SATURDAY'S SINGLES : ARETHA FRANKLIN and ELTON JOHN

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Good morning gang and welcome to the return of Saturday's Singles, a Birthday edition. First up on our calendar of cake, we celebrate what would have been the  "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin's 81st Birthday. She was born in 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee to parents  to Barbara nd Clarence LaVaughn "C. L." Franklin. Her Mom was a piano player and vocalist, her Father a  Baptist minister and circuit preacher. She passed away August 16, 2018, age 76, from pancreatic cancer.  During the course of her 7 decade career, she charted with 112 singles, including her cover of The Rolling Stones' song, "Jumpin' Jack Flash", which is our first Saturday's Single of the day. The original version was released in 1968 as a non album single and peaked at #3 on the Hot 100. Franklin's version was released October 24, 1986 on the Arista label and came from the 1986 film of the same name, starring Whoopi Goldberg. It wasw produced by Keith Richards, who also plays guitar on the song. It peaked at #58 in the UK, #48 on the Dutch Top 40, #43 in New Zealand, #42 in Germany, #21 on the Hot 100, #20 on the Hot Black Singles chart, #19 in Switzerland, and #14 in Sweden. The track was originally b/w the tune "Integrity" but our copy is a promotional copy on clear vinyl, with the Short Version on one side an the Long Version of the other  side. 

Aretha Franklin – lead vocals, acoustic piano
Steve Jordan – drums
Alan Rogan – guitar
Ortheia Barnes – backing vocals
Margaret Branch – backing vocals
Brenda Corbett – backing vocals
Keith Richards – lead guitar
Ronnie Wood – guitar
Randy Jackson – bass guitar
Chuck Leavell – keyboards

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Our second Birthday wish goes out to Sir Elton Hercules John CH CBE (Reginald Kenneth Dwight), who turns 76 today. Happy Birthday Elton ! To get his party started, we find ourselves spinning his 1976 Uni Records release, "Tiny Dancer". The song, written by Elton and Bernie Taupin was produced by Gus Dudgeon and hails from it's parent album,  Madman Across the Water. It reached #41 on the Hot 100, #35 on the Adult Contemporary charts, #29 on the Cash Box, #20 on the Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary charts, #19 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles survey, and  #13 in Australia. It's B-side is "Razor Face" from the same LP. 

Elton John – acoustic piano, vocals
Caleb Quaye – electric guitar
B. J. Cole – pedal steel guitar
Davey Johnstone – acoustic guitar
David Glover – bass guitar
Roger Pope – drums
Paul Buckmaster – orchestral arrangements and conductor
David Katz – orchestra contractor
Tony Burrows – backing vocals
Nigel Olsson – backing vocals
Roger Cook – backing vocals
Dee Murray – backing vocals
Lesley Duncan – backing vocals
Barry St. John – backing vocals
Terry Steele – backing vocals
Liza Strike – backing vocals
Sue and Sunny – backing vocals

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