Personnel: Aretha Franklin (vocals, piano), Jimmy Johnson (acoustic & electric guitars), Joe South (electric guitar), Spooner Oldham (acoustic & electric piano, organ, vibraphone), Truman Thomas (organ), Ted Somers (vibraphone), Tommy Cogbill (bass), Roger Hawkins (drums), Carolyn Franklin, Erma Franklin, The Sweet Inspirations (background vocals).

Horns: King Curtis, Charlie Chalmers (tenor saxophones), Willie Bridges (baritone saxophone), Melvin Lastie (trumpet), Tony Studd (bass trombone).

Recorded at Atlantic Studios, New York on June 20-23, 1967. Originally released on Atlantic (8150). Includes liner notes by David Nathan.

Digitally remastered by Bill Inglot and Dan Hersch (DigiPrep).

This is part of Rhino Record's "Atlantic Remasters" series.

ARETHA ARRIVES followed up Aretha Franklin's smash Atlantic debut, I NEVER LOVED A MAN THE WAY I LOVE YOU, and features a similar cast of Muscle Shoals musicians, with whom she had an unmistakable chemistry. Recorded in three days with producer Jerry Wexler, ARETHA ARRIVES features an eclectic cross-section of covers, putting the Queen of Soul's spin on songs by the likes of ? & the Mysterians, the Rolling Stones, Ray Price and Frank Sinatra. Almost as impressive as her pure, gospel-flavored vocals was Franklin's piano, which she played, despite a broken elbow, on seven of 11 tracks.

Entertainment Weekly (9/17/93, p.88) - "...from [1967] comes this seminal, oft soul-shaking album....25-year-old Franklin is such a commanding presence on 'That's Life' and 'I Wonder,' it's obvious that an extraordinary talent has arrived on the scene..." - Rating: B

Q (11/93, p.144) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...[ARETHA ARRIVES] has all the classic ingredients..."