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The Wheel of Time
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"Aiel" redirects here. For the writ, see Ayel.
This article is about the novel series. For other uses, see Wheel of time (disambiguation).
The Wheel of Time
Cover of the first book
See list of books in series
Author
Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
Cover artist
Darrell K. Sweet (Michael Whelan for A Memory of Light)
Country
United States
Language
English
Genre
Fantasy
Publisher
Tor Books (US) and
Orbit Books (UK)
Published
January 15, 1990 – January 8, 2013
The Wheel of Time is a series of high fantasy novels written by American author James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under his pen name of Robert Jordan. Originally planned as a six-book series, The Wheel of Time spanned fourteen volumes, in addition to a prequel novel and companion book. Jordan began writing the first volume, The Eye of the World, in 1984, and it was published in January 1990.[1]
The author died in 2007 while working on what was planned to be the twelfth and final volume in the series. He prepared extensive notes so another author could complete the book according to his wishes. Fellow fantasy author and long-time Wheel of Time fan Brandon Sanderson was brought in to complete the final book, but during the writing process it was decided that the book would be far too large to be published in one volume and would instead be published as three volumes:[2] The Gathering Storm (2009), Towers of Midnight (2010), and A Memory of Light (2013).
The series draws on numerous elements of both European and Asian mythology, most notably the cyclical nature of time found in Buddhism and Hinduism, the metaphysical concepts of balance and duality, and a respect for nature found in Daoism. Additionally, its creation story has similarities to Christianity's "Creator" (Light) and Shai'tan, "The Dark One" (Shaytan is an Arabic word that in religious contexts is used as a name for the Devil). It was also partly inspired by Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace (1869).[3]
The Wheel of Time is notable for its length, detailed imaginary world, well-developed magic system, and large cast of characters. The eighth through fourteenth books each reached number one on the New York Times Best Seller list. After its completion, the series was nominated for a Hugo Award.[4] According to Jordan's French publisher, as of 2017, the series has sold over 80 million copies worldwide, and is the best selling epic fantasy series since The Lord of the Rings.[5] Its popularity has spawned an eponymous video game, roleplaying game, and soundtrack album. On April 20, 2017, it was announced that Sony Pictures will adapt the series for television.[6]
Contents
[hide]
1 Setting
2 Plot summary
2.1 Tarmon Gai'don
3 Characters
4 Special powers
4.1 Channeling
4.1.1 Talents
4.2 Other abilities
5 Books in the series
5.1 Prologue eBooks
5.2 Companion publications
6 Development
6.1 Writing and conception
6.2 Author's death and final books
7 Adaptations
7.1 Comic books
7.2 Games
7.3 Music
7.4 Television and film
8 Culture
9 References
10 External links
Setting[edit]
The series is set in an unnamed world that, due to the cyclical nature of time as depicted in the series, is simultaneously the distant past and the distant future Earth. The series depicts fictional, ancient mythology that references modern Earth history, while events in the series prefigure real Earth myths. The series takes place about three thousand years after "The Breaking of the World," a global cataclysm that ended the "Age of Legends," a highly advanced era. Throughout most of the series, the world's technology and institutions are comparable to those of the Renaissance, but with greater equality for women; some cultures are matriarchal. Events later in the series prompt advances similar to the Industrial Revolution.
The main setting for the series is the western region or continent of a larger landmass, both unnamed; however, the western region has been called "The Westlands" in licensed media, and by author Robert Jordan in interviews. The Westlands contains multiple kingdoms and city-states and is bounded on the east by a mountain range. To the east is a desert, the Aiel Waste, inhabited by the Aiel warrior people, who live in small settlements and whose society is organized into clans and warrior societies. Further east is the large and predominantly insular nation of Shara, separated from the Waste by large mountain ranges and other impassable terrain. North of all three regions is the Great Blight, a hostile wilderness inhabited by evil beings. The Westlands are mostly temperate; it and the Aiel Waste are in the world's northern mid-latitudes. Shara extends slightly south of the equator. Across an ocean west of the Westlands is Seanchan, the name of a landmass and the empire that spans it. Seanchan is narrower from east to west than the other landmass, but extends most of the way between the ice caps from south to north. A large island in the northwest is separated from the Seanchan mainland by a channel. At the beginning of the series, Westlanders are unaware of Seanchan's existence. The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time depicts "The Land of Madmen," a small continent in the southern hemisphere, far to the south of the Westlands and the Aiel Waste; it is never mentioned in the main series.
