“(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” is one of the greatest ballads of all time. Aretha Franklin’s singular voice hits you straight in the heart in this one while she sings about a life-changing love.
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Franklin released her version of the track in 1967. It has since become one of those tunes that are standard across pop divadom as a whole. Celine Dion has a version. Ariana Grande has tried it on a few times. Anyone who wishes to showcase their vocal chops will take on this Franklin classic – a barometer for some of the greatest voices of our time.
Though Franklin’s version is undoubtedly the most recognizable, the Queen of Soul did not pen the song herself. Find out who wrote “Natural Woman” below.
Who Wrote “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman?”
“Natural Woman” was co-written by Carole King and then-husband Gerry Goffin for Franklin specifically. The pursuit was originally inspired by producer Jerry Wexler.
After making a long night of a writing session, the duo managed to carve out a song filled with so much love and devotion, that Franklin’s version rose to No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1967. The song was such a critical point in King’s career, that it went on to provide the name for her memoir, A Natural Woman, in 2012.
King released her own version of the song in 1971 for her album, Tapestry. Largely considered the pre-eminent album of her career, Tapestry‘s success was bolstered by King’s rendition of “Natural Woman.”
King started her songwriting career around 1958 when she was one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway. Her career began to see an uptick in the ’60s when she and Goffin started writing as a duo. The pair wrote more than two dozen chart hits, many of which have become standards. Throughout her career, King has played a hand in 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
King’s debut album, Writer, only saw middling success. The follow-up, Tapestry, has been certified 14x Platinum by the RIAA and sold an estimated 30 million copies worldwide – making it one of the most successful albums of all time.
King has enjoyed a decades-long career. In the early ’00s, she received a rebirth of sorts with a version of her song “Where You Lead” – the theme song for Gilmore Girls.
On top of her songwriting, King has landed several acting roles including a guest spot on Gilmore Girls, Really Rosie and a TV special based on the works of Maurice Sendak.
Her latest release was the accompanying album for her documentary, Home Again. The recordings were captured at a show in Central Park in May of 1973. The album features live renditions of some of King’s biggest hits including “It’s Too Late,” “You’ve Got a Friend” and “Beautiful.”
Photo: Atlantic Records
