Laughing on the Outside


Laughing on the Outside is the fourth studio album by American singer Aretha Franklin, released on August 12, 1963, by Columbia Records. The album was recorded at Columbia Recording Studios in New York and Hollywood. These sessions found a 21-year-old Aretha Franklin recording Jazz and Pop music standards, from Johnny Mercer to Duke Ellington. She is backed by the arrangements of Columbia producer Robert Mersey. One of the most popular songs from the album is Franklin's interpretation of the classic "Skylark". A minute and fifty-eight seconds into the song, she sings the word "Skylark" with power and emotion. This was one of the first times in which she recorded one of her written compositions, "I Wonder ", on an album. Though somewhat overlooked in her Columbia catalogue, this album was jointly re-released with The Electrifying Aretha Franklin in June 2008.

Track listing

Side One

  1. "Skylark" – 2:49
  2. "For All We Know" – 3:25
  3. "Make Someone Happy" – 3:48
  4. "I Wonder " – 3:16
  5. "Solitude" – 3:50
  6. "Laughing on the Outside" – 3:14

Side Two

  1. "Say It Isn't So" – 3:05
  2. "Until The Real Thing Comes Along" – 3:04
  3. "If Ever I Would Leave You" – 4:04
  4. "Where Are You?" – 3:50
  5. "Mr. Ugly" – 3:22
  6. "I Wanna Be Around" – 2:25

Bonus Tracks on Later Re-issues

  1. "Ol' Man River" – 4:01

Mono Mixes

  1. "You've Got Her" – 2:40
  2. "Here's Where I Came In " – 2:53
  3. "Say It Isn't So" – 3:08

Personnel