Songs and Speech of the Free Speech Movement 72:38
links are to mp3 files

Free Speech Carols  (7:59)

      Oskie Dolls   (Joe LaPenta)
      We Three Deans   (Barry Jablon)
      U.C. Administration   (Ken Sanderson)
      Hail to IBM  (K. Sanderson)
      It Belongs to the University   (J. LaPenta)
      Silent Night    (B. Jablon)
      Call Out the Deans   (B. Jablon)
      Masters of Sproul Hall   (Dustin Miller)
      God Rest Ye Free Speech     (K. Sanderson)
      Come All Ye Mindless   (B. Jablon)
      Joy to U.C.   (D. Miller)

Sounds of the Demonstration  (26:44)

      The Sproul Hall Sit-In  (Oct. 1, 1964)
      The Arrest of Jack Weinberg   (Oct. 1)
      From the Top of the Police Car   (Oct. 1-2)

FSM Songs  (23:02)

      Battle of Berkeley Talking Blues     (Dave Mandel)
      Join the FSM    (Dan Paik; traditional tune)
      Free Speech Demonstration Blues  (Dave Genesen)
      There’s a Man Takin’ Names   (D. Paik; traditional tune)
      Put My Name Down    (Lee Felsenstein, music W. Guthrie)
      Womb with a View    (Dan Paik, sung w/ Barry Jablon & Sue Chesney)
      Hey, Mr. Newsman    (Richard Kampf, w/ Paul Gilbert harmonica)
      Lesson of Berkeley   (Richard Schmorleitz & Dan Paik, R.S. singing)
      Bastion of Truth   (Kevin Langdon)  

Mario Savio’s Famous Speech  (7:23)  (Dec. 2, 1964)

The Sproul Hall Sit-In   (2:23)   (Julia Vinograd poem, 1994)

Mario Savio: Two later reflections  (~,5 min?)  (December, 1994)

      Holding each other
      My free speech movement

We Stood Up and Sat Down That Day  (5:27)  (Ira Chaleff, 2004)
 (arr.  Jeff DiBonis; perf. Chaleff+DiBonis,  2004)

Michael Rossman notes:

This CD combines the two records published by the FSM itself, plus a few vital pieces from then and since. “Free Speech Carols” was a 7” 45-rpm vinyl disc, released after our arrests but in time for Christmas vacation. We sold 10,000 copies for a buck apiece to float our defense fund. “FSM’s Sounds and Songs of the Demonstration!” was a 12” LP, released soon after. Both records were produced by Dustin Mark Miller in the style that marked the FSM throughout: he recognized needs and took the tasks on, learning what he needed to know – recording, editing, management -- to carry them through, with the help of his friends. Stevie Lipney designed the covers, Burton White of KPFA taught him to edit, Duard Hastings and Lee Felsenstein and Julie Blake helped technically; and the great music critic Ralph Gleason connected him to the generosity of Max Weiss of Fantasy Records for studio time.

This CD includes 20 of the 35 original FSM songs known to me; I imagine many more were written that I never learned of, for our thousands were only loosely linked and folk-music culture was wide-spread among us. Richard Schmorleitz organized the hootenanny that gathered the songs soon recorded on the LP. The earlier Carols were all that could be released from the group working on a musical, as most of their songs were parodies sung to copyrighted tunes.

