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A CHANGE IS GONNA COME (RR)

mylatencymylatency 10,475 Posts
edited May 2006 in Strut Central
One of the finest soul songs in my opinion. Post up all the versions you know. Earl Hines's version = Now playing: Arthur Conley's version off the Shake Rattle & Roll LP

  Comments

  • mylatencymylatency 10,475 Posts
    From Songfacts.com:

    "Cooke wrote this as a protest song to support the civil rights movement, as black Americans fought for equality. Up to this point, most of his songs were either touching ballads ("You Send Me") or lighthearted uptemo tunes ("Twistin' The Night Away"). When Cooke heard Bob Dylan's "Blowin' In The Wind," he became determined to write something similar - he couldn't believe Dylan's song wasn't written by a black man.

    Cooke was deeply affected by the death of his infant son, who drowned in a swimming pool in 1963. He started writing more introspective songs and took an interest in black history and politics.

    Some of the lyrics were inspired by an incident where Cooke and some of his friends were arrested for disturbing the peace after they were denied rooms at a motel in Shreveport, Louisiana because they were black.

    This was released as a single a few months after Cooke died. He was shot by a motel owner who claimed he was raping a young girl in one of the rooms. A lot of controversy surrounded his death; Cooke owned his own record label and publishing company, and some people thought he was killed as part of a plot."
  • mylatencymylatency 10,475 Posts
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Change_Is_Gonna_Come_(song)
  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts
    Cooke's version is hard to beat, but other faves are Brenton Wood, JJ Jackson, Prince Buster and Baby Huey.
  • drewnicedrewnice 5,465 Posts
    Gerald Alston from The Manthattans is known for doing a mean rendition. Didn't know that part about Cooke's death. Thanks for the info.
  • FatbackFatback 6,746 Posts
  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    Didn't know that part about Cooke's death. Thanks for the info.

    That's not really accurate--there are a number of mistatements in the blurb that M**k pasted.

    Nobody knows exactly what happened that night, but the generally agreed upon account is that Cooke was in a motel room with a prostitute, who made off with his pants and wallet while he was in the bathroom. He rushed out of the motel room--pantsless--and into the proprietor's office, where he apparently thought the prostitute was hiding. The proprietor claimed that he attacked her and that she shot him in self defense.

    He most definitely did not, however, die in a plane crash, as a surprisingly large number of people seem to think.
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts


    SOLO

  • mylatencymylatency 10,475 Posts
    Didn't know that part about Cooke's death. Thanks for the info.

    That's not really accurate--there are a number of mistatements in the blurb that M**k pasted.

    Nobody knows exactly what happened that night, but the generally agreed upon account is that Cooke was in a motel room with a prostitute, who made off with his pants and wallet while he was in the bathroom. He rushed out of the motel room--pantsless--and into the proprietor's office, where he apparently thought the prostitute was hiding. The proprietor claimed that he attacked her and that she shot him in self defense.

    He most definitely did not, however, die in a plane crash, as a surprisingly large number of people seem to think.


    thanks for the clarification mayne!
  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    Didn't know that part about Cooke's death. Thanks for the info.

    That's not really accurate--there are a number of mistatements in the blurb that M**k pasted.

    Nobody knows exactly what happened that night, but the generally agreed upon account is that Cooke was in a motel room with a prostitute, who made off with his pants and wallet while he was in the bathroom. He rushed out of the motel room--pantsless--and into the proprietor's office, where he apparently thought the prostitute was hiding. The proprietor claimed that he attacked her and that she shot him in self defense.

    He most definitely did not, however, die in a plane crash, as a surprisingly large number of people seem to think.


    thanks for the clarification mayne!

    Recommended reading for all dudes with an interest in soul music and 600+ pages worth of time on their hands:

  • SoulOnIceSoulOnIce 13,027 Posts
    Cooke's version is hard to beat, but another fave is by Bettye Swann
  • Big_StacksBig_Stacks "I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
    Hey,

    This group did a cover version:

    -The Greatest Little Soul Band in the Land (or World; I'm at work) ft/ J.J. Jackson.

    Peace,

    Big Stacks from Kakalak
  • SoulOnIceSoulOnIce 13,027 Posts
    I'd like to say the version by the Mediatation Singers,
    but I still haven't been able to find a copy of the album
  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    There is also an awesome full length DVD on Sam Cooke's life written by Peter Guralnick & released as part of the VH1 Legends series. It is a must see.
  • hammertimehammertime 2,389 Posts
    Cooke's version is hard impossible to beat.





    I'm reading Dream Boogie right now, it's great.
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    Recommended reading for all dudes with an interest in soul music and 600+ pages worth of time on their hands:


    I can easily say that this was the best 600+ pages worth of time (spread out over a few days!) that I ever spent. And if you STILL ain't had enough, that Sam Cooke bio by Daniel Wolff (You Send Me) is still on the shelves and worth reading. As thorough as these books are, very little facts are repeated from one book to the other.

    Now...as far as "A Change Is Gonna Come?"

    Not to be contrary, but I've only heard one cover version of "Change" as good as Cooke's, and that was by Baby Huey (with that rambling monologue). All the other versions I've heard are either serviceable, or miss the point (Brenton Wood's cover is too damn happy, like he's doing "Oogum Boogum, Part 2" or something).
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    From Songfacts.com:

    "Cooke wrote this as a protest song to support the civil rights movement, as black Americans fought for equality. Up to this point, most of his songs were either touching ballads ("You Send Me") or lighthearted uptemo tunes ("Twistin' The Night Away"). When Cooke heard Bob Dylan's "Blowin' In The Wind," he became determined to write something similar - he couldn't believe Dylan's song wasn't written by a black man.

    Cooke was deeply affected by the death of his infant son, who drowned in a swimming pool in 1963. He started writing more introspective songs and took an interest in black history and politics.

    Some of the lyrics were inspired by an incident where Cooke and some of his friends were arrested for disturbing the peace after they were denied rooms at a motel in Shreveport, Louisiana because they were black.

    This was released as a single a few months after Cooke died. He was shot by a motel owner who claimed he was raping a young girl in one of the rooms. A lot of controversy surrounded his death; Cooke owned his own record label and publishing company, and some people thought he was killed as part of a plot."

    this^^^ whole bio is very poor. As noted far more accurate and researched bios are out there.

    A Change is a great great great song and I love all versions. We did a thread a few months back I think.
  • On_the_Red_ClayOn_the_Red_Clay 1,728 Posts
    Ken Parker's version is the truth
  • DrJoelDrJoel 932 Posts
    Bonus Beat: My girl looooves this song. Sam Cooke version gets many plays in my room.
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-unlikely-story-of-a-change-is-gonna-come

    but this is a good little read printed a few months ago.
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