The cultural significance of Sam Cooke’s 1964 composition and recording “A Change Is Gonna Come” cannot be overstated. There are many reasons that the concretely yet poetically written words have served as a musical signpost for the African-American fight for civil rights decade after decade.
While many artists from every corner of the popular-music pantheon have covered the classic ably, none can match the innate intensity and vulnerability of the Cooke original. British crooner Junior Gisbombe, however, has unveiled a finely delivered cover worth adding to the list of notable renditions. The singer—best known for ‘80s soul-funk classics such as “Mama Used to Say,” “Too Late,” and “Oh Louise”—offers a tenderly phrased and earnestly expressed reading which preserves the sanctity of Cooke’s sentiment without attempting to embellish it unnecessarily.
Take a First Listen to Junior’s new version of “A Change Is Gonna Come” below and let us know what you think!
by Justin Kantor
Junior - "A Change Is Gonna Come"
