A Change Is Gonna Come - Musik
A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke
Künstlerbiographie Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke Eigentlich Samuel Cook * 22. Januar 1931 In Clarksdale Mississippi USA † 11. Dezember 1964 In Los Angeles War Ein US-Amerikanischer Sänger. Zusammen Mit Seinen Geschwistern Startete Er In Der Formation Soul Children Gefolgt Von Der Gruppe Highway GQs Der Er Als Teenager Angehörte. 1950 Erreichte Er Mit Der Gruppe The Soul Stirrers Erste Erfolge Und Ruhm In Der Gospel-Gemeinde.
Seine Erste Single „Lovable“ 1956 Veröffentlichte Er Unter Dem Pseudonym Dale Cooke. Die Plattenfirma Der Soul Stirrers Specialty Records War Daraufhin Verärgert Und Setzte Cookes Plattenfirma Bumps Blackwell Unter Druck Sodass Diese Den Vertrag Mit Cooke Auflöste. Cooke Wechselte 1957 Zu Keen Records Und Hatte Mit Seinem Song „You Send Me“ Sehr Großen Erfolg.
Obwohl Es Schon Sehr Selten War Dass Ein R&B-Sänger Seine Eigenen Songs Schrieb Und Damit Erfolg Hatte Verblüffte Cooke Das Musik-Business Indem Er In Den 60ern Sein Eigenes Label Gründete. Sein SAR Records Nahm Unter Anderem The Simms Twins The Valentinos Bobby Womack Und Johnnie Taylor Unter Vertrag. Cooke Selbst Verließ Keen Records Und Schloss Mit Dem Major-Label RCA Einen Vertrag Ab. Seine Erste Single Dort „Chain Gang“ Wurde Einer Seiner Bekanntesten Songs. Weitere Hits Wie „Cupid“ „Sad Mood“ „Bring It On Home To Me“ „Another Saturday Night“ Und „Twisting The Night Away“ Folgten. Wie Die Meisten Anderen R&B-Sänger Seiner Zeit Veröffentlichte Cooke Fast Ausschließlich Singles. Eine Ausnahme Macht Sein 1963er Album "Night Beat".
Nach Seinem Frühen Tod Folgten Einige Veröffentlichungen Von Denen Viele Hits Wurden Darunter „A Change Is Gonna Come“ Ein Früher Protestsong. In Den 1980er Jahren Wurde Sein Song „Wonderful World“ Durch Den Einsatz In Der Werbung Noch Einmal Immens Populär. Außerdem Sorgten Immer Wieder Coverversionen Berühmter Interpreten Dafür Dass Das Erbe Sam Cookes Nie Vergessen Wurde. Unter Den Interpreten Finden Sich Künstler Wie Rod Stewart Yusuf Islam Otis Redding Aretha Franklin Oder Smokey Robinson. Sam Cooke Starb Unter Mysteriösen Umständen Am 11. Dezember 1964 Im Hacienda Motel In Los Angeles. Auch Wenn Details Seines Todes Immer Noch Unklar Sind Ist Gesichert Dass Er Von Bertha Franklin Der Motelmanagerin Erschossen Wurde. Diese Behauptete Cooke Solle Sie Bedroht Haben. Die Untersuchung Führte Zur Feststellung Dass Franklin In Notwehr Gehandelt Habe Und Es Wurde Keine Anklage Erhoben. Viele Glauben Dass Wichtige Fragen Des Falles Unbeantwortet Blieben. Vor Allem Sind Hinweise Auf Einen Rassistischen Hintergrund Weitgehend Ungeklärt Geblieben Obwohl Vieles Dafür Sprach. Sam Cooke Wurde Auf Dem Forest Lawn Memorial Park Friedhof In Glendale Kalifornien Begraben.
Cooke Wurde 1986 In Die Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Aufgenommen.
