Today we raise a salute to the long-reigning Queen Of Soul, the phenomenal talent that was Aretha Franklin. The soul legend died today at the age of 76 after a period of ill health. I genuinely cannot think of a greater female voice in the history of music. Pure soul and true power. Her vocals on 'Respect' were more authoritative than any I have ever heard, the sheer feeling put into 'I Say A Little Prayer' will always be joyously emotive, and these are just the first two examples I can think of. But up there with my two favorite Franklin recordings is this 1984 duet with the late George Michael, which today seems to take on a different, and very touching meaning. I can just imagine the two of them up in the clouds singing this again. John Peel (another legendary figure no longer with us) once quipped that "Aretha Franklin could make any old rubbish sound good" while hosting an episode of Top Of The Pops that featured this song. And while I think this is a great track, I agree that her voice could elevate anything. RIP.
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