Freeway of Love

"Freeway of Love" is a Grammy Award-winning hit song released as the first single from Aretha Franklin's Platinum-certified 1985 album Who's Zoomin' Who? produced by Narada Michael Walden. It was one of 1985's biggest hits in the United States, reaching the #3 position of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and topping the Hot R&B Singles chart for five weeks (from July 27, 1985 to August 24, 1985).^[1]

The accompanying promotional music video was filmed entirely in Detroit, Michigan, and was one of the most popular videos of the year. In a remixed "rock" version, the song also topped the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, as well.^[2] This single became Aretha's fifteenth Top 10 pop hit in the United States and earned her 12th Grammy Award, for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

The song features a notable contribution from Clarence Clemons, the saxophonist from Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. Sylvester and Jeanie Tracy provided backup vocals.

Music video

The video was filmed primarily in black and white and shows videos of automobiles being manufactured from the early seventies (Ford Mustang) and a then-current Cadillac Cimarron.

Franklin co-owned Detroit's Club Taboo on Woodbridge where her "Another Night" music video was filmed. Portions of the "Freeway of Love" video were filmed at Doug's Body Shop, at 22061 Woodward, in Ferndale, Michigan.

Clarence Clemons, who performs the saxophone during the song, is featured in the video, as well.

Personnel

Aretha Franklin: Lead Vocals
Narada Michael Walden: Drums, Percussion
Randy Jackson: Electric & Synthesized Bass
Walter Afanasieff: Keyboards
Preston Glass: Keyboards & Keyboard Vibes, Backing Vocals
Greg Gonaway: Tambourine
Santana Rhythm Section: Percussion
Clarence Clemons: Saxophone, Guest Appearance (courtesy of Columbia Records)
Carolyn Franklin, Sylvester, Jeanie Tracy, Vicki Randle, Jim Gilstrap, Kitty Beethoven, Laundon Von Hendricks: Backing vocals

Versions

"Freeway of Love" (single version) 4:09
"Freeway of Love" (LP version) 5:52
"Freeway of Love" (Rock Mix) (available on 12" single) 4:40
"Freeway of Love" (Extended Mix) (available on 12" single) 6:28

Notably, Prince guitarist Dez Dickerson was featured on lead guitar on the Rock Mix

Chart positions

Chart (1985)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	3
U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	1
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary	11

Cover versions

In 1986, "Weird Al" Yankovic covered the song as part of his polka medley "Polka Party!".

The song was covered in 2009 by house music/dance singer Pepper Mashay.^[3]

References

↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 216.
↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 103.
↑ http://www.prlog.org/10329022-pepper-mashays-freeway-of-love-out-now-on-capp-records.html

External links

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Preceded by "Save Your Love" by René & Angela	Billboard Hot Black Singles number one single August 3, 1985 - August 31, 1985	Succeeded by "Saving All My Love for You" by Whitney Houston
Preceded by "Glow" by Rick James	Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single August 3, 1985 - August 17, 1985	Succeeded by "Shout" by Tears for Fears

Aretha Franklin

Studio albums

Columbia	Aretha (1961) The Electrifying Aretha Franklin (1962) The Tender, the Moving, the Swinging Aretha Franklin (1962) Laughing on the Outside (1963) Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington (1964) Runnin' Out of Fools (1964) Yeah!!! (1965) Soul Sister (1966) Take It Like You Give It (1967) Take a Look (1967) Soft and Beautiful (1969)

Atlantic	I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967) Aretha Arrives (1967) Lady Soul (1968) Aretha Now (1968) Soul '69 (1969) This Girl's in Love with You (1970) Spirit in the Dark (1970) Young, Gifted and Black (1972) Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky) (1973) Let Me in Your Life (1974) With Everything I Feel in Me (1974) You (1975) Sparkle (1976) Sweet Passion (1977) Almighty Fire (1978) La Diva (1979)

