By Wiley Henry
MEMPHIS, TN — Not since the 1985 release of “We Are the World,” the chart-topping single benefiting USA for Africa, has there been a constellation of superstars collaborating for a charitable cause — famine relief.
But then there was Elvis Presley’s “If I Can Dream,” which he recorded after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination. Written by Walter Earl Brown, it’s an ode to Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
And in Memphis, an eclectic group of singers and musicians were assembled to remake Bobby Darin’s 1969 protest song, “Simple Song of Freedom,” to call attention to yet another quandary — war and upheaval around the world.
Darin was a songwriter and actor. His million-selling single “Splish Splash” catapulted him to fame in 1958. He went on to churn out more hits and died of congestive heart failure on Dec. 20, 1973.
Part of the proceeds from “Simple Song of Freedom” will benefit the Novick Cardiac Alliance, a global health care organization in Memphis that serves children with cardiac disease in low and middle-income countries.
The remake of “Simple Song of Freedom” was spearheaded by Mario Monterosso, an Italian-born guitarist, songwriter, and producer. In this collaborative effort, the collective voices of local, reputed musicians — dubbed the Memphis Freedom Band — emoted about peace and love.
“The message contained in this song through resoundingly bold sounds matches perfectly with the spirit of the City of Memphis, which remains today the capitol of music and soul,” said Monterosso, a resident of Memphis since 2016.
The project began over a year ago, said Marie Pizano, president of the non-profit MVP3 Foundation and owner of MVP3 Records. “The project sat for a while until I came onboard. Within less than a month, I got everything done.”
Pizano said she assumed the mantle after meeting Monterosso some time ago after he asked if she could do something [to help move the project along]. “So, I picked up the ball and helped him get to the finished line,” she said.
The song project was produced, recorded, and filmed at Sam Phillips Recording Studio in Memphis with engineering assistance from Scott Bomar, an Emmy Award-winning film composer and Grammy-nominated music producer.
“It’s incredible what they put together,” said Pizano. “It starts off with opera and goes into country. You got R&B from Carla Thomas. You got the Stax Academy kids. You got gospel in there. It was beautifully orchestrated.”
Nearly 50 singers and musicians participated, she said.
The MVP3 Foundation and MVP3 Records released the song on Nov. 26 through Select-O-Hits, one of the largest independent record distributors in the county. Select-O-Hits is owned by Sam W. Phillips and Johnny Phillips.
Their father, Tom Phillips, and their uncle, Sam Phillips, co-founded Select-O-Hits in 1960. In 1952, they founded Sun Records, an independent record label and the home of Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, and others.
A video of “Simple Song of Freedom” was released on Dec. 20 in honor of Bobby Darin, who died on that day 50 years ago. And a behind-the-scenes documentary is now in the editing process and expected to be released in late spring.
“This is a beautiful rendition of ‘Simple Song of Freedom,” said Amy Abrams of 7S Management, on behalf of the Bobby Darin Estate. “The world today is in a state of unrest, similar to the time this song was written….”
Priscilla Presley chimed in as well. “If Elvis were here, he would join in this anthem of hope,” she said. “Elvis and Bobby Darin dared to dream of a better world through their music.”
“Simple Song of Freedom” was released on all music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Deezer, amazon music, YouTube, and Tidal.
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