This morning I woke early, by about 6 am I got up, dressed, and went downstairs. For a while, I read the newspaper and listened to NPR on the radio. Not surprisingly, there were lots of articles and commentary about Aretha Franklin. One of the stories I read told how Aretha famously modified some lines in Otis Redding's song Respect, resulting in her more successful version of the song, which later became both a civil rights and feminist anthem. I won't repeat all that, but the story briefly mentioned that her sister Carolyn (Erma and Carolyn Franklin sang professionally and performed background vocals for Aretha) came up with the phrase "sock it to me" that was repeated rhymically in that song. The story mentioned that "sock it to me" went on to become a famous catch phrase in 1968 as it became widely repeated in the TV show Laugh In. Aretha noted that they (Laugh In) never paid me any money for that.
Naturally, I wondered if the Franklin sisters really invented that famous phrase. So, I looked it up, both on Google and Wikipedia. The
Wikipedia page mentioned that Aretha Franklin recorded Respect in February 1967 and it was released in April of that year. Another song titled "Sock It To Me Baby" was recorded by Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels sometime in 1966 and released in January 1967. This title was prominently repeated throughout the song's chorus. Like most popular catch phrases, I doubt if it originated with Mitch Ryder. It probably was already in use on the street, and the song only reflected that popularity.
Another tidbit – Aretha (The Queen of Soul) died yesterday, August 16, 2018. Elvis Presley (the King of Rock & Roll) died on August 16, 1977 — 41 years earlier. Despite their royal titles, they were anything but similar in their influence on popular music. Aretha's
melismatic singing style, common among gospel and soul singers, has widely influenced many, if not all, female singers since the 1970s. Few can successfully imitate her; many more shouldn't try. In comparison, Elvis briefly influenced the early development of rock & roll in the mid 1950s. He succesfully combined rhythm & blues with rock-a-billy, but soon was left behind as popular music rapidly developed. Getting drafted into the Army didn't help his career. By the early 1960s he wasn't widely imitated, and by the British Invasion of the mid 1960s, Elvis was history, relegated to Las Vegas. After he died, the only imitators Elvis had were the unflattering Elvis Impersonators who wore the ugly jump suits and bizare sunglasses but couldn't sing.
Thanks for reading
.
