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Do You Know the History Behind the song ' Respect' ?

Jen Fad · Wednesday, April 25th 2012 at 10:49AM · 575 views
What's up, soul brothas and soul sistas! I'm capping off this R&B History Moment series with a look at a tune that just might have been one of the first anthems of the feminist movement: “Respect,” specifically, Aretha Franklin's version.

Franklin was not the originator of the tune; that credit goes to Otis Redding, who scored a decent hit with it in 1965. But then again, the original idea for the tune came from Redding's manager, Speedo Simms, who never got the credit. So, in one way, the story of this tune is theft.

But the appropriation of ideas really is only a small slice of the story. Better to talk about how Franklin so greatly improved the tune, simply by changing the focus. Through the course of changing "Respect" from a euphemism for s*x into a word with deadly serious implications, Franklin rewrote pop music history.

So exactly how did this song go from idea fragment to pop culture classic? Click play, and slide into the back seat of my funkmobile.

Listen below>>>


http://music.cbc.ca/play/RB-Soul-Audio-and...

About the Author

Jen Fad Central Jersey, NJ

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Comments (4)

Richard Kigel Wednesday, April 25th 2012 at 12:34PM

Jen--This is AWESOME!!! Love it!!!

Jen Fad Thursday, April 26th 2012 at 9:56PM

I thought you guys might find that tidbit interesting.

Jen Fad Friday, April 27th 2012 at 1:37PM

WIll do Saint!

ROBINSON IRMA Thursday, April 10th 2014 at 6:47PM

Learned something brand new today which always sends me over the moon... thanks Jen (smile)

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