1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: a show that gives history its propers one day at 4 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:16,800 Speaker 1: a time. I'm Gay Bluesier, and in this episode, we're 5 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: looking at the story behind what might be the most 6 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 1: original sounding cover song of all time. The day was 7 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: April ninety seven, Aretha Franklin's hit song Respect was released 8 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: as a single on the Atlantic Records label. In a 9 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 1: few weeks time, the song reached number one on both 10 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 1: the R and B Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 11 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 1: one hundred, when it remained in that top spot for 12 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 1: the better part of three months. The following year, Franklin 13 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 1: won two Grammys for Respect, Best R and B Recording 14 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 1: and Best Female R and BE Solo Vocal Performance. However, 15 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: the song's success extended far beyond music charts and award shows. 16 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 1: During a tumultuous year in the United States, it became 17 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:15,320 Speaker 1: an empowering anthem for civil rights and women's rights movements, 18 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: as well as for anyone else who felt disrespected, whether 19 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 1: in society, at their school or job, or even in 20 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:26,119 Speaker 1: their own home. But before we go any further, let's 21 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 1: hear a little of the song that had everyone so excited. 22 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: By the end of the summer of sixty seven, Aresa 23 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 1: Franklin was forever linked with respect. It became the signature 24 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: song of a long and prolific career. It's been featured 25 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 1: in dozens of movie soundtracks and t V episodes, and 26 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: has been performed to varying degrees of success by millions 27 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 1: of karaoke fans worldwide. Today, even though it's been covered 28 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 1: by tons of talented musicians, Aretha Franklin's version of Respect 29 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 1: is still the most popular by far. Most people are 30 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 1: shocked when they find out she wasn't the first artist 31 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: to record the song. It just sounds wholly original to her, 32 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 1: and in a way it was technically though. Otis Redding, 33 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 1: the King of Soul, first released Respect two years earlier. 34 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: It's believed that he originally wrote the song is a 35 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 1: ballad after returning home from a tour and feeling disrespected 36 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 1: by his wife. Reading later reworked the song to be 37 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 1: more upbeat, and then included it on his third studio album, 38 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 1: Otis Blue. The single peaked at number four on Billboard's 39 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 1: Hot R and B Singles chart, introducing Reading to a 40 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 1: much wider and wider audience. If you've never heard his 41 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:10,079 Speaker 1: take before, it goes like this, do me wrong wrong, 42 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: you can do me wrong. Aretha Franklin's version of the 43 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: song clearly retained most of the original melody and lyrics, 44 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:33,520 Speaker 1: but its meaning was drastically different from Redding's original. Taken 45 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: at face value, his song seems to reflect the traditional 46 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: family values of the mid twentieth century. A man comes 47 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 1: home after a hard day of work and expects his 48 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 1: wife to behave a certain way as a kind of 49 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 1: reward for his labor. Another popular interpretation is that the 50 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 1: respect mentioned in the song is really a euphemism for sex, 51 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: something that the singer expects from his partner in return 52 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: for a share of his income. Either way you interpreted, 53 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 1: the relationship presented in the song seems impersonal, more like 54 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: a deal that's being enforced than any kind of romance 55 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 1: toxic messaging aside, Redding's Respect was a catchy song, and 56 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: Franklin actually performed at live numerous times before arranging and 57 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: recording her own version. By ninety seven, she had established 58 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:28,919 Speaker 1: a good deal of control over her career. She was 59 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: either writing her own material or at least choosing which 60 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:36,599 Speaker 1: existing songs she wanted to record. Her working process was 61 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:39,599 Speaker 1: to figure out all the arrangements ahead of time at home, 62 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: so that she'd be ready to go when she stepped 63 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 1: into the studio to record. When the singer decided to 64 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 1: put her own spin on redding song, she did more 65 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 1: than just flip the gender of the lyrics. She drew 66 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: on her background as a soul and gospel singer to 67 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:58,360 Speaker 1: imbue the song with a sense