Young, Gifted and Black

For the song, see To Be Young, Gifted and Black.

Young, Gifted and Black
Studio album by Aretha Franklin
Released	January 24, 1972
Recorded	August 1970 – February 1971
Genre	R&B, Soul
Length	44:46
Label	Atlantic (#7213), Rhino
Producer	Tom Dowd, Arif Mardin, Jerry Wexler
Aretha Franklin chronology
Aretha's Greatest Hits (1971)Aretha's Greatest Hits1971 Young, Gifted and Black (1972) Amazing Grace (1972)Amazing Grace1972
Singles from Young, Gifted and Black
"Border Song (Holy Moses)" Released: 1970 "A Brand New Me" Released: 1971 "Rock Steady"/"Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby)" Released: August 1, 1971 "Young, Gifted and Black" Released: January 18, 1972 "Day Dreaming"/"I've Been Loving You Too Long" Released: February, 1972 "All the King's Horses"/"April Fools" Released: 1972

Young, Gifted and Black is the nineteenth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, Released on January 24, 1972 by Atlantic Records. The album is Top 10 Gold-certified. The album won Aretha a 1972 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance of the year. It takes its title from the Nina Simone song "To Be Young, Gifted and Black." In 2003, the TV network VH1 named it the 76th greatest album of all time.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	link
Robert Christgau	(A) link
Rolling Stone	(favorable) link

Track listing

#	Title	Length
1.	"Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby)" (Jim Doris)	3:42
2.	"Day Dreaming" (Franklin)	4:00
3.	"Rock Steady" (Franklin)	3:15
4.	"Young, Gifted and Black" (Weldon Irvine, Nina Simone)	3:34
5.	"All the King's Horses" (Franklin)	3:56
6.	"A Brand New Me" (Theresa Bell, Jerry Butler, Kenny Gamble)	4:26
7.	"April Fools" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David)	3:29
8.	"I've Been Loving You Too Long" (Jerry Butler, Otis Redding)	3:36
9.	"First Snow in Kokomo" (Franklin)	4:04
10.	"The Long and Winding Road" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney)	3:38
11.	"Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)" (Thom Bell, William Hart)	3:42
12.	"Border Song (Holy Moses)" (Bernie Taupin, Elton John)	3:22

Personnel

• Dr. John - Percussion (Track 3)
• Aretha Franklin - Acoustic Piano (Tracks 1-4, 6, 8-12), Celesta (5), Electric piano (7), Lead Vocals (All Tracks)
• Donny Hathaway - Organ (Tracks 1, 3, 5-6, 8-9), Electric piano (2)
• Billy Preston - Organ (Tracks 4, 10, 12)
• Sammy Turner - Background Vocals (Track 12)
• Hubert Laws - Flute (Tracks 2, 7, 11)
• Chuck Rainey - Bass (Tracks 2-5, 7, 9-12)
• J.R. Bailey - Background Vocals (Track 12)
• Carolyn Franklin - Background Vocals (Tracks 2-3, 5, 8-10)
• Erma Franklin - Background Vocals (Tracks 2-3, 5, 8-10)
• The Memphis Horns - Horn Section (Tracks 3, 8)
• The Sweet Inspirations - Background Vocals (Tracks 1, 4, 6, 12)
• Jack Adams - Additional Recording Engineer
• Howard Albert - Recording Engineer
• Ron Albert - Recording Engineer
• Don Arnone - Acoustic Guitar (Track 2)
• Margaret Branch - Background Vocals (Tracks 2-3, 5, 7-11)
• Ann S. Clark - Background Vocals (Tracks 2-3, 5, 7-9, 11)
• Cornell Dupree - Guitar (Tracks 2-5, 7-12)
• Jimmy Douglass - Additional Recording Engineer
• Tom Dowd - Horn Arranger (Tracks 3, 8), Producer (2-5, 7-12)
• Chuck Kirkpatrick - Recording Engineer
• Eric Gale - Bass (Tracks 1, 6)
• Lewis Hahn - Additional Recording Engineer
• Dan Hersch - Remastering
• Bill Inglot - Remastering
• Wayne Jackson of the Memphis Horns - Trumpet (Tracks 3, 8)
• Andrew Love of the Memphis Horns - Tenor saxophone (Tracks 3, 8)
• Ray Lucas - Drums (Tracks 4, 10, 12)
• Arif Mardin - Arranger, Producer, Remixing (All Tracks)
• Michael Mazzarella - Research
• Hugh McCracken - Guitar (Tracks 1, 6)
• Gene Orloff - Concert Master
• Gene Paul - Recording Engineer
• Gary Peterson - Research
• Robert Popwell - Bass (Track 8), Percussion (3)
• Bernard "Pretty" Purdie - Drums (Tracks 2-3, 5, 7-8, 11)
• Neal Rosengarden - Trumpet (Track 9), Vibraphone (5)
• Pat Smith - Background Vocals (Tracks 2-3, 5, 7-9, 11)
• Jerry Wexler - Producer (All Tracks)
• Ronald Bright - Background Vocals (Track 12)
• Don Cassale - Additional Recording Engineer
• Al Jackson, Jr. - Drums (Tracks 1, 6)
• David Nathan - Liner Notes
• Geoff Gans - Reissue Art Director
• Patrick Milligan - Research
• Stanislaw Zagorski - Cover Design

Chart positions

Chart (1972)	Peak position
Billboard Top LPs	11
Billboard Top Soul LPs	2

Singles

Year	Title	US Pop	US R&B
1970	"Border Song (Holy Moses)"	37	5
1971	"Rock Steady"	9	2
1972	"All the King's Horses"	26	7
1972	"Day Dreaming"	5	1
1972	"Oh Me Oh My (I'm A Fool For You Baby)"	73	9