Date #2: Respect The Maze; Drown In The Corn

By mid-1967, Aretha Franklin had released nine albums and 34 singles. Some were soul covers, most were schmaltzy and Bing Crosby-esque, and one (“Rough Lover”) was specifically about yearning for an abusive boyfriend. Most significantly, only one of those singles cracked the top 40, peaking at #37. Then, Ahmet Ertegun signed her to Atlantic Records, […]