Call Me

Aretha Franklin is famous for her voice, but she also excelled as a songwriter, penning many of her early hits and taking an active role in the recording sessions. “Call Me” is a song written and recorded by American singer Aretha Franklin. The song was co-produced by Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin. “Call Me” was released as a single in January 1970 from Aretha’s This Girl’s in Love with You album and became another hit for her, spending 2 weeks at #1 on the US R&B Singles chart, while reaching #13 on the Pop chart. Franklin came up with the idea for the song after she saw a young couple engaged in deep conversation on New York’s Park Avenue. Before they parted, Franklin heard them say to each other: “I love you… call me.”[1] With the exception of Franklin on piano, musical backing for “Call Me” was handled by members of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section.