George Jackson (song)
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"George Jackson" is a song by
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
, written in 1971, in tribute to the Black Panther leader George Jackson, who had been shot and killed by guards at
San Quentin Prison San Quentin State Prison (SQ) is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men, located north of San Francisco in the unincorporated place of San Quentin in Marin County. Opened in July 1852, San Quentin is the ...
during an attempted escape on August 21, 1971. The event indirectly provoked the
Attica Prison riot The Attica Prison Riot, also known as the Attica Prison Rebellion, the Attica Uprising, or the Attica Prison Massacre, took place at the state prison in Attica, New York; it started on September 9, 1971, and ended on September 13 with the high ...
.


Background


George Jackson

The Chicago born George Jackson was convicted of armed robbery in 1961, and was punished with an
indeterminate sentence Indefinite imprisonment or indeterminate imprisonment is the imposition of a sentence by imprisonment with no definite period of time set during sentencing. It was imposed by certain nations in the past, before the drafting of the United Natio ...
in the San Quentin State Prison. It was in San Quentin that George Jackson found radical politics, and began his journey as a Black activist. Jackson, along with other politicized black inmates, began the Black Guerilla Family, and became involved with the Black Panthers after being transferred to
Soledad Prison Correctional Training Facility (CTF), commonly referenced as Soledad State Prison, is a state prison located on U.S. Route 101, north of Soledad, California, adjacent to Salinas Valley State Prison. Facilities The institution is divided into ...
in 1969. Soledad's existing racial tension, as well as Jackson's increased criticism of the US prison system, caused problems for Jackson with white inmates and guards. In 1970, he was charged, along with two other
Soledad Brothers The Soledad Brothers were three inmates charged with the murder of a prison guard, John Vincent Mills, at California's Soledad Prison on January 16, 1970. George Jackson, Fleeta Drumgo, and John Clutchette were alleged to have murdered Mills in ...
, with the murder of prison guard John Vincent Mills in the aftermath of a prison fight. Numerous parole hearings, denied appeals, culminated into an attempted prison escape, when George Jackson was killed in the prison yard by a guard from a watch tower. Jackson and other prisoners took hostages during the attempt and five hostages were found dead in Jackson's cell after the incident.


Composition and recording

Dylan recorded the song at Columbia Studio B, on November 4, 1971 and it was quickly released as a 45 rpm single, Columbia 4-45516, on November 12, 1971. The single consisted of a "Big Band version" of the song on Side A and an "Acoustic version" on Side B.


Reception


Commercial reception

"George Jackson" was a Top 40 hit in the Netherlands, and on the US ''Billboard'' charts. The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at #93 on December 4, 1971, peaking at #33, and remained on the charts for 7 weeks. The "Big Band version" was later included on the 1978 album ''
Masterpieces A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...
'', released in Japan and Australia. This package was removed from iTunes in December 2009. The acoustic version is available on the ''Side Tracks'' double album, included in the box set '' Bob Dylan – The Complete Album Collection Vol.1'', released in 2013.


Social reception

The song came out after a long hiatus from Dylan after his motorcycle accident. The release did cause controversy in some radio stations due to both the song's contentious subject, and the use of an explicit lyric in the third verse. Some stations opted to censor the term, while others opted not to play the song at all.


Significance

Considered within the chronology of Dylan's work, the song "George Jackson" is of special significance, because, along with "When I Paint My Masterpiece" and the single " Watching the River Flow," it represents the only wholly new work to appear from Dylan in the years 1971–72, the period between the albums ''
New Morning New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
'' (1970) and ''
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid ''Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid'' is a 1973 American Revisionist Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah, written by Rudy Wurlitzer, and starring James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Richard Jaeckel, Katy Jurado, Chill Wills, Barry Sullivan, Jason ...
'' (1973). From the time of the appearance of his first album in 1962 until the 1990s, this was the longest period that Dylan went without releasing an album of new material (although he made several new recordings of older songs to be released for the first time in a Dylan performance on 1971's ''
Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II ''Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II'', also known as ''More Bob Dylan Greatest Hits'', is the second compilation album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on November 17, 1971 by Columbia Records. With Dylan not expected to releas ...
'').


Bob Dylan political activism

Bob Dylan's involvement with specific civil rights groups and organizations is not clear, but his music made him a widely influential figure in the American protest movement of the 1960s, though he did not necessarily want to be associated with the label. After several albums and a traumatic motorcycle accident in 1966, Dylan took a break from the public light. Bob Dylan biographer Anthony Scaduto alleges that the song may have been written in part as a response to fellow musician and political activist,
Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...
, who urged him to get back into political activism in her song "To Bobby".


Cover versions

The song was recorded 33 years later by
Steel Pulse Steel Pulse are a roots reggae band from the Handsworth area of Birmingham, England. They originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School, and were composed of David Hinds (lead vocals, guitar), Basil Gabbidon (lead guitar, vocals), and Ro ...
on their 2004 album, ''
African Holocaust The ''Maafa'', the African Holocaust, the Holocaust of Enslavement, or the Black Holocaust are political neologisms which have been popularized since 1988Barndt, Joseph. ''Understanding and Dismantling Racism: The Twenty-First Century''. 2007 ...
''; the album which also included an updated version of their own song 'Uncle George', which was also in tribute to George Jackson. Southern soul singer and songwriter J.P. Robinson released his cover on a 1972 single.
Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...
performed a live cover of "George Jackson" on May 25, 1977, in New York, NY while on tour.


Personnel

Big Band version *
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
– guitar, harmonica, vocal *
Kenneth Buttrey Aaron Kenneth Buttrey (April 1, 1945 – September 12, 2004) was an American drummer and arranger. According to CMT, he was "one of the most influential session musicians in Nashville history". Buttrey was born in Nashville, Tennessee, became a ...
– drums *
Ben Keith Bennett Keith Schaeufele (March 6, 1937 – July 26, 2010), better known by his stage name Ben Keith, was an American musician and record producer. Known primarily for his work as a pedal steel guitarist with Neil Young, Keith was a fixture of ...
steel guitar * Leon Russell – bass *
Joshie Armstead Josephine Armstead (born October 8, 1944), also known as "Joshie" Jo Armstead, is an American soul singer and songwriter. Armstead began her career singing backing vocals for blues musician Bobby "Blue" Bland before becoming an Ikette in the Ike ...
– backing vocals *Rosie Hicks – backing vocals Acoustic version *Bob Dylan – guitar, harmonica, vocal


Charts


Notes


References

* * * * {{authority control Songs written by Bob Dylan Bob Dylan songs Protest songs 1971 singles Columbia Records singles 1971 songs Songs about prison Songs about activists Songs based on American history