9) Engineer (Additional Recordings) – Don Cassale, Jack Adams, Jimmy Douglass, Lew Hahn Engineer (Remixed) – Arif Mardin Design – Alyse Koylan, Stanislaw Zagorski Photography – Ken Cunningham Mastered At Presswell Recorded At Atlantic Studios Recorded At Criteria Recording Studios Phonographic Copyright Atlantic Recording Corporation
