Song of the Day 2/14: Syl Johnson, “Is It Because I’m Black”

Once upon a time in America, people didn’t tiptoe around issues of race. The fight for civil rights legislation was hard and bitter, and the racists didn’t keep their feelings hidden. (Look at those old photos of young whites pouring ketchup and mustard on young blacks who were integrating lunch counters — they didn’t even bother wearing white hoods anymore.)

African Americans fought back with eloquence — the writing of James Baldwin, the speeches of King and Malcolm and Muhammad Ali, and the music of too many to list. One whose name appears pretty far down the list nowadays — undeservedly so — is Syl Johnson, who asked this pointed musical question in 1969.

Johnson’s biggest hit came with Al Green’s “Take Me to the River,” which Green recorded for his 1974 album “Al Green Explores Your Mind” but gave to Johnson, his label mate, to cut as a single.

In contrast with Green’s slinky rendition, Johnson, who used the same backing band, speeds the tempo a little and puts more muscle in the vocals, giving it a tougher Stax feel.