Some of you may recall this writer's January 15, 2010 essay, entitled, Original v. Cover -- #8 of a Series, which was in part a tribute to the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. The song was Sam Cooke's anthemic "A Change is Gonna Come", which received some recognition when it was posthumously released, but has since become recognized as one of the most significant songs of the 20th century.
If any song could serve as a sequel, this week's selection, released two years later in 1965, might well be the odds on favorite. Like Cooke's masterpiece, one cannot listen to this song without something stirring deep within ourselves.
The group performing this week's selection began in Chattanooga, Tennessee, initially going by the name, "The Rooster." After moving to Chicago, one of the two new members of the group composed a gospel-influenced song that conveyed a powerful social and political message, serving as one of several inspirational anthems for the Civil Rights Movement.
This week's selection was both the title track of an album and was also a single release. This song became the group's best known hit, reaching #3 on the Billboard R&B chart and #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Although the #14 ranking was not all that impressive at the time, like Sam Cooke's song, it would later receive far more recognition. Rolling Stone magazine would later assign it a ranking of #24 on their list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song was also designated as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. A group of twenty of the industry's top songwriters and producers, including Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson and Hal David chose it as one of the Top 10 Best Songs of All Time.
Although this song may have been written from a Christian perspective, this writer would contend that its message can be interpreted much more generically, providing an important reminder to all, whether one subscribes to one of the world's mainstream religions, is agnostic or chooses atheism.
When Sam Cooke sang "A Change is Gonna Come", he reminded us that change is an inevitable and immutable truth. This week's selection entreats us to prepare ourselves for those inescapable changes that surely lie ahead.
Upon hearing this song, we may recall many who were once an important part of our life, having since entered into whatever it is that awaits us beyond our brief appearance in this existence. We hope that such a time is far off in the future, however, someday, a day that may be soon or distant, that won't be the case. Perhaps a worthy resolution for the New Year would be that of taking an inventory of our lives, identifying that which needs to be done while it is still possible.
Is there close friend or relative who you haven't seen in quite some time? Might there be someone you care about who is lonely and in need of encouragement, to be reminded that someone cares about them? Is there a particular place you've wanted to visit, but for various reasons, have not done so yet? Might there be something you've always wanted to try or accomplish, but have procrastinated? Accomplishing at least a few of these tasks may provide a surprising sense of well-being, despite the many frightening storm clouds that swirl about us all.
Yes, we might do well to listen closely to this song, and divine for ourselves what these inspirational words may mean for us personally. There may be no better time to do that than the present, as one year draws to a close, and the eve of a new year lies only two weeks ahead.
Having now exhausted all reasonable clues, without further ado, this week's feature song, written by Curtis Mayfield and first recorded by The Impressions is their #14 hit from 1965 entitled, "People Get Ready."
The Impressions were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991, and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003. Here is the original recording of "People Get Ready"...
The Chambers Brothers are perhaps best known for their 11-minute, #11 hit from 1968, entitled, "Time Has Come Today." Here is their cover version of "People Get Ready" from 1965...
The Everly Brothers, the most successful duo in history as measured by the number of singles placed on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, recorded this cover version in 1965, which appears on their "Beat & Soul" album. This one is worth a listen.
The Walker Brothers, although an American group, enjoyed considerably greater success in the U. K. and Germany, running counterpoint to the British Invasion which was already well underway in the United States. The Walker Brothers charted two Top Twenty hits: "Make It Easy on Yourself", which peaked at #16 in 1965 and "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)", which rose to #13 in 1966. Their interpretation of "People Get Ready" was included in their 1966 album, entitled, "Portrait"...
Vanilla Fudge recorded five albums between 1967 and 1969 before disbanding. They have since regrouped and currently consist of all four original members. Here is their 1967 version of "People Get Ready", from their eponymous debut album, a version that perhaps departs further from the original than any of the others appearing in this space...
Johnny Rivers has placed nine Top Ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and has sold more than thirty million records to date. His interpretation of "People Get Ready" was included on his "Homegrown" album from 1971...
