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(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman

"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" is a 1967 song by American soul singer Aretha Franklin released as a single by the Atlantic label. The words were written by Gerry Goffin from an idea by Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler, and the music was composed by Carole King. Written for Franklin, the record reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became one of her signature songs. It made history on the UK Singles Chart a week after her death, finally becoming a hit almost 51 years after it was first released, entering at No. 79. Franklin also included a live recording on the album Aretha in Paris in 1968.

"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"

"Baby, Baby, Baby"

September 1967

1967

American Sound Studio, Memphis, Tennessee

2:45

Jerry Wexler

King herself recorded the song for her 1971 album Tapestry. The numerous cover versions of the song include recordings by Mary J. Blige and Celine Dion, both of which charted in the same year (1995). At the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors, Franklin performed the song to honor award-recipient King.[1][2][3]

– lead vocals

Aretha Franklin

– piano

Spooner Oldham

– bass

Tommy Cogbill

– drums

Gene Chrisman

Carolyn Franklin and Erma Franklin – background vocals

The Sweet Inspirations

strings conducted by

Ralph Burns

"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"

US CD single

"(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman"

VH1 Divas version[edit]

On April 14, 1998, Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Shania Twain, Gloria Estefan and Carole King performed the song during the VH1 Divas concert at the Beacon Theatre, New York. The six vocalists were recruited by the cable music network VH1 to raise money for Save the Music, their education charity. Hyped extensively in the press, the event was a ratings winner for VH1 – so successful, in fact, that the network arranged to have the concert released on disc and tape on October 6, 1998. At that time "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (performed by all the divas) was released as a radio single in selected countries. It reached number nine on the airplay chart in Belgium Wallonia on January 5, 1999.[40]