Frogtoon Musik - Song-Info: A Change Is Gonna Come
Sam-Cooke - The Man And His Music
A Change Is Gonna Come Is A 1964 Single By R&B Singer-Songwriter Sam Cooke Written And First Recorded In 1963 And Released Under The RCA Victor Label Shortly After His Death In Late 1964. Though Only A Modest Hit For Cooke In Comparison With His Previous Singles The Song Came To Exemplify The Sixties Civil Rights Movement. The Song Has Gained In Popularity And Critical Acclaim In The Decades Since Its Release. Origins Cooke Was Greatly Moved Upon Hearing Bob Dylan's "Blowin' In The Wind" In 1963 And Was Reportedly In Awe Citation Needed That Such A Poignant Song About Racism In America Could Come From Someone Who Was White. While On Tour In May 1963 And After Speaking With Sit-In Demonstrators In Durham North Carolina Following A Concert Cooke Returned To His Tour Bus And Wrote The First Draft Of What Would Become "A Change Is Gonna Come." In A Sense "A Change Is Gonna Come" Is An Answer To Dylan's "Blowin' In The Wind" As Well As A Song Of Hope For The Civil Rights Movement. The Hypothetical Questions Posed By Dylan Most Obvious Being "how Many Years Can Some People Exist Before They're Allowed To Be Free?" Were Answered By An Implied "Fewer Than You Think." Though Cooke Recognized "it's Been A Long/a Long Time Coming" The Song States That Change Is Inevitable. A Similar Sentiment Was Echoed By Dylan In "The Times They Are A-Changin'" Written And Released After "A Change Is Gonna Come." The Song Also Reflected Much Of Cooke's Own Inner Turmoil. Known For His Polished Image And Light-Hearted Songs Such As "You Send Me" And "Twistin' The Night Away" He Had Long Felt The Need To Address The Situation Of Discrimination And Racism In America Especially The Southern States. However His Image And Fears Of Losing His Largely White Fan Base Prevented Him From Doing So. The Song Very Much A Departure For Cooke Reflected Two Major Incidents In His Life. The First Was The Death Of Cooke's Eighteen-Month-Old Son Vincent Who Died Of An Accidental Drowning In June Of That Year. The Second Major Incident Came On October 8 1963 When Cooke And His Band Tried To Register At A "whites Only" Motel In Shreveport Louisiana And Were Summarily Arrested For Disturbing The Peace. Both Incidents Are Represented In The Weary Tone And Lyrics Of The Piece Especially The Final Verse "there Have Been Times That I Thought I Couldn't Last For Long/but Now I Think I'm Able To Carry On/It's Been A Long Time Coming But I Know A Change Is Gonna Come." Recording After Remaining Confined To Cooke's Notebooks For Months Of Touring "A Change Is Gonna Come" Was Finally Recorded On December 21 1963. Recording Took Place At The RCA Studios In Los Angeles California During Sessions For Cooke's 1964 Album Ain't That Good News. According To Author Peter Guralnick's Biography Of Cooke "Dream Boogie" Cooke Gave Arranger Rene Hall Free Rein On Song's Musical Arrangement. Hall Came Up With A Dramatic Orchestral Backing Highlighted By A Mournful French Horn. For His Vocal Cooke Reached Back To His Gospel Roots To Sing The Song With An Intensity And Passion Never Heard Before On His Pop Recordings. Release The Song Made Its First Appearance On Ain't That Good News The Last Album To Be Released Within Cooke's Lifetime. The LP Did Well Peaking At Number 34 On The Billboard Pop Albums Chart Making It More Successful Than Cooke's Previous LP 1963's Night Beat. However Cooke And His New Manager Allen Klein Thought The Song Deserved Greater Exposure. According To Guralnick's Book Klein Persuaded Cooke To Sing "A Change Is Gonna Come" On His February 7 1964 Appearance On The Tonight Show. Cooke Sang The Song Unfortunately Any Impact It Made Was Dimmed By The Beatles' History-Making Appearance On The Ed Sullivan Show Just Two Days Later. In A Further Misfortune NBC Did Not Save The Tape Of Cooke's Performance Which Has Never Turned Up In Private Collections Either. RCA Records Had Bypassed "Change" For Cooke's Early 1964 Single Instead Releasing The Tracks "Good Times" And " Ain't That Good News". But The Company Agreed To Put The Song Out As A Single Late In The Year As The B-Side To Cooke's Latest Potential Hit "Shake." At One Of His Last Recording Sessions Cooke Approved An Edit To The Song That Would Shorten It By About 30 Seconds Increasing Its Chance For Airplay On American Radio Stations. Finally Given Proper Attention "A Change Is Gonna Come" Became A Sensation Among The Black Community And Was Used An Anthem For The Ongoing Civil Rights Protests. On R&B Radio The Song Peaked At Number 9 On The Billboard Black Singles Chart And Topped Many Local Playlists Most Notably In Chicago. The