Aretha Franklin — Aretha (1986) | Record Plant Sausalito Archive

Session

Type: Studio Session
Date Recorded: November 3, 1986

Archive note

Platinum certification. Source: Our Sausalito discography article. CENSUS 2026-06-04: Verified at The Plant Studios, 2200 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA. Discogs liner notes (r1320714) list studios including "The Plant Studios, Sausalito" (explicit city). Album recorded across eight studios: Tarpan Recording Studios (San Rafael), The Plant Studios (Sausalito), Studio D (Sausalito), The Automatt (SF), Hitsville LA, Sigma Sound NYC, Electric Lady NYC, United Sound Systems (Detroit). Cover art by Andy Warhol. Primary producer: Narada Michael Walden (tracks A1–A3, B1, B2, B4). Aretha Franklin produced tracks B3 and B5. Engineer/Mixed: David "Red Dog" Frazer. Notable: "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" duet with George Michael reached #1 US/UK. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" produced by Keith Richards. Label: Arista, Cat# AL-8442. Released Nov 3, 1986. Platinum. Note: Both Sausalito studios are credited — The Plant Studios (entity 270464) and Studio D, Sausalito (entity 270274) — indicating substantial Bay Area work. CORRECTION / CLARIFICATION 2026-06-23: The eight studio credits are album-level 'Recorded At' entries. The liner notes do not map tracks to studios, so no specific song can be attributed to 2200 Bridgeway from the credits alone. Treat per-track Plant attribution as undetermined. Studio D, Sausalito is a SEPARATE facility, not 2200 Bridgeway. Joel Jaffe and Dan Godfrey opened Studio D in 1983 as a live tracking room, distinct from the Plant's A, B, and C rooms. Only the 'The Plant Studios' credit is 2200 Bridgeway. Do not count Studio D as Plant evidence. Verified producer/track split (Wikipedia and Sessiondays, per liner notes, using 1-9 CD numbering): Walden produced tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8. Keith Richards produced track 4 (Jumpin' Jack Flash). Aretha produced tracks 7 and 9. Plant-eligible songs are Walden's six, since he worked the Bay Area rooms (Tarpan, The Plant, Studio D). The Richards track ran through Steve Lillywhite and the New York rooms. Aretha's two trace to Detroit and Hollywood Motown work. Which of Walden's six hit the Plant versus Tarpan versus Studio D is not documented. NUMBERING RECONCILED 2026-06-23: The A/B and 1-9 schemes agree, so the prior ACTION flag is withdrawn. Side A holds tracks 1-4 (Jimmy Lee, I Knew You Were Waiting, Do You Still Remember, Jumpin' Jack Flash). Side B holds tracks 5-9 (Rock-A-Lott, An Angel Cries, He'll Come Along, If You Need My Love Tonight, Look to the Rainbow). Walden's A1-A3, B1, B2, B4 equal tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8. Aretha's B3, B5 equal tracks 7 and 9. Consistent. Track 8 'If You Need My Love Tonight' features Larry Graham, a Bay Area bassist, which is suggestive but not proof of a Plant cut.