"OH FREEDOM" is an African-American spiritual dating from the Civil War of the 1860´s. The author is unknown.
According to oral tradition "Oh Freedom" was used as a marching song by Blacks protesting the Atlanta race riots of 1906. With changes in lyrics, it was used in the 1930´s by organizers of the Southern Tenant Farmer´s Union.
By the time of the Civil Rights Movement, "Oh Freedom" was not generally found in the repertoire of the Black Church congregations. Movement activists familiar with the song culture of the 1930´s, brought the song to the sit-ins and Freedom Rides and into the mass meeting song repertoire.
Odetta made a recording in 1956 and it became an anthem of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960's. Odetta also sang it, when Martin Luther King gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech on August 28, 1963 in Washington, D.C., in front of nearly 250,000 civil rights supporters.
Part of the song was published on page 25 of William E Barton's "Old Plantation Hymns" (1899).
The title there is "Before I'd be a Slave".
It´s also on page 114 of Thomas P. Fenner's "Cabin and Plantation Songs As Sung by the Hampton Students" (1901)
The Nance Family seems to be the first artists who recorded this song in 1931, with a different title ("Sweet Freedom") and a slightly different musical setting.
E.R. Nance was a singing-school teacher, who was living in Booneville, North Carolina. He first approached Art Satherley about recording his family at the American Record Corporation in 1930.
Few of the records from their lengthy stay in New York City were ever released, and Nance was very interested in having more of his music available on record. Now familiar with the system and having established a modest track record, Nance approached Brunswick and Gennett.
Both companies decided to take a gamble and in quick succession the Nance Family had recordings out on Brunswick and on Gennett's subsidiaries, Champion and Superior.
(c) Nance Family with Traphill Twins (1931) (as "Sweet Freedom")
Earl R. Nance: Bass Vocal; Madie Nance: Soprano Vocal
Helen Nance: Alto Vocal; Byron Bryan: banjo; Sam Halbrook: guitar
Recorded April 14, 1931 in New York
Released on Brunswick 565
(c) E.R Nance Family with Clarence Dooley (1931) (as "Sweet Freedom")
Earl R. Nance: Bass Vocal; Clarence Dooley: Tenor Vocal & Guitar
Madie Nance: Soprano Vocal; Helen Nance: Alto Vocal & Mandolin
Recorded on August 26, 1931 in Richmond, IN.
Released on Champion S-16410
Also released on Superior 2813 (billed as James Horton & Family)
Listen here:
In 1937 John Handcock, a sharecropper from Brinkley, Arkansas recorded a version for the Libary Of Congress
(c) John Handcox (1937) (as "No More Mourning (Oh Freedom)")
Recorded March 9, 1937 in Washington, DC
Listen here:
(c) Carl Sandburg (1947) (as "O Freedom")
Recorded June 3, 1943 in NYC
Released in 1947 on the next album: Carl Sandburg – Cowboy Songs And Negro Spirituals
Listen here: O Freedom / Macedoni Wasn't That - Carl Sandburg.mp3
(c) Deep River Boys (1946) (as "O Freedom")
Recorded in 1946
Released on the album "Spirituals and Jubilees" (on the Pilotone label)
Listen here:
Or here:
(c) Odetta (1956) (as part of "Spiritual Trilogy")
Listen here:
(c) Joan Baez (1958) (as "Oh Freedom")
Recorded in June 1958.
Released in 1964 on the album "In San Francisco"
Joan Baez in San Francisco was a demonstration record recorded by the 17-year-old Joan Baez in 1958, released without permission on Fantasy Records in 1964.
Listen here:
When Martin Luther King gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech on August 28, 1963 in Washington, D.C., Joan Baez opened the day's events by singing this song in front of nearly 250,000 civil rights supporters.
(c) Harry Belafonte (1959) (as "Oh Freedom")
Listen here:
(c) The Montgomery Gospel Trio, The Nashville Quartet, and Guy Carawan (1961)
(as "Oh Freedom")
Recorded in 1961 and released on Folkways Records FH 5591
Listen here:
Or here:
(c) Pete Seeger (1963) (as "Oh Freedom")
Recorded June 8, 1963 at Carnegie Hall
Released on his album "We Shall Overcome"
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Joan Baez also sang it at the 1963 Newport Folk Festival
Recorded July 28, 1963 at Fort Adams Park in Newport
Listen here:
Odetta also sang her medley in 1963 at the March On Washington Civil Rights meeting
(c) Hollis Watkins (1963) (as "Oh Freedom")
Recorded Fall/winter 1963 in Jackson, MS
Listen here:
(c) SNCC Freedom Singers with Rutha Harris (1964) (as "Freedom Medley")
Recorded Spring 1964 in Atlanta, Georgia
(c) Leon Bibb (1962) (as "Oh Freedom")
Listen here:
(c) Congregation Of Brown Chapel (1965) (as "Oh Freedom")
Recorded March 1965 at Selma, Alabama
Listen here:
Or here:
(c) Peter, Paul & Mary (1996) (as "Freedom Medley")
Listen here:
Or here:
(c) Sweet Honey In The Rock (2000) (as "Oh Freedom")
On the soundtrack for the movie: "Freedom Song" (2000)
Listen here:
Or here:
(c) Roger McGuinn (2004) (as "Oh Freedom")
Recorded in 2004 for his Folk Den Project.
(c) Golden Gospel Singers (2007) (as "Oh Freedom")
Released on their album "A Capella Praise"
(c) Renée Fleming & Joan Baez & Suzanne Vega & Lou Reed (2009) (as "Oh Freedom")
Celebrating 20th years of the Velvet Revolution in Prague on 17. November 2009
Watch it here:
(c) Aaron Neville (2010) (as "Oh Freedom")
Listen here:
(c) Vivian Green (2012) (as "Oh Freedom")
Recorded in 2012 as sort of a soundtrack for the 2009 movie: "Soundtrack For A Revolution".
This soundtrack was released during Black History Month 2012
Listen here:
"Oh Freedom" was also used to great effect in season 3 episode 9 of American Horror Story.
On television we see Odetta performing the song at a Civil Rights meeting, after 1 minute taken over by The Golden Gospel Singers magnificent version.
Watch it here:
And early 2017 "Oh Freedom" by the Golden Gospel Singers was also used on the soundtrack of the movie: "Gettysburg Addres".
Listen here:
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