Knew You Were Waiting: The Best of Aretha Franklin 1980-1998

by Aretha Franklin

Overview

Legacy's Knew You Were Waiting: The Best of Aretha Franklin 1980-1998 is the first serious attempt at chronicling Aretha's RCA and Arista recordings since her stint at the label wrapped up. In between 1994's Greatest Hits (1980-1994) and this 2012 collection, there was 2003's Platinum & Gold, released as part of BMG's ongoing new millennium midline series, which hit the high points but also shoehorned in "Respect" and "Think," two classics that don't fit in this context even when placed at the beginning of the collection. Knew You Were Waiting never attempts to disguise itself as something other than a retrospective of the Queen's last act and, by doing so, it makes a convincing case that Aretha's '80s work was pretty strong on its own merits. Most of the record is devoted to her work with Narada Michael Walden -- the producer behind her smash 1985 LP Who's Zoomin' Who, he has credits on seven of the 16 cuts here, including the hits "Freeway of Love," "Who's Zoomin' Who," the George Michael duet "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)," the Elton John duet "Through the Storm," and the Whitney Houston duet "It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be" -- and this crisp, synth-heavy soul-pop remains bright and cheery, having aged particularly well. So have the early-'80s quiet storm "United Together," "Love All the Hurt Away," and the two Luther Vandross productions "Jump to It" and "Get It Right," all four sleekly appealing in their smooth surfaces, leaving the '90s coda as the only cuts that don't quite convince, but even so, Knew You Were Waiting is a more than worthwhile chronicle of the Queen of Soul's late-career peak. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	01/31/2012
Label:	Bmg / Bmg / Sony Music
UPC:	0888430565128

Tracks

1. United Together
2. Love All the Hurt Away
3. Jump to It [Original Radio Mix]
4. Get It Right
5. Freeway of Love [Single Version]
6. Who's Zoomin' Who? [Single Version]
7. Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves
8. Another Night [Single Mix]
9. Jumpin' Jack Flash
10. Jimmy Lee [Single Version]
11. I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)
12. Through the Storm
13. It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be [Single Version]
14. Ever Changing Times [Single Edit]
15. Willing to Forgive
16. A Rose Is Still a Rose [Original Radio Edit]