• At a rally Barry Jablon and Sue Chesney and two other people ( whose names are listed on the 45 Christmas record) sang some funny songs. Someone said we ought to record them and sell records. For some reason I decided to go forward with the project. Someone suggested I contact Ralph Gleason (jazz/pop critic) so I did. Ralph put me in touch with Max Weiss at Fantasy records. Max allowed us to use Fantasy's studio for recording. At the time I had no idea what a valuable resource was being provided. I don't know who advised me all the way. Probably Max and Ralph and others. But I located pressing plants and recruited an artist for the cover art, and printed up various items, including lyrics.. We assembled all this haphazardly at my apartment. When it came out around Christmas it sold a lot of copies.
•  
•  "Sounds and Songs of the Demonstration!" Later Richard Schmorleitz and some other organized a hootenanny. People sang various songs. Again it was suggested to make recordings and sell records. In the meantime KPFA in Berkeley had produced a little-known documentary record. Someone said why not put speeches on our record too? I went to Burton White who taught me to rough edit, and I made the "Sounds" side of the LP. Max Weiss again allowed us to record the music at Fantasy. When it came time to choose what songs to put on the record I eliminated one song. That was because I heard a certain critic didn't like that style of music, and I was willing to kiss up to him. Turned out that effort not only cheated the musician (name forgotten-Paul Jacobs?), and debased myself, but it was for nothing. When the record was pressed recycled vinyl was used. This is not unusual. But unfortunately the recycled vinyl included the center (labeled) part. As a result bits of label contaminated the plastic and caused skips and distortion in the record. Purchasers were angry and upset. Today I don't blame them at all. At the time I was unsympathetic. I think Stevie Lipney did the cover art. It is a collage like an erupting volcano, with Mario at the peak.The artist's name should be listed on the actual album cover. I moved the title stripe just enough that the "o" in "Demonstration!" made a halo over Mario's head. I thought it was funny. Mario didn't and asked if we could get it recalled. I said no, it would cost too much. I am not sure who did the calligraphy for the title stripe: David Goines? This record never really caught on, probably due mostly to the flawed pressing, timing, and my lack of experience in the fields of music and documentaries. I agree that Mr. Belmont of Fantasy should be thanked for providing a clean copy to make the D.A.T. copy. Please feel free to use anything on the liner notes of the 1964 version of the 45 and the LP. Also please feel free to edit out anything you like that is unnecessary. There was a 1984 version of the 45 which had different liner notes that I was not responsible for. But I don't see any reason not to use those too, if appropriate. Rossman would know who else might care. I hope this is helpful. Dustin
  WE STOOD UP AND SAT DOWN THAT DAY

Sometimes we do the right thing in life and do not live to see our
society recognize the validity of our actions;. We in the Free Speech
Movement are fortunate, as is the broader Civil Rights Movement of which
we were a part, to have lived to see the stand we took vindicated. I
wrote this song to memorialize a moment in the endless history of
individual and collective courage in the face of injustice. More
broadly, this song honors the past and future commitment that was and
always will be needed to ensure we evolve towards a more humane culture.

Ira Chaleff
FSM Arrestee

Lyrics and Music by Ira Chaleff. Arrangement by Jeff DiBonis. Vocals and
guitar by Ira Chaleff and Jeff DiBonis.

THEY SAT DOWN AND STOOD UP THAT DAY

In 1964 The Berkeley campus spontaneously erupted when the university
adminstration tried to curtail political speech in Sproul Plaza at the
main entrance to the campus. The Free Speech Movement was born.

After weeks of negotiation and rallies the students turned to civil disobedience
to oppose the power structure that was intent on neutralizing them as a
political force. The students staged a sit-in in Sproul Hall, the administration
building. Eight hundred were arrested, an unprecedented event on a college campus.
The impact of that action was felt on campuses around the country, setting the
tone for a generation.

2004 is the 40th anniversary of the Free Speech Movement. I have written
this song to commemorate an event I am proud to have been part of. It is
dedicated to those who sat down to stand up for what they believed. As I
am a writer, not a musician, I invite anyone who can do more justice rendering
the song to please do so.

LYRICS
by Ira Chaleff

It was all in the thrall
Of truth and our youth
That we stood up and sat down that day
Eight hundred strong
We stood up to wrong
As we sat down while carried away
Answering the call
We entered Sproul Hall
As we stood up and sat down that day
We drew a line
That defined our times
As we sat down while carried away

Refrain:
It was forty years ago
And I want to know
Where are these people today?
Did the courage they showed
Help them walk the road
As they stood up and went on their way?

Against adult voices
We each made our choices
As we stood up and sat down that day
In the vans and the jails
We tipped the scales
As we sat down while carried away
There's a time to say no
Said Ma-ri-o
As we filed into the building that day
And though our acts were bold
Braver stories were told
In the movement we stood for that way

Refrain

Marching week after week
For the right to speak
We marched into power's front door
And when told to leave
We rolled up our sleeves
And sat down on cold marble floors
After bail was made
And Times headlines displayed
The faculty met and took note
To the Regent's chagrin
That the students should win
They gave us their eight to one vote

Refrain

Some history's made
With pitchfork and with spade
Standing up for what is right
And some history's writ
By those who would sit
Until carried away from the fight
Now the tale is displayed
In the Free Speech Cafe
The rebels are honored at last
But the fight never ends
For justice my friend
It's the future that counts not the past

Refrain
(Last three lines of refrain)