272:, before leaving under acrimonious circumstances, and recorded "Is It Because I'm Black" with guitarist John Bishop, bassist Bernard Reed, and drummer Hal "Heavy" Nesbitt. Together with horn players Michael Davis and alto saxist Jerry Wilson, the musicians adopted the group name The Pieces of Peace, and toured with Johnson.
284:. You can hear that attitude and the grit in the vocal performance on this song. It’s like he’s giving a sermon in a church, and he’s describing – in metaphor and similes – what it’s like to be black in America." Johnson's obituary referred to the song as "a slow, disconsolate ballad that is among the most affecting of the
275:
Released on the
Twinight label (which had changed its name from Twilight because another company already used the name), the single rose up the R&B charts and pop charts at the end of 1969. Journalist Lanre Bakare wrote: "The main lyric from this song has taken on a life of its own and is a
256:
By 1969, Johnson had achieved several modest chart successes with songs on traditional themes of romance and relationships, but his marriage had ended, his established backing band had split up, and he was increasingly motivated by the social and economic challenges of
American society. Johnson
29:
292:
described the song as "superbly arranged and produced... Johnson's plaintive vocals evoked the moodiness of this lamentation over the struggle of being black. The song, however, strangely suggested pride rather than defeatism."
261:
got killed, I wanted to write a song.... I didn’t want to write no song about hating this people or hating that people... I really didn’t have no vendetta against people. It’s a sympathy song."
311:. However, the album failed to sell in large numbers, which Johnson put down to its lack of marketability to a white audience. The song "Is It Because I'm Black" was later recorded by singers
301:
The single's success led to an extended version becoming the title track on
Johnson's 1970 album, described in one source as "the first black concept album", released over a year before
420:
512:
436:
307:
402:
464:
382:
479:
231:. It was co-written by Johnson, record producer Jimmy Jones (James L. Jones), and Glenn Watts. The recording, issued on the
269:
507:
276:
phrase that means so much in the
American context. Johnson was from Mississippi and in a similar mould to the
502:
237:
28:
258:
460:
454:
378:
351:
Patience, Stephen (2015). "Syl
Johnson - "Is It Because I'm Black?". In Dimery, Robert (ed.).
265:
56:
437:
Ben
Beaumont-Thomas, "Syl Johnson, much-sampled blues, funk and soul singer, dies aged 85",
324:
285:
232:
140:
100:
166:
36:
496:
370:
356:
316:
289:
277:
105:
328:
281:
135:
241:
421:
Lanre Bakare, "Syl
Johnson's Is It Because I'm Black? And a 'world of no pity'",
302:
228:
177:
157:
93:
40:
312:
224:
151:
110:
320:
245:
86:
264:
He linked up with the musicians who until then had been working for
220:
480:
Ed Ward, "The 'Complete
Mythology' Of Syl Johnson",
176:
164:
149:
134:
118:
92:
82:
74:
66:
54:
46:
35:
21:
459:. University of Illinois Press. pp. 255–256.
235:label in September 1969, reached number 11 on the
346:
344:
8:
403:"Syl Johnson - 'Is It Because I'm Black'",
27:
18:
416:
414:
398:
396:
394:
353:1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die
340:
45:
34:
375:Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-1995
7:
323:, and Johnson's recording has been
14:
513:Songs about racism and xenophobia
453:Pruter, Robert (March 28, 1992).
377:. Record Research. p. 231.
219:" is a song recorded in 1969 by
1:
486:. Retrieved February 8, 2022
427:. Retrieved February 8, 2022
408:. Retrieved February 8, 2020
443:. Retrieved 8 February 2022
327:by musicians including the
529:
160:, Jimmy Jones, Glenn Watts
16:1969 single by Syl Johnson
469:– via Google Books.
