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Irony: Scoring a Great Song of the '80s about taking a joyride in a pink Cadillac convertible when you've never learned to drive.
Such was the case with 1985's "Freeway of Love" by Aretha Franklin.
Narada Michael Walden wrote the song (with Jeffrey Cohen) and gave it a Motown vibe, which was perfect for Aretha, since she was born and raised in Detroit, where Cadillacs were built (along with Fords, Chevys, and just about every other American-made vehicle).
Note: Aretha was not a Motown records artist, but her family was friends with Motown founder Berry Gordy, Jr. who thought of her as a goddaughter.
This was a comeback song of sorts, since Aretha had taken several years off to care for her ailing father, The Rev. C.L. Franklin, a prominent Civil Rights activist.
And what a comeback it was! Narada Michael Walden produced and played drums of the track, and brought in Bruce Springsteen's E-Street band member Clarence Clemons to play the sax, as well as a gaggle of awesome background singers, including Aretha's sister, Carolyn.
The end result was a massive FOUR CHART hit: #1 on Billboard's Black and Dance Charts, #3 on the Hot 100, and #11 on the Adult Contemporary Chart.
It was her first #1 in 12 years (and, sadly, her last)...but on the bright side, she won her TWELVETH Grammy Award for "Best Female Rhythm & Blues Performance!
Aretha Franklin was STILL the Queen of Soul--even if she never learned to drive.
Note #2: The video was filmed in and around Detroit, and was one of most popular videos of 1984. It was shot in black and white, but because a pink Cadillac was featured on the single sleeve's cover art, and mentioned several times in the lyrics, it became so iconic that more than 100 pink Cadillacs accompanied Aretha during her funeral procession in 2018.
"Freeway of Love" by Aretha Franklin a Great Song of 1984 from one of the Greatest Artists of All Time! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip_pjb5_fgA
Tomorrow: Stuck with Huey.
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