I'm a Demonstratin' G.I. From Fort Bragg
1965 · Mercury MG 20924 · Chicago, Illinois
- Artist
- The Freedom Singers
- Title
- I'm a Demonstratin' G.I. From Fort Bragg
- Release
- The Freedom Singers Sing of Freedom Now!
- Year
- 1965
- Label
- Mercury # MG 20924
- Format
- LP · Album
- Language
- English
- Country
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Songwriter
- Matt Jones
- Genre
- Soul, Gospel & Funk · Gospel · Soul
- Primary theme
- Peace, Protest & Anti-War
Annotation
Also known as The SNCC Freedom Singers, formed December 1962 in Albany, Georgia, USA, they performed Civil Rights and protest gospel and spiritual songs. Its members included Cordell Reagon (tenor), Rutha Mae Harris (soprano), Charles Neblett (bass vocals), Bernice Johnson Reagon (alto), Matt Jones, and Bertha Gober. They were active in the Civil Rights protest movements, taking part in famous demonstrations, from the March on Washington to the Selma to Montgomery marches - documented on several records, such as "WNEW's Story of Selma". Also of note is that Bernice Johnson Reagon released the album Give Your Hands to Struggle: The Evolution of a Freedom Fighter (1975), which contained two songs referencing the Vietnam War: "Room in the Circle" and "There's a New World Coming". Also of note, Matt Jones, released the song "Hell No! I Ain't Gonna Go" (1970), which also dealt with the Vietnam War and Civil Rights. This featured on the album "Broadside Ballads Vol. 5: Time Is Running Out". The LP front cover featured images of the KKK and a burned-out school bus, and other symbolic pictures of the Civil Rights-era. The song "I'm a Demonstratin' G.I. From Fort Bragg" directly dealt with…
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Annotation — Civil Rights Songs
Also known as The SNCC Freedom Singers, formed December 1962 in Albany, Georgia, USA, they performed Civil Rights and protest gospel and spiritual songs. Its members included Cordell Reagon (tenor), Rutha Mae Harris (soprano), Charles Neblett (bass vocals), Bernice Johnson Reagon (alto), Matt Jones, and Bertha Gober. They were active in the Civil Rights protest movements, taking part in famous demonstrations, from the March on Washington to the Selma to Montgomery marches - documented on several records, such as "WNEW's Story of Selma". The LP front cover featured images of the KKK and a burned-out school bus, and other symbolic pictures of the Civil Rights-era. The song "I'm a Demonstratin' G.I. From Fort Bragg" directly dealt with the issue of the Vietnam War and Civil Rights - composed by Matt Jones (born 17 September 1936 in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, died 30 March 2011 in New York, NY, USA), after hearing about an African-American soldier who had participated in an anti-war demonstration in uniform: "if I can defend it overseas, why don’t you set my people free". (1) Note that Jones had released several songs about the mistreatment of Black Americans at home, and thus…
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
The SNCC Freedom Singers, formed December 1962 in Albany, Georgia, USA