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(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman

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"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"
Side A of the US single
Single by Aretha Franklin
from the album Lady Soul
B-side"Baby, Baby, Baby"
ReleasedSeptember 1967
Recorded1967
StudioAmerican Sound Studio, Memphis, Tennessee
GenreSoul
Length2:45
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Jerry Wexler
Aretha Franklin singles chronology
"Baby I Love You"
(1967) 		"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"
(1967) 		"Chain of Fools"
(1967)
Lyric video
"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" on YouTube

"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" is a 1967 single released by American soul singer Aretha Franklin on the Atlantic label. The words were written by Gerry Goffin from an idea by Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler, and the music was composed by Carole King. Written for Franklin, the record was a big hit reaching number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became one of her signature songs. It made history in the UK singles chart a week after her death, finally becoming a hit almost 51 years after it was first released entering at #79. Franklin also included a live recording on the album Aretha in Paris in 1968.

Carole King herself recorded the song for her 1971 album Tapestry. The numerous cover versions of the song include recordings by Mary J. Blige and Celine Dion, both of which charted in the same year (1995). At the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors, Aretha Franklin performed the song to honor award-recipient Carole King.[1][2][3]

Original recording

Written by the partnership of Gerry Goffin and Carole King, the song was inspired by Atlantic Records co-owner and producer Jerry Wexler. As recounted in his autobiography, Wexler, a student of African-American musical culture, had been mulling over the concept of the "natural man", when he drove by King on the streets of New York. He shouted out to her that he wanted a "natural woman" song for Aretha Franklin's next album. Goffin and King went home and wrote the song that night.[4] In thanks, they granted Wexler a co-writing credit.

Cash Box said that "from the vocal standpoint, the side is unmatched; and in the ork and production departments, excellent work add up to a shattering performance" and that the song builds to "new emotional peaks" from a "shattering" beginning.[5]

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1967) Peak
position
Australia 36
Canada RPM 11
US Billboard Hot 100[6] 8
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[7] 2
U.S. Cash Box Top 100 12
Chart (1993) Peak
position
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8] 32
Chart (2018) Peak
position
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[9] 12
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[10] 69
UK Singles (OCC)[11] 79

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[12] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Mary J. Blige version

American singer Mary J. Blige recorded a cover version of "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" for the New York Undercover TV series soundtrack, which was released on September 19, 1995. Her version was produced by James Mtume and it reached number 23 in the United Kingdom and number 95 in the United States. It was later added to the international versions of her 1994 album, My Life. The music video was directed by Brett Ratner.

Track listing and formats

  • US CD single
  1. "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" – 2:56
  2. "You Bring Me Joy" (E-Smoove's soul mix) – 5:22
  • UK CD maxi-single
  1. "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" – 2:57
  2. "Be Happy" (Puffy remix) – 4:40
  3. "Mary's Joint" (Puffy remix) – 3:27
  4. "Changes I've Been Going Through" (Teddy Riley remix) – 4:30

Charts

Chart (1995–1996) Peak
position
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13] 36
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[14] 46
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[15] 15
Scotland (OCC)[16] 61
UK Singles (OCC)[17] 23
UK Dance (OCC)[18] 7
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[19] 4
US Billboard Hot 100[20] 95
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[21] 39
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[22] 40

Celine Dion version

Canadian singer Celine Dion recorded a cover version of "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" for the tribute album to Carole King, Tapestry Revisited: A Tribute to Carole King, which was released on October 24, 1995. It was produced by David Foster. In March 1996, the song was included on the international editions of Dion's fourteenth studio album, Falling into You. In 2008, it was featured on the US edition of Dion's greatest hits album, My Love: Ultimate Essential Collection. Dion's version was released as a promotional single in selected countries in October 1995. It enjoyed a moderate success on the adult contemporary charts, reaching number four in Canada and number 31 in the United States.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1995–1996) Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[23] 47
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[24] 4
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[25] 31
US Adult Contemporary (Radio & Records)[26] 9

Year-end charts

Chart (1995) Position
US Adult Contemporary (Radio & Records)[27] 94
Chart (1996) Position
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[28] 53
US Adult Contemporary (Radio & Records)[26] 66

VH1 Divas version

On April 14, 1998, Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Shania Twain, Gloria Estefan and Carole King performed the song during the VH1 Divas concert at the Beacon Theatre, New York. The six vocalists were recruited by the cable music network VH1 to raise money for Save the Music, their education charity. Hyped extensively in the press, the event was a ratings winner for VH1 – so successful, in fact, that the network arranged to have the concert released on disc and tape on October 6, 1998. At that time "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (performed by all the divas) was released as a radio single in selected countries. It reached number nine on the airplay chart in Belgium Wallonia on January 5, 1999.[29]

References

  1. ^ Miller, Matt (December 30, 2015). "Aretha Franklin Just Brought the Leader of the Free World to Tears". Esquire. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  2. ^ Hattenstone, Simon (December 30, 2015). "Obama cries as Aretha Franklin proves why she's the queen of soul". the Guardian. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  3. ^ Kreps, Daniel (December 30, 2015). "Watch Aretha Franklin Bring Obama to Tears at Kennedy Center Honors". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  4. ^ Remnick, David "Soul Survivor: The revival and hidden treasure of Aretha Franklin", The New Yorker, April 4, 2016.
  5. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. September 23, 1967. p. 26. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  6. ^ "Aretha Franklin Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  7. ^ "Aretha Franklin Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  8. ^ "Aretha Franklin – (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  9. ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 34, 2018" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  10. ^ "Aretha Franklin – (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  11. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  12. ^ "British single certifications – Aretha Franklin – (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  13. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 8, 1996" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  14. ^ "Mary J Blige – (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  15. ^ "Mary J Blige – (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  16. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  17. ^ "Mary J Blige: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  18. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  19. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  20. ^ "Mary J. Blige Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  21. ^ "Mary J. Blige Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  22. ^ "Mary J. Blige Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  23. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2913." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  24. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 2865." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  25. ^ "Celine Dion Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  26. ^ a b "Songs Reaching the Top 15 1996". Radio & Records. December 13, 1995. p. 71. ProQuest 1017293722.
  27. ^ "Top 95 of 1995". Radio & Records. December 22, 1995. p. 53. ProQuest 1017285440.
  28. ^ "RPM Year End Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks". RPM. 64 (18). December 16, 1996. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  29. ^ Sam Jaspers (2006). Ultratop 1995-2005. Book & Media Publishing. ISBN 90-5720-232-8.
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