Once again, we find ourselves in my favorite year of music: 1972. This album is among my all-time favorites and often finds its way onto my turntable.
The song featured here is a masterpiece of songwriting by the great Paul McCartney of The Beatles (though it’s credited as Lennon-McCartney). Originally released on their 1970 album Let It Be, Paul wrote the song in 1968 while staying at his property in Scotland, High Park Farm. He envisioned it as a piece for someone like Ray Charles, even incorporating chords that mimicked Ray’s style. Ray Charles eventually covered the song in 1971 on his album Volcanic Action of My Soul.
This version, however, is by the legendary Aretha Franklin, from her album Young, Gifted and Black. In my opinion, this is Aretha’s finest album—every track is a standout. She was supported by an incredible lineup of musicians on this specific track:
- Piano/Vocals: Aretha Franklin
- Guitar: Cornell Dupree
- Organ: Billy Preston
- Bass: Chuck Rainey
- Drums: Ray Lucas
- Background Vocals: Carolyn Franklin, Erma Franklin (Aretha’s sisters), and Margaret Branch
Other incredible musicians, such as Donny Hathaway, Eric Gale, and Bernard Purdie, also contributed their talents to other tracks on this album.
Fun Fact: Billy Preston played on both this version and the original Beatles recording!
I hope you enjoy this fantastic cover by the great Aretha Franklin!
Song: “The Long and Winding Road”
Artist: Aretha Franklin
Album: Young, Gifted and Black
Year: 1972
The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear
I’ve seen that road before
It always leads me here
Lead me to you door
The wild and windy night
That the rain washed away
Has left a pool of tears
Crying for the day
Why leave me standing here?
Let me know the way
Many times I’ve been alone
And many times I’ve cried
Anyway, you’ll never know
The many ways I’ve tried
And still they lead me back
To the long winding road
You left me standing here
A long, long time ago
Don’t leave me waiting here
Lead me to your door
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My name is Michael Sanchez and I’m an avid record collector and obscure song searcher. My goal is to post (hopefully) one song a day that’s been on my stereo/turntable frequently. If you don’t like the song… too bad 🙂 You can just wait for the next one. All the info I find is from wikipedia/youtube/interviews/news articles/personal stories I’ve heard/random googling. Sorry if there are any mistakes.
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