My Father introduced me to the fantastic voice of Paul Robeson in the 1940’s when a young boy. I was lucky enough to see him when he came to England in the 1950’s and still remains my favourite at the age of 88years having introduced his voice to my children and grandchildren.
Paul Robeson one of the greatest singing voices the world has ever known. This recording is a gigantic gift that fills my eyes with tears, as I try hard not to blink.
Paul Robeson visited and performed in CCCP,Russia,and got banned by USA....Because he was considdered a Communist by the USA....Sad and the Movie SHOWBOAT 1936 Is still one of the most beloved Movies.....Old Man River....sung by Paul Robeson 1936.....
It fills with tears the eyes of any sensitive people, I’d say. I’ve heard that Kathleen Ferrier had to leave the hall because she couldn’t stop crying.
He seems to have been erased from history. An organized campaign to keep people from knowing about him. Because he stood for worker rights all over the world, included the USSR, he was labeled a communist agitator and blacklisted, his passport taken away effectively kept out of the public consciousness. Even with black people. Rosa Parks is known by every one but her actual accomplishment pales in comparison to a Robeson 25 years earlier. Shameful.
This is absolutely fantastic!! Paul Robeson has been my favorite male singer since I was 15, and I've hardly ever seen him perform live, and never with good audio quality. I practically jumped when I saw this. Thank you for posting!
A man who loved people, supported the working man AND sang the Welsh National anthem, to Welsh Miners - his respect for all human beings is something special.
He sang the chinese anthem to the chinese too. Worth a watch. I can't help but think how those today who say they are "left" are the antithesis of what this man actually stood for... cultural exchange, art, love, humanity, the working class and the best of civilisation. ❤
It is a tragedy of history that Paul had to sing these songs and make us weep for what should have been. To be of color and get even this much fame is the mark of an extraordinary man. Such was Paul Robeson.
Wonderful to see this new footage of the greatest of men , thank you so much. All the the red baieters and McCarthyites are long forgotten but Paul's legacy lives on to inspire us all.
My great grandfathers wife was related to Robeson … she was from New Jersey … she met my grandfather in NC then moved up north towards the end of the 1890s … so I have a whole branch of my family in NJ cause of them. Genealogy is a wonderful thing isn’t it ?
By 1960 he had many miles on that voice and was no longer young. What a great human he was. Brilliant athlete, lawyer, singer and actor and a nearly forgotten pioneer of civil and human rights long before MLK . There should be a holiday and streets named after him.
Pure royalty from head to toe. I've commented on this man ceaselessly but his talent is everlasting. There will never be another Paul Robeson. The most impossibly gifted man since Adam and Eve.
As a footnote to this great man's life. the world sadly will never know how great (or otherwise) he would have been on the operatic stage. If the roles we carefully studied beforehand I believe he would have been .brilliant. Mozart, Donizetti, Puccini, Verdi, Strauss, the lot. We can only imagine.
Met Mr Robeson as a Toddler maybe 3 years old during the Black List period , sadly I don’t remember Mr Robeson , performing in the Bay Area in Churches small Auditoriums after Big Paul performance my Dad took him to The Airport in San Francisco I went along for the ride probably sitting in Robeson lap
Paul Robeson and Harry Belafonte were great human beings. I trust that we may see their like again in these dreadful times - men of courage helping us see the injustices of our system.
Singing even deeper than I remember & just as memorable. By this time nature had taken its toll because of his age & the suffering he went through for his political positions & beliefs. But he compensates here by his charisma & more comfortable vocal keys due to the likely narrowing of his singing range. Robeson remains a national treasure & an unjustly vilified one.
Astonishing. that voice got better, more expressive and deeper with age. But its only fair to note that in concerts and recording post 1938, he altered the character and tone behind 'ol man river' when he altered the lyrics of Hammerstein in several lines to suit his admittedly admirable agenda of avoiding what he saw as negative stereotypes of the American black man sitting in the lyrics as written. It was not written as an uplifting number, full of hope as performed here. It was a bit of a downer with Joe feeling trapped in his role dominated and predetermined by his white oppressors. Joe the dock worker also tended to drink spirits after a tough day.
They tend to classify him as a bass baritone. Perhaps he was at the dawn of his career. But here he is a full fledged schwarzer bass, one who would be singing Baron Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier were he to sing in the opera. If you want to hear a bass baritone rendition, listen to Sam Ramey or to Simon Estes or Sir Willard White. Their timbres are much lighter. Of his greatness there is no doubt. The greatest ever!
Not a saint, but a giant and a hero. Amazing how such a voice could be smothered by the forces in power. He was too big a fish not to get caught in whatever the net was in his day-a big fish, a giant talent, larger than life-What chance did he have amongst the small people?
I repeat all the accolades people have left in these comments. Only thing is, I wish the producers of this show hadn't cut away from the end of his performance of Ol' Man River, in order to show the credits.
"Old Man River", the words were changed quite a bit from the 1936 movie version. What next, a white guy singing the song with whiteys toting the barges and lifting the bails?
