This spring, a compilation album inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement called "Occupy This Album" that will feature music by a wide variety of artists will be released. A short list of the artists featured include Crosby and Nash, Chroma, Jackson Browne, Tao Rodriguez Seeker (Pete's grandson), Arlo Guthrie and family, Third Eye Blind, Toots and the Maytals, Lloyd Cole and Loudon Wainwright III.
Also on the album will be Yoko Ono, who has expressed her support of the movement several times in her weekly Twitter posts. Though no details are available yet about Ono's song, Jason Samel, president of Music for Occupy and executive producer of "Occupy This Album," told us in a phone interview that he'd wanted to include her. She was finally brought in to the album by Richard Barone of the Bongos, who's also on the album and knows her.
"I couldn't find any way to get in touch with her. It was really, really tough," Samel said. "And then, I kind of gave up on it and I went on her website, Imagine Peace. And right on the front page of the website were these things about Occupy Wall Street. And I said, 'Wow, she really supports this movement.'" Himself a musician, Samel reached out to Barone through a friend, Sandi Bachom, and was able to contact her.
"We're very excited to have her on," said Alex Emanuel, one of the album's producers, along with Maegan Hayward.
The album's website notes Occupy This Album is an independent project separate from the movement.
In a lengthy answer in one of her weekly Q&A Twitter posts, Ono explained her support of Occupy Wall Street and said John Lennon was also smiling on the movement.
"I love ‘Occupy Wall Street’! John is sending his smile to ‘Occupy Wall Street’. I am sending my love to ‘Occupy Wall Street’. We are all working together. You are letting the world know that American activists are doing this. That gives them inspiration and encouragement. That is very important now for the United States and the world. As John said, “One hero cannot do it. Each one of us have to be heroes.” And you are. Thank you," she wrote.
Samel said he conceived the album on Sept. 20, 2011, the third day of the Occupy Wall Street occupation. "I was walking around Zucotti Park and heard somebody singing and playing guitar and haromonica. I fell in love with the guy and his music," he said. "And I said, 'Why is a light not shined on this kid? And I said maybe I could make some type of album. And that was the first thought."
Yoko's son, Sean Lennon, paid a visit to the Occupy Wall Street site in October. Samel says the younger Lennon isn't involved with the album "as of this time."
Emanuel says they've received submissions from all over for the album. "It's been quite a challenge to try and put together something that can be a legacy of now," he says.
"There's some great names and within the next week, there's going to be a whole new flood of names that'll just blow peoples' minds," Samel said.
"The unknown bands and musicians are all very good, too," Emanuel said.
"One of the greatest parts of this experience, other than supporting the movement and making money for the movement so the movement can continue on, (is) we all love music," said Samel.
"I know there were people who were in Zucotti Park who were kickass musicians that nobody's ever heard of. And the greatest part of this is that we've gotten hundreds of people sending us in music. And a lot of it is better than the top music stars out there. And you never will hear it unless we do something like this."
- See a video tribute to John Lennon by The Nutopians singing "Power to the People" in the video spot at left. Video by Sandi Bachom.
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