A Message from the People

A Message from the People is a studio album by Ray Charles, released in May 1972 on ABC/TRC Records and produced by Joe Adams, Charles's most explicitly political album, conceived in the context of the civil rights movement and the social upheaval of the late 1960s and early 1970s, and including his celebrated recording of 'America the Beautiful' that became one of the most significant patriotic performances of the era. Charles did not write the majority of the material; the album includes 'America the Beautiful,' 'Heaven Help Us All' (Stevie Wonder), 'What Have They Done to My Song, Ma,' 'Hey Mister,' and 'There Will Be No Peace Without All Men as One', a collection of socially conscious material that addressed American civic life with directness unusual for a mainstream pop recording. Charles's interpretation of 'America the Beautiful', in which his gospel vocal approach transformed the patriotic standard into a simultaneous celebration and critique, was performed at the 1972 Republican National Convention and became one of the most beloved and frequently performed of his recordings outside the R&B catalog. The album reached the top 50 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart and the title reflected Charles's self-understanding as a figure whose music carried social meaning in addition to commercial function. A Message from the People stands as the most politically engaged statement in Charles's catalog and a significant document of Black American civic expression in the early 1970s.