TOM WILLS PRODUCTIONS: Aretha Franklin for the Realists

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Aretha Franklin for the Realists

"Aretha 1960" by Tom Wills, June 2011, 3' x 4'
SOLD!

“I sing to the realists; people who accept it like it is.”

It dawned on me that, of all the musicians I had drawn, not one was a woman. And I do love Aretha Franklin and played through some 20 vinyl LPs as I drew this. I think young Aretha is beautiful.

I wondered, as these discs spun: Who the hell is playing that piano? Great piano ...

“Aretha Franklin accompanies herself on piano on all selections … “ so state the notes on most of her classic Atlantic records. Her piano playing is as soulful as her voice.

She sings and swings.
Now you know.

Aretha on wax.

Rolling with her at various times are Duane Allman, Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Cornell Dupree, Spooner Oldham, Bobby Womack, King Curtis, Joe South, Joe Zawinul, Ron Carter, Keith Richards, Narada Michael Walden, Billy Preston, Ray Charles, Donny Hathaway, Eric Gale, Dr. John, James Cleveland, Curtis Mayfield and … on and on.

Rolling with Aretha

In the production booth, for nearly all of these classics: Arif Mardin, Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd. They had hit upon a formula that didn't sound contrived. It was natural as a conversation, with sonic punctuation.

Aretha emerges.

The hair is a composite from three separate photos.

Unfinished, after a night drawing the microphone.

It is Soul. Gospel. Rock. Detroit music. The Queen.

Variations of Atlantic Records labels.

Surprisingly all of the Atlantic LPs from Aretha here at Recorded Works Limited are stereo, even the old brown-pink and blue-green labels. Some are worn and noisy. Clearly someone before me wore down those grooves and loved them.

There are many “Arethas” that I do not have, and I keep watch for them. Either they are too worn or people do not want to part with them.

It has to be subtle.

Drawing a black woman is tough. First, you don't want her to look white, so there's a lot of shading involved. Second, you can't shade her to the point where she looks bruised. It has to be subtle. I ran into this same difficulty in drawing Miles Davis last year. He turned out a little light, when in fact he was very dark. I think I did better with Aretha.

“I'm a big woman. I need big hair.”

Well, her voice has always been big. And this drawing recalls Aretha as I hope to remember her. “Young, Gifted & Black.” (Atlantic SD 7213) She sang it first.