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A few rambling observations before we get to today's "Great Song of 1971:"
No one epitomized Detroit soul music more than Aretha Franklin.
So many legendary singers came out of the Motor City--and, of course, the vast majority of them were signed to Motown Records.
Aretha, however, was never part of the Motown roster.
This is most interesting because Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. was personal friends with Aretha's father, The Rev. C.L. Franklin, Pastor at Detroit's New Bethel Baptist Church from 1946 to 1979--and a prominent civil rights activist.
Aretha took her own personal path to becoming the "Queen of Soul," but still, Berry considered her a part of his extended family and was quite proud of her.
On a different note: even though my childhood friends and I grew up a few dozen miles from Detroit, we were--and most likely still are--so conditioned to hearing soul music on the radio, we may have lost track of (or never knew in the first place) who was singing what.
Take my sister, for instance. I've mentioned before that as the manager of the supermarket where Aretha did her grocery shopping, she knew Aretha on a casual basis--and interacted with her several times. Today, my sister "MIGHT" be able to name 1 or 2 songs made famous by Aretha, while also claiming a few more that were actually by Diana Ross or Gladys Knight (for example).
So that brings me to "Rock Steady:" today's "Great Song of 1971."
The song is one of Aretha's best, but I'd venture to say, it's one of her most forgotten hits. And that's a shame.
In 2021, National Public Radio came out with a 50th Anniversary list of their "50 Favorite Songs of 1971," and "Rock Steady" was right near the top...for good reason.
Aretha wrote the song, and backed herself with a band that included Donny Hathaway on organ, Dr. John on percussion, and the "Sweethearts of Soul," who provided some Gospel-style background vocals.
The song was loaded with so much infectious energy, it promptly climbed to #2 on the
Soul Chart, and #9 on The Hot 100!
Whether you remember it or not, "Rock Steady" is a flat out "Great Song of 1971" and one more reason why Aretha Franklin was the "Queen of Soul" to Berry Gordy, Jr. and everyone else!
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