As time passed, it became more and more obvious that Columbia Records barely had a clue about how to present Aretha Franklin.

The main problem was that they couldn’t even figure out who her target audience was, so how could they know how to make her a star? Everyone working for the label knew that Aretha’s talents were immense and that she had the potential to be a superstar, and yet they could barely get her songs onto the charts. By 1964, it was simply time for Columbia to give up.

This show covers some of the best recordings she made at the end of her tenure with that label, but you will likely note that the songs she performed at this time were often misguided and barely suggested the creative powerhouse that she would become after she moved on.

Featured tracks include:

Take a Look

Sweet Bitter Love

Runnin’ Out of Fools

My Guy

It’s Just a Matter of Time

How Glad I Am

Impossible

Misty

Without the One You Love (‘live’ version)

Can’t You Just See Me

One Step Ahead

You Made Me Love You

I May Never Get to Heaven