Happy 50th Anniversary to Aretha Franklin’s Amazing Grace, originally released June 1, 1972.
Aretha Franklin was at the height of her popularity when she recorded her classic live album Amazing Grace. Few artists would dare record a gospel album during a period of great commercial and artistic success such as the one Franklin was enjoying in 1972. The Queen of Soul recorded the LPs I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967), Lady Soul (1968), Spirit in the Dark (1970), and Young, Gifted and Black (1972) before taking her career in an unprecedented direction.
Franklin’s performance on Amazing Grace is nothing short of astounding, and the accompaniment of Reverend James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir brings the album to near perfection. The double album was recorded in January 1972 at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church over two nights.
Amazing Grace is much more than a great gospel record, but an excellent LP as well. In addition to being one of the greatest selling gospel records ever, it serves as a history lesson in Black music. There’s always been an undeniable link between gospel and secular Black music. Besides Franklin, artists like Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson got their start singing in church. Another link is Ray Charles’ “I Got a Woman,” which borrows from the gospel song “It Must Be Jesus” by the Southern Tones.
With Amazing Grace, Franklin had her feet planted firmly in both worlds. Her medley of “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” and “You’ve Got A Friend” seamlessly merges traditional gospel and pop music and it takes your breath away.
You don’t have to be religious or a fan of gospel music to appreciate the magnificence of this album. Franklin was at a point in her career where she could sing the entire phonebook and make it sound otherworldly. The electricity and energy in the room on this record matched and arguably surpassed that of Franklin’s Live at Fillmore West (1971). AllMusic’s Ron Wynn astutely said of her performance, “Her voice was chilling, making it seem as if God and the angels were conducting a service alongside Franklin, Rev. James Cleveland, the Southern California Community Choir, and everyone else in attendance.”
When I was growing up, I remember my family listening to Amazing Grace often. We weren’t exactly the most religious family around, yet we enjoyed listening to the LP practically from start to finish each time. For me, it was Franklin’s singing as well as her use of familiar secular songs such as Marvin Gaye’s “Wholly Holy,” the previously mentioned “You’ve Got a Friend,” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” Like Ray Charles, Franklin had the tremendous gift of interpreting other artists’ material and making it her own.
Amazing Grace remains the highest selling LP in Franklin’s catalog, which is astonishing considering the multitude of classic albums in her discography. She also received a GRAMMY Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance in 1973.
This album is one of the crowning achievements in Franklin’s career and if you have not done so already, I strongly urge you to watch the 2018 documentary Amazing Grace, which captures the performances on the album over two nights. The movie provides great insight into how shooting the documentary came about and the great obstacles director Sydney Pollack had to overcome. You’ll walk away being even more amazed (no pun intended) at the unbelievable talent of Aretha Franklin.
Enjoyed this article? Read more about Aretha Franklin here:
Lady Soul (1968) | Young, Gifted and Black (1972) | Sparkle (1976)
LISTEN: