Aretha Live at Fillmore West is a live album by American singer Aretha Franklin. Released on May 19, 1971, by Atlantic Records. It was reissued on compact disc in 1993 through Rhino Records. An expanded, limited edition 4-CD box set titled Don't Fight the Feeling: The Complete Aretha Franklin & King Curtis Live at Fillmore West was released by Rhino in 2005 that was limited to 5,000 numbered copies. In addition, there is a guest duet vocal by Ray Charles on "Spirit in the Dark". Franklin played a Fender Rhodes piano "Eleanor Rigby", "Spirit in the Dark", "Don't Play That Song", "Make it With You" and "Dr. Feelgood". Backing Franklin was King Curtis' band, the Kingpins, featuring Cornell Dupree on guitar, Bernard Purdie on drums, and Jerry Jemmott on bass, Billy Preston on organ, Curtis on saxophone, together with the Memphis Horns. The album reached number one on the Billboard R&B album chart on June 19, 1971.

Background

The recording was made at the Fillmore West concert hall, the storied rock venue in San Francisco, over three nights: March 5, 6 and 7 in 1971. The album opens with Franklin's best-known song, her version of Otis Redding's "Respect". The album features her take on many "hippie" anthems as executive/album producer Jerry Wexler wanted to reach out to the expected hippie audience in San Francisco. Covers include the Bread song "Make It With You", the Stephen Stills song, "Love the One You're With", Diana Ross's "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)", the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" and Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water".

Track listing

Original release

Don't Fight the Feeling: The Complete Aretha Franklin & King Curtis Live at Fillmore West

Rhino Handmade remastered 2005 liner notes: Disc 1 tracks 01 to 19, and Disc 2 tracks 01 to 04 were recorded on March 5, 1971. Disc 2 tracks 05 to 15, and Disc 3 tracks 01 to 08 were recorded on March 6, 1971. Disc 3 tracks 09 to 14, and Disc 4 tracks 01 to 13 were recorded on March 7, 1971.

Personnel

Charts

Certifications