Monday In May (The Kent State Tragedy)

Annotation

Third Condition were a garage rock band from Daytona Beach, Florida, popular on the local garage scene, featuring Charles "Chuck" Robinette (lead singer), Ralph Citrullo (bass), Chris Drake (vocals, guitar), Allen Dresser (guitar), Max Easom (drums, vocals), and Neil Haney (vocals, organ). They released one of the first songs about the Kent State shootings on a Tampa label, with the original promo copy under the title Monday in May (A May Day of Hell), composed by Chuck Robinette. The label said "rush release" with a date stamp: "10 June 1970". It received decent airplay and started to rise in the charts until the release of Ohio by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (below). We know that "Ohio", composed by Neil Young, was recorded 21 May 1970, and it is reviewed as early as 20 June 1970 in Billboard, on p.54, described as rushed out with a "timely message" - that's 10 days after the Third Condition record. (1) "Ohio" charted on 27 June 1970, entering at # 58. (2) Therefore, the Third Condition record would have got to stations before or at the same time as Neil Young’s "Ohio". The song later appeared under the name "Monday in May (The Kent State Tragedy)" (Sundi Records # SR-6815).…

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Notes

original promo copy under the title Monday in May (A May Day of Hell) - title then changed to "Monday in May (The Kent State Tragedy)"

About the artist

garage rock band from Daytona Beach, Florida, featuring Charles "Chuck" Robinette (lead singer), Ralph Citrullo (bass), Chris Drake (vocals, guitar), Allen Dresser (guitar), Max Easom (drums, vocals), and Neil Haney (vocals, organ).

Themes

Kent State · Anti-War · Demonstration

In collections

Garage Rock Songs · Kent / Jackson State Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs