Aretha Franklin - Sweet Passion (1977)
Tracklist front / back album covers
Side one
"Break It To Me Gently" (Marvin Hamlisch, Carole Bayer Sager) - 3:21
"When I Think About You" (Aretha Franklin) - 4:46
"What I Did for Love" (Marvin Hamlisch, Edward Kleban) - 5:17
"No One Could Ever Love You More" (Lamont Dozier) - 3:36
"A Tender Touch" (Aretha Franklin) - 3:58
Side two
"Touch Me Up" (Lamont Dozier)- 4:38
"Sunshine Will Never Be The Same" (Lamont Dozier) - 3:36
"Meadows of Springtime" (Aretha Franklin) - 5:26
"Mumbles / I've Got the Music in Me" (Clark Terry, Aretha Franklin, Bias Boshell) - 3:40
"Sweet Passion" (Aretha Franklin) - 7:12
Aretha Franklin Band Members / Musicians
Aretha Franklin – vocals, keyboards (5, 9, 10)
H.B. Barnum – rhythm arrangements (2, 3, 5, 8-10), horn arrangements (2, 3, 5, 8-10), string arrangements (2, 3, 5, 8, 10), keyboards (5)
Ray Brown – bass guitar (3, 8, 9)
Sonny Burke – keyboards (2, 3, 4, 6, 7)
Joe Clayton – congas (1), percussion (5)
Gary Coleman – percussion (2, 4, 6, 7, 10)
Ronald Coleman – keyboards (2, 4, 6, 7)
Lamont Dozier – rhythm arrangements (4, 7)
Scott Edwards – bass guitar (2, 4, 6, 7, 10)
James Gadson – drums (2, 4, 6, 7, 10)
McKinley Jackson – rhythm arrangements (4, 6, 7), horn arrangements (6)
Harold Mason – drums (1, 3, 5, 8, 9)
Craig McMillian – guitar (3, 8, 9)
Mike Morgan – guitar (3, 8, 9)
Gene Page – horn and string arrangements (4, 7)
David Paich – keyboards (1)
Ray Parker Jr. – guitar (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10)
Chuck Rainey – bass guitar (1, 5)
Lee Ritenour – guitar (1, 4-6, 10)
Sylvester Rivers – keyboards (1, 3, 8, 9)
Bob Zimmitti – percussion (3, 8, 9)
Producers – Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer-Sager (Track 1); Lamont Dozier and Aretha Franklin (Tracks 2-10)
Co-Producers on Track 1 – David Paich and Marty Paich
Engineers – Frank Kemjar (Tracks 1, 5 & 10); Reginald Dozier (Tracks 2, 4, 6-8); Barney Perkins (3, 6 & 9)
Mixing – Reginald Dozier (Tracks 2-10); Barney Perkins (Track 6)
Recorded and Mixed at ABC Recording Studios (Los Angeles, CA) and Whitney Recording Studios (Glendale, CA)
Track 1 mixed at Studio 55 (Los Angeles, CA)
Mastered by Dennis King at Atlantic Studios (New York, NY)
Art Direction – Bob Defrin
Photography – David Alexander
Sweet Passion is the 23rd studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin. It was released on May 19, 1977, by Atlantic Records. Following Franklin's Gold-certified 1976 soundtrack album, Sparkle, she paired up with Motown producer Lamont Dozier to produce Sweet Passion. It was, however, a commercial and critical failure.
The album's lead single, "Break It To Me Gently", topped the Billboard R&B chart but peaked at #85 on the Hot 100 and dropped off the chart after two weeks.
