I don’t recall ever hearing Aretha Franklin’s version of “I Say a Little prayer for You” when it first came out. I was familiar with the famous Dionne Warwick’s version and, perhaps, because I have always associated the song with Warwick and it was the more well known version, there was no reason to investigate any other singers’ takes on the classic song.

For what ever reason, I just recently stumbled on Aretha Franklin’s version of “I Say a Little Prayer for You” and it is like listening to another song. Warwick’s excellent version is more polished and ethereal while Franklin’s is raw and passionate. Warwick is letting the man know she thinks about him. It is more of a seduction than a declaration of love whereas Franklin is confessing to passionate love.

Franklin’s musical arrangement is clever too. There is a point where she winds the song down so far that you think it is about to end when she ramps it right back up again. It is unexpected and exciting. Also the backup singers take on a bigger role than normally assigned to them. They take over the song at several points while Franklin seems to responding to them instead of the other way around. It gives an almost conversational tone to the song. They ask — he answers your prayers and Franklin answers he answers my prayers all right.

The whole effect is a powerful rendition of standard song. Nobody does female sensuality like Franklin and, if you want to hear her at her most passionate, it is worth a listen.