of urgency and sincerity 68 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:01,040 Speaker 1: that would have been right at home the Baptist church 69 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:04,360 Speaker 1: where she first sang as a child. She also made 70 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 1: several crucial changes to the song structure, including the addition 71 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: of a bridge, a call in response section with her 72 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:15,279 Speaker 1: sister singing back up, and of course that famous spelling 73 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 1: out of the word respect the part that goes like 74 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 1: this bat I have daja. Franklin also incorporated some popular 75 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 1: expressions from around Detroit into the song, including socket to 76 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: me and TCB, an abbreviation of taking care of business 77 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:46,479 Speaker 1: that was later popularized by Elvis Presley. Franklin worked out 78 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: most of these changes in advance, with lots of help 79 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 1: from her sisters Carolyne and Irma. As a result, when 80 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: the singer arrived at Fame Studios on Valentine's Day nine. 81 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 1: She already had the whole song all worked out when 82 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: she laid down the track. Even the sound crew knew 83 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:08,679 Speaker 1: they had something special. One of the engineers, Tom Dowd, 84 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 1: was especially struck by the socket to Me chance at 85 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 1: the end of the song. He said he fell out 86 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 1: of his chair when he first heard it. Aretha Franklin's 87 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 1: version of Respect was released two months later on April 88 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:24,800 Speaker 1: twenty nine. It was the second single from her debut 89 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 1: album for Atlantic Records, I Never Love Demand the way 90 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: I Love You, the singles B side dr Feel Good 91 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,599 Speaker 1: was a strong song in its own right, but Respect 92 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:38,840 Speaker 1: struck a deeper chord with the public. The singer had 93 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:42,279 Speaker 1: completely changed the feeling and meaning of the original song, 94 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 1: transforming it from a weary, bitter plea into a confident, 95 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 1: passionate demand. When Franklin sang of respect, it wasn't as 96 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:55,520 Speaker 1: a commodity, not something to be bartered or exchanged as 97 00:06:55,520 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 1: in Redding's version. Instead, for Franklin, respect was more into 98 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 1: a human right, something she would no longer allow herself 99 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:08,480 Speaker 1: to be denied. Even Otis Redding admitted that Franklin had 100 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 1: made the song her own. When he first heard her version, 101 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:15,760 Speaker 1: he told producer Jerry Wexler, quote, this girl has taken 102 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:19,480 Speaker 1: that song from me. Ain't no longer my song. From 103 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 1: now on, it belongs to her. More importantly, though the 104 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 1: song belonged to listeners too. America had a lot on 105 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: its mind in nineteen sixty seven. That summer, racially charged 106 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 1: violence broke out across the country, and later that fall, 107 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: anti Vietnam War protests led to hundreds of arrests in 108 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: New York. At the same time, groups like the National 109 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 1: Organization for Women continue to push for equal rights under 110 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 1: the law, to somewhat mixed results. For many within these 111 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 1: marginalized groups, respect was a kind of call to arms, 112 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 1: a way of announcing that the injustices of the past 113 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 1: would no longer be toleranted it going forward. Franklin later 114 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 1: described the mood of that moment in her autobiography, writing quote, 115 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:10,080 Speaker 1: it reflected the need of a nation, the need of 116 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:13,760 Speaker 1: the average man and woman in the street, the businessman, 117 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: the mother, the fireman, the teacher. Everyone wanted respect. Aretha 118 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 1: Franklin passed away in but her signature song remains as 119 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 1: relevant and meaningful as it was in nineteen sixty seven. 120 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 1: That's a sign of a truly great song, whether a 121 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:38,840 Speaker 1: cover and original or something in between. I'm gay, Bluesier 122 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: and hopefully you now know a little more about history 123 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 1: today than you did yesterday. If you enjoyed today's show, 124 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:49,640 Speaker 1: check us out on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at t 125 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 1: d i HC Show. You can also get in touch 126 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:56,440 Speaker 1: with me directly by writing to this Day at I 127 00:08:56,520 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 1: heart media dot com. Thanks, as always the Chandler Mays 128 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 1: for producing the show, and thanks to you for listening. 129 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:06,600 Speaker 1: I'll see you back here again soon for another Day 130 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 1: in History class. M