I Say a Little Prayer

Burt Bacharach and Hal David wrote it for Dionne Warwick, who recorded it on 9 April 1966 and had a number 4 hit with it in December 1967. Franklin and the Sweet Inspirations were singing it for fun while rehearsing songs for Aretha Now when they saw it could work as a recording. Clayton Ivey's piano is prominent in the arrangement, which sits a tone higher than Warwick's, in A major rather than G.

It was meant to be the B-side of the July 1968 single The House That Jack Built, but radio began playing it in August. In October 1968 it reached number 10 on the Hot 100 and number 3 on the R&B chart, and it was certified gold. It was her ninth and last consecutive Hot 100 top ten on Atlantic. In the UK it reached number 4 in September 1968, her biggest hit there until her duet with George Michael. In February 1987 the NME's critics ranked it first in their list of the top 150 singles of all time. Rolling Stone placed it at number 117 in 2021.