Chol Soo Lee – The Ballad Of Chol Soo Lee (US 1979)

. Records Producer – The Chol Soo Lee Defense Committee Written by Anderson, Adachi, Kikuchi-Yngojo Here is a very rare and unique piece of civil rights history. Here’s a brief overview I pulled from a blog entry on the topic: “Lee was an early cause célèbre within the Asian American Movement community in the Bay Area and beyond. A Korean immigrant, he was accused of murdering a gang member in S.F. Chinatown and was sent to prison for life under questionable circumstances in 1973. Just to pour salt in the wounds, he was then charged with killing a fellow inmate in 1977 and then sent to death row. The shodiness of Lee’s original prosecution lead to a lengthy appeals process, lead by the Chol Soo Lee Defense Committee. They evidently were behind the production of this single from 1978; I’m assuming it was a fundraiser (or at least, awareness-raiser) of some kind.“ (Don’t worry, he was eventually released in 1993.) Musically, the A side is bass-driven (highlight) with some guitar strumming, conga beat and flute flourishes. Quite a nice psych folk groover. The B side is the true ballad, a more simple piano/vocal tune. Includes an insert with a chronological account of events.