Golden Age
In late 1966, a man appeared - it was the producer Jerry Ueksler. He managed to turn the individual notes sincerely, «hot» soul into the framework of executive manners Franklin. She moves to Atlantic Records label and became its main star. For the record perevernuvshego world rhythm-blues-end of its unprecedented emotional single «I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)» he brought her to Alabama, where she recorded with the best musicians of the American South.
At 18 months after the beginning of 1967 until the end of 1968. Areta have to break into the pop charts: for this time ten of its songs - among them such gems of classic soul, as «Chain of Fools» and « (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman» - are in the Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 and her passionate songs of Otis Redding resign «Respect» becomes a hymn of the feminist movement, and chairs the national hit parade of sales. In the same 1968 Areta Franklin is awarded the first prize in her career «Grammy».
Singer, alloys in the soul of gospel recordings, it becomes a black American, is aware of its power during the struggle for civil rights. Her sharp, confident vocals, accompanied by the innovative arrangement was adopted for the standard of the classic soul. In 1972 she recorded an album of pure gospel, which is sold as good as its rhythm-blues-end plates. Although Areta Franklin primarily glorified as an outstanding vocalist, few know that many of the records she plays the keyboards.
The main problem «Queen of soul» was repertoire. In the absence of a permanent author of songs, she had to handle under a known hits of other artists - The Drifters ( «Spanish Harlem»), Dayon Warwick ( «I Say a Little Prayer»), The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Sam Cook. A particularly emotional presentation of typical Franklin, had recorded many of her cover version of a more successful than those records on which they were based.