La Diva (Aretha Franklin album)

La Diva
Studio album by Aretha Franklin
Released	September, 1979
Recorded	Penny Lane Studios, New York; Record Plant, Los Angeles
Genre	Disco, Rhythm & Blues, Pop
Label	Atlantic (#19248)
Producer	Aretha Franklin, Charles Kipps, Skip Scarborough, Van McCoy
Aretha Franklin chronology
Almighty Fire (1978) La Diva (1979) Aretha (1980)

La Diva is an Aretha Franklin album released in 1979. In an attempt to make a comeback, Franklin decided to record a disco-oriented album with the help of the late Van McCoy. In fact it was McCoy's final work as he died in June of that year. The record was released as disco music was running its course and New Wave rock was becoming the dominant new musical trend.

The album was a commercial failure. It peaked at #146 on Billboard's album chart and sold less than 75,000 copies in the United States. It stands as the lowest charting and poorest selling album of Aretha's entire Atlantic Records catalogue. "Ladies Only" reached #33 on Billboard's R&B Singles Chart and "Half A Love" #65. La Diva marked the end of Aretha's 12-year tenure with Atlantic. This album was recorded at Aretha's vocal peak, and features 3 of her own compositions, as well as a composition by her eldest son Clarence Franklin. Although remembered as Aretha's failed disco lp, "La Diva" also includes substantial funk/ R&B tracks as well: The Emotions "Reasons Why", Zulema's "Half a Love" and scorching versions of Lalome Wahsburn's "It's Gonna Get A Bit Better" and her own "Honey I Need Your Love."

This album was taken out of print in 1982.

Track listing

Side one

1. "Ladies Only" (Aretha Franklin) 5:15
2. "It's Gonna Get a Bit Better" (Lalome Washburn) 5:20
3. "What If I Should Ever Need You" (Charles H. Kipps) 3:32
4. "Honey I Need Your Love" (Aretha Franklin) 2:45
5. "I Was Made for You" (Clarence Franklin) 4:03

Side two

1. "Only Star" (Aretha Franklin) 5:04
2. "Reasons Why" (Skip Scarborough, Wanda Hutchinson, Wayne Vaughan) 3:55
3. "You Brought Me Back to Life" (Van McCoy) 4:24
4. "Half a Love" (Zulema Cusseaux) 5:25
5. "The Feeling" (Van McCoy) 4:45

Personnel

• Aretha Franklin - Vocals, Piano, Background Vocals
• Van McCoy - Producer, Song writer, Keyboards, Background Vocals
• Destry - Background Vocals
• Zulema Cusseaux - Songwriter, Background Vocals
• Albert Bailey - Background Vocals
• Brenda Hilliard - Background Vocals
• Jerome Jackson - Background Vocals
• Richard Harris - Background Vocals
• Pete Marshall - Background Vocals
• Carolyn Franklin - Background Vocals
• Sharon Brown - Background Vocals
• Pat Williamson - Background Vocals
• Cornell Dupree - Guitar
• Jack Cavari - Guitar
• Tom Hanlon - Guitar
• Richard Tee - Keyboards
• Ken Ascher - Keyboards
• Paul Griffin - Keyboards
• Gordon Edwards - Bass
• Brian Aslop - Bass
• Chris Parker - Drums
• Errol "Crusher" Bennett - Percussion
• George Devens - Percussion
• Ken Bichel - Synthesizer
• Gene Orloff - Conductor