Love All The Hurt Away [Expanded Edition]

Personnel: Aretha Franklin (vocals, piano); George Benson (vocals); Rev. James Cleveland (conductor); David Williams (guitar, bass); Steve Lukather, Buzzy Feiten (guitar); Phil Ayling (recorder); Eddie Daniels (alto saxophone); Jerry Hey, Larry Williams, Jim Horn, Ronnie Cuber, Seldon Powell, Jon Faddis, Urban Green (horns); Greg Phillinganes (acoustic & electric pianos, keyboards, synthesizer, mini Moog); David Foster (electric piano, synthesizer); David Paich (electric piano); Robbie Buchanan (mini Moog); Marcus Miller, Louis Johnson, Abe Laboriel (bass); Jeff Porcaro (drums); Paulinho Da Costa (percussion); Steve Ferrone (tambourine); Marcy Levy, Mark Stevens, Jo Ann Harris, Cissy Houston, Darlene Love, Margaret Branch, Linda Lawrence (background vocals).
Producers: Arif Mardin, Aretha Franklin.
Reissue producer: Nedra Olds-Neal.
Recorded at Cherokee Studios, Wally Heider Studios & Sunset Sound, Los Angeles, California; Atlantic Studios, New York, New York. Includes liner notes by Arif Mardin.
Personnel: William Slapin, Gary Herbig, Gary Grand, Jerry Hey, Jim Horn, Jon Faddis, Urban Green, Larry Williams , Ronnie Cuber, Seldon Powell, Joe Shepley, William Frank "Bill" Reichenbach Jr. (horns).
Audio Remixer: Lew Hahn.
Liner Note Authors: Christian John Wikane; Arif Mardin.
Recording information: Atlantic Studios, New York, NY; Cherokee Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Sunset Sound, Los Angeles, CA; Wally Heider Studios.
Photographer: George Hurrell.
After making the leap to Arista Records at the dawn of the '80s, Aretha Franklin united with legendary producer/arranger Arif Mardin for LOVE ALL THE HURT AWAY. The result was a star-studded affair that found Lady Soul combining slick '80s R&B with more of an adult contemporary sound. Her cover of Sam & Dave's "Hold On I'm Comin'" updates this classic with background vocals by the Sweet Inspirations and Darlene Love as a mechanized horn section blares away. Likewise for Jagger/Richard's "You Can't Always Get What You Want," where a choir led by the legendary Reverend James Cleveland helps make this a bouncy and surreal remake.
When Franklin slows the tempo down, her impressive pipes remind us why she is the Queen Of Soul. George Benson's honey-sweet singing makes an effective foil during his duet on the title track and on "It's My Turn," Franklin's vocals cascade over a bed of lighter-than-air strings before some trademark call-and-response with her background vocalists. Equally impressive are the Franklin-penned "Whole Lot Of Me" and "Kind Of Man" which close out the album on a winning note.