Dr. Feelgood
When Aretha Franklin signed with Atlantic Records in 1967, the label foregrounded her gospel and blues strengths more effectively than her previous years at Columbia. Co-written with her husband Ted White, "Dr....
When Aretha Franklin signed with Atlantic Records in 1967, the label foregrounded her gospel and blues strengths more effectively than her previous years at Columbia. Co-written with her husband Ted White, "Dr. Feelgood" is a deep, slow-burning soul-blues. Franklin anchored the track with her heavy, church-trained piano chords, delivering a vocal performance that shifted effortlessly from a whispered, intimate moan to a full gospel shout. The deeply sensual, unapologetic track proved that Franklin was a masterful, culturally grounded blueswoman operating at the peak of her powers.