THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

644-Aretha Franklin-I Say a Little Prayer.

1968-Number 4 single.

Best Bit-At 2.01. In the words of Green Gartside,’Each time I go to bed, I pray like Aretha Franklin.’ (see also best songs 554.)

‘I Say a Little Prayer’ was written by the legendary song writing duo of Burt Bacharach, (1928-2023) (music) and Hal David, (1921-2012) (lyrics) and was originally recorded by Dionne Warwick (see also best songs 224) for her eighth studio Album ‘The Windows of the World,’ from August 1967, ‘I Say a Little Prayer’ was the second of two singles released from the Album, the first being the title track. The Dionne Warwick recording, which was also produced by Bacharach & David, (see also best songs 902-832-815-740 and 224) reached Number 4 on the American Billboard Hot 100, but has never charted in the UK.

In 1968 Aretha Franklin, (1942-2018) (see also best songs 366) and her background vocalists ‘The Sweet Inspirations’ were singing ‘I Say a Little Prayer’ for fun, while rehearsing the songs intended for Aretha’s next Album, when it suddenly became apparent that this newly reinvented rendition was worthy of being more than just an Album track. Initially the song was scheduled as the ‘B’ side to ‘The House That Jack Built,’ but the radio DJ’s were preferring to play ‘I Say a Little Prayer.’ The release of ‘The House That Jack Built,’ reached Number 6 on Billboard, and when ‘I Say a Little Prayer,’ was switched to the ‘A’ side, it peaked at Number 10, less than a year after Dionne Warwick had reached Number 4. In the UK ‘I Say a Little Prayer’ became Aretha Franklin’s biggest hit single, until her 1987 duet with George Michael, (1963-2016) with ‘I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me’) reached Number 1.

The Aretha Franklin recording of ‘I Say a Little Prayer’ was the second of three singles released from her 13th studio Album ‘Aretha Now,’ from July 1968, ‘The House That Jack Built’ was not released as a track on that Album. ‘I Say a Little Prayer’ which was produced by Jerry Wexler, (1917-2008) (see also best songs 882) has backing vocals from ‘The Sweet Inspirations.’ Both the Dionne Warwick recording, and the Aretha Franklin version, have the American R&B girl group ‘The Sweet Inspirations’ in common, as they were in on rehearsals when Warwick was recording her version, and they can be heard performing backing vocals on Franklin’s recording.

The Sweet Inspirations (see also best songs 882) are an American ‘R&B’ girl group mostly known for their work as backup singers on studio recordings for other ‘R&B,’ and ‘Rock’ artists. They were formed in 1959 by former members of ‘The Drinkard Singers’, who were a long running ‘Gospel’ singing group from Newark, New Jersey, United States, they were active until 1979, and then again from 1994. In total there have been 11 different members come and go, including Dionne Warwick, and her sister Dee Dee Warwick, (1942-2008) as well as the singer/songwriter Doris Troy, (1937-2004) and Cissy Houston, the mother of Whitney Houston. The Sweet Inspirations released nine Albums between 1967-2005, and a further four between 1968-1971, with the American Jazz multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef (1920-2013.) They can be heard on hundreds of tracks as background vocalists, including ‘Brown Eyed Girl,’ by Van Morrison, (1967-Billboard Number 10) and ‘Grease’ by Frankie Valli (1978-Billboard Number 1 & UK Number 3.) The four members of The Sweet Inspirations who sang on ‘I Say a Little Prayer’ were Cissy Houston, Estelle Brown, Sylvia Shemwell, (1941-2010) and Myrna Smith (1941-2010.)

‘I Say a Little Prayer’ has been a hit single on two other occasions in the UK, In 1988 the English music producer Tim Simenon, using his alias ‘Bomb the Bass,’ took his ‘Electronic Dance Music’ version, featuring the singer Maureen, to Number 10, and in 1997 a Reggae version by the Jamaican singer Diana King, which was featured heavily in the comedy film ‘My Best Friends Wedding,’ reached Number 17 in the UK, and Number 38 on Billboard in America.

Burt Bacharach never wanted the Dionne Warwick version to be released, he has said,’I think I made the tempo a little too fast, I didn’t want the record to come out, but got overridden. I’m glad that I got overridden.’ Bacharach has also stated that he much prefers the Aretha Franklin arrangement, and production of the song by Jerry Wexler. As for how the song was inspired, Hal David wrote the lyrics with the intention to convey a woman’s concern for her man, who is serving in the Vietnam War.

‘The moment I wake up, before I put on my makeup, I say a little prayer for you. While combing my hair, now, and wondering what dress to wear, now, I say a little prayer for you.’