45 RPMs 25: Aretha Franklin & Whitney Houston ~ Now A Duet in Heaven

~    

Aretha Franklin

 March 25, 1942

 ~

August 16, 2018

     

      

Aretha Franklin & Whitney Houston

It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be

45 rpm sleeve cover
illustration by Bob Gleason

photo of sleeve cover by Styrous®

     
          

     

Aretha Franklin died today of pancreatic cancer; I couldn't believe it! She was 76 years old. As with all the great people I have loved, it seemed she would go on forever. Well, she will in my heart.      

It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be is a duet recorded between Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston, and appeared on Franklin's 1989 album Through the Storm. It was released as a single in June of that year. It peaked at #41 on the Billboard Hot 100.  

In 2009, she sang, My Country Tis Of Thee, at the inauguration of Barack Obama, the 44th and 1st African American president (links below).   

    

Aretha Franklin & Whitney Houston

It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be

45 rpm sleeve back cover
illustration by Bob Gleason
photo of sleeve cover by Styrous®

   
        

Personnel:

• Walter Afanasieff – co-producer, keyboards, synth bass, drum programming
• Kitty Beethoven – backing vocals
• Lincoln Clapp – engineer
• Marlene Cohen – art direction
• Aretha Franklin – lead vocals, vocal engineer
• David Frazer – engineer, mixing engineer
• Dana Jon Chappelle - additional engineer
• Whitney Houston – lead vocals
• Melisa Kary – backing vocals
• Ren Klyce – Fairlight CMI programming
• Peter Max – front & back cover art
• Norman Parkinson – photography
• Narada Michael Walden – producer, arrangements

    

Aretha Franklin & Whitney Houston

It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be

45 rpm record

photo by Styrous®

    

    
    

Viewfinder link:      

        

Aretha Franklin articles/mentions      
Barack & Michelle Obama        

            

Net links:      

        

Aretha Franklin site
BBC obit      
NPR obit        
The New Yorker ~ Soul Survivor        
NY Times ~ Aretha Franklin Had Power. Did We Truly Respect It?
The Washington Post ~ Relive 7 iconic Aretha Franklin performances 
          

YouTube links:      

        

It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be 
Barack Obama Inauguration - Jan 20, 2009 ~ 
          My Country Tis Of Thee          

          

  
   
     

Aretha Franklin

Obama Inauguration performance 

Tuesday, January 20, 2009 

photo: REX/Shutterstock

 
Styrous® ~ Thursday, August 16, 2018   

           

~ 

45 RPMs Archive
MAIN MENU - Blog Articles
~