Why No Modern Lift Ev’ry Voice And Sing Covers?


Our friends over at BlogXilla asked a perfectly reasonable question recently: Why have no modern day musical celebrities covered Lift Ev’ry Voice And Sing, the song written in 1900 by James Weldon Johnson that’s often known as the Negro National Anthem?

Rihanna

We doubt James Weldon Johnson would mind a Lift Ev’ry Voice cover by Rihanna.

Big name covers from way back include Ray Charles, Leontyne Price, Kim Weston (my favorite), and Melba Moore … but that’s about it. How come Donny Hathaway or Luther Vandross never did one?

Xilla mentions Erykah Badu, Beyonce, and Mary J. Blige. But I also wonder, what about Alicia Keys, Jill Scott, Fantasia, Ciara, or Rihanna?

What about John Legend, Kanye West, or Akon choppin’ it up with Timbaland? To a hip-hop beat?

If you were an exec producer, who would you bring together for a project like this?

Meanwhile, Johnson was kinda like the Dr. Dre of his time.

He was a regular patron at the Manhattan Casino, where many of the basketball teams of the Black Fives Era played, along with his friend Madam C. J. Walker and other big names of the period.

One of Johnson’s books, Black Manhattan, is a really dope glimpse into that world.

Did you know that the James Weldon Johnson Papers are stored at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut? I was browsing his collection and found this beautiful photo, which proves to me that he really wouldn’t mind a sultry, soulful cover of his most famous composition. At all.

James Weldon Johnson Collection photo

Mr. Johnson! This definitely lifts every voice! Knowhatimean?

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RadiantK
15 years ago

Dear Sir Claude Johnson,

Thank you for your fine question. If I may, at the risk of making the author and reader actually reconsider themselves and our predicament:

There is now room for a whole new way of thinking.

We have actually been hoodwinked by our egos and emotions into prizing style and embellishment, while not recognizing true gifted producers of intellectual property, along with it’s beauty and intent.

The composition “Lift Every Voice…” was musically composed by John Rosemund Johnson, the younger brother and Boston Conservatory trained musician/composer singer, who put music to James Weldon’s poem. There’s at least one answer to your question: We are incomplete as to who the authors actually are, in an effort to assign our hopes and dreams on a single star or stars, that although popular and unlimited, are not tuned in to the skills and expertise required to bond with this material. Not to mention, they operate on copying one another for these types of things.

This is the same reason that these same hopefuls, will not find the dedication to easily and authentically (you have to pay lots of dues) approach Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell or in-depth Strayhorn & Ellington.

The Johnson’s goals were “dedicated to ending the minstrel tradition and eradicating the myth of the old Negro.” If education, musical education (humanity: humans are the only animal that can create organized music with tools…) and dignity of content are prime ingredients, where does the lyrical content of the above mentioned artists usually lay? How are current artist like the very Talented T-Payne, Lil’ Wayne, etc. (respect), like or unlike minstrelsy in it’s prime?

I love these guys work, but I do possess content analysis, which let’s me see what their art does or doesn’t stand for.

We also have a habit of attacking things that are new, open minded, advanced, and that we do not understand. (If we’re not singing about get with you, street tales or Jesus, then what are we singing about)? Think about it.

You and your thoughts, are the most priceless things on the planet. I honor you.

Improvisation is earned, scientific, advanced, emotional and important. I didn’t hear much highly skilled improvisation at the Grammy’s. Further more, most of our young artist/musicians who rise, don’t know the difference between a minor 6th chord or a 13th. That’s O.K., but where’s your option…in sports we are training great guards, forwards, centers, tackles, at excellent institutions every day, with care, expertise and faith. Are we training these same students as to our musical history? I love Dr. Dre. We hail from the same hometown: Compton (represent.) Are his skill sets similar to the Johnsons (Conservatory, Law school. composer of lyrics and musicals at a high level?) Why the contrast? Dre exist in his own right. However, his skill sets are different, from let’s say a Quincy Jones: just different skills.

Furthermore, is their artistic premise closer to or further from the ethics of Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois and the Fisk Jubilee Singers? That’s before Buddy Bolden.

Thoughtout history, the powers that be have tried to ban things, to keep folks from expanding their minds: books, the ability to read, the ability to gather and play drums (real drums, with real drummers/griots, not drum machines, or imitations of drum machines. A drum machine will not tell you to have a little more respect when you are rapping about your lil’ shorty fantasies…), the ability to read music (this is literacy.) If the actual true content were general knowledge, it would be a threat to the current regimes. If the banning of something is successful, then by virtue of lack of access, you never new what you were missing.

Please think about it.

I am working for you, and you are my inspiration. My crew and me, we’ll do our best to represent and have an answer we can be proud of.

Please know there are people working for you, you have never met.
I am sure likewise. Please continue your excellent work.

Parker Marshall
15 years ago

GO RIHANNA!!

16 years ago

Xilla, I agree! This was a good heads up from you in the first place, and I’m gonna send it around just to see what people think. Meanwhile your blog is off the hook!!

Letitia, I like the Chris Brown/Alicia Keys combo.

16 years ago

What a great job of weaving in history with present day stuff so that it hardly feels like history. My pick for the lift every voice and sing cover is a tie. Boys to men or Chris brown with Alicia Keys. :)

Great blog man!! Thanks for the linkage. I really don’t understand why no one has done one yet… even if it was one of those covers with every singer in the world where they just get to sing 2 words it should be redone.

[…] Claude Johnson of Black Fives asks “Why hasn’t anyone covered Lift Ev’ry Voice and… […]