Kenny Rankin's talents for reworking classic songs such as The Beatles' "Blackbird" so impressed Paul McCartney that he asked Rankin to perform his interpretation of that song when McCartney and Lennon were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Here is Rankin's interpretation of "People Get Ready" from 1975...
The Scottish vocalist Barbara Dickson is not only a talented singer, but is also a two-time Olivier Award-winning actress. Here is her 1976 television performance of "People Get Ready", which also appears on her album, entitled "Answer Me"...
Dolly Parton is referred to as the Queen of Country Music, and to date, is the only female performer to have placed at least one song at #5 or higher on the charts during five consecutive decades.
Cher, referred to as the Goddess of Pop, has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes, a Cannes Film Festival Award, and a People's Choice Award for her work in film, music and television. Cher is the only female solo artist to achieve a Top Ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 charts during each of four consecutive decades.
Here the two pool their talents on Cher's 1978 television special. Parton performs her interpretation of "People Get Ready" while Cher responds with "My Sweet Lord." Rod Stewart also appears in this video, apparently representing heaven and hell, engaging in a struggle for Cher's soul. In any event, here it is...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the UK Music Hall of Fame inductee Dusty Springfield lends her considerable talents to this cover version from 1979. She was ranked as one of the 25 greatest female rock artists of all time by readers of Mojo magazine in 1999, the editors of Q magazine in 2002 and a panel of artists on the VH1 television channel. In 2008, Rolling Stone magazine ranked her at #35 on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Universal Pictures is planning to release a film portraying the story of her life in 2011, starring Kristin Chenoweth, who plays Springfield in the film. She was perhaps best known for her #4 hit in 1966, entitled, "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"...
Al Green was ranked by Rolling Stone magazine in 2005 at #65 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and has so far sold more than twenty million records...
Jeff Beck was ranked by Rolling Stone magazine at #14 on the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time list and has received the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance five times. Beck once performed with the Yardbirds, as did Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, in 1992 as a member of the Yardbirds and in 2009 as a solo artist.
Rod Stewart has had 16 hit singles in the United States which have reached the Top 10 and four that have risen to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He has sold more than 100,000,000 records worldwide, distinguishing him as one of the most successful artists of all time. In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked him as the 17th most successful artist on "The Billboard Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists" list and was voted #33 on Q magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.
The two combine their talents here in this interpretation from 1985...
Curtis Mayfield played the guitar, bass, piano, saxophone and drums, and is regarded as a pioneer of funk music. His "Superfly" album took black music in a new direction, and is ranked by Rolling Stone magazine at #69 on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine placed him at #99 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Here is Mayfield's performance from 1989...
Maceo Parker, jazz saxophonist, was perhaps best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s. Here he performs a very nice instrumental version on August 31, 1991...
Singer, songwriter and pianist Aretha Franklin has received eighteen competitive Grammy Awards, in addition to two honorary Grammy Awards. Referred to at the Queen of Soul, Rolling Stone magazine ranked her at #1 on their list of The Greatest Singers of All Time. She has had fourteen million-selling singles and from 1967-1982, had ten #1 R&B albums, more than any other female artist. In 1987, she became the first female artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2009 was the only featured singer at the Presidential inauguration for Barack Obama. Although she initially performed the song in 1968, here is a 1993 performance, where she is joined by Rod Stewart...
Rod Stewart performs live in a 1994 concert Rio de Janiero, before an audience of 3.5 million. Embedding has been disabled, but you can see this performance here.
Michelle Wright recorded this version on her 1997 compilation album, entitled, "Peace in the Valley." The Canadian country music singer's version of "People Get Ready" rose to #49 on the RPM Adult Contemporary charts. Here is the official video, which is worth a look...
Phoebe Snow is best known for her #5 hit from 1975, entitled, "Poetry Man." Here she performs with Ladysmith Black Mambazo in 1997...
Eva Cassidy died at the age of thirty-three of melanoma in 1996, tragically cutting short a promising career. At the time, she was little known outside the Washington, D. C. area. Her work first captured the attention of a wider audience when her cover version of "Over the Rainbow" began to receive airplay in the U. K. In 2005, when Amazon.com released its list of the top 25 best-selling musicians, Cassidy placed #5, behind The Beatles, U2, Norah Jones and Diana Krall.
