Young, Gifted and Black

Template:Short description Template:For Template:Use mdy dates {{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |{{#if: January 24, 1972 | Template:Short description}}}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Category handlerTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=Aretha's Greatest Hits1971Amazing Grace1972studioYoung, Gifted and BlackArethaFranklinYoung,Gifted&Black.jpgAretha FranklinJanuary 24, 1972August 12, 1970 – February 16, 1971<ref name="AllMusic" />*Atlantic, New York City

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Template:Music ratings Young, Gifted and Black is the eighteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Aretha Franklin, released in early 1972, by Atlantic Records. The album reached #2 on Billboard's R&B albums survey and peaked at #11 on the main album chart. It was quickly certified Gold by the RIAA. Its title was cut from "To Be Young, Gifted and Black", recorded and released by Nina Simone in 1969.

Franklin won a 1972 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2003, the television network VH1 named it the 76th greatest album of all time.<ref name="VH1 2003">Template:Cite book</ref> In 2020, it was ranked number 388 by Rolling Stone in their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.<ref name="Rolling Stone 2020">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Songs

Young, Gifted and Black contains original songs written and performed by Franklin, such as "Day Dreaming" and "Rock Steady". It also features cover versions of songs by other artists, including "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" by Nina Simone, as well as "I've Been Loving You Too Long" by Otis Redding, "The Long and Winding Road" by the Beatles, and "Border Song (Holy Moses)" by Elton John.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Critical reception

Jason Birchmeier of AllMusic wrote that "Young, Gifted and Black certainly ranks highly among [Franklin's] studio efforts, with many arguing that it may be her greatest. [...] If you really want to go song by song, you'd be hard-pressed to find any throwaways here — this is quite honestly an album that merits play from beginning to end".<ref name="AllMusic" />

In 2003, the television network VH1 named Young, Gifted and Black the 76th greatest album of all time.<ref name="VH1 2003" /> In 2020, the album was ranked number 388 by Rolling Stone in its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.<ref name="Rolling Stone 2020" />

In 2018, Rolling Stone writer Rob Sheffield praised Franklin's cover of "The Long and Winding Road" from the album as "the greatest of all Beatle covers — the one that improves most on the original and defines everything the song is about".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Personnel

• Aretha Franklin – lead vocals (all), acoustic piano (1–4, 6, 8–12), celesta (5), Fender Rhodes electric piano (7)
• Cornell Dupree – guitar (2–5, 7–12)
• Hugh McCracken – guitar (1, 6)
• Don Arnone – acoustic guitar (2)
• Donny Hathaway – Hammond organ (1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9), Fender Rhodes electric piano (2)
• Billy Preston – Hammond organ (4, 10, 12)
• Chuck Rainey – bass guitar (2–5, 7, 9–12)
• Eric Gale – bass guitar (1, 6)
• Robert Popwell – bass guitar (8), percussion (3)
• Bernard Purdie – drums (2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11)
• Ray Lucas – drums (4, 10, 12)
• Al Jackson Jr. – drums (1, 6)
• Dr. John – percussion (3)
• The Memphis Horns – horns (3, 8)
• Neal Rosengarden – trumpet (9), vibraphone (5)
• Hubert Laws – flute (2, 7, 11)
• Pat Smith – backing vocals (2, 3, 5, 7–9, 11)
• Carolyn Franklin – backing vocals (2, 3, 5, 8–10)
• Erma Franklin – backing vocals (2, 3, 5, 8–10)
• Margaret Branch – backing vocals (2, 3, 5, 7–11)
• Ann S. Clark – backing vocals (2, 3, 5, 7–9, 11)
• The Sweet Inspirations – backing vocals (1, 4, 6, 12)
• Ronald Bright – backing vocals (12)
• J. R. Bailey – backing vocals (12)
• Sammy Turner – backing vocals (12)

Production

Day Dreaming, Rock Steady, All The Kings Horses, I've Been Loving You Too Long, First Snow In Kokomo were recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida. Recording Engineers: Ron Albert and Howard Albert, and Chuck Kirkpatrick. Produced by Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin

Chart positions

Template:Album chartTemplate:Album chart

Chart (1972)	Peak position

Singles

Year	Title	US Pop<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	US R&B<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
1970	"Border Song (Holy Moses)"	37	5
1971	"Rock Steady"	9	2
1972	"All the King's Horses"	26	7
1972	"Day Dreaming"	5	1
1972	"Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby)"	73	9