The series takes place at the end of the "Third Age" time period; the Age of Legends was preceded by the "First Age," which is implied to be modern Earth. The Third Age in the Westlands was marked by two great upheavals. A thousand years after the Breaking, humanity was nearly overrun by creatures from the Blight in the "Trolloc Wars." A thousand years after that, High King Artur Hawkwing unified the region, but his death resulted in the "War of the Hundred Years" instead of an orderly dynastic succession. The division of the Westlands into nations changed completely after each of the two events.
"The Pattern" is a manifestation of both the physical world and people's destinies, while "the Wheel" represents the passage of time. These concepts apply to a series of parallel worlds, as well. Some characters observe or visit such other worlds; some of these worlds reflect different courses of history, and some are so divergent from the main reality that they are uninhabited. Physics sometimes operates differently in these worlds. The Seanchan imported "exotic" creatures from other worlds, later breeding and training them. Tel'aran'rhiod is the "world of dreams," which connects to all of the other worlds. It can be visited in one's sleep, but events there are real; it is also possible to enter physically.
Plot summary[edit]
The prequel novel New Spring takes place during the Aiel War and depicts the discovery by certain Aes Sedai that the Dragon has been Reborn.
The series proper commences almost twenty years later in the Two Rivers, a near-forgotten district of the country of Andor. An Aes Sedai, Moiraine, and her Warder Lan, arrive in the village of Emond's Field, secretly aware that servants of the Dark One are searching for a young man living in the area. Moiraine is unable to determine which of three youths (Rand al'Thor, Matrim Cauthon, or Perrin Aybara) is the Dragon Reborn, and leads all three of them from the Two Rivers, along with their friend Egwene al'Vere. Nynaeve al'Meara, the village wise-woman, later joins them. Gleeman Thom Merrilin also travels with the group. The first novel depicts their flight from various agents of the Shadow and their attempts to reach the Aes Sedai city of Tar Valon. Thereafter the protagonists are frequently split into different groups and pursue different missions toward the cause of the Dragon Reborn, sometimes thousands of miles apart. As they struggle to unite the various kingdoms against the Dark One's forces, their task is complicated by rulers of the nations who refuse to lose their autonomy; by the zealots styling themselves 'the Children of the Light', who do not believe in the prophecies; and by the Seanchan, the descendants of a long-lost colony of Artur Hawkwing's empire. The Aes Sedai also become divided on how to deal with the Dragon Reborn.
As the story expands, new characters representing different factions are introduced.
Tarmon Gai'don[edit]
Deriving its name from that of Armageddon in Christian eschatology, Tarmon Gai'don is the apocalyptic battle wherein the Dragon Reborn opposes Shai'tan, while their followers fight elsewhere. Events and portents that foreshadow the Last Battle take place in Knife of Dreams and The Gathering Storm. The Last Battle takes place in A Memory of Light, in the form of a 202-page single chapter.[7]
Characters[edit]
Main article: List of Wheel of Time characters
Special powers[edit]
In the series, many characters possess special powers. Within the fictional world, some of these abilities are widely known and understood, while others are undocumented; some are depicted as unique. Some characters take the reappearance of ancient abilities as a sign that the Last Battle is coming.
Channeling[edit]
"Channeling" is equivalent to magic as depicted in other fantasy-genre works, but is never called "magic" in the series. Many characters are channelers, including series protagonists Rand al'Thor, Egwene al'Vere, Nynaeve al'Meara, Elayne Trakand, Moiraine Damodred, and Aviendha. Channelers can access a natural power source called the "One Power," while Shai'tan can grant access to a separate power, the "True Power." Very little is written in the series about the True Power, while the One Power is described extensively. The One Power consists of five elemental "Powers": earth, water, air, fire, and spirit. Channelers often have particular strength in at least one Power, more commonly earth and fire in men and water and air in women; strength in spirit is equally rare between the sexes. A channeler creates a "weave" to achieve a specific effect by placing individual "flows" of the five Powers in a specific geometric configuration.The One Power has two aspects: "saidin," used by men; and "saidar," used by women. They differ sufficiently that no woman can teach a man to channel (and vice versa), and they can be used in drastically incompatible ways, though they sometimes achieve functionally identical effects. The True Power similarly differs from both. Male channelers are usually stronger than women, but women have advantages at "linking" with other channelers to harness more power; an individual's strength is quantified by the amount of the One Power he or she can channel at once. Some men and women are born with the "spark" to channel; these individuals will spontaneously begin to channel around puberty, but without formal training 3 in 4 suffer a fatal illness caused by channeling. Those who survive are called "wilders," and often are unaware of the existence or nature of their powers. Channelers are constrained by any restriction they believe applies; wilders often possess a "block" that allows them to channel only under specific circumstances (such as experiencing a particular emotion). The majority of channelers lack the spark and will channel only if taught. Channelers can determine if a person of the same sex has the spark or is capable of learning to channel. A channeler with the spark who receives instruction is not at risk of death and is not normally considered a wilder. Channelers have a longer lifespan than non-channelers, in proportion to their strength; from early adulthood, channelers age more slowly than non-channelers, and the strongest channelers can live over 800 years. Shai'tan tainted saidin at the end of the Age of Legends, causing any male channeler to go insane (usually very destructively) and die; the Breaking was caused by the world's male channelers simultaneously going insane, while in the Third Age male channelers are neutralized in various ways as they come of age.
