MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. AT ZION HILL - 1962 speech LP - DTL831

Description

Rare 1962 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. at ZION HILL LP - PICA Productions Red Vinyl (DTL-831) first pressing.
Original 1962 rare first issue recording of the Rev. Martin Luther King's electrifying speech at the Civil Rights Rally addressed to the Zion Hill Baptist Church in Los Angeles, California
on June 17, 1962 "heard by an orderly but eager audience". This recording contains the full speech; including the voice introduction by Bob DeCoy, prior to the "We Shall Overcome" sermon given by MLK that evening.
Private pressing by PICA (The Public Information Communications Association), this recording is considered in many quarters to be MLK's first professionally pressed and released speech. This speech was given five months prior to King first delivering his famous "I Have a Dream" speech at a high school gymnasium in Rocky Mount on November 27, 1962 - itself nine months prior to his historic August 28, 1963 Lincoln Memorial speech. Interestingly, this initial first pressing was
released on clear red vinyl, unusual for that time. Acquired from the original 1962 purchaser, this LP has been played twice since then.
Some tracks on this recording are accompanied by gospel music but are uncredited. Edited by Dootsie Williams (Chairman of the Board of the Community Communications Council of Los Angeles at the time), there was some controversy regarding the release of this LP. Dr. King sued Williams in late 1962, claiming that the speech was secretly recorded and subsequently sold for profit. Williams threatened to countersue for a breach of contract, and it is unclear how the issue was eventually resolved. Shortly after King's assassination in 1968, the LP was re-released by Williams as a second pressing (on black vinyl) with the same catalog numbers, but this time on the Dooto label.
The album's back cover contains a short biography and history of Rev. Martin Luther King's marches and speeches up to that time. Track listings with extra descriptions include -
A1: The Negro Dilemma (The Old & New. The Challenge. Dignity & Self-Respect)
A2: Excellence (A Good Job. The Street Sweeper. Be The Best)
A3: Fun Town (U.S.A. My Little Girl)
B1: The Three Words (All, Here & Now)
B2: The Ballot (Danger Of Black Supremacy. The Better Way)
B3: We Shall Overcome (The Price Some Must Pay. The Greater America)
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