Cassidy's considerable talents are captured in this live performance at Blues Alley from 1997. Don't miss this one!
Four-time Grammy winner Ziggy Marley lends a reggae twist to "People Get Ready" on Letterman in 1997...
Two-time Grammy winner John Denver was also a talented artist, avid skier, golfer and airplane pilot. He performed this version in 1997 and would perish later that same year when the experimental aircraft he was piloting crashed...
The Blind Boys of Alabama have won five Grammy Awards and have also been honored with the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008, in addition to winning a Grammy in the Best Traditional Gospel Album category. Rarely has a group received both awards at the same time. They have also been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and were awarded the NEA's Heritage Fellowship for Lifetime Achievement. Here is their performance of "People Get Ready" from 2002...
With a staggering eighteen Grammy-Award nominations, Take 6 holds the distinction as the most nominated Gospel, Jazz, Pop or R&B artist in Grammy history. They have topped the Downbeat magazine reader poll as the Favorite Jazz Vocal group for nine consecutive years. Their stylings are thought to have heavily influenced the Backstreet Boys and Boyz II Men. Here is their performance from May 21, 2002...
City Mouse, a Mankato, Minnesota area band, has been together in various configurations since 1971. Their versatility allowed them to survive during the disco era, a time when many bands folded. Here they perform at the 12th Annual Riverbend Folk Festival in St. Peter, Minesota in 2002. Bandleader Billy Steiner was named to the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame in 2002.
Band members include: Billy Steiner, vocal/harmonica/guitar; Tim Waters, vocal/guitar/pedal steel/banjo; Ron Arsenault, vocal/acoustic guitar; Dale Haefner, keyboards; Mike Pengra, vocal/percussion; and Dave Pengra, vocal/bass. The members are all very talented instrumentalists, with five members contributing on vocals. Their vocals, solo work and harmonies are truly outstanding. Please don't miss this one!
Bruce Springsteen has received twenty Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes and an Academy Award. In addition, he has sold more than 65 million albums in the United States and more than 120 million worldwide.
The Irish group U2 has won 22 Grammy Awards (more than any other band) and to date have sold more than 150,000,000 records. In 2005, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during their first year of eligibility. Rolling Stone magazine ranked them at #22 on the list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. They have campaigned for many human rights and philanthropic causes.
Springsteen and his wife made the following guest appearance during U2's Vertigo Tour in Philadelphia on October 17, 2005. Here is the result of their collaboration.
Alicia Keys graduated from the Professional Performing Arts School in Manhattan as valedictorian at the age of sixteen. Her debut album, "Songs in A Minor", sold more than twelve million copies worldwide and earned her five Grammy Awards in 2002, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for "Fallin'". Her followup album in 2003, entitled "The Diary of Alicia Keys" was also a success, selling more than eight million copies, earning her four additional Grammy Awards.
Keys' live 2003 "Unplugged" album debuted at #1 in the United States, making her the first female to achieve such a honor, the first artist or group to achieve this distinction since Nirvana in 1994. Her third studio album, "As I Am", sold more than six million copies, earning her three additional Grammy Awards, and her fourth studio album, "The Element of Freedom, released in 2009, became her first #1 album in the U.K. She has sold more than 30 million albums to date, was named by Billboard magazine as the top R&B artist from the decade of 2000-2009, and was placed by VH1 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
Keys' version of "People Get Ready" was included on the soundtrack for the 2006 film "Glory Road." Emebedding has been disabled, but here is the link.
David Sanborn is perhaps this only jazz artist to have performed at Woodstock in 1969, when he was a member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Here he joins forces with Art Neville (of Neville Brothers' fame) on September 19, 2006
Seal, winner of BRIT, MTV and Grammy Awards has a considerable international following. Embedding has been disabled, however, his 2009 video performance of "People Get Ready" is worth a look. You can find it here.
Crystal Bowersox turns in a respectable performance on American Idol - April 20, 2010...
Poll
Which versions do you prefer? (Choose one or more)
WikiLeaks Mirror Sites
