Radio Wowsville 1/15/12: The Challenge (Annual MLK Show)

Serving as your soundtrack on this reflective Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we present Radio Wowsville's annual aural tribute to Dr. King.

It's a tuneful way to kick off The Community MLK Celebration, a packed series of events commemorating King's life and legacy that is being sponsored by the University and affiliated organizations. In the coming weeks, there will be area symposiums, film screenings, lectures and an appearance by the peerless Harry Belafonte. For more, go here.

And you can hear a webstream of Radio Wowsville's MLK show (and other fine WTJU shows) by clicking this link. Here's what we played:

1. "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" - Nina Simone - Silk and Soul [RCA Victor: 1967]
2. "My People... Hold On" - Eddie Kendricks - People...Hold On [Tamla: 1972]
3. "The Challenge" - Staple Singers - We'll Get Over [Stax: 1970]
4. "Times Are Changing" - Jimmy Sabater - Stand Up and Be Counted Vol. 2 [Tico: 1969]
5. "Sock it to 'em Soul Brother" - Bill Moss - Bell's Cellar of Soul [Bell: 1968]
6. "Hang On In There" - Mike James Kirkland - Hang On In There [MCA: 1972]
7. "Inner City Blues" - Marvin Gaye - What's Goin' On [Motown: 1971]
8. "This is My Country" - The Impressions - This is My Country [Curtom: 1968]
9. "Freedom Road" - The Pharaohs - Awakening [Scarab: 1972]
10."The Whole World Needs Liberation" - James Brown - Get On the Good Foot [Polydor: 1972]
11. "Stand Up and Be Counted" - The Flames - Stand Up and Be Counted Vol. 1 [People: 1971]
12."Six O'Clock News Report" - Bar-Kays - Black Rock [Stax: 1971]
13. "Blues For Brother George Jackson" - Archie Shepp - Attica Blues [Verve: 1972]
14. "I Have a Dream speech" - Dr. Martin Luther King - [Washington D.C.] [1963]
15. "A Dream" - Common - Freedom Writers [Hollywood: 2006]
16. "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody" - SNCC Freedom Singers - Every Tone A Testimony [Smithsonian Folkways]
17. "Yes We Can Can" - Lee Dorsey - Holy Cow! The Best... [Polydor: 1970]
18. "A Change Had Better Come" - The Alexander Review - The Alexander Review [Vaya: 1975]
19. "Right On Be Free" - The Voices of East Harlem - Right On Be Free [Elektra: 1970]
20. "Hard Times" - Baby Huey - The Baby Huey Story [Curtom: 1971]
21. "Things Ain't Right" - Ester Marrow - Sister Woman [Fantasy: 1972]
22. "Winter in America" - Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson - Winter in America [Strata: 1974]
23. "Can You Get to That?" - Funkadelic - Maggot Brain [Westbound: 1971]

Yes... after an absence of more than a year (which can be attributed more to logistical and technical issues than laziness, honest), Radio Wowsville RETURNS to the Rock Blog.

We're happy to be back on this snazzy site posting playlists, gossip and random fodder. Radio Wowsville has a new co-host (Brother Breakdown), a terrible cold and a whole new supporting cast of wacky next door neighbors popping in at inopportune times. Tune in and find out for yourself why the Culpeper Curried-Crumpet calls Wowsville "a radio show."

Radio Wowsville Needs Liberation!
Every Sunday night at 11 p.m. on WTJU 91.1 FM / WTJU.net