2003 Aretha Franklin – So Damn Happy
So Damn Happy is the thirty-fifth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin. Her first studio album in five years, it included the Grammy Award-winning track “Wonderful”, the single co written and produced by G SYIER Hawkins Brown, and Ron “Amen-Ra” Lawrence, his very first project with the Queen of Soul was a grand slam. The album peaked at number 33 on US Billboard 200 and number 11 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, while reaching the top thirty of the Italian Albums Chart. Shortly after its release, Franklin left Arista after a stay of 23 years. She later announced plans to start her own Detroit-based record label, Aretha Records.
Tracks
1 The Only Thing Missin’ (Gordon Chambers; Myiia Davis; Rick Williams; Troy Taylor) 03:07
2 Wonderful (Aleese Simmons; Katrina Willis; Philip White; Ron Lawrence) 04:04
3 Holdin’ On (Bruce Miller; Earl Klugh; Mary J Blige; Troy Taylor) 04:36
4 No Matter What (Bruce Miller; Mary J Blige; Troy Taylor) 04:33
5 Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool (James Wright; James Harris; Terry Lewis) 04:36
6 So Damn Happy (Aretha Franklin; Adi Yeshaya) 04:28
7 You Are My Joy (Aretha Franklin; Adi Yeshaya) 02:33
8 Falling Out Of Love (Burt Bacharach; Jed Leiber; Jerry Leiber) 04:31
9 Ain’t No Way (Barry Eastmond; Gordon Chambers) 04:37
10 Good News (Norman West) 04:54
11 You Are My Joy (Reprise) (Aretha Franklin) 02:34
Biography
Musicians
1 The Only Thing Missin’
| Bass | Troy Taylor |
| Drums | Troy Taylor |
| Guitar | Rick Williams |
| Keyboards | Troy Taylor |
| Background Vocals | Gordon Chambers |
| Background Vocals | Myiia Davis |
| Vocals | Aretha Franklin |
2 Wonderful
| All Instruments | Ron Lawrence |
| Background Vocals | Sara Devine |
| Vocals | Aretha Franklin |
3 Holdin’ On
| All Instruments | Troy Taylor |
| Background Vocals | Mary J Blige |
| Vocals | Aretha Franklin |
4 No Matter What
| All Instruments | Troy Taylor |
| Background Vocals | Mary J Blige |
| Vocals | Aretha Franklin |
5 Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool
| Drums (programming) | Iz Avila |
| Guitar | Bobby Ross Avila |
| Keyboards | James Wright |
| Keyboards | Bobby Ross Avila |
| Background Vocals | Brenda Corbett |
| Background Vocals | Sandra Feva |
| Background Vocals | Shelly Ponder |
| Vocals | Aretha Franklin |
6 So Damn Happy
| Bass | Ralphe Armstrong |
| Drums | Nate Neblett |
| Guitar | Perry Hughes |
| Keyboards | Adi Yeshaya |
| Piano | Aretha Franklin |
| French Horn | Roger Wendt |
| French Horn | Sharon Moe |
| Trombone | Birch Johnson |
| Trombone | George Flynn |
| Trombone | Keith O’Quin |
| Trumpet | Lew Soloff |
| Trumpet | Randy Brecker |
| Trumpet | Tony Kadleck |
| Background Vocals | Brenda Corbett |
| Background Vocals | Millie Scott |
| Background Vocals | Sandra Feva |
| Background Vocals | Shelly Ponder |
| Vocals | Aretha Franklin |
7 You Are My Joy
| Bass | Ralphe Armstrong |
| Drums | Nate Neblett |
| Guitar | Perry Hughes |
| Fender Rhodes | Vernon Fails |
| Keyboards | Adi Yeshaya |
| Piano | Aretha Franklin |
| Background Vocals | Brenda Corbett |
| Background Vocals | Millie Scott |
| Background Vocals | Sandra Feva |
| Background Vocals | Shelly Ponder |
| Vocals | Aretha Franklin |
