Aretha Franklin at a piano, with her stunning vocal power, and nothing else, is pure magic.
This newly released version of the classic "Silent Night" will make your hairs stand on end. This is Aretha in her element.
With only 10 weeks until Christmas, it's a nice time for this song to be back on your radar. Be sure to add it to your Christmas dinner and Chrismas morning playlists.
"Silent Night" is one of the most popular Christmas carols, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011. The song has been recorded by a large number of singers from every music genre including Bing Crosby, Al Green, Sinead O'Connor and Michael Buble which are some of the more popular versions.
We have no doubt this Aretha release will become a staple in households all over the world this Christmas.
"Silent Night" solo piano version is part of a new set, The Queen Of Soul Collection, out on November 23. Also featured on this new compilation is a newly produced duet with Beverley Knight.
The first disc of the collection is dedicated to the songs that made Aretha a global household name, including six #1 R&B hits: "I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)", "Baby I Love You", "Chain Of Fools", "Think", "Don’t Play That Song" and "Respect", which also topped the pop chart on its way to becoming her signature song. The song selection also highlights Aretha’s uncanny ability to make other artists’ songs her own with covers of "The Weight", "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "I Say A Little Prayer".
Two songs from her 2008 album This Christmas close out the first disc, including "Christmas Ain’t Christmas (Without The One You Love)".
The second disc includes all 14 songs from A Brand New Me: Aretha Franklin With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, an album released last year that paired classic vocals tracks from some of Aretha’s best-known songs with new arrangements performed by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The songs retain their original soul as the orchestral backing casts them in an entirely new light. The disc ends with a newly produced orchestral version of "Think" that has been reimagined as a duet with British singer Beverley Knight, weaving Franklin’s classic vocals with new recording by Knight.
Read more: I Like: Aretha Franklin
