"Think"
Side A of the US single
Single by Aretha Franklin
from the album Aretha Now
A-side"Think"
B-side"You Send Me"
Released1968
Genre
Length2:16
LabelAtlantic 2518
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Jerry Wexler[3]
Aretha Franklin singles chronology
"Ain't No Way"
(1968)		 "Think"
(1968)		 "The House That Jack Built" / "I Say a Little Prayer"
(1968)

"Think" is a song written by American singer Aretha Franklin and Ted White, and first recorded by Franklin. It was released as a single in 1968, from her Aretha Now album. The song reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Franklin's seventh top 10 hit in the United States. The song also reached number 1 on the magazine's Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles,[4] becoming her sixth single to top the chart. Franklin re-recorded the song in the Atlantic Records New York studio for the soundtrack of the 1980 film The Blues Brothers and in 1989 for the album Through the Storm. Pitchfork placed it at number 15 on its list of "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s".[5]

Billboard described the single as a "pulsating swinger with another wild performance" that had a similar feel to "Respect" and which it expected would quickly reach a million sales.[6] Cash Box said it has "wailing lyrics of a hard-luck love affair" and "tremendous rhythmic drive."[7]

Chart performance

Chart (1968) Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] 6
France (IFOP)[9] 4
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[10] 12
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] 9
UK Singles (OCC)[12] 26
US Billboard Hot 100[13] 7
US Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles[13] 1
US Cash Box[14] 7
US Record World[15] 7
West Germany (Official German Charts)[16] 32
Chart (2013) Peak
position
France (SNEP)[17] 135
Chart (2018) Peak
position
France (SNEP)[18] 112
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[19] 8
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] 77

Sales and certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Italy (FIMI)[21]
with Otis Redding, sales since 2009 		Gold 25,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[22] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[23] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Aretha Now.[24]

Musicians

Production

Versions

Franklin performed a new version of the song in a musical sequence of The Blues Brothers (1980). Because Franklin was not used to lip-syncing, this scene required a number of takes and considerable editing.[25] A 3:15 version of the song appears on the film's soundtrack album. In addition to Franklin, the recording features the Blues Brothers band and backup vocals from Franklin's sister Carolyn and cousin Brenda Corbett.

Franklin recorded an updated 3:38 version titled "Think (1989)" for her 1989 album Through the Storm. It was produced and arranged by Arif Mardin with his son Joe Mardin. She re-recorded the song for Mothers Against Drunk Driving as a public service announcement during the late 1980s.

Cover versions

Katharine McPhee's version of the song was released as a limited single from the American Idol 5: Encores (2006) album. The song became a minor Internet hit for McPhee—it was her first song to chart in the Pop 100, where it peaked at No. 90 due to download sales.

Chart Peak
position
US Billboard Pop 100[26] 90

See also

References

  1. ↑ Pitchfork Staff (August 22, 2017). "The 200 Best Albums of the 1960s". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 15, 2023. ..."Think," a volcanic soul stomp that cries for freedom.
  2. ↑ Pitchfork Staff (August 18, 2006). "The 200 Best Songs of the 1960s". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 12, 2022. Franklin brings the funk with gospel fervor...
  3. ↑ Jerry Wexler interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1970)
  4. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 215.
  5. ↑ Tangari, Joe (August 18, 2006). "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 80, no. 19. May 11, 1968. p. 60. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Record Reviews > Picks of the Week" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. XXIX, no. 41. May 11, 1968. p. 24. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5741." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  9. ↑ "InfoDisc : Tous les Titres par Artiste". InfoDisc (in French). Select "Aretha Franklin" from the artist drop-down menu. Archived from the original on September 20, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 27, 1968" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Aretha Franklin – Think" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  13. 1 2 "Aretha Now – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  14. ↑ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending JUNE 15, 1968". Cash Box. Archived from the original on September 30, 2012.
  15. ↑ "100 Top Pops" (PDF). Record World. June 15, 1966. p. 29. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  16. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Aretha Franklin – Think" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 18, 2019. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON Aretha Franklin"
  17. ↑ "Aretha Franklin – Think" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Aretha Franklin – Think" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 34, 2018" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Aretha Franklin – Think". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Aretha Franklin & Otis Redding – Think" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved November 26, 2020. Select "2018" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Think" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  22. ↑ "British single certifications – Aretha Franklin – Think". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  23. ↑ "American single certifications – Aretha Franklin – Think". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  24. ↑ Aretha Now (liner notes). Aretha Franklin. Atlantic/Rhino. 1993. 8122-71273-2. Retrieved November 29, 2021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  25. ↑ Stories Behind the Making of The Blues Brothers, documentary feature on 1998 DVD and 25th Anniversary DVD (2005).
  26. ↑ "Katharine McPhee – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
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