Much rightfully exciting talk about Beyonce’s new Country CD, “Cowboy Carter,” including her cover of the iconic Paul McCartney penned “Blackbird.” While Beyonce stays quite close to the Beatles’ original including a sampling of Paul’s guitar riffing, several worldwide music aficionados on McCartney’s official Facebook thread honoring the re-envisioned tune, mentioned Marilyn McCoo’s recent recorded version on Marilyn & Billy (Davis Jr.)’s acclaimed “blackbird: Lennon/McCartney Icons” CD. I was certainly happy to see this…thank you, astute fans!
In a complete review of the project, I had written about this interpretation for FOREVER 5th DIMENSION: “The title tune, soloed by Marilyn is ingenious, Ms. McCoo translates ‘Blackbird’ into a cousin of Billie Holiday’s ‘Strange Fruit.’ She takes a gut-wrenching, contemporary Broadway showstopper style and combines it with her recording finesse…it boils down to a fine simmer, in the pantheon of one of Marilyn McCoo’s greatest vocal solos.”
Sir Paul restates his writing of “Blackbird” as a young man was inspired by what Rolling Stone magazine describes as “…the Little Rock Nine, a group of nine Black students who faced discrimination and the lasting impact of segregation after enrolling in the all-white Little Rock Central High School in 1957, following the Supreme Court’s historic Brown vs. the Board of Education decision.”
Re-experience Marilyn’s version of “Blackbird” via the official video as FOREVER 5th DIMENSION salutes an important song about the pioneers of the Civil Rights movement, and all the amazing artists who embrace its message, including our eternally vibrant McCoo & Davis.
—Robert-Allan Arno, April 2024
FOREVER 5TH DIMENSION 