Rock Steady (Aretha Franklin song) explained

Rock Steady
Type:	single
Artist:	Aretha Franklin
Album:	Young, Gifted and Black
A-Side:	Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby)
Released:	October 11, 1971 (Atlantic #2838)
Recorded:	unedited, undubbed master (#21312) w/o horns at Criteria in Miami on February 15, 1971^[1]
Genre:	Funk^[2]
Length:	3:15
Label:	Atlantic
Producer:	Tom Dowd, Arif Mardin, Jerry Wexler
Prev Title:	Spanish Harlem
Prev Year:	1971
Next Title:	Day Dreaming
Next Year:	1972

"Rock Steady" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Aretha Franklin, released in October 1971 from her eighteenth album, Young, Gifted and Black (1972).^[3] The single reached the #9 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 charts that same year. It also peaked at #2 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart. The original A-side, a rendition of the song "Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby)", peaked at #73 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart.

Personnel

• Aretha Franklin  - lead vocals, piano
• Donny Hathaway  - electric piano, organ
• Bernard Purdie  - drums
• Cornell Dupree  - guitar
• Richard Tee  - organ
• Chuck Rainey  - bass guitar
• The Sweethearts of Soul (Brenda Bryant, Margaret Branch, Pat Smith) ^[4] - backing vocals
• Robert Popwell, Dr. John  - percussion
• The Memphis Horns
  • Wayne Jackson  - trumpet
  • Andrew Love  - tenor saxophone
• Gene Paul  - engineer
• Jerry Wexler  - production
• Tom Dowd  - horn arrangement, production
• Arif Mardin  - production

Charts

Charts (1971)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100	9
US Hot Soul Singles (Billboard)	2

Cover versions

• The earliest cover was a reggae version recorded by The Marvels on the Pama Supreme label c/w Be My Baby in 1971 ^[6]
• The first known cover of the song was in 1972 by Sweet Salvation who recorded a whip-snapping cover for their sole eponymous album.
• The Jackson Sisters recorded a cover of the song in 1976 for their eponymous album.
• In 1987, a house version of the song was recorded by singer Dalis and released on Trax Records.
• Patti Austin covered the song on her 1994 album That Secret Place.
• Prince released a version on his 2007 live album, Indigo Nights. The song features Beverley Knight.
• In 2008 the song was sampled by Japanese R&B singer Namie Amuro in her own song, "Rock Steady".
• Richard Elliot also covered this song as an instrumental in 2010 off his album, which was also titled Rock Steady. Aretha's vocals were replaced by Rich's saxophone.
• Dawn Robinson of the group En Vogue did a solo cover of the song on 1998's Dr. Dolittle soundtrack.
• The song is used as a diegetic track in .
• Rap group People Under the Stairs mention the song in their song "The Next Step II".
• Daryl Hall and John Oates covered the song on their 2004 album Our Kind of Soul.
• Regina Love covered the song in The Voice (U.S. season 9).
• In 2012, Christine Anu covered the song on her album, .
• Rap duo EPMD sampled the beat and Franklin's lyrics (more pronounced on the remix) for their 1989 single "I'm Housin" from their debut LP Strictly Business.
• Spanish rock rap band Def Con Dos sampled the horn section of the song's chorus on their song "Promiscuidad".

Usage in media

• The song was heard in the 2017 American comedy-drama film The Upside.
• The song was used in the 2000 American comedy film High Fidelity.
• The song was used as an introduction to Ellen DeGeneres' Netflix stand-up comedy special, Relatable.

External links

• Web site: Aretha Franklin's "Rock Steady" . https://web.archive.org/web/20100809225605/http://www.bassplayer.com/article/aretha-franklins-rock/Jul-06/22026 . 2010-08-09 . Jisi . Chris . Bass Player . New Bay Media .  - session details

Notes and References

1. http://www.discogs.com/release/5967790 Discogs - Rare & Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen Of Soul - 2007-October reMastered 2CD, Rhino / Atlantic (8122799703) Australia
2. Book: Marsh, Dave. The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. 1989. Plume. 0-452-26305-0. 156.
3. http://www.discogs.com/release/517807 Discogs - Young, Gifted and Black - 1972-January-24th LP, Atlantic (SD 7213) US
4. http://www.discogs.com/artist/477801-Sweethearts-Of-Soul-The Discogs - the Sweethearts Of Soul - (profile, aliases, discography)
5. The RM Club Chart. Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 26 November 1994. 8. 20 May 2023.
6. Web site: The Marvels - Rock Steady / Be My Baby . . 1971 .