Black and White (Three Dog Night song)
Encyclopedia
"Black and White" is a song written in 1954 by David I. Arkin
and Earl Robinson
.
The most successful recording of the song was the pop
version by Three Dog Night
in 1972
, when it reached number one on both the Billboard Hot 100
and Billboard Easy Listening charts. This was one of the few hits for Three Dog Night on which Danny Hutton
sang the lead vocals.
The song was inspired by the United States Supreme Court
decision of Brown v. Board of Education
that outlawed racial segregation
of public schools
. The original folk song was first recorded by Sammy Davis Jr. in 1957. The original lyrics of the song opened with this verse, in reference to the court:
The reggae
group Greyhound
recorded and had a top ten UK hit with the song in 1971. Having heard the Greyhound version, which did not include the verse referring to the court, Three Dog Night included the song in their 1972 album, Seven Separate Fools
. This version of the song peaked at number one on the U.S. pop chart on September 16, 1972, and topped the easy listening chart on October 7.
David I. Arkin
David I. Arkin was a teacher, painter, writer, and lyricist, and is the father of actor Alan Arkin.Arkin was born in the United States. In 1945, Arkin moved his family to Los Angeles, California to take a teaching job. Arkin attempted to obtain work in the entertainment industry, but was...
and Earl Robinson
Earl Robinson
Earl Hawley Robinson was a singer-songwriter and composer from Seattle, Washington. Robinson is probably as well remembered for his left-leaning political views as he is for his music, including the songs "Joe Hill", "Black and White", and the cantata "Ballad for Americans"...
.
The most successful recording of the song was the pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
version by Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One...
in 1972
1972 in music
-Events:*January 17 – Highway 51 South in Memphis, Tennessee is renamed "Elvis Presley Boulevard"*January 20 – The début of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon at The Dome, Brighton, is halted by technical difficulties,...
, when it reached number one on both the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and Billboard Easy Listening charts. This was one of the few hits for Three Dog Night on which Danny Hutton
Danny Hutton
Daniel Anthony Hutton , is an Irish-American singer, best known as one of the three lead vocalists in the band, Three Dog Night. Hutton was the head of Hanna Barbera Records from 1965-1966...
sang the lead vocals.
The song was inspired by the United States Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
decision of Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
that outlawed racial segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
of public schools
Public education
State schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
. The original folk song was first recorded by Sammy Davis Jr. in 1957. The original lyrics of the song opened with this verse, in reference to the court:
- Their robes were black, Their heads were white,
- The schoolhouse doors were closed so tight,
- Nine judges all set down their names,
- To end the years and years of shame.
The reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
group Greyhound
Greyhound (band)
Greyhound was a reggae band from the United Kingdom.Greyhound began as The Rudies in the late 1960s, with core members Danny Smith and Freddie Notes. They also released material as The Tilermen and Des All Stars. Under the name The Rudies, they issued a cover of "Patches" by Clarence Carter and...
recorded and had a top ten UK hit with the song in 1971. Having heard the Greyhound version, which did not include the verse referring to the court, Three Dog Night included the song in their 1972 album, Seven Separate Fools
Seven Separate Fools
Seven Separate Fools is the eighth album by American rock band Three Dog Night, released in 1972 .-Track listing:#"Black and White" Seven Separate Fools is the eighth album by American rock band Three Dog Night, released in 1972 (see 1972 in music).-Track listing:#"Black and White" Seven Separate...
. This version of the song peaked at number one on the U.S. pop chart on September 16, 1972, and topped the easy listening chart on October 7.
See also
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1972 (U.S.)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1972 (U.S.)