Tag: #CurtisMayfieldAndTheImpressions.

The Top 500 Songs in Modern Music History…Song #91: One Love/People Get Ready by Bob Marley (KEXP)

This list of songs is inspired by lists published by radio station KEXP-FM from Seattle in 2010, as well as the latest poll taken in 2021 by Rolling Stone Magazine. For the most part I will faithfully countdown from their lists, starting at Song #500 and going until I reach Song #1. When you see the song title listed as something like: Song #XXX (KEXP)….it means that I am working off of the official KEXP list. Song XXX (RS) means the song is coming from the Rolling Stone list. If I post the song title as being: Song #xxx (KTOM), it means I have gone rogue and am inserting a song choice from my own personal list of tunes I really like. In any case, you are going to get to hear a great song and learn the story behind it. Finally, just so everyone is aware, I am not a music critic nor a musician. I am a music fan and an armchair storyteller. Here is the story behind today’s song. Enjoy.

KEXP: The Top 500 Songs in Modern Music History.

Song #91: One Love/People Get Ready by Bob Marley.

Earlier in this countdown, we discussed a song entitled, “People Get Ready” by the late, great Curtis Mayfield and his group, The Impressions. *(That post can be read by clicking on the link here.) “People Get Ready” was a spiritual song that was written during the time of the Civil Rights Movement in the southern U.S. during the 1960s. The song is built in the tradition of all great Gospel songs that offer thanks to The Lord for gifts given and strength provided. So, while “People Get Ready” is, sometimes, referred to as a Soul song or an R&B song, it is, first and foremost, a Gospel song. In “People Get Ready”, Curtis Mayfield gave those in the Civil Rights Movement a rallying cry to rely on when Life seemed to be at its darkest moments. It is a song that states that we are all equal in the eyes of The Lord and that those who work in his name do so in the name of all that is righteous and good. “People Get Ready” became one of Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions greatest hits. It inspired those working for justice, as well as, those who simply liked good music.

The power and influence of “People Get Ready” was felt around the world; even on the island of Jamaica, where it was heard by three teenage boys by the names of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. These three young men had formed their own singing group called “The Wailing Wailers”. For their debut album, Bob Marley wrote a song that came to be known as “One Love”. This song was directly influenced by Mayfield’s own song, which can be seen in the fact that Marley cribbed whole lines and used them in his own song. In the late 1960s, there were no copyright laws, as we know them today so, no one felt any pressure to acknowledge Mayfield as the original source of the idea for the song. So, the song was simply released as, “One Love”.

Like “People Get Ready”, “One Love” is a song that begs for unity and that claims that we are all equal under God’s watchful eye. One of the more pressing reasons that Marley wrote the song was because of the political situation on his island of Jamaica. At the time, and especially as his career went on, Marley was a much beloved citizen of Jamaica. In fact, as it came time for local elections to be held, the popular opinion was that Bob Marley was the most respected man in Jamaica and that he could have easily won the Prime Ministership had he chosen to run. But, Marley did not wish to descend into the mudslinging chaos that characterized much of what passed for political discourse at the time so, instead of running for election, he wrote a song called, “One Love” to act as a gesture making his ideals and wishes known.

There are many people around the world who are convinced that “One Love” is actually Jamaica’s national anthem. It is not. But, never-the-less, it has become the unofficial anthem for Reggae Music around the world and is, in most cases, the first song one thinks of when thinking of Jamaica. It was not by fluke that the Jamaican Tourism Board selected “One Love” to act as the soundtrack by which they invited the world to come to Jamaica and experience the beauty of the island for themselves.

Bob Marley’s final album was called, “Exodus”. In preparation for this album, he decided to re-work “One Love”. But, by now, copyright laws had become standardized around the world and Marley could no longer claim sole authorship of his own hit. So, in order to prevent a lawsuit from those who worked for Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions, Bob Marley offered Mayfield a songwriting credit, as well as, a share of the song’s title. That was agreed to by those representing Curtis Mayfield. Consequently, the song that I always knew to be called, “One Love” is now, legally known as “One Love/People Get Ready”. In this way, two great men of peace and unity are recognized, along with two anthems that have brought Joy and Comfort to many around the world.

In 1981, Bob Marley passed away from cancer. A few years later, in 1984, a Greatest Hits album was released called, “Legend”. The “Legend” album reads almost like a greatest hits list for all of Reggae. The album sold in the tens of millions and is, by a long shot, the biggest selling Reggae album of all-time. Needless to say, the song “One Love/People Get Ready” is on that album. However, because of renewed interest in Marley’s career, along with a general upswing in the public’s awareness of Reggae music, it was felt necessary that a music video be made about the song. Unfortunately, with Bob Marley having passed away, he was, obviously, not available to participate. The makers of the video wanted something fresh so, they refused to simply pull out old concert footage and pass that off as new. No, they wanted something new that still managed to reflect the message of inclusion that “One Love/People Get Ready” espouses. So, they created a new video that stars a young dreadlocked boy, walking through the streets of London and area, smiling, singing and dancing with all manner of people he meets along the way. Everyone is welcomed by him and everyone is welcoming of him. There are numerous guest appearances by UK singers of note of the day. But, the biggest guest spot went to Bob Marley, himself. The producers of the video used archival footage of Marley walking through the streets as well so it seemed as though he and the young child were both walking together.

I hope that you all enjoy the video for “One Love/People Get Ready” by Bob Marley and that, having watched it, you “feel alright”. 🙂

The link to the video for the song, “One Love/People Get Ready” by Bob Marley, can be found here.