Song Had More Limited Success On Top 40 Radio. By February 1965 The Song Had Peaked At Number 31 On The Billboard Pop Singles Chart And Fallen Off. Cooke However Did Not Live To See The Song's Commercial Success. On December 11 1964 He Was Killed At The Hacienda Motel In Los Angeles California Under What Many Consider Mysterious Circumstances. Legacy Though Only A Moderate Success Sales-Wise "A Change Is Gonna Come" Became An Anthem For The American Civil Rights Movement And Is Widely Considered Cooke's Best Composition. Over The Years The Song Has Garnered Significant Praise And In 2005 Was Voted Number 12 By Representatives Of The Music Industry And Press In Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time And Voted Number 3 In The Webzine Pitchfork Media's The 200 Greatest Songs Of The 60s.The Song Is Also Among Three Hundred Songs Deemed The Most Important Ever Recorded By National Public Radio NPR And Was Recently Selected By The Library Of Congress As One Of Twenty-Five Selected Recordings To The National Recording Registry As Of March 2007. Despite Its Acclaim Legal Troubles Have Haunted The Single Since Its Release. A Dispute Between Cooke's Music Publisher ABKCO And Record Company RCA Records Made The Recording Unavailable For Much Of The Four Decades Since Its Release. Though The Song Was Featured Prominently In The 1992 Film Malcolm X It Could Not Be Included In The Film's Soundtrack. By 2003 However The Disputes Had Been Settled In Time For The Song To Be Included On The Remastered Version Of Ain't That Good News As Well As The Cooke Anthology Portrait Of A Legend. "A Change Is Gonna Come" Was A Precursor To Many Later Socially-Conscious Singles Including Marvin Gaye's Lauded "What's Going On". Al Green A Self-Professed Fan Of Cooke Covered The Song For The Concert Celebrating The 1996 Opening Of The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame In Cleveland Ohio. Green's Live Rendition Was Included In The Soundtrack To The 2001 Michael Mann Film Ali. James Taylor Recorded A Version Specially For An Episode Of The Same Title Of The Television Drama The West Wing. The Allman Brothers Band Captured Their Performance Of The Song On Their 2003 DVD Live At The Beacon Theatre.
50 Ähnliche Titel:
Sam Cooke - Bring It On Home To Me Sam Cooke - You Send Me Otis Redding - Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay Percy Sledge - When A Man Loves A Woman Etta James - At Last Otis Redding - These Arms Of Mine Aretha Franklin - Respect Etta James - I'd Rather Go Blind Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine Ben E. King - Stand By Me Ray Charles - Georgia On My Mind Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine Aretha Franklin - You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman Al Green - Let's Stay Together Marvin Gaye - What's Going On Bill Withers - Lean On Me Gladys Knight & The Pips - Midnight Train To Georgia Sam & Dave - Soul Man The Temptations - My Girl Al Green - How Can You Mend A Broken Heart Wilson Pickett - In The Midnight Hour The Ronettes - Be My Baby Dionne Warwick - Walk On By Stevie Wonder - Isn't She Lovely Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke Dusty Springfield - Son Of A Preacher Man Sam & Dave - Hold On, I'm Comin' The Drifters - Under The Boardwalk The Isley Brothers - This Old Heart Of Mine Is Weak For You Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - Ain't No Mountain High Enough Sly & The Family Stone - Everyday People Aaron Neville - Tell It Like It Is Ray Charles - Hit The Road Jack The Temptations - Ain't Too Proud To Beg Dusty Springfield - Spooky The Impressions - People Get Ready The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go Bobby Hebb - Sunny The Supremes - You Can't Hurry Love Nina Simone - Feeling Good Brenton Wood - Oogum Boogum Song Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly With His Song The Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch The Drifters - On Broadway The Staple Singers - I'll Take You There Clarence Carter - Slip Away Wilson Pickett - Land Of 1000 Dances The O'Jays - Love Train The Delfonics - La-La Means I Love You Solomon Burke - Cry To Me
BELIEBT
TRACKS
MIXE
ALBEN
Video 1 : 50
Muziek Tags voor Sam Cooke:
Biography - Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke Eigentlich Samuel Cook * 22. Januar 1931 In Clarksdale Mississippi USA † 11. Dezember 1964 In Los Angeles War Ein US-Amerikanischer Sänger. Zusammen Mit Seinen Geschwistern Startete Er In Der Formation Soul Children Gefolgt Von Der Gruppe Highway GQs Der Er Als Teenager Angehörte. 1950 Erreichte Er Mit Der Gruppe The Soul Stirrers Erste Erfolge Und Ruhm In Der Gospel-Gemeinde.
