Take a Look demonstrates how Aretha was born the "Queen of Soul" paying loving care and attention to every facet of her years at Columbia. The package includes CD's of Aretha's seven full-length albums for Columbia; two CDs reflecting her collaborations with producers Bobby Scott (in 1963) and Clyde Otis (in 1964); and a bonus CD of singles produced by Bob Johnston and rarities that were "sweetened" and released after Aretha left the label. The set will also includes a DVD featuring Aretha, at the piano, performing several songs on The Steve Allen Show in 1964. Among the highlights of Take a Look is a previously unreleased version of Yeah!!! In Person With Her Quartet which strips away the artificial club ambience that was added to the album's studio performances, revealing Aretha at the peak of her powers. Another high point is an unreleased album called A Bit of Soul. Though it contains previously released material, the original album is presented here for the first time in its master form. Other revelations include riveting studio conversation between Aretha, John Hammond and pianist Ray Bryant during the making of Aretha's debut album in the summer of 1960.
CD01 - Aretha (With The Ray Bryant Combo)
CD02 - The Electrifying Aretha Franklin
CD03 - The Tender, The Moving, The Swinging Aretha Franklin
CD04 - Laughing On The Outside
CD05 - Tiny Sparrow: The Bobby Scott Sessions
CD06 - Unforgettable: A Tribute To Dinah Washington
CD07 - Take A Look: The Clyde Otis Sessions
CD08 - Runnin' Out Of Fools
CD09 - A Bit Of Soul
CD10 - Yeah!!! In Person With Her Quartet
CD11 - The Queen In Waiting
CD01 - Aretha (With The Ray Bryant Combo)
01. Won't Be Long (3:12)
02. Over The Rainbow (2:41)
03. Love Is The Only Thing (2:43)
04. Sweet Lover (3:25)
05. All Night Long (3:01)
06. Who Needs You (2:49)
07. Right Now (2:26)
08. Are You Sure (2:44)
09. Maybe I'm A Fool (3:20)
10. It Ain't Necessarily So (2:56)
11. By Myself (2:41)
12. Today I Sing The Blues (2:46)
13. Are You Sure (Rehearsal) (2:27)
14. Who Needs You (Take 9) (3:05)
15. Right Now (Take 1) (2:40)
16. Maybe I'm A Fool (Take 4) (3:59)
17. By Myself (Mono) (2:41)
18. Won't Be Long (Mono) (2:58)
19. All Night Long (Mono) (3:08)
20. Love Is The Only Thing (Mono) (2:45)
21. Right Now (Mono) (2:23)
22. Today I Sing The Blues (Mono) (2:48)
CD02 - The Electrifying Aretha Franklin
01. You Made Me Love You (2:20)
02. I Told You So (2:45)
03. Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody (2:26)
04. Nobody Like You (2:24)
05. Exactly Like You (2:38)
06. It's So Heartbreakin' (2:42)
07. Rough Lover (2:49)
08. Blue Holiday (2:55)
09. Just For You (2:22)
10. That Lucky Old Sun (3:21)
11. I Surrender, Dear (2:48)
12. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive (2:18)
13. Introduction To Hard Times (0:29)
14. Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I) (3:08)
15. When They Ask About You (3:00)
16. Operation Heartbreak (3:00)
17. I Surrender, Dear (Mono) (2:48)
18. Rough Lover (Mono) (2:48)
19. Kissin' By The Mistletoe (Mono) (2:22)
CD03 - The Tender, The Moving, The Swinging Aretha Franklin
01. Don't Cry, Baby (3:25)