184:
26:
22:"Is It Because I'm Black"
252:Background and recording
49:Is It Because I'm Black
244:, and number 68 on the
217:Is It Because I'm Black
203:"Concrete Reservation"
196:Is It Because I'm Black
189:"Don't Give It Away"
62:"Let Them Hang High"
257:later said: "After
259:Martin Luther King
180:singles chronology
508:Syl Johnson songs
484:, August 25, 2011
441:, 6 February 2022
266:Brunswick Records
213:
212:
209:
208:
145:
520:
487:
477:
471:
470:
450:
444:
434:
428:
418:
409:
400:
389:
388:
367:
361:
360:
348:
286:civil rights era
186:
185:
169:
154:
143:
141:Twinight Records
130:
129:
125:
59:
31:
19:
528:
527:
523:
522:
521:
519:
518:
517:
493:
492:
491:
490:
478:
474:
467:
452:
451:
447:
435:
431:
425:, 13 March 2017
419:
412:
401:
392:
385:
369:
368:
364:
350:
349:
342:
337:
308:What's Going On
299:
268:under producer
254:
204:
199:
190:
165:
150:
127:
123:
122:
55:
47:from the album
17:
12:
11:
5:
526:
524:
516:
515:
510:
505:
495:
494:
489:
488:
472:
465:
445:
429:
410:
390:
383:
371:Whitburn, Joel
362:
359:. p. 248.
339:
338:
336:
333:
298:
295:
253:
250:
211:
210:
207:
206:
201:
192:
182:
181:
174:
173:
170:
162:
161:
155:
147:
146:
138:
132:
131:
120:
116:
115:
114:
113:
108:
103:
96:
90:
89:
84:
80:
79:
76:
72:
71:
70:September 1969
68:
64:
63:
60:
52:
51:
44:
43:
33:
32:
24:
23:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
525:
514:
511:
509:
506:
504:
501:
500:
498:
485:
483:
476:
473:
468:
466:9780252062599
462:
458:
457:
449:
446:
442:
440:
433:
430:
426:
424:
417:
415:
411:
407:
406:
399:
397:
395:
391:
386:
384:0-89820-115-2
380:
376:
372:
366:
363:
358:
354:
347:
345:
341:
334:
332:
330:
326:
322:
318:
317:Delroy Wilson
314:
310:
309:
304:
296:
294:
291:
290:Robert Pruter
287:
283:
279:
278:Chicago blues
273:
271:
267:
262:
260:
251:
249:
247:
243:
242:R&B chart
240:
239:
234:
230:
226:
222:
218:
202:
197:
193:
188:
187:
183:
179:
175:
171:
168:
163:
159:
156:
153:
152:Songwriter(s)
148:
142:
139:
137:
133:
121:
117:
112:
109:
107:
106:Chicago blues
104:
102:
99:
98:
97:
95:
91:
88:
85:
81:
77:
73:
69:
65:
61:
58:
53:
50:
42:
38:
30:
25:
20:
503:1969 singles
481:
475:
456:Chicago Soul
455:
448:
439:The Guardian
438:
432:
423:The Guardian
422:
404:
374:
365:
355:. New York:
352:
329:Wu-Tang Clan
306:
300:
282:Junior Wells
274:
263:
255:
236:
216:
214:
195:
48:
303:Marvin Gaye
229:Syl Johnson
178:Syl Johnson
172:Jimmy Jones
167:Producer(s)
158:Syl Johnson
41:Syl Johnson
497:Categories
335:References
313:Ken Boothe
270:Carl Davis
280:men like
238:Billboard
373:(1996).
357:Universe
233:Twinight
75:Recorded
67:Released
325:sampled
321:Jamaica
246:Hot 100
227:singer
205:(1970)
200:(1969)
191:(1969)
101:R&B
87:Chicago
463:
405:Numero
381:
297:Impact
119:Length
57:B-side
37:Single
221:blues
136:Label
94:Genre
83:Venue
461:ISBN
379:ISBN
315:and
288:."
225:soul
223:and
111:soul
78:1969
482:NPR
319:in
305:'s
144:125
39:by
499::
413:^
393:^
343:^
331:.
248:.
198:"
128:18
387:.
215:"
194:"
126::
124:3
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
