To Be Young, Gifted and Black
Encyclopedia
"To Be Young, Gifted and Black" is a song by Nina Simone
with lyrics
by Weldon Irvine
. It was written in memory of Simone's late friend Lorraine Hansberry
, author of the play Raisin in the Sun. The song was originally recorded by Simone for her 1970 album Black Gold
; released as a single
, it became a Top Ten R&B hit and a Civil Rights
anthem. Notable cover version
s of the song were recorded by Donny Hathaway
(on his 1970 album Everything Is Everything), Aretha Franklin
(on her 1972 album Young, Gifted and Black
) and Bob and Marcia
(whose 1970 recording reached number 5 in the UK charts).
Elton John
recorded a version of "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" prior to his solo success. Intended to be released as a low budget sound-alike
version of the original, it was later reissued on the compilation album
Covers as Sung by Elton John
.
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
with lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
by Weldon Irvine
Weldon Irvine
Weldon Jonathan Irvine, Jr. , also known Master Wel, was an American composer, playwright, poet, pianist and organist.-Biography:...
. It was written in memory of Simone's late friend Lorraine Hansberry
Lorraine Hansberry
Lorraine Hansberry was an African American playwright and author of political speeches, letters, and essays...
, author of the play Raisin in the Sun. The song was originally recorded by Simone for her 1970 album Black Gold
Black Gold (album)
Black Gold is a live album by Jazz singer/pianist/songwriter Nina Simone recorded in 1969 at the Philharmonic Hall, New York.The album is especially notable because it features the civil rights anthem song "To Be Young Gifted And Black"...
; released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, it became a Top Ten R&B hit and a Civil Rights
African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)
The African-American Civil Rights Movement refers to the movements in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring voting rights to them. This article covers the phase of the movement between 1955 and 1968, particularly in the South...
anthem. Notable cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of the song were recorded by Donny Hathaway
Donny Hathaway
Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...
(on his 1970 album Everything Is Everything), Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
(on her 1972 album Young, Gifted and Black
Young, Gifted and Black
Young, Gifted and Black is a Top 10 Gold-certified album by Aretha Franklin, released in 1972. It takes its title from the Nina Simone song "To Be Young, Gifted and Black", which is the record's title track....
) and Bob and Marcia
Bob and Marcia
Bob and Marcia were a Jamaican vocal duo, that consisted of Bob Andy and Marcia Griffiths. They had a #5 UK hit single in 1970 with "Young, Gifted and Black". They followed up with "Pied Piper", which peaked at #11 in the UK Singles Chart in 1971. Those two releases spent a total of twenty five...
(whose 1970 recording reached number 5 in the UK charts).
Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
recorded a version of "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" prior to his solo success. Intended to be released as a low budget sound-alike
Sound-alike
A sound-alike is a recording intended to imitate the sound of a popular record, the style of a popular recording artist, or a current musical trend; the term also refers to the artists who perform on such recordings. In the voice-over world, it may also refer to those who recreate the voice and...
version of the original, it was later reissued on the compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
Covers as Sung by Elton John
Chartbusters Go Pop! 20 Legendary Covers from 1969/70 as Sung by Elton John
Chartbusters Go Pop is a compilation album of cover versions by Elton John.These recordings are from the days prior to Elton John's first success as a solo performer...
.