02. Try A Little Tenderness (3:19)
03. I Apologize (2:56)
04. Without The One You Love (2:51)
05. Look For The Silver Lining (3:07)
06. I'm Sitting On Top Of The World (2:45)
07. Just For A Thrill (2:35)
08. God Bless The Child (3:05)
09. I'm Wandering (3:30)
10. How Deep Is The Ocean (2:51)
11. I Don't Know You Anymore (2:53)
12. Lover Come Back To Me (2:36)
13. Trouble In Mind (Mono) (2:16)
14. Without The One You Love (Mono) (2:48)
15. Don't Cry, Baby (Mono) (3:16)
16. I'm Wandering (Mono) (3:26)
17. Try A Little Tenderness (Mono) (3:15)
18. I Apologize (Mono) (2:53)
19. Lover Come Back To Me (Mono) (2:35)
20. I Don't Know You Anymore (Mono) (2:47)
CD04 - Laughing On The Outside
01. Skylark (2:55)
02. For All We Know (3:31)
03. Make Someone Happy (3:53)
04. I Wonder (Where Are You Tonight) (3:20)
05. Solitude (3:53)
06. Laughing On The Outside (3:15)
07. Say It Isn't So (3:11)
08. Until The Real Thing Comes Along (3:10)
09. If Ever I Would Leave You (4:10)
10. Where Are You? (3:54)
11. Mr. Ugly (3:26)
12. I Wanna Be Around (2:27)
13. Ol' Man River (4:03)
14. You've Got Her (Mono) (3:06)
15. Here's Where I Came In (Here's Where I Walk Out) (Mono) (2:37)
16. Say It Isn't So (Mono) (3:08)
CD05 - Tiny Sparrow: The Bobby Scott Sessions
01. Here Today And Gone Tomorrow (3:29)
02. Please Answer Me (2:32)
03. Harbor Lights (2:51)
04. I May Never Get To Heaven (3:29)
05. Moon River (2:13)
06. I Won't Cry Anymore (2:50)
07. Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home (2:21)
08. My Little Brown Book (3:20)
09. Tiny Sparrow (2:52)
10. Johnny (3:15)
11. Looking Through A Tear (3:05)
12. Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home (Mono) (2:21)
13. Johnny (Mono) (2:59)
CD06 - Unforgettable: A Tribute To Dinah Washington
01. Unforgettable (3:45)
02. Cold, Cold Heart (4:39)
03. What A Diff'rence A Day Made (3:35)
04. Drinking Again (3:32)
05. Nobody Knows The Way I Feel This Morning (5:14)
06. Evil Gal Blues (2:44)
07. Don't Say You're Sorry Again (2:49)
08. This Bitter Earth (4:38)
09. If I Should Lose You (3:40)
10. Soulville (2:24)
11. Lee Cross (Mono) (3:04)
CD07 - Take A Look: The Clyde Otis Sessions
01. I'll Keep On Smiling (2:53)
02. Shangri-La (3:16)
03. Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart (2:34)
04. People (4:19)
05. A Mother's Love (2:34)
06. Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love) (2:18)
07. But Beautiful (2:58)
08. That's Entertainment (1:51)
09. Take A Loo (2:42)
10. (Ah, The Apple Trees) When The World Was Young (4:44)
11. Jim (2:29)
12. Sweet Bitter Love (3:00)
13. Only The Lonely (4:55)
14. My Coloring Book (4:08)
15. I Wish I Didn't Love You So (2:56)
16. People (Mono) (4:22)
17. A Mother's Love (Mono) (2:31)
CD08 - Runnin' Out Of Fools
01. Mockingbird (2:37)
02. How Glad I Am (2:35)
03. Walk On By (2:51)
04. Every Little Bit Hurts (2:50)
05. The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss) (2:25)
06. You'll Lose A Good Thing (2:41)
07. I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face (2:47)
08. It's Just A Matter Of Time (3:00)
09. Runnin' Out Of Fools (2:36)
10. My Guy (3:06)