8 Falling Out Of Love
| Bass | Neil Stubenhaus |
| Drums | Ricky Lawson |
| Guitar | Michael Thompson |
| Keyboards | Greg Phillinganes |
| Strings (Synthesizer) | David Foster |
| Harmonica | Tommy Morgan |
| Percussion | Paulinho Da Costa |
| Vocals | Aretha Franklin |
9 Ain’t No Way
| Drum Programming | William “Prez” Bush |
| Keyboards | Barry J Eastmond |
| Keyboards | William “Prez” Bush |
| Percussion | Paulinho Da Costa |
| Handclaps | Barry Eastmond |
| Handclaps | Dolly Eastmond |
| Handclaps | Melodie Eastmond |
| Backing Vocals | Cindy Mizelle |
| Backing Vocals | Gordon Chambers |
| Vocals | Aretha Franklin |
10 Good News
| Drums (programming) | William Bush |
| Keyboards | Barry Eastmond |
| Keyboards | William Bush |
| Percussion | Paulinho Da Costa |
| Background Vocals | Cindy Mizelle |
| Background Vocals | Gordon Chambers |
| Vocals | Aretha Franklin |
Other Musicians
Cello – Jesse Levy (Tracks 6, 7)
Cello – Eugene Moye, Kermit Moore, Leo Grinhauz (Track 6)
Harp – Gloria Agostini (Track 6)
Viola – Olivia Koppell (Tracks 6, 7)
Viola – Alfred Brown, Kenneth Burward-Hoy, Margaret Hjaltested (Track 6)
Violin – Gerald Tarack, Tony Posk (Tracks 6, 7)
Violin – Regis Iandiorio, Winterton Garvey (Track 7)
Violin – Alexander Vselensky, Andy Stein, Belinda Whitney, Byung Kwak, Cenovia Cummins, Israel Chorberg, Pamela Posk, Robert Chausow, Sheila Reinhold, Tony Posk (Track 6)
Liner Notes
Producer – Troy Taylor (Tracks 1, 3, 4)
Producer – Ron Lawrence (Track 2)
Producer – James Wright, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis (Track 5)
Producer – Aretha Franklin (Tracks 6, 11)
Producer – Burt Bacharach (Track 8)
Producer – Gordon Chambers, Barry Eastmond (Track 9)
Producer – Norman West (Track 10)
Producer (Executive)- LA Reid
Arranged By – William Bush, Barry Eastmond (Track 9)
Arranged By (Background Vocals) – Gordon Chambers (Track 9)
Arranged By (Rhythm, String) – Burt Bacharach (Track 8)
Arranged By (Strings, Horns) – Adi Yeshaya, Mike Baker (Track 6)
Arranged By (Vocals) – Troy Taylor, Gordon Chambers, Myii Davis (Track 1)
Arranged By (Vocals) – Mary J Blige (Tracks 3, 4)
Conductor – Adi Yeshaya (Track 6)
Contractor (Orchestra) – Jesse Levy (Track 6)
Coordinator – JoAnn Tominaga (Track 8)
Engineer (Assistant) – Rob Shelby (Tracks 6, 7, 10, 11)
Engineer (Pro Tools) – David Chase, Eric Ferguson (Track 8)
Mastered By – Tom Coyne
Mixed By – Jean-Marie Horvat (Tracks 1, 3, 4)
Mixed By – Prince Charles Alexander (Tracks 2, 9)
Mixed By – Neal Pogue (Tracks 5)
Mixed By – Aretha Franklin (Tracks 6, 7, 11)
Mixed By – Allen Sides (Tracks 8)
Mixed By – Michael J Powell, Norman West (Tracks 10)
Mixed By (Assistant) – Pablo Arraya (Tracks 1)
Mixed By (Assistant) – Jeff Robinette (Tracks 5)
Mixed By (Assistant) – Keith Slattery (Tracks 9)
Recorded By – Rowie Nameri (Tracks 1, 3, 4)
Recorded By – Steve Pageot, Ron Lawrence (Tracks 2)
Recorded By – Jon Nettlesbey (Tracks 5)
Recorded By – Carl Robinson (Tracks 6, 7, 11)
Recorded By – Allen Sides (Tracks 8)
Recorded By – Barry J Eastmond, Louis Alfred (Tracks 9)
Recorded By – Michael J Powell, Norman West (Tracks 10)
Art Direction, Design – Richard Thomas Jennings
Photography – Kwaku Alston
Mastered At Sterling Sound
Phonographic Copyright Arista Records Inc
Copyright Arista Records Inc