@@doughoffman9463 I agree that the original was great. However, I guess Robeson intended to highlight the struggles of him and his people by altering the lyrics to a more rebellious version. To me it seems as if he is trying to show that he is not complacent, but is instead standing up for himself and speaking his mind. Also the new lyrics would have been considered not as politically correct as the original.
@doughoffman9463 The '36 film version isn't the original. This here is the first rendition proper, with Robeson the second overall to sing it, first to record it with the lyrics. m.ua-cam.com/video/NnmEgmugnCg/v-deo.html&pp=ygUfT2xkIG1hbiByaXZlciBwYXVsIHJvYmVzb24gMTkyOA%3D%3D
My Father introduced me to the fantastic voice of Paul Robeson in the 1940’s when a young boy. I was lucky enough to see him when he came to England in the 1950’s and still remains my favourite at the age of 88years having introduced his voice to my children and grandchildren.
Paul Robeson one of the greatest singing voices the world has ever known. This recording is a gigantic gift that fills my eyes with tears, as I try hard not to blink.
I so agree with you. I was born in Russia. We loved and admired our Paul
@@liliyalemkova5278😅
Paul Robeson visited and performed in CCCP,Russia,and got banned by USA....Because he was considdered a Communist by the USA....Sad and the Movie SHOWBOAT 1936 Is still one of the most beloved Movies.....Old Man River....sung by Paul Robeson 1936.....
It fills with tears the eyes of any sensitive people, I’d say. I’ve heard that Kathleen Ferrier had to leave the hall because she couldn’t stop crying.
He had such beautiful expressive eyes that twinkled and shined , you know he had a heart as big as his stature and as deep as his voice .
As a 9 year old watching TV he brought me to tears (now am 72 and still playing his music and tears again.
Thank you so much; Paul remains in my Heart forever.
Mr. Paul Robeson - dignity, humanity, sorrow, pain, joy, profound, sublime - words are inadequate.
Absolutely
A true talent and a american hero that no one talks about .
You are so right long live this wonderful man
He seems to have been erased from history. An organized campaign to keep people from knowing about him. Because he stood for worker rights all over the world, included the USSR, he was labeled a communist agitator and blacklisted, his passport taken away effectively kept out of the public consciousness. Even with black people. Rosa Parks is known by every one but her actual accomplishment pales in comparison to a Robeson 25 years earlier. Shameful.
What a voice. What a voice.
What a man.
This is absolutely fantastic!! Paul Robeson has been my favorite male singer since I was 15, and I've hardly ever seen him perform live, and never with good audio quality. I practically jumped when I saw this. Thank you for posting!
A man who loved people, supported the working man AND sang the Welsh National anthem, to Welsh Miners - his respect for all human beings is something special.
He sang the chinese anthem to the chinese too. Worth a watch.
I can't help but think how those today who say they are "left" are the antithesis of what this man actually stood for... cultural exchange, art, love, humanity, the working class and the best of civilisation. ❤
It is a tragedy of history that Paul had to sing these songs and make us weep for what should have been. To be of color and get even this much fame is the mark of an extraordinary man. Such was Paul Robeson.
Transcendent
From what I understand, there are three words he had on his gravestone: Activist. Athlete. Actor.
Terrific performance by Mr, Robeson. Wish there were more of his live performances.
the most beautiful powerful voice ever heard enough said thank you for the posting🙂
❤Paul❤Robeson❤😊
Wonderful to see this new footage of the greatest of men , thank you so much. All the the red baieters and McCarthyites are long forgotten but Paul's legacy lives on to inspire us all.
Well said Peter well said....peace
well said.!!!
Sadly the true redblooded Americans seem to be gone too
Uncle Paul 🖤 Honored and grateful to be in this family
You are really lucky and blessed. Lots of well wishes to the family from India.
My great grandfathers wife was related to Robeson … she was from New Jersey … she met my grandfather in NC then moved up north towards the end of the 1890s … so I have a whole branch of my family in NJ cause of them. Genealogy is a wonderful thing isn’t it ?
Fantastic....the great PAUL ROBESON......
By 1960 he had many miles on that voice and was no longer young. What a great human he was. Brilliant athlete, lawyer, singer and actor and a nearly forgotten pioneer of civil and human rights long before MLK . There should be a holiday and streets named after him.
There IS a street named after him - in EAST Berlin!
In Hounslow, West London, there is a Paul Robeson Theatre. I have sung there with a choir.
A great voice in a wonderful man.
He has a wonderful voice. A great Legend. A True STAR.
Pure royalty from head to toe. I've commented on this man ceaselessly but his talent is everlasting. There will never be another Paul Robeson. The most impossibly gifted man since Adam and Eve.
Beautiful.
superb
Un privilegio poder escucharlo. Gracias.
As a footnote to this great man's life. the world sadly will never know how great (or otherwise) he would have been on the operatic stage. If the roles we carefully studied beforehand I believe he would have been .brilliant. Mozart, Donizetti, Puccini, Verdi, Strauss, the lot. We can only imagine.