Seine Erste Single „Lovable“ 1956 Veröffentlichte Er Unter Dem Pseudonym Dale Cooke. Die Plattenfirma Der Soul Stirrers Specialty Records War Daraufhin Verärgert Und Setzte Cookes Plattenfirma Bumps Blackwell Unter Druck Sodass Diese Den Vertrag Mit Cooke Auflöste. Cooke Wechselte 1957 Zu Keen Records Und Hatte Mit Seinem Song „You Send Me“ Sehr Großen Erfolg.
Obwohl Es Schon Sehr Selten War Dass Ein R&B-Sänger Seine Eigenen Songs Schrieb Und Damit Erfolg Hatte Verblüffte Cooke Das Musik-Business Indem Er In Den 60ern Sein Eigenes Label Gründete. Sein SAR Records Nahm Unter Anderem The Simms Twins The Valentinos Bobby Womack Und Johnnie Taylor Unter Vertrag. Cooke Selbst Verließ Keen Records Und Schloss Mit Dem Major-Label RCA Einen Vertrag Ab. Seine Erste Single Dort „Chain Gang“ Wurde Einer Seiner Bekanntesten Songs. Weitere Hits Wie „Cupid“ „Sad Mood“ „Bring It On Home To Me“ „Another Saturday Night“ Und „Twisting The Night Away“ Folgten. Wie Die Meisten Anderen R&B-Sänger Seiner Zeit Veröffentlichte Cooke Fast Ausschließlich Singles. Eine Ausnahme Macht Sein 1963er Album "Night Beat".
Nach Seinem Frühen Tod Folgten Einige Veröffentlichungen Von Denen Viele Hits Wurden Darunter „A Change Is Gonna Come“ Ein Früher Protestsong. In Den 1980er Jahren Wurde Sein Song „Wonderful World“ Durch Den Einsatz In Der Werbung Noch Einmal Immens Populär. Außerdem Sorgten Immer Wieder Coverversionen Berühmter Interpreten Dafür Dass Das Erbe Sam Cookes Nie Vergessen Wurde. Unter Den Interpreten Finden Sich Künstler Wie Rod Stewart Yusuf Islam Otis Redding Aretha Franklin Oder Smokey Robinson. Sam Cooke Starb Unter Mysteriösen Umständen Am 11. Dezember 1964 Im Hacienda Motel In Los Angeles. Auch Wenn Details Seines Todes Immer Noch Unklar Sind Ist Gesichert Dass Er Von Bertha Franklin Der Motelmanagerin Erschossen Wurde. Diese Behauptete Cooke Solle Sie Bedroht Haben. Die Untersuchung Führte Zur Feststellung Dass Franklin In Notwehr Gehandelt Habe Und Es Wurde Keine Anklage Erhoben. Viele Glauben Dass Wichtige Fragen Des Falles Unbeantwortet Blieben. Vor Allem Sind Hinweise Auf Einen Rassistischen Hintergrund Weitgehend Ungeklärt Geblieben Obwohl Vieles Dafür Sprach. Sam Cooke Wurde Auf Dem Forest Lawn Memorial Park Friedhof In Glendale Kalifornien Begraben.
Cooke Wurde 1986 In Die Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Aufgenommen. read less
read more
Seine Erste Single „Lovable“ 1956 Veröffentlichte Er Unter Dem Pseudonym Dale Cooke. Die Plattenfirma Der Soul Stirrers Specialty Records War Daraufhin Verärgert Und Setzte Cookes Plattenfirma Bumps Blackwell Unter Druck Sodass Diese Den Vertrag Mit Cooke Auflöste. Cooke Wechselte 1957 Zu Keen Records Und Hatte Mit Seinem Song „You Send Me“ Sehr Großen Erfolg.
