“Pride” has been one of U2’s top anthems ever since it was released as the lead single to 1984’s landmark “The Unforgettable Fire.” That album - U2’s fourth overall - also closed with another memorable King tribute, “MLK.”Īll-star benefit singles were big in the mid-’80s, highlighted by the blockbuster success of two songs aiding famine relief efforts in Africa - “We are the World” and “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” One of the best of bunch - although not widely remembered - was “King Holiday,” released in January 1986 to honor the first observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. It’s a mesmerizing song, even if U2 did famously commit an historical error in the lyric “Early morning, April four, a shot rings out in the Memphis sky.” (The shooting actually occurred after 6 p.m., something that Bono acknowledges in concert by changing the lyric to “Early Evening, April 4.”) It did much better in other countries, including the U.K. ![]() The song was released as the fourth single from 1980’s “Hotter than July” album, but failed to make much of a dent on the U.S. And this single, “Happy Birthday,” was arguably his greatest contribution to the cause, as it prompted millions of voices to join together in harmony. Stevie Wonder was a major part of the campaign to get King Jr.’s birthday recognized as a national holiday. The song clocks on it at just under six minutes on the record, but there is also a much longer “unedited” version of “Why?” on YouTube. That first performance of “Why? (The King of Love Is Dead)” - along with seven other numbers from that night - can be found on Simone’s stellar “‘Nuff Said!” album from 1968. The singer’s voice is full of emotion, conveying both great sorrow and respect, as she sings the lines that had been quickly written by bass player Gene Taylor in a burst of inspiration. ![]() Simone debuted this moving track during a concert at the Westbury Music Fair in New York on April 7, 1968, just three days after King was shot and killed. ‘Why? (The King of Love Is Dead)’ Nina Simone, 1968
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