Written by her bassist, Gene Taylor, this is Nina Simone singing.
These words were written by the person who posted the video, Baye Kambul:
Recorded on April 7, 1968, live three days after the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. and performed at the Westbury Music Fair. Nina Simone dedicated her performance to King's memory. The song was written by her bass player, Gene Taylor. An edited version of this performance appears on Simone's album, Nuff Said (1968). I felt the unedited version captures the true emotional energy of the period surrounding Simone's performance.
Thanks for sharing this. I have vivid memories of hearing of his assassination when I was in high school. My father marched in Selma and he also took my brother to the March on Washington.
ReplyDeleteThank you for telling me. How I wish I had been in Washington.
DeleteI was just 20, and my father died a week later.
I've never heard this song before even though I love her music. What numb grief is in her voice here.
ReplyDeleteI've often thought what if? What if he hadn't been killed? What if Robert Kennedy had lived?
That makes me so glad that I posted it, so you could hear it.
DeleteMe, too.
I do wish he had lived. I have plenty of wishes and even more hope for the future.
ReplyDeleteYes.
DeleteNan, thank you for posting this video. I wasn't familiar with Nina Simone's music until now and I'm glad I listened to this song — as relevant today as it was then.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if Netflix streaming offers the same shows everywhere, but you might do a search for "What Happened Miss Simone?" A very interesting documentary. She was an amazing, amazing singer.
DeleteAnd you are so welcome!
Nan, "What Happened, Miss Simone?" is available on Netflix India which my family subscribes to. I will watch it this weekend. Thank you bringing the documentary to my attention.
DeleteI am absolutely delighted that it is available, and that you want to see it!!
DeleteThank you for sharing this, Nan. I was not aware of this song either and it was very moving.
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome.
DeleteNina Simone is awesome! I love her bluesy singing. :)
ReplyDeleteOh Nan, thanks very much for sharing this. I was 11 years old in 1968 and living in the same town where I live now, which is very close to Atlanta, Georgia. It was such a terrible, terrible time and to be that close to the emotion of it all, pretty overwhelming at that age. I will never forget that year, 1968. That was in April, and we still had June to get through.
ReplyDeleteOh, Kay, it must have awful being that close. And you were so young.
DeleteAnd your last sentence is a killer. I was a huge RFK person.
Such a powerful and emotional singer.
ReplyDeleteYes!
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