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Aretha Franklin   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals,Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
George Michael   Primary Artist
Babyface   Keyboards
Kenny G   Sax (Tenor)
Margaret Branch   Vocals (Background)
Cissy Houston   Vocals (Background)
Lauryn Hill   Vocals (Background)
Cornell Dupree   Guitar
Claytoven Richardson   Vocals (Background)
James Jamerson   Bass
Corrado Rustici   Guitar,Guitar (Rhythm)
Everette Harp   Saxophone
Eddie Daniels   Sax (Alto)
George Benson   Featured Artist
Vicki Randle   Vocals (Background)
Eurythmics   Featured Artist
Luther Vandross   Vocals (Background)
Wayne Wallace   Trombone
David Sancious   Synthesizer
Dean Parks   Guitar
Jeff Porcaro   Drums
Mike Campbell   Guitar
Michael Boddicker   Keyboards
Michael Lang   Keyboards
Brenda White   Vocals (Background)
Michael McDonald   Featured Artist
Dave Stewart   Guitar,Keyboards
Annie Lennox   Vocals,Keyboards
Michelle Cobbs   Vocals (Background)
Burt Bacharach   Keyboards
Vere Isaac   Bass
Ren Klyce   Fairlight CMI
Marcus Miller   Bass,Synthesizer
Stan Lynch   Drums
Tony Coleman   Bass,Drums,Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Tawatha Agee   Vocals (Background)
Paul Jackson, Jr.   Guitar
Paulinho Da Costa   Percussion
Steve Kroon   Congas,Triangle
Bernard "Pretty" Purdie   Drums
David Foster   Synthesizer,Piano (Electric),Keyboards
Randy Jackson   Bass,Guitar (Bass),Bass (Acoustic),Synthesizer Bass,Vocals (Background)
Ray Gomez   Guitar,Soloist
Marc Russo   Sax (Alto)
Brenda Corbett   Vocals (Background)
Laundon Von Kendricks   Vocals (Background)
Errol Crusher Bennett   Congas
Melisa Kary   Vocals (Background)
Johari Newton   Guitar
Georg "Jojje" Wadenius   Guitar
Chuck Jackson   Vocals (Background)
Kitty Beethoven   Vocals (Background)
Marti McCall   Vocals (Background)
Myrna Matthews   Vocals (Background)
Jerry Hey   Trumpet
Louis Johnson   Bass
Narada Michael Walden   Drums,Piano,Percussion
Jennifer Hall   Vocals (Background)
Nathan East   Bass
Ron Wood   Guitar
Preston Glass   Bells,Keyboards,Vibraphone,Vocals (Background)
Richard Tee   Keyboards
Nat Adderley, Jr.   Keyboards
Walter Afanasieff   Bass,Piano,Keyboards,Synthesizer
Yogi Horton   Drums
Yvonne Lewis   Vocals (Background)
Sylvester   Vocals (Background)
Keith Richards   Guitar,Featured Artist
Chuck Leavell   Keyboards
Clarence Clemons   Soloist,Saxophone
Benmont Tench   Organ
Doc Powell   Guitar
Elton John   Featured Artist
Carolyn Franklin   Vocals (Background)
Fonzi Thornton   Vocals (Background)
Kevin Dorsey   Vocals (Background)
Jeanie Tracy   Vocals (Background)
Whitney Houston   Featured Artist
Jim Gilstrap   Vocals (Background)
Phillip Ballou   Vocals (Background)
Ortheia Barnes   Vocals (Background)
Mark Stevens   Vocals (Background)
Santana Rhythm Section   Percussion
Scott Edward   Bass
Greg "Gigi" Gonaway   Percussion,Tambourine
Indigo Quartet   Strings
James Poiser   Piano
Buzz Feiten   Guitar
Steve Jordan   Drums
Ed Green   Drums
The Charles Williams Singers   Choir/Chorus
Allen Rogan   Guitar
Nikita Jermaine   Vocals (Background)
Sklyer Jett   Vocals (Background)
Dave Freedman   Vibraphone
Edie Lehran   Vocals (Background)
Greg Ganaway   Tambourine
Marci Levy   Vocals (Background)
The Original Sweet Inspiration   Featured Artist
Michael McGoiry   Guitar

Technical Credits

Babyface   Composer,Producer,Drum Programming,Original Recording Producer
Lauryn Hill   Arranger,Composer,Producer,Original Recording Producer
Tom Burleigh   Project Director
Eurythmics   Duet
Luther Vandross   Composer,Producer,Vocal Arrangement,Original Recording Producer
Walter Afanasieff   Drum Programming,Programming
Michael Boddicker   Programming
Michael McDonald   Duet
Akua Dixon   String Arrangements
Daryl Simmons   Composer,Producer,Original Recording Producer
Dave Stewart   Composer,Producer,Original Recording Producer
Diane Warren   Composer
Annie Lennox   Composer
Arif Mardin   Arranger,Producer,Original Recording Producer
Burt Bacharach   Composer,Producer,Original Recording Producer
Bill Conti   Composer
Mick Jagger   Composer
Aretha Franklin   Composer
Albert Hammond   Composer
Jeffrey James   A&R
George Hurrell   Cover Photo,Photography
Michael Kull   Tape Research
Larry Williams   Programming
Chuck Jackson   Composer,Producer,Original Recording Producer
Leo Sacks   Producer
Jerry Hey   Horn Arrangements,String Arrangements
Narada Michael Walden   Arranger,Composer,Producer,Original Recording Producer
Preston Glass   Composer,Percussion Programming
Marcus Miller   Rhythm Arrangements,Synthesizer Arrangements
Maria Triana   Mastering
Keith Richards   Composer,Producer,Original Recording Producer
Clive Davis   Executive Producer
Carole Bayer Sager   Composer,Producer,Original Recording Producer
Elton John   Duet
Whitney Houston   Duet
Ernest Hardy   Liner Notes
Long Vu   Design,Art Direction
Amber Valverde   Project Director