11. Two Sides Of Love (2:31)
12. One Room Paradise (2:09)
13. A General Market Advertisement From Columbia Records (0:40)
14. A Special Ad For Christmas (0:55)
15. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) (Mono) (2:54)
16. Winter Wonderland (Mono) (2:12)
CD09 - A Bit Of Soul
01. Follow Your Heart (2:29)
02. Only The One You Love (2:29)
03. One Step Ahead (2:38)
04. Can't You Just See Me (2:07)
05. How To Murder Your Wife (2:59)
06. A Little Bit Of Soul (2:26)
07. Cry Like A Baby (2:17)
08. Her Little Heart Went To Loveland (2:38)
09. Remember Me (2:16)
10. Land Of Dreams (2:18)
11. Little Miss Raggedy Ann (2:14)
12. Deeper (2:14)
13. I Still Can't Forget (2:56)
14. Rose Of Washington Square (2:40)
15. Take It Like You Give It (Mono) (1:55)
16. Follow Your Heart (Mono) (2:27)
17. Only The One You Love (Mono) (2:24)
18. One Step Ahead (Mono) (2:28)
19. How To Murder Your Wife (Mono) (2:50)
20. A Little Bit Of Soul (Mono) (2:20)
21. Cry Like A Baby (Mono) (2:07)
22. Her Little Heart Went To Loveland (Mono) (2:35)
CD10 - Yeah!!! In Person With Her Quartet
01. This Could Be The Start Of Something (1:29)
02. Once In A Lifetime (3:21)
03. Misty (3:37)
04. More (1:50)
05. There Is No Greater Love (4:40)
06. Muddy Water (2:31)
07. If I Had A Hammer (2:34)
08. Impossible (3:22)
09. Today I Love Ev'rybody (3:25)
10. Without The One You Love (3:33)
11. Trouble In Mind (2:53)
12. Love For Sale (2:42)
13. Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home (2:17)
14. Misty (Ppreviously Unreleased) (3:38)
15. Love For Sale (Ppreviously Unreleased) (2:32)
16. Once In A Lifetime (Ppreviously Unreleased) (3:22)
17. Today I Love Ev'rybody (Ppreviously Unreleased) (3:26)
18. Impossible (Ppreviously Unreleased) (3:28)
19. This Could Be The Start Of Something (Ppreviously Unreleased) (1:26)
20. More (Ppreviously Unreleased) (2:11)
21. There Is No Greater Love (Ppreviously Unreleased) (4:41)
22. If I Had A Hammer (Ppreviously Unreleased) (2:32)
23. Muddy Water (Ppreviously Unreleased) (2:31)
24. Without The One You Love (Ppreviously Unreleased) (3:43)
25. Trouble In Mind (Ppreviously Unreleased) (3:01)
CD11 - The Queen In Waiting
01. Tighten Up Your Tie, Button Up Your Jacket (Make It For The Door) (Mono) (1:57)
02. (No, No) I’m Losing You( (3:09)
03. Why Was I Born? (2:52)
04. Hands Off (Mono) (2:13)
05. Swanee (2:24)
06. You Made Me Love You (2:34)
07. Until You Were Gone (Mono) (3:08)
08. Mockingbird (Mono) Overdubbed Version (2:36)
09. Can't You Just See Me (Mono) Overdubbed Version (1:56)
10. Today I Sing The Blues (Mono) Overdubbed Version (2:47)
11. Walk On By (Overdubbed Version) (2:51)
12. One Room Paradise (Overdubbed Version) (2:01)
13. Every Little Bit Hurts (Overdubbed Version) (2:44)
14. Evil Gal Blues (Overdubbed Version) (2:43)
15. Rough Lover (Overdubbed Version) (2:42)
16. Trouble In Mind (Overdubbed Version) (2:07)
17. Without The One You Love (Overdubbed Version) (3:38)
18. Won't Be Long (Overdubbed Version) (3:07)
19. Take A Look (Overdubbed Version) (2:48)
20. Runnin' Out Of Fools (Overdubbed Version) (3:03)
21. Skylark (Overdubbed Version) (6:11)
