Song of the Day 4/1: Aretha Franklin, “Chain of Fools”

Written by Don Covay, a singer and songwriter who got his start working for Little Richard – as both his chauffeur and his opening act – when Atlantic Records head Jerry Wexler asked him for a song for Otis Redding. Covay dusted off something he had written back when he was singing gospel in his youth and recorded a demo. When Wexler heard it, perhaps mindful of what Aretha did with Redding’s “Respect,” he gave it to Franklin instead. It reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 in January 1968.

She’s not the equal of Aretha – who is? – but Eva Cassidy used the tune to show off her versatility. Her ability to work in any genre made her impossible to market her in her short lifetime, but the Brits gobble up her every posthumous release. This explains why.