Black Gold (album)

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Nina Simone chronology
Black Gold

Live album by Nina Simone
Released	1970
Recorded	Live recoding at Philharmonic Hall, New York October 26, 1969
Genre	Vocal Soul Pop Folk
Label	RCA victor
Producer(s)	Stroud Productions
To Love Somebody (1969)	Black Gold (1970)	Here Comes the Sun (1971)

Black Gold is a live album by singer/pianist/songwriter Nina Simone (1933-2003) recorded in 1969 at the Philharmonic Hall, New York. It is esspecially notable because it features the civil rights anthem song "To Be Young Gifted And Black". The performance that night also featured a calypso version of Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" (which Simone had recorded on To Love Somebody), but there was no room for it on the album. With the release of the album also came an LP called An Evening with Nina Simone. It was a recorded interview about the album. The questions were provided in written form, so that radio dj's could ask the questions and play Simone's recorded answers, as if she were in the studio. ^[1]

[edit] Information about songs on this album

"Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair", the album features two versions of the song, the first sung by Nina, the second sung in a modified version by her guitarist, Emile Latimer.
"Ain't Got No-I Got Life", a live reprise of the hitsingle from Nuff Said (1969).
"Westwind", a song Simone learned from her friend, the African singer Miriam Makeba.
"To Be Young Gifted And Black", Nina wrote this song in memory of her late friend Lorraine Hansberry, writer of Raisin in the Sun. It became the official Civil Rights anthem. Nina is joined by the singing male duo The Swordsmen. It was covered by Aretha Franklin (Young, Gifted and Black, 1972) and Donny Hathaway.