Ever put on a record and felt like the singer was standing right in the kitchen with you, telling you a secret? That’s the vibe of Aretha Franklin Something He Can Feel. It’s not just a song; it’s a whole mood. By 1976, Aretha was already the Queen of Soul, but she was hitting a bit of a rough patch. Her previous few albums hadn't really caught fire like the old days. She needed a win.
Enter Curtis Mayfield.
He was the "Gentle Genius" from Chicago, the man who basically wrote the soundtrack to the Civil Rights Movement with The Impressions. Mayfield was working on a movie called Sparkle—a rags-to-riches story about a girl group in Harlem. Originally, the songs were supposed to be sung by the movie’s cast, which included Irene Cara and Lonette McKee. But Curtis had a different idea for the soundtrack. He wanted Aretha.
How Aretha Franklin Something He Can Feel Saved a Career
Kinda wild when you think about it. Aretha Franklin, the woman who gave us "Respect," actually needed a comeback. But the mid-70s were weird for soul music. Disco was starting to creep in, and the raw, gospel-infused sound that made Aretha a legend felt a bit out of step with the flashing lights of the dance floor.
When she teamed up with Mayfield at his Curtom Studios in Chicago, something clicked. It was a five-day sprint. No overthinking. Just raw, swampy, slow-burning soul. Aretha Franklin Something He Can Feel was the lead single, and it didn't just crawl up the charts—it sprinted. It hit #1 on the Billboard R&B chart and stayed there for four weeks. It was her only Top 40 pop hit in the late 70s.
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Honestly, the chemistry between them was a bit of a miracle. They were both Midwesterners—him from Chicago, her from Detroit—and they both spoke the language of the Black church. But it wasn't all sunshine. Rumor has it they clashed in the studio because Curtis was very particular about his vocal guides. He wanted things a certain way. Aretha, being Aretha, had her own ideas.
The result? Pure magic.
The Sparkle Controversy
Did you know the vocals you hear on the Sparkle soundtrack aren't in the movie? It’s a bit of a trivia nugget that catches people off guard. In the film, you hear the actresses. But for the album, Mayfield stripped their lead vocals and layered Aretha right on top of the original instrumental tracks and backing vocals (provided by the Kitty Haywood Singers).
Irene Cara and Lonette McKee were reportedly a bit salty about it. Can you blame them? You star in a movie, sing your heart out, and then the "official" version comes out with someone else’s voice. But when that someone else is Aretha Franklin, what can you really say? She took those songs—especially Aretha Franklin Something He Can Feel—and turned them into a "testimony on how she feels about her man," as some critics put it.
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The 1992 Twist: En Vogue vs. Aretha
If you grew up in the 90s, you might know this song as "Giving Him Something He Can Feel."
En Vogue covered it for their Funky Divas album, and they did a killer job. They leaned into those tight, four-part harmonies that defined the early 90s girl group era. It went to #1 on the R&B charts too, proving that Mayfield’s songwriting was basically bulletproof.
But there’s a massive difference in the energy.
- Aretha’s version is solitary. It’s a woman reflecting on a deep, almost spiritual connection.
- En Vogue’s version is a shared experience. It’s about the power of the collective.
While En Vogue’s version reached #6 on the Hot 100 (technically higher than Aretha’s #28), there’s a grit in the 1976 original that you just can't replicate. It’s that "swampy" groove. It feels heavy. It feels like 2:00 AM in a club where the air is thick with smoke and emotions.
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Why This Track Still Hits in 2026
We live in an era of hyper-produced, autotuned pop. Listening back to Aretha Franklin Something He Can Feel is like drinking a cold glass of water in a desert. You can hear the fingers on the bass strings. You can hear the slight imperfections that make it human.
The musicians on the track were some of the best in the business:
- Phil Upchurch and Gary Thompson on guitars.
- Lucky Scott holding down the bass.
- Quinton Joseph on the drums.
They created a bed of sound that allowed Aretha to just... be. She didn't have to scream. She didn't have to do those massive runs she was known for. She just sang it with a cool, confident sensuality that felt entirely new for her at the time. It was a "renaissance," as historian David Nathan called it. It reminded everyone that she didn't just have the loudest voice in the room; she had the most nuanced one too.
Actionable Takeaways for Music Lovers
If you're looking to dive deeper into this era of soul, don't stop at the single. The entire Sparkle soundtrack is a masterpiece of 70s R&B.
- Listen for the "Mayfield Sound": Notice the orchestral arrangements mixed with funky, understated guitar licks. It's sophisticated but still has "dirt" under its fingernails.
- Compare the Versions: Put on Aretha’s version, then the En Vogue cover, and then Carmen Ejogo’s version from the 2012 remake. Notice how the "soul" of the song changes based on the production.
- Check the Credits: Look up other Curtis Mayfield productions from this era, like the Let's Do It Again soundtrack by The Staple Singers. You'll see the same DNA.
The legacy of Aretha Franklin Something He Can Feel is a reminder that great art is often born from collaboration and a willingness to try something different. Aretha stepped out of her comfort zone, worked with a different kind of producer, and ended up with a classic that defined the second half of her career.
To truly appreciate it, skip the compressed Spotify stream for once if you can. Find an old vinyl pressing of Sparkle. Drop the needle on side one, track two. Let that slow, deliberate groove fill the room. You won't just hear the music; you'll feel it.