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Abraham, Martin and John
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Wikipedia article
"'Abraham, Martin and John'" is a 1968 song written by Dick Holler. It was first recorded by Dion, in a version that was a substantial North American chart hit in 1968/69. Near-simultaneous cover versions by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and Moms Mabley also charted in the U.S. in 1969, and a 1969 version by Marvin Gaye was the hit version in the UK. It was also a hit as part of a medley (with "What the World Needs Now Is Love") for Tom Clay in 1971, and has subsequently been recorded by many other artists.
The song itself is a tribute to the memory of four assassinated Americans, all icons of social change: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, and Robert F. Kennedy. It was written in response to the assassination of King and that of Robert Kennedy in April and June 1968, respectively.
Lyrics
Each of the first three verses features one of the men named in the song's title, for example:
:Anybody here, seen my old friend Abraham?
:Can you tell me where he's gone?
:He freed a lot of people, but it seems the good, they die young
:You know I just looked around and he's gone
After a bridge, the fourth and final verse mentions "Bobby" (referencing Robert F. Kennedy), and ends with a description of him walking over a hill with the other three men.
Dion recording
The original version, recorded by Dion, featured a gentle folk rock production from Phil Gernhard and arrangement from John Abbott. The song features a flugelhorn, an electric organ, bass, and drums.
Although it was quite unlike the rock sound that Dion had become famous for in the early 1960s, and even more unlike Holler and Gernhard's previous collaboration in the 1966 novelty smash "Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron", "Abraham, Martin and John" nonetheless was a major American hit single in late 1968. It reached number 4 on the Hot 100 and number 1 on Chicago station WLS and was awarded an RIAA gold record for selling a million copies. In Canada, it topped the charts, reaching number 1 in the 'RPM 100' on November 25, 1968. In 2001, this recording would be ranked number 248 on the RIAA's Songs of the Century list. The record was also popular with adult listeners, reaching number 8 on the 'Billboard' Easy Listening survey. The personnel on the original recording included Vinnie Bell and Ralph Casale on guitar, Nick DeCaro on organ, David Robinson on drums, Gloria Agostini on harp, and George Marge on oboe and English horn.
Chart performance
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Later recordings and performances
* Smokey Robinson & the Miracles recorded a version that became an American Top 40 single in 1969, reaching number 33Whitburn, Joel 'The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits', Billboard Books, New York, 1992, p. 317 while reaching number 16 on the US R&B chartsWhitburn, Joel, 'The Billboard Book of TOP 40 R&B and Hip Hop Hits', Billboard Books, New York 2006, p. 400
* Marvin Gaye, with an orchestral arrangement by Norman Whitfield, also recorded a version in 1969 that became a top-ten hit (reaching number 9) in the United Kingdom in 1970 (Gaye's version was never released in the U.S. as a single but was featured on his 1970 album, 'That's the Way Love Is', and was one of his first experiments with social messages in his music which would culminate in his 1971 album, 'What's Going On'.)
* Moms Mabley, best known as a comedian, performed a completely serious version that hit the U.S. Top 40. It reached number 35 in July 1969 and number 18 on the R&B charts, making Mabley (at 75) the oldest living person to have a U.S. Top 40 hit.Whitburn, Joel, 'The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits', Billboard Books, New York, 1992 p. 287 Whitburn, Joel, 'The Billboard Book of Top 40 R&B and Hip Hop Hits', Billboard Books, New York, 2006, p. 363
* Ray Charles recorded his version of the song on his 1972 album 'A Message from the People'.
* Marillion released two versions in 1999. A live recording was on their 'Unplugged at the Walls' album, and a studio version on their fan club Christmas CD the same year.
* Whitney Houston performed the song in her live concert in 1997 which aired on VH1 and HBO as 'Whitney Houston: Live Washington DC'..
* Wilson Pickett recorded a variation of the song, "Cole, Cooke & Redding" (US number 91), as the B-side of his 1970 version of The Archies' hit "Sugar, Sugar". His version altered the lyrics to eulogize the titular three deceased icons of black music.
* Harry Belafonte recorded the song in his 1970 album 'Belafonte By Request' released by RCA Records
* Bob Dylan and Clydie King in the Dylan concert movie "Trouble No More" released by Sony in 2017
* Leonard Nimoy included this song in his 1970 LP, "The New World Of Leonard Nimoy" (Dot Records, DLP 25966)
* Beverly Knight performed the song with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Gaye's 1969 recording on the 2021 album 'Motown with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: A Symphony of Soul' (Motown/Island Records/UMC)
* Rosey Grier, who had been one of Robert F. Kennedy's bodyguards and helped subdue Sirhan Sirhan after the shots that killed Senator Kennedy following his victory in the 1968 California Democratic primary were fired, recorded a version for his 1986 gospel album 'Committed'.
As part of medleys
The song is also featured on Tom Clay's 1971 "What the World Needs Now Is Love/Abraham, Martin, and John", a medley combining Dion's recording with Jackie DeShannon's recording of Burt Bacharach's "What the World Needs Now Is Love", along with vocals by The Blackberries. Clay's recording features narration (an adult asking a child to define several words associated with social unrest), sound bites from speeches given by President John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr., along with sound bites from the live press coverage of Robert Kennedy's assassination, and his eulogy by his brother Edward M. Kennedy. It reached number 8 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 chartWhitburn, Joel The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, Billboard Books, New York, 1992, p. 102 on August 14, 1971 and number 32 on the R&B charts.Whitburn, Joel, 'The Billboard Book of TOP 40 R&B and Hip Hop Hits', Billboard Books, New York 2006, p.109 It reached number 3 in Australia.
See also
*Civil rights movement in popular culture
*Cultural depictions of Abraham Lincoln
*Cultural depictions of John F. Kennedy
References
Further reading
*Collins, Ace. 'Songs Sung, Red, White, and Blue: The Stories Behind America's Best-Loved Patriotic Songs'. HarperResource, 2003.
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