Song o' the day (pt. 2)

The Impressions are one of my favorite vocal groups ever, of any genre...period.  They produced two great talents in Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler, who both later had great solo careers.  In The Impressions mid-60's heyday, there are only a few vocal groups to match the harmonizing, songwriting (actually, not a lot of groups were writing their own songs, so maybe songwriting-wise, none can compare to The Impressions), and lyrics, which as the mid-60's moved into the late-60's, they became more politically oriented (probably of Curtis Mayfield's influence more than anything else, as seen by his first few solo albums).  They had some huge hits in their day, like "People Get Ready" (covered by the likes of the Chambers Brothers), "You Must Believe Me" (later covered by Don Covay), "Gypsy Woman" (later covered by Joe Bataan).  The track, "This Is My Country", is a later period Impressions song, largely composed by Mayfield, and even though it wasn't one of their biggest hits, somehow it's always been one of my favorites of theirs.  I love the horns that introduce the song, the "woo-hoo-hoo's" vocals that follow, and Curtis's statement that regardless of your gender, color, or where you came from, we should all consider this as "my country".   "This is My Country" was a strong statement for an African-American to make at that time in song, and it was needed, as for many decades, most felt they didn't have a voice in our country.  "This is My Country" went along with the civil rights movement during this time, so it's a strong statement, and a wonderful song.   Enjoy one of my favorite tracks by The Impressions!