Obwohl Es Schon Sehr Selten War Dass Ein R&B-Sänger Seine Eigenen Songs Schrieb Und Damit Erfolg Hatte Verblüffte Cooke Das Musik-Business Indem Er In Den 60ern Sein Eigenes Label Gründete. Sein SAR Records Nahm Unter Anderem The Simms Twins The Valentinos Bobby Womack Und Johnnie Taylor Unter Vertrag. Cooke Selbst Verließ Keen Records Und Schloss Mit Dem Major-Label RCA Einen Vertrag Ab. Seine Erste Single Dort „Chain Gang“ Wurde Einer Seiner Bekanntesten Songs. Weitere Hits Wie „Cupid“ „Sad Mood“ „Bring It On Home To Me“ „Another Saturday Night“ Und „Twisting The Night Away“ Folgten. Wie Die Meisten Anderen R&B-Sänger Seiner Zeit Veröffentlichte Cooke Fast Ausschließlich Singles. Eine Ausnahme Macht Sein 1963er Album "Night Beat".
Nach Seinem Frühen Tod Folgten Einige Veröffentlichungen Von Denen Viele Hits Wurden Darunter „A Change Is Gonna Come“ Ein Früher Protestsong. In Den 1980er Jahren Wurde Sein Song „Wonderful World“ Durch Den Einsatz In Der Werbung Noch Einmal Immens Populär. Außerdem Sorgten Immer Wieder Coverversionen Berühmter Interpreten Dafür Dass Das Erbe Sam Cookes Nie Vergessen Wurde. Unter Den Interpreten Finden Sich Künstler Wie Rod Stewart Yusuf Islam Otis Redding Aretha Franklin Oder Smokey Robinson. Sam Cooke Starb Unter Mysteriösen Umständen Am 11. Dezember 1964 Im Hacienda Motel In Los Angeles. Auch Wenn Details Seines Todes Immer Noch Unklar Sind Ist Gesichert Dass Er Von Bertha Franklin Der Motelmanagerin Erschossen Wurde. Diese Behauptete Cooke Solle Sie Bedroht Haben. Die Untersuchung Führte Zur Feststellung Dass Franklin In Notwehr Gehandelt Habe Und Es Wurde Keine Anklage Erhoben. Viele Glauben Dass Wichtige Fragen Des Falles Unbeantwortet Blieben. Vor Allem Sind Hinweise Auf Einen Rassistischen Hintergrund Weitgehend Ungeklärt Geblieben Obwohl Vieles Dafür Sprach. Sam Cooke Wurde Auf Dem Forest Lawn Memorial Park Friedhof In Glendale Kalifornien Begraben.
Cooke Wurde 1986 In Die Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Aufgenommen. read less
16 ähnliche Künstler wie Sam Cooke - Frogtoon Musik
The Soul Stirrers Otis Redding The Impressions Sam & Dave Jackie Wilson Wilson Pickett The Four Tops Percy Sledge Aretha Franklin The Temptations The Drifters Smokey Robinson And The Miracles Solomon Burke Ray Charles Etta James James Carr.
A Change Is Gonna Come is a 1964 single by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, written and first recorded in 1963 and released under the RCA Victor label shortly after his death in late 1964. Though only a modest hit for Cooke in comparison with his previous singles, the song came to exemplify the sixties Civil Rights Movement. The song has gained in popularity and critical acclaim in the decades since its release.
Origins
Cooke was greatly moved upon hearing Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" in 1963 and was reportedly in awe[citation needed] that such a poignant song about racism in America could come from someone who was white. While on tour in May 1963, and after speaking with sit-in demonstrators in Durham, North Carolina following a concert, Cooke returned to his tour bus and wrote the first draft of what would become "A Change Is Gonna Come."
In a sense, "A Change Is Gonna Come" is an answer to Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind", as well as a song of hope for the Civil Rights Movement. The hypothetical questions posed by Dylan, most obvious being "how many years can some people exist, before they're allowed to be free?", were answered by an implied "Fewer than you think." Though Cooke recognized "it's been a long/a long time coming", the song states that change is inevitable. A similar sentiment was echoed by Dylan in "The Times They Are a-Changin'", written and released after "A Change Is Gonna Come." The song also reflected much of Cooke's own inner turmoil. Known for his polished image and light-hearted songs such as "You Send Me" and "Twistin' the Night Away", he had long felt the need to address the situation of discrimination and racism in America, especially the southern states. However, his image and fears of losing his largely white fan base prevented him from doing so.
