Aretha Franklin sings Bridge Over Troubled Water

Music appearing in this episode:Simon & Garfunkel - "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (1970)JS Bach - St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 - O Haupt Voll Blut Und Wunden (1727)Paul Simon - "American Tune" (1973)The Swan Silvertones - "Oh Mary Don't You Weep" (1959)Paul Simon - "Loves Me Like a Rock" (1973)Aretha Franklin - "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (Live at Fillmore West, San Francisco, February 5, 1971)There's video of this performance too, though the sound isn’t very good.Aretha Franklin - "Mary, Don't You Weep" (Live at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church, Los Angeles, January 14, 1972)I include excerpts of Paul Simon's appearance on the Dick Cavett Show on April 9, 1970.Read more analysis of Aretha's recording and see a notated transcription here.Read more about Paul Simon's love of that Bach chorale.I quote from Kate Heidemann's doctoral dissertation, Hearing Women’s Voices in Popular Song: Analyzing Sound and Identity in Country and Soul.I also quote from Daphne Brooks' NPR article "Aretha's Bridge."Eric Lott's book Love and Theft: Blackface Minstrelsy and the American Working Class is a tough and necessary read. Get full access to Ethan teaches you music at ethanhein.substack.com/subscribe