Natural Woman

Prompted for the idea to do a song about a “natural woman” (in contrast to the term “natural man” used within the African-American musical culture at the time) for Aretha Franklin’s next album, producer Jerry Wexler asked husband-and-wife songwriting team Gerry Goffin and Carole King to write it–and they did in one night.

Written as a gospel-style waltz, the song has inspired numerous covers (including a few “Natural MAN” versions!). Together, we’ll explore the role of both songwriter (King, a performer in her own right) and interpreter (Franklin), and the deep musical traditions within the song that continue to influence music today.  We’ll also learn about what makes this song great, not just as a piece of music sung by an amazing voice, but as a combination of skilled arranging, orchestration, and production.