Aretha on Letterman

[Tag]

Posted: 9/30/14 at 2:05pm

I don't know what is worse:

1) Her dress, or lack thereof.
2) Cissy Houston (?!) "singing" back-up. Did she even know the words?
Link

[east side story]

Posted: 9/30/14 at 2:11pm

Give her one of those rolling shopping carts, throw her at a bus stop, and she looks and sounds like any New York crazy you can encounter at any given moment, of any given day. She looks and sounds terrible whilst bypassing the unwritten rule that all legendary performers should abide by: There comes a time when you need to STOP performing, if for no better reason than you can no longer do it. This is just painful.

[javero]

Posted: 9/30/14 at 2:17pm

Saw it earlier but couldn't bring myself to post a review here. ReeRee's performance was unfortunate and poor Cissi Houston didn't appear to be fully engaged.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 9/30/14 at 3:10pm

Every time a white girl does an R&B belt, Aretha gains five pounds.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 9/30/14 at 3:29pm

Cissy pulled focus in a very sad way. I have no idea what she was mouthing, but it was very obvious it wasn't what the other background vocalists were singing.

[darreyl102]

Posted: 9/30/14 at 8:08pm

Someone needs to turn on the air in there- Frosti The Snow-women is melting!!!
This is just foul- I mean the outfit is horrible with those arms looking like bags of tapioca pudding. Cissy looks both pissed and lost at the same time.

[darreyl102]

Posted: 9/30/14 at 8:21pm

@ 01:23 Cissy is rolling her eyes and giving some serious shade! LOL

Also, why is Aretha's whole body a different color then her face? lol

Updated On: 9/30/14 at 08:21 PM

[bwayboy22]

Posted: 9/30/14 at 9:13pm

Well that Letterman performance was just really uncomfortable, however the recorded version is MUCH MUCH MUCH better!

Recorded Version

[darreyl102]

Posted: 9/30/14 at 9:45pm

of course, they can make anybody sound like anything these days in the studio.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/30/14 at 11:28pm

I think the recording sounds very much like the Letterman performance.

I never gave a hoot about a Warwick or a Houston.

On the other hand, if you want to read the BEST Aretha Franklin story,. you HAVE to read the story in Sam Harris's book "Ham."

[HorseTears]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 12:52am

While I don't think it was the unmitigated disaster most of you do, it was rather unfortunate. Especially considering a far better vocal for that song was just out a couple of years ago from the original artist. Things were probably best when the full band was playing to somewhat mask that vocal. And I agree with Namo, it doesn't sound far off from the recording, which is dreadful. The autotune in that recording is just so nakedly obvious and the arrangement and production so generic and lifeless.

At this stage of her career, if she must continue releasing studio albums, I think she'd be smart to stick with new or rarely recorded material. Otherwise, it's inevitable that her rather strangled present-day vocals will be compared to the original recordings of these covers.

[darreyl102]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 4:00am

Cissy's Eye-Shade in GIF form. LOL

[Luscious]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 8:54am

Who dresses this woman? Stevie Wonder?

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 10:58am

I think Cissy just forgot her DentuGrip.

[darreyl102]

Posted: 10/1/14 at 11:25am

[ChgoTheatreGuy]

Posted: 10/2/14 at 11:14am

First of all she should get her money back from Tent City for that dress, get a body iron for all of that underarm mess and some cocoa butter for the titty stretch marks. One of the WORST musical perfomances on Letterman ever!