I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You : Aretha Franklin, Respect, and the Making of a Soul Music Masterpiece

The album that earned soul legend Aretha Franklin her first major hits, "I Never Loved A Man the Way I Love You" was a pop and soul music milestone. Apart from its status as a hit record, the album also had a much wider cultural impact. By early 1967, when it was released, the Civil Rights movement was well underway; Aretha's music gave it its theme song. And, the single "Respect" became a passionate call to arms for the burgeoning feminist movement. Dobkin has unearthed a wonderful story of the creation of an album that goes far beyond anything that's been written about The Queen of Soul before. With scores of fresh interviews, including one with the session musicians from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, who recorded with Aretha, "I Never Loved A Man the Wayl Love You" is the story of a great artistic achievement. It's also a biography of a star who is both more complex and determined than her modern image as a diva indicates.