Dr. King Tribute Songs (MLK RR)
SoulOnIce
13,027 Posts
So, I'm on the air this Monday, and would of courselike to play at least a short set of music in tributeto Martin Luther King, Jr. Unfortunately, I'm a little shorton stuff to play (although I may have tracks in my collectionI am forgetting) ... I'll probably play the Miracles versionof Abraham, Martin & John - and I have the Big Maybelle 45,"Heaven Will Welcome You, Dr. King" on Rojac.Post up any titles you can think of, maybe I can dig 'emup and of course any MP3 action is beyond welcome.Also, if anyone has Nathan Davis' "Suite to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."already on MP3, maybe you could post it up - I think everybodywould be into that.Sorry to make this a "gimme" post, I'll post MP3 of my trackswhen I dig them out, too, and it can be more about sharing songsin tribute to MLK than programming my radio show. Thanks.
Comments
A necessity/essential.
Sorry - can't go from 45 to mp3.
King Holiday - The King Dream Chorus and Holiday Crew(1986)
Staple Singers Freedom Highway.
Pop Staples Why Am I Treated So Bad
Every performer who played at rallies with Martin Luther King tells this story; "When ever I played at a rally or in church with Martin Luther King he always said that _________ was his favorite song and asked me to sing it." For the Staples Singers it was Why Am I Treated So Bad, just before he died Pops recorded it with a spoken rememberance of MLK.
For Mahalia Jackson it was Eye On The Sparrow I think. I know I've heard others tell the exact same story, Belafonte, Peter Paul and Mary...
Try to find some songs from the Freedom Singers, I recommend Dog Dog. The Freedom Singers were associated with SNCC which was at odds with SCLC which was King's group, but that is old history. Also Eye On The Prize.
Bernice Johnson of the Freedom Singers went on to form Sweet Honey In The Rock who have no shortage of songs that would be nice to hear on that day.
James Brown Say It Loud
Aretha Think
Sam Cooke A Change Is Gonna
Miriam Makeba Come Go To Glory
Josh White Free And Equal Blues
Wade In The Water
Max Roach Freedom Suite
Unless you want to limit yourself to songs that mention King the choices are endless.
I'm sure you can find MP3 the internets, but start picking up albums for next year because we are talking good music here.
HERE
peace
"If I can help somebody as I pass along/ If I can cheer somebody with a word or song/ If I can show somebody he's traveling wrong/ Then my living will not be in vain."
I can not seem to find the name of the song these words are from.
In the I Have A Dream Speech he mentions the "words of the old Negro spiritual Free At Last..." Last year I tried to find the name of that spiritual and I could not.
Other MLK favorite songs from a google search:
Mahalia Jackson Precious Lord
His Eye Is On the Sparrow
Pete Seeger We Shall Over Come
I can't find any more, but I know I have heard a variety of performers say that their version of such and such was Kings favorite song.
And if your listeners can handle some classic house stuff:
Mr. Fingers "Can You Feel It (Martin Luther King Mix)"
Thanks to everyone who responded, and I did download the
Nancy Dupree, which was great. If anybody has any other
songs to list, or has MP3 of the tribute tracks mentioned
above, I'd love to hear them.
As promised, here are the two tracks I had that I am going
to play, the Miracles & the Big Maybelle (which is amazing)
as well as the Nancy Dupree track:
Smokey & the Miracles - Abraham, Martin & John - Motown 1969
Big Maybelle - Heaven Will Welcome You, Dr. King - Rojac 1968
Nancy Dupree - Docta King - Folkways 1969
Post up a play list after show if you get time.
Its a laid back jazzy house track with Martin Luther King's "I have a dream speech" laid over the top of it.
Sorry, I've already got "Shower the People" penciled in.
Such a beautiful track. Great on so many levels.
Here are some:
-"Just a Dream"(exact title? Record not before me-related)-Donny Hathaway.
-"Word Play"-Stephen Stills.
-"A Change Gonna Come"-Sam Cooke; The Greatest Little Soul Band in the World (ft. J.J. Johnson).
-"Together"-Cannonball Adderley Quintet (sort of).
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
I've been bumpin' that LOUDLY all morning.
Herm
Holy shit, this is good. Thanks so much for sharing.