He did Mussorgsky....
A great man people didn't want to help him thank you for this video
Beautiful man and voice x
Met Mr Robeson as a Toddler maybe 3 years old during the Black List period , sadly I don’t remember Mr Robeson , performing in the Bay Area in Churches small Auditoriums after Big Paul performance my Dad took him to The Airport in San Francisco I went along for the ride probably sitting in Robeson lap
Fantástic! Wonderful! Paul Orbenson! Old Man River the most beautiful song of all times!
Fantastic
The greatest bass by a million miles
Wow ... fantastic.... thank you .
Thank you very much for uploading and sharing!
This is really a very nice rare TV appearance!
Fantastic!!😊
Happiest Man ever, loving his art
Thank you for THIS HISTORY MOMENT. 👌💞👌💖👏
One of the great voices. Lacks any sort of proper recognition
His legacy destroyed by fanatical U.S. anti-communism!
Paul Robeson and Harry Belafonte were great human beings. I trust that we may see their like again in these dreadful times - men of courage helping us see the injustices of our system.
You forgot the Third Musketeer- Sidney Pointier.
Singing even deeper than I remember & just as memorable. By this time nature had taken its toll because of his age & the suffering he went through for his political positions & beliefs. But he compensates here by his charisma & more comfortable vocal keys due to the likely narrowing of his singing range.
Robeson remains a national treasure & an unjustly vilified one.
SPLENDID
Stunning !!
Brilliant.
he was a giant talent.
So,so good
Astonishing. that voice got better, more expressive and deeper with age. But its only fair to note that in concerts and recording post 1938, he altered the character and tone behind 'ol man river' when he altered the lyrics of Hammerstein in several lines to suit his admittedly admirable agenda of avoiding what he saw as negative stereotypes of the American black man sitting in the lyrics as written. It was not written as an uplifting number, full of hope as performed here. It was a bit of a downer with Joe feeling trapped in his role dominated and predetermined by his white oppressors. Joe the dock worker also tended to drink spirits after a tough day.
His voice is impossibly deep, isn't it?
Beautiful voice!
Now this folks is what is called talent with a capital T. He was a great man way ahead of his time, or was he just in time?
The great bass Baritone
They tend to classify him as a bass baritone. Perhaps he was at the dawn of his career. But here he is a full fledged schwarzer bass, one who would be singing Baron Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier were he to sing in the opera. If you want to hear a bass baritone rendition, listen to Sam Ramey or to Simon Estes or Sir Willard White. Their timbres are much lighter. Of his greatness there is no doubt. The greatest ever!
I always remember him as Mr Old Man River singer....👍👏
this is one kool dude.
And MORECAMBE AND WISE were the hosts!
Variety really meant variety. It's good they didn't try to follow him but ended with this.
In the days of family entertainment.
Not a saint, but a giant and a hero. Amazing how such a voice could be smothered by the forces in power. He was too big a fish not to get caught in whatever the net was in his day-a big fish, a giant talent, larger than life-What chance did he have amongst the small people?
“Show a little grit and you land on jail.”
Fantastic.
Or dead.
Mr. Robeson left us too early...it's sad how the US Govt helped to ruin his life.....
'helped' would imply they weren't solely responsible. they were
@@waynetables6414 They killed him. After the 2014 Coup I'm TEAM PAUL ROBESON, JR all the way. He was telling the truth- they killed him.
I repeat all the accolades people have left in these comments. Only thing is, I wish the producers of this show hadn't cut away from the end of his performance of Ol' Man River, in order to show the credits.
Mastersinger!
well known to my family ax
What a powerful baritone
It is a disgrace that our country, his own country, the USA, treated this man like such shit all his life.
🌟👌
CRT? How about just 8 minutes of Paul Robeson?
👏🎭
Every singer who performs Old Man River should use these words not the original.
"Old Man River", the words were changed quite a bit from the 1936 movie version. What next, a white guy singing the song with whiteys toting the barges and lifting the bails?
What are you trying to say?
@@biggiebopbrain2927 The original 1936 Mr. Paul Robeson version was perfect. They shouldn't mess with the words to try to be politically correct.
@@doughoffman9463 I agree that the original was great. However, I guess Robeson intended to highlight the struggles of him and his people by altering the lyrics to a more rebellious version. To me it seems as if he is trying to show that he is not complacent, but is instead standing up for himself and speaking his mind. Also the new lyrics would have been considered not as politically correct as the original.
@doughoffman9463
The '36 film version isn't the original. This here is the first rendition proper, with Robeson the second overall to sing it, first to record it with the lyrics. m.ua-cam.com/video/NnmEgmugnCg/v-deo.html&pp=ygUfT2xkIG1hbiByaXZlciBwYXVsIHJvYmVzb24gMTkyOA%3D%3D
@@orepatrick3666 Thank you! I wasn't aware of this earlier recording. Robeson was a national treasure for several reasons.