Motown releases record celebrating legacy of Martin Luther King and 1963 March on Washington

Historic 1963 album recorded on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on 23 August 1963, during The Great March on Washington, sees its first-ever digital release

Los Angeles – March 6, 2020 – The Great March On Washington – one of the most significant recordings made during the civil rights movement of the 1960s – is now available as a digital release for the first time. Released by Motown Records/Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), The Great March can be purchased / streamed HERE.

This historic release was recorded on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on August 23, 1963, during the March on Washington for Jobs & Freedom, a.k.a. “The Great March on Washington.” Rush-released by Motown Records as a complete album in October 1963, the recording culminates with Martin Luther King, Jr.’s iconic “I Have A Dream” speech.

Ethiopia Habtemariam, President of Motown Records and Executive Vice President of Capitol Records, recently spoke with Elvis Mitchell – host of KCRW’s “The Treatment” – about what Dr King’s speeches mean to her. View their conversation HERE.

Coinciding with the digital release of the album, TIME and executive producer Viola Davis invite the public to step back into history with THE MARCH – a groundbreaking VR museum exhibit that recreates the March on Washington and allows visitors to witness firsthand the “I Have a Dream” speech. The immersive experience utilises original audio from Motown.

TIME said, “King’s clarion voice carries without the distracting echo picked up by inferior attempts to capture it. Spectators on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial chime in audibly as King proceeds…making listeners feel as if they’re 10 ft. from the podium.” The exhibit at the Dusable Museum of African American History in Chicago will run through November 2020. Additional exhibit locations will be announced. For details and tickets, visit https://time.com/the-march/.

Taking inspiration from Dr King and other civil rights activists who have been agents of change, BJ The Chicago Kid has created a soulful new call to action, “The People.” The 6x GRAMMY® nominee wrote the song with frequent collaborator Jairus Mozee (Anderson .Paak, Boney James), who also produced. Released today by Motown Records, “The People” is available for download / streaming HERE.

In addition to Dr King’s historical “I Have A Dream” speech, The Great March On Washington features the iconic speech made that day by civil rights activist and labour union rights leader A. Philip Randolph, one of the leaders and organisers of the Great March. Following his seven-minute-plus speech that opens the album, Randolph’s erudite speaking voice continues throughout as the de facto “emcee.”

Randolph introduces the day’s other orators, including Walter Reuther, the president of the United Auto Workers (UAW) who was a longstanding ally of the civil rights movement; Roy Wilkins, the executive secretary of the NAACP who was named its executive director the following year; and Whitney M. Young, Jr., the executive director of the National Urban League and one of the organisers of the March.

The album also includes a stirring performance of “We Shall Overcome,” the traditional gospel song that became an anthem of the civil rights movement, recorded at Motown by its artist Liz Lands, who is accompanied by The Voices of Salvation.

Ethiopia Habtemariam said, “I’m beyond thrilled that we can honour Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy by reissuing this important audio document. We at Motown want to thank the MLK estate for giving us the opportunity to build on the relationship that Dr. King and our founder, Mr. Berry Gordy, forged over 50 years ago. It was incredibly important to them that the speeches from the Great March on Washington reach the widest possible audience – and that is our objective also.”

Bruce Resnikoff, President/CEO of Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), said, “We are privileged and honoured to be entrusted by the MLK estate to oversee the release of his historic speech. As the long-time custodians of the Motown catalogue and its legacy, we will ensure that the recordings of Dr King will be available in the highest quality. We have gone back to the original source tapes to digitally remaster this release, and the clarity of Dr King’s voice brings his message to today’s audience in a remarkable way.”

© Motown Records/Universal Music Enterprises

• THE GREAT MARCH ON WASHINGTON [digital release]
• 1. A. Philip Randolph (7:17)
• 2. Walter Reuther (6:50)
• 3. Roy Wilkins (10:29)
• 4. Liz Lands – We Shall Overcome (3:31)
• 5. Whitney M. Young, Jr. (6:59)
• 6. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (18:19)