Rock Steady (Aretha Franklin song)

"Rock Steady"
One of Side-A labels of US vinyl single
Single by Aretha Franklin
from the album Young, Gifted and Black
A-side	"Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby)"
Released	February 15, 1971 (Criteria - Master #21312) October 11, 1971 (Atlantic #2838)
Recorded	unedited, undubbed master w/o horns at Criteria in Miami different edit / mix at Atlantic in Manhattan
Genre	Funk
Length	3:15
Label	Atlantic
Songwriter(s)	Aretha Franklin
Producer(s)	Tom Dowd, Arif Mardin, Jerry Wexler
Aretha Franklin singles chronology
"Spanish Harlem" (1971) "Rock Steady" (1971) "Day Dreaming" (1972)

"Rock Steady" is a song written and performed by Aretha Franklin and released in 1971, from the album Young, Gifted and Black. The single reached the #9 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 charts that same year. It also peaked at #2 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart. The original A-side, a rendition of the song "Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby)", peaked at #73 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart.

Personnel

• Aretha Franklin – lead vocals, piano
• Donny Hathaway – electric piano, organ
• Bernard Purdie – drums
• Cornell Dupree – guitar
• Richard Tee – organ
• Chuck Rainey – bass guitar
• The Sweethearts of Soul (Brenda Bryant, Margaret Branch, Pat Smith) — backing vocals
• Robert Popwell, Dr. John – percussion
• The Memphis Horns
  • Wayne Jackson – trumpet
  • Andrew Love – tenor saxophone
• Gene Paul – engineer
• Jerry Wexler – production
• Tom Dowd – horn arrangement, production
• Arif Mardin – production

Chart positions

Charts	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	9
U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles	2

Cover versions

• The first known cover of the song was in 1972 by Sweet Salvation who recorded a whip-snapping cover for their sole eponymous album.
• The Jackson Sisters recorded a cover of the song in 1976 for their eponymous album.
• In 1987, a house version of the song was recorded by singer Dalis and released on Trax Records.
• Patti Austin covered the song on her 1994 album That Secret Place.
• Prince released a version on his 2007 live album, Indigo Nights. The song features Beverley Knight.
• In 2008 the song was sampled by Japanese R&B singer Namie Amuro in her own song, "Rock Steady".
• Richard Elliot also covered this song as an instrumental in 2010 off his album, which was also titled Rock Steady. Aretha's vocals were replaced by Rich's saxophone.
• Dawn Robinson of the group En Vogue did a solo cover of the song on 1998's Dr. Dolittle soundtrack.
• The song is used as a diegetic track in Driver: San Francisco.
• Rap group People Under the Stairs mention the song in their song "The Next Step II".
• Daryl Hall and John Oates covered the song on their 2004 album Our Kind of Soul.
• Regina Love covered the song in The Voice (U.S. season 9).
• In 2012, Christine Anu covered the song on her album, Rewind: The Aretha Franklin Songbook.
• Rap duo EPMD sampled the beat and Franklin's lyrics (more pronounced on the remix) for their 1989 single "I'm Housin" from their debut LP Strictly Business.
• Spanish rock rap band Def Con Dos sampled the horn section of the song's chorus on their song "Promiscuidad".

Usage in media

This song was used in the 2017 American comedy-drama film The Upside.

External links

• Jisi, Chris. "Aretha Franklin's "Rock Steady"". Bass Player. New Bay Media. Archived from the original on 2010-08-09. – session details
• Template:MetroLyrics song