Arista	Aretha (1980) Love All the Hurt Away (1981) Jump to It (1982) Get It Right (1983) Who's Zoomin' Who? (1985) Aretha (1986) Through the Storm (1989) What You See Is What You Sweat (1991) A Rose Is Still a Rose (1998) So Damn Happy (2003)

Other	Songs of Faith (1956) This Christmas, Aretha (2008) Aretha: A Woman Falling Out of Love (2011) Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics (2014)

Live albums

Aretha in Paris (1968)
Aretha Live at Fillmore West (1971)
Amazing Grace (1972)
One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism (1987)
Oh Me Oh My: Aretha Live in Philly, 1972 (2007)

Compilation albums

Aretha's Gold (1969)
Aretha's Greatest Hits (1971)
The Best of Aretha Franklin (1973)
Aretha Sings the Blues (1980)
30 Greatest Hits (1985)
Greatest Hits: 1980–1994 (1994)
The Early Years (1997)
Greatest Hits (1998)
Aretha's Best (2001)
Rare & Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul (2007)
Jewels in the Crown: All-Star Duets with the Queen (2007)
A Deeper Love: The Best of Aretha Franklin (2009)
The Great American Songbook (2011)
Knew You Were Waiting: The Best of Aretha Franklin (1980-1998) (2012)

Box sets

Queen of Soul: The Atlantic Recordings (1992/2014)
Take A Look: Aretha Franklin Complete on Columbia (2011)

Singles

"Precious Lord (Part 1)" (1959)
"Today I Sing the Blues" (1960)
"Won't Be Long" (1960)
"Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" (1961)
"Operation Heartbreak" (1961)
"I Surrender, Dear" (1962)
"Try a Little Tenderness" (1962)
"Say It Isn't So" (1963)
"Skylark" (1963)
"The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" (1964)
"One Step Ahead" (1965)
"You Made Me Love You" (1965)
"Mockingbird" (1967)
"I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" (1967)
"Respect" (1967)
"Baby I Love You" (1967)
"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (1967)
"Do Right Woman, Do Right Man"
"Chain of Fools" (1967)
"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (1968)
"(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone" (1968)
"Think" (1968)
"You Send Me" (1968)
"The House That Jack Built" (1968)
"I Say a Little Prayer" (1968)
"See Saw" (1968)
"My Song" (1968)
"The Weight" (1969)
"Tracks of My Tears" (1969)
"I Can't See Myself Leaving You" (1969)
"Gentle on My Mind" (1969)
"Share Your Love with Me" (1969)
"Eleanor Rigby" (1969)
"Call Me" (1970)
"Son of a Preacher Man" (1970)
"Spirit in the Dark" (1970)
"The Thrill Is Gone" (1970)
"Don't Play That Song" (1970)
"Border Song (Holy Moses)" (1970)
"You're All I Need to Get By" (1971)
"Bridge over Troubled Water" (1971)
"Spanish Harlem" (1971)
"Rock Steady" (1971)
"Day Dreaming" (1972)
"Wholy Holy" (1972)
"Angel" (1973)
"Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" (1973)
"I'm in Love" (1974)
"Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (1974)
"Something He Can Feel" (1976)
"Break It to Me Gently" (1977)
"What a Fool Believes" (1981)
"It's My Turn" (1981)
"Jump to It" (1982)
"Get It Right" (1983)
"Freeway of Love" (1985)
"Who's Zoomin' Who" (1985)
"Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" (1985)
"Jumpin' Jack Flash" (1986)
"Jimmy Lee" (1986)
"I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (1987)
"Oh Happy Day" (1988)
"Gimme Your Love" (1989)
"It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be" (1989)
"Everyday People" (1991)
"Someday We'll All Be Free" (1992)
"A Deeper Love" (1993)
"A Rose Is Still a Rose" (1998)
"Here We Go Again" (1998)
"Put You Up on Game" (2007)
"Rolling in the Deep (The Aretha Version)" (2014)