Aretha Franklin's "Amazing Grace"

April 22, 2012 10:00 PM

On January 13 and 14, 1972, Aretha Franklin sang during services at the Reverend James Cleveland's New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. The audio recordings released as Amazing Grace remain the largest-selling gospel album in history. However, of the 20 hours of 16mm film footage by Sydney Pollack - intended as a concert movie for tandem release - only a few snippets have ever been seen. (previously: 1, 2)
posted by Trurl (8 comments total)

No admirer of Ms. Franklin's gospel singing should miss this electrifying performance of "Precious Lord" recorded in her father's church when she was 14.
posted by Trurl at 10:01 PM on April 22, 2012 [2 favorites]

From the same era as Precious Lord, this recording of Yield Not To Temptation is my all-time favorite Aretha recording. I get chills five times over listening to this.
posted by mykescipark at 10:03 PM on April 22, 2012 [1 favorite]

Oh my god, yes. This performance is astonishing.

Thank you for this, Trurl.
posted by R. Schlock at 10:26 PM on April 22, 2012

Sound Opinions did a show about the Amazing Grace album just a few weeks ago. They interviewed Aaron Cohen, who authored a book about the album.
posted by polymath at 11:13 PM on April 22, 2012

Mary, Don't You Weep is my favorite cut from that album.
posted by fuse theorem at 11:16 PM on April 22, 2012 [2 favorites]

This thread is another example of why I love Metafilter.
posted by basicchannel at 11:34 PM on April 22, 2012 [1 favorite]

The Sound Opinions interview with Cohen was good, but even better is the interview with Cohen by Oliver Wang at Soul-Sides.
posted by gen at 12:06 AM on April 23, 2012

I just thought I'd come here to say that Amazing Grace is a stunningly great album.
posted by ob at 12:42 PM on April 23, 2012