I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free

"I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" is a song written by Billy Taylor & Dick Dallas, most well known for the recording by Nina Simone in 1967 on her Silk & Soul album. Billy Taylor's original version (as "I Wish I Knew") was recorded November 12, 1963 and released on his Right Here, Right Now album (Capitol ST-2039) the year after. His 1967 instrumental take was later used as the theme music for The Film programme on BBC television.

Billy Taylor reports that "I wrote this song, perhaps my best known composition, for my daughter Kim. This is one of the best renditions I’ve done, because it is very spiritual."^[1]

Notable cover versions

The song served as an anthem for the civil-rights movement.^[2] .

It was also used as the theme for the 2004 Olympics, and as the music for a Coca-Cola commercial. Other versions include:

• Solomon Burke (1968)
• Ahmad Jamal (1968)
• Illinois Jacquet (1968)
• Denver, Boise & Johnson (1968)
• The Smothers Brothers and Harry Belafonte, on Season Three of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1968)
• The Ray Charles Singers (1969)
• Shirley Scott (1969)
• Cold Blood (1969)
• John Denver (1969)
• Glenn Yarbrough (1970)
• Doris (1970)
• Mary Travers (1971)
• Dionne Farris (b-side on "I Know" Maxi-Single) (1994)
• Jools Holland (1997)
• Leontyne Price (1997)
• Marc Shaiman (1997)
• Marlena Shaw (2000)
• Lighthouse Family (2001)
• Sharlene Hector (2004)
• Martin Taylor (2005)
• Irma Thomas (2006)
• The Derek Trucks Band (2006)
• Human Highway (2008)
• Levon Helm Band (2009)
• Lucky Peterson (2010)
• John Legend & The Roots (2010)

References