“Respect” had a lot of covers since Aretha Franklin released the song as a single in 1967. Franklin's cover became a sort of a hymn for the feminist movement and is considered by many to be one of the best songs of the R&B era. The song earned Aretha her two Grammy Awards in 1968 for "Best Rhythm & Blues Recording" and "Best Rhythm & Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female." The version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1987. In 2002, the Library of Congress honored Franklin's version by adding it to the National Recording Registry, while Rolling Stone magazine placed it at number five on its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
But how many of you know that “Respect” was written and originally released by Otis Redding in 1965? The song was included on Redding's third studio album, Otis Blue (1965). The album became widely successful, even outside of his largely R&B and blues fan base. When released in the summer of 1965, the song reached the top five on Billboard's Black Singles Chart and crossed over to pop radio's white audience, peaking at number thirty-five there.
The music in the two versions is significantly different, and through a few minor changes in the lyrics, the stories told by the songs have a different flavor. Redding's version is a plea from a desperate man, who will give his woman anything she wants. He won't care if she does him wrong, as long as he gets his due respect when he comes home. However, Franklin's version is a declaration from a strong, confident woman, who knows that she has everything her man wants. She never does him wrong, and demands his "respect". Franklin's version adds the "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" chorus and the backup singers' refrain of "Sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me."
Personally, I like Redding’s original better. Maybe it’s because Franklin’s version saw so much airplay, that it kind of got dull during the time for me. However, both variants are superb, coming out from two great musical legends. Enjoy!
COVERLAND VOL.1: EASY COVERLAND VOL.2: HUSH COVERLAND VOL.3: NOTHING COMPARES 2 U COVERLAND VOL.4: HARD TO HANDLE COVERLAND VOL.5: GUINNEVERE COVERLAND VOL.6: I SCARE MYSELF COVERLAND VOL. 7: CHINA GIRL COVERLAND VOL.8: LIVE AND LET DIE COVERLAND VOL. 9: PERSONAL JESUS COVERLAND VOL.10: THE JUNGLE LINE COVERLAND VOL.11: THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD COVERLAND VOL.12: ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER COVERLAND VOL.13: LEOPARD-SKIN PILL-BOX HAT COVERLAND VOL.14: JUST GOT PAID COVERLAND VOL.15: DO WAH DIDDY DIDDY COVERLAND VOL.16: LAST KIND WORDS COVERLAND VOL.17: WOODSTOCK COVERLAND VOL.18: JOURNEY IN SATCHIDANANDA COVERLAND VOL.18: HAIR COVERLAND VOL.19: SOS