The link to the official website for Bob Marley, can be found here.

The link to the official website for Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions, can be found here.

Thanks, as always, to KEXP, for supporting the most uplifting music from around the world. The link to their wonderful website can be found here.

The Top 500 Songs in Modern Music History: Song #424…People Get Ready by Curtis Mayfield (RS)

This list of songs is inspired by lists published by radio station KEXP-FM from Seattle in 2010, as well as the latest poll taken in 2021 by Rolling Stone Magazine. For the most part I will faithfully countdown from their lists, starting at Song #500 and going until I reach Song #1. When you see the song title listed as something like: Song #XXX (KEXP)….it means that I am working off of the official KEXP list. Song XXX (RS) means the song is coming from the Rolling Stone list. If I post the song title as being: Song #xxx (KTOM), it means I have gone rogue and am inserting a song choice from my own personal list of tunes I really like. In any case, you are going to get to hear a great song and learn the story behind it. Finally, just so everyone is aware, I am not a music critic nor a musician. I am a music fan and an armchair storyteller. Here is the story behind today’s song. Enjoy.

RS: The Top 500 Songs in Modern Music History.

Song #424: People Get Ready by Curtis Mayfield.

What a beautiful, powerful and inspiring song this is! An R & B classic with its roots firmly planted in the Gospel tradition of so many Chicago Bluesfolk, “People Get Ready” tells the story of the importance of Faith when it comes to times of struggle and strife and of always believing in the purpose of one’s journey. Curtis Mayfield was the leader of a musical group called The Impressions. They were based out of Chicago. Growing up, Mayfield was a regular church goer. Sermons about the power of Faith, accompanied by the passionate singing of Gospel choirs, both became part of his musical DNA. So, it was a surprise to absolutely no one that a singer with as soulful voice as Mayfield’s would write a song such as “People Get Ready”. It is a song filled with references to “The Lord”, to a journey to a better place and the essential prerequisite for this journey, Faith. When Curtis Mayfield sings this song, he is often accompanied by back-up singers, which helps create a church-like atmosphere, no matter where the song is being sung.

One person who was moved by Mayfield’s lyrics was another man of Faith…Dr. Martin Luther King. By the time that “People Get Ready” was released, the Civil Rights Movement was fully engaged in Marches for justice all over the southern U.S. Dr. King quickly saw that Mayfield’s lyrics spoke eloquently to the cause of Civil Rights, especially as it dealt with maintaining Faith in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The violent opposition the greeted Black marchers every step of the way was such that it would have been very easy for them to have given up. “People Get Ready” was soon adopted by the Movement and used as a hymn to help stiffen the spines and steel the resolve of those seeking to integrate schools, bus transportation and restaurants, as well as expanding and securing voting rights for people of colour. When Martin Luther King was assassinated, “People Get Ready” was one of the songs played at his funeral. It is said that it was sung in the streets of Black communities throughout Chicago and across America as a way of honouring Dr. King, as well as reaffirming that the fight for racial justice would continue. Having Faith in the purpose of one’s journey is among the most important traits person can have in their life. “People Get Ready” speaks to that as well as any song ever. The power of that message resonates, even today, as the quest for racial equality continues to play out in courtrooms and legislatures throughout the land.

One of the ways that you can judge the quality of a song is the willingness and the ability of others to try and cover it. “People Get Ready” has been covered by the likes of Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Aaron Neville, The Blind Boys of Alabama and a whole host of others, too. My first introduction to “People Get Ready” was by way of Rod Stewart, who teamed up with guitarist extraordinaire, Jeff Beck back in the mid-90s. Normally, I am careful about cheering on “white” remakes of “black” songs but, there is an exception to be made in this case. If you ask any of the early rockers about their music roots, they will all state that rock n’ roll is built upon a foundation of The Blues. Both Stewart and Beck follow that line of thinking and, as a result, both have always had an affinity for Blues-based songs and musicians. Both men really liked “People Get Ready” and would perform it in their shows (always giving credit to Mayfield) but, they had never officially recorded it. That changed when Curtis Mayfield became injured during a concert. Stage lighting fell on him, injuring his back and requiring multiple surgeries and much in the way of therapy afterwards. Very quickly, Mayfield’s medical bills reached a point beyond which he was unable to pay. Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck approached Mayfield and asked for his blessing to record and release their version of “People Get Ready”. Proceeds from the sale of the song went toward Mayfield’s medical expenses.

I almost hate to say it but, I think I like the cover version by Beck and Stewart better than the original by Mayfield. Rod Stewart has a deep, soulful voice and Jeff Beck’s guitar playing is gorgeous! Regardless of which version speaks to you….they are both good…..you will get to see each one. I will place the original version by Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions first and then, below it, you can find the Beck/Stewart collaboration.

“People Get Ready, there’s a train a-coming.

You don’t need no baggage, you just get on board.

All you need is Faith, to hear that diesel’s hummin’.

You don’t need a ticket. You just thank The Lord.“

Enjoy!

The link to the music video for “People Get Ready” by Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions can be found here. ***The lyrics version can be found here.

The link to the music video for “People Get Ready” as covered by Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck can be found here.

There is a website dedicated to Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions. You can access it by clicking on the link here.

Thanks go to Rolling Stone Magazine for their continued support and promotion of artists such as Curtis Mayfield. They have a wonderful website that can be found here.

***As always, all original content contained within this post remains the sole property of the author. No portion of the post shall be reblogged, copied or shared without the express written consent of the author. ©2022 http://www.tommacinneswriter.com