I Say a Little Prayer

Aretha Franklin recorded the song in 1968 at Atlantic Studios in New York City during rehearsals for Aretha Now, with The Sweet Inspirations on background vocals and Atlantic’s regular production team overseeing the session. Released as part of Aretha Now in 1968, the track became one of Franklin’s defining pop-soul singles and a major hit on both the pop and R&B charts. It showcased her ability to transform a contemporary Bacharach-David composition into a gospel-inflected performance. The recording remains one of Franklin’s signature songs and a staple of classic soul radio. It has been widely covered and regularly appears in retrospectives of the greatest pop and soul singles of the 1960s.