The song, very much a departure for Cooke, reflected two major incidents in his life. The first was the death of Cooke's eighteen-month-old son, Vincent, who died of an accidental drowning in June of that year. The second major incident came on October 8, 1963, when Cooke and his band tried to register at a "whites only" motel in Shreveport, Louisiana and were summarily arrested for disturbing the peace. Both incidents are represented in the weary tone and lyrics of the piece, especially the final verse: "there have been times that I thought I couldn't last for long/but now I think I'm able to carry on/It's been a long time coming, but I know a change is gonna come."
Recording
After remaining confined to Cooke's notebooks for months of touring, "A Change Is Gonna Come" was finally recorded on December 21, 1963. Recording took place at the RCA Studios in Los Angeles, California during sessions for Cooke's 1964 album, Ain't That Good News.
According to author Peter Guralnick's biography of Cooke, "Dream Boogie", Cooke gave arranger Rene Hall free rein on song's musical arrangement. Hall came up with a dramatic orchestral backing highlighted by a mournful French horn. For his vocal, Cooke reached back to his gospel roots to sing the song with an intensity and passion never heard before on his pop recordings.
Release
The song made its first appearance on Ain't That Good News, the last album to be released within Cooke's lifetime. The LP did well, peaking at number 34 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart, making it more successful than Cooke's previous LP, 1963's Night Beat.
However, Cooke and his new manager Allen Klein thought the song deserved greater exposure. According to Guralnick's book, Klein persuaded Cooke to sing "A Change Is Gonna Come" on his February 7, 1964 appearance on The Tonight Show. Cooke sang the song; unfortunately, any impact it made was dimmed by The Beatles' history-making appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show just two days later. In a further misfortune, NBC did not save the tape of Cooke's performance, which has never turned up in private collections either. RCA Records had bypassed "Change" for Cooke's early 1964 single, instead releasing the tracks "Good Times" and "(Ain't That) Good News". But the company agreed to put the song out as a single late in the year, as the B-side to Cooke's latest potential hit, "Shake." At one of his last recording sessions, Cooke approved an edit to the song that would shorten it by about 30 seconds, increasing its chance for airplay on American radio stations.
Finally given proper attention, "A Change Is Gonna Come" became a sensation among the black community, and was used an anthem for the ongoing civil rights protests. On R&B radio, the song peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Black Singles chart, and topped many local playlists, most notably in Chicago. The song had more limited success on top 40 radio. By February 1965, the song had peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and fallen off. Cooke, however, did not live to see the song's commercial success. On December 11, 1964, he was killed at the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles, California under what many consider mysterious circumstances.
Legacy
Though only a moderate success sales-wise, "A Change Is Gonna Come" became an anthem for the American Civil Rights Movement, and is widely considered Cooke's best composition. Over the years, the song has garnered significant praise and, in 2005, was voted number 12 by representatives of the music industry and press in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and voted number 3 in the webzine Pitchfork Media's The 200 Greatest Songs of the 60s.The song is also among three hundred songs deemed the most important ever recorded by National Public Radio (NPR) and was recently selected by the Library of Congress as one of twenty-five selected recordings to the National Recording Registry as of March 2007.
Despite its acclaim, legal troubles have haunted the single since its release. A dispute between Cooke's music publisher, ABKCO, and record company, RCA Records, made the recording unavailable for much of the four decades since its release. Though the song was featured prominently in the 1992 film Malcolm X, it could not be included in the film's soundtrack. By 2003, however, the disputes had been settled in time for the song to be included on the remastered version of Ain't That Good News, as well as the Cooke anthology Portrait of a Legend.
"A Change Is Gonna Come" was a precursor to many later socially-conscious singles, including Marvin Gaye's lauded "What's Going On". Al Green, a self-professed fan of Cooke, covered the song for the concert celebrating the 1996 opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Green's live rendition was included in the soundtrack to the 2001 Michael Mann film Ali. James Taylor recorded a version specially for an episode of the same title of the television drama The West Wing. The Allman Brothers Band captured their performance of the song on their 2003 DVD Live at the Beacon Theatre. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.