BY JEFF KAROUB    
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

DETROIT – The Queen of Soul is taking control on her newest collection.

Aretha Franklin offered a preview last week of several songs from her forthcoming album, "Aretha: A Woman Falling out of Love,’’ in a downtown Detroit restaurant. She wrote and produced a few of the songs and serves as executive producer of the album that’s expected to be released in late March.

"It’s my prized collection, because it’s the first album I’m calling all the shots on,’’ said Franklin, 67, who held court in a black sequined top and glittery silver skirt at a hometown "high tea listening party’’ for family, friends, reporters and local dignitaries.

"There’s been a lot of spoons in the soup before but now it’s all Aretha’s spoon in the soup.’’

Songs inspired by relationship

That’s not to say the queen’s castle is empty. She had assists from several people, including her son, Kecalf Franklin, who wrote and co-produced "New Day,’’ and veteran producers and hitmakers Troy Taylor and Gordon Chambers on other tracks.

She said the collection of a dozen songs was inspired by a relationship she was in a few years ago, which "before you know it, it became `Aretha: a woman falling out of love.’’’

"It’s just kind of the different phases one goes through when you’re falling out of love, and not in,’’ she said. "You know how things are when it’s over, or it doesn’t happen.’’

Album includes voice of Billy Dee

One track planned for the album is "Theme From ‘A Summer Place,’’’ from one of her favorite films. It features a recitation by actor Billy Dee Williams. She said it is "sizz-LING – he had me screaming.’’

"Women are going to love this,’’ she said.

She described the collection as "a mixed bag’’ and it clearly reflects her roots in gospel and decades of work in many styles, including jazz, blues and R&B.

Franklin said she’s putting the finishing touches on the album and negotiating a distribution deal with the home shopping network QVC.