Wex on Wax: Twenty Essential Jerry Wexler Productions

11. Aretha Franklin, "Respect" (1967)
Ebony magazine called turbulent mid-1967 "the summer of 'Retha, Rap and Revolt!" Wexler's greatest triumph was to simply urge Franklin to let her natural, gospel-soaked voice do its thing. Before 1968 ended, she had scored 12 Top 40 songs for Atlantic, including this #1 that did service as a Civil Rights anthem.

12. Dusty Springfield, "Son of a Preacher Man" (1969)
Springfield was intimidated by the studio band during the recording of Dusty in Memphis — "I never got a note out of her during the Memphis sessions". Back in NYC, with tracks blasting in headphones — she preferred not to hear herself — she sang with "perfect intonation, every note correct."

13. Dr. John, "Iko Iko" (1972)
"New Orleans is portable, if you have the musicians," Wexler once said. A chat between the producer and piano man Dr. John during an L.A. session inspired Gumbo, a glorious musical overview of the Crescent City, from barrelhouse blues to Mardi Gras street chants — like this number.

14. Doug Sahm, "(Is Anybody Going to) San Antone" (1973)
Wexler loved Doug Sahm, and Sahm loved Texas. Wexler produced the singer and multi-instrumentalist's valentine to his home state, joining him with an eclectic bunch that included Bob Dylan and performed tunes by Lone Star music legends Bob Wills, T. Bone Walker, Willie Nelson, and this Charlie Pride classic.

15. Willie Nelson, "Bloody Mary Morning" (1974)
Wexler's last hurrah while on Atlantic's payroll were two Willie Nelson albums: Shotgun Willie, recorded in NYC, and its followup in Alabama. " They said Muscle Shoals was too R&B for Willie. I said Willie was too R&B for Nashville." Phases and Stages included this farewell to a failed romance.

16. The Sanford/Townsend Band, "Smoke From a Distant Fire" (1977)
Wexler's first taste of success as a freelance producer was this Top 10 hit by the singer/songwriting team Ed Sanford and John Townsend. "The song had a beautiful Doobie Brothers feeling — hard-driving but seamless and smooth." It also marked the first of many collaborations with producer Barry Beckett.

17. James Booker, "Winin' Boy Blues" (1978)
Producing the soundtrack to Pretty Baby — the New Orleans-based film that sparked the career of12-year old Brooke Shields — Wexler recreated the earliest days of jazz. It was a true labor of love; he hired a ragtime orchestra and local piano legend James Booker, who performed this Jelly Roll Morton number.

18. Etta James, "Take It to the Limit" (1978)
Wexler wrote, "like Aretha, Etta is a church in herself." James considers this her best album, a brilliant example of Wexler's ability match singer and songs — "Sugar on the Floor", "Piece of My Heart", Alice Cooper's "Only Women Bleed" — and this Eagles ballad re-imagined as a gospel anthem with full choir.

19. Dire Straits, "Lady Writer" (1979)
Only nine months after Dire Strait's explosive debut, Wexler and Beckett produced their followup in the Bahamas, including this uptempo hit. "Barry and I were able to help the rockers get a bluesy edge," Wexler bragged. "Dire Straits was an example of how funky Englishmen can be when they pay attention."

20. Bob Dylan, "Gotta Serve Somebody" (1979)
Having bumped into Wexler for years, Dylan asked him to craft his first born-again album. "He starts playing all these tunes and it's wall to wall Jesus . . . what am I going to do?" Wexler took him to Muscle Shoals, and Dylan grabbed a Grammy with this breakout single.

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