Think (Aretha Franklin song)

"Think" is a song written and performed by American singer Aretha Franklin. It was released as a single in 1968, from her Aretha Now album. The song reached No. 7 on 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,[2] becoming her sixth single to top the chart. The song was written by Aretha and then husband Ted White. 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 Media placed it at number 15 on its list of "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s".[3]

"Think"
Single by Aretha Franklin
from the album Aretha Now
A-side"Think"
B-side"You Send Me"
ReleasedMay 2, 1968
GenreSoul
Length2:16
LabelAtlantic 2518
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Jerry Wexler[1]
Aretha Franklin singles chronology
"Ain't No Way"
(1968)		 "Think"
(1968)		 "The House That Jack Built" / "I Say a Little Prayer"
(1968)

Chart performance
Chart (1968) Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[4] 6
France (IFOP)[5] 4
Italy (FIMI)[6] 49
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[7] 12
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8] 9
UK Singles (OCC)[9] 26
US Billboard Hot 100[10] 7
US Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles[10] 1
US Cash Box[11] 7
US Record World[12] 7
West Germany (Official German Charts)[13] 32
Chart (2013) Peak
position
France (SNEP)[14] 135

Versions

Franklin lip-synched to a new version of the song in a musical sequence of the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. Because Franklin was not used to lip-syncing, this sequence required a number of takes and considerable editing.[15] The 3:15 version of the song appears on the soundtrack album, and in addition to Franklin's singing 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.

Sales and certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Italy (FIMI)[16]
with Otis Redding/sales since 2009 		Gold 25,000
United States (RIAA)[17] Gold 1,000,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone
sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

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[18] 90

See also
  • List of number-one R&B singles of 1968 (U.S.)

References
  1. Jerry Wexler interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1970)
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 215.
  3. Tangari, Joe (August 18, 2006). "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  4. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5741." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  5. "InfoDisc : Tous les Titres par Artiste" (in French). InfoDisc. Select "Aretha Franklin" from the artist drop-down menu. Archived from the original on September 20, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  6. "Indice per Interprete: F" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Creative Commons. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  7. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Aretha Franklin" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  8. "Dutchcharts.nl – Aretha Franklin – Think" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  9. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  10. "Aretha Now – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  11. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending JUNE 15, 1968". Cash Box. Archived from the original on September 30, 2012.
  12. "100 Top Pops" (PDF). Record World. June 15, 1966. p. 29. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  13. "Offiziellecharts.de – Aretha Franklin – Think". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 18, 2019. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON Aretha Franklin"
  14. "Lescharts.com – Aretha Franklin – Think" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
  15. Stories Behind the Making of The Blues Brothers, documentary feature on 1998 DVD and 25th Anniversary DVD (2005).
  16. "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 online" under "Sezione".
  17. "American single certifications – Aretha Franklin – Think". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 26, 2020. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  18. "Katharine McPhee – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
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