La Diva (Aretha Franklin album)


La Diva is the twenty-fifth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on September 6, 1979 by Atlantic Records. The album marked the end of her 12-year tenure with Atlantic and a run of 19 original albums. The album was a commercial flop as the singer attempted to make a comeback by recording a disco-oriented project with producer Van McCoy. It was McCoy's final work as he died in June of that year and the record was released as disco was running its course.
It stands as the lowest charting and poorest selling album of Franklin's entire Atlantic Records catalogue. "Ladies Only" only reached #33 on Billboards R&B singles chart while the follow-up, "Half A Love", stalled at #65. This album was recorded at Franklin's vocal peak and features three of her own compositions, as well as a song by her eldest son Clarence Franklin.
Although remembered as Franklin's failed disco LP, La Diva also includes substantial funk and R&B tracks such as The Emotions' "Reasons Why", Zulema's "Half a Love" and scorching versions of Lalome Washburn's "It's Gonna Get A Bit Better" and her own "Honey I Need Your Love."

Track listing

Side one

  1. "Ladies Only" – 5:15
  2. "It's Gonna Get a Bit Better" – 5:20
  3. "What If I Should Ever Need You" – 3:32
  4. "Honey I Need Your Love" – 2:45
  5. "I Was Made for You" – 4:03

    Side two

  6. "Only Star" – 5:04
  7. "Reasons Why" – 3:55
  8. "You Brought Me Back to Life" – 4:24
  9. "Half a Love" – 5:25
  10. "The Feeling" – 4:45

    Personnel

Production