Channelers are treated in different ways by different cultures within the series. In the Westlands, channeling is viewed as synonymous with the Aes Sedai, an organization that survived from the Age of Legends and which views channeling as its proprietary domain; some Aes Sedai refer to channelers from other traditions as "wilders," even if they are not self-taught. Aes Sedai are respected in most Westland nations, and they rule the city-state of Tar Valon. Aes Sedai are divided into seven "ajahs" named after colors and dedicated to different purposes; Red Ajah members seek out men who can channel and "gentle" them (remove their ability to channel). Also in the Westlands are the Kin, consisting of women who studied in Tar Valon but left without becoming Aes Sedai due to lack of desire or ability to complete their training. The Aes Sedai are aware of the Kin, who are very discreet, but are unaware that the Kin actually outnumber them. Among the Sea Folk, a seafaring Westlands culture, female channelers are expected to become "Windfinders," ship's navigators; the profession is also open to non-channelers. Every generation, the Sea Folk send a few weak channelers to Tar Valon, successfully concealing the prevalence and strength of their channelers. Aiel channelers are expected to become Wise Ones, the culture's spiritual leaders, as are all Dreamwalkers; other worthy women may become Wise Ones without these special powers. Male Aiel channelers go into the Blight, expecting to die after killing some of Shai'tan's creatures; unbeknownst to the Aiel, Shai'tan actually captures and corrupts these men. Shara is secretly ruled by its female channelers, the Ayyad, through figurehead monarchs; the Ayyad keep their male offspring as breeding stock before killing them. The Seanchan believe channelers are subhuman and dangerous; they enslave female channelers with the spark, while those capable of acting as their handlers are, unbeknownst to themselves and other Seanchan, those who can learn to channel. Male channelers are executed.
Certain "objects of the One Power" exist. "Angreal" and "sa'angreal" increase the amount of the One Power a channeler can harness; sa'angreal may be orders of magnitude more powerful than angreal. "Ter'angreal" produce specific effects; some require channeling to function, while others operate continuously or via touch; some affect only channelers or affect them differently.
Talents[edit]
Robert Jordan uses the capitalized word "Talent" to refer to two distinct types of abilities sometimes possessed by channelers; the text also sometimes uses "Talent" to refer to abilities unrelated to the One Power and possessed by non-channelers.
One type of Talent is the aptitude for a particular weave or type of weave. Talents seen in the series include healing (Nynaeve al'Meara), manipulating weather (many Windfinders), creating "gateways" for instantaneous travel (Androl Genhald), and fabricating the indestructible substance "cuendillar" (Egwene al'Vere). Such a Talent may manifest as finer control over weaves, the ability to use a weave that would otherwise be beyond the channeler's strength, superior results when using a weave with all other factors equal, or some combination of these benefits. Some weaves, such as creating cuendillar, function only for a channeler with a corresponding Talent.
A Talent can also be some other ability possessed only by some channelers, but distinct from creating weaves of the One Power. Talents of this type include creating ter'angreal (Elayne Trakand), divining the purpose of a ter'angreal (Aviendha), analyzing an expended weave, "unweaving" a weave (Aviendha), predicting the weather (Nynaeve al'Meara), recognizing ta'veren on sight (Siuan Sanche and Logain Ablar), and "Foretelling" prophecy (Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan). The latter three Talents have no obvious connection to the One Power, but are described as occurring only in channelers.
Other abilities[edit]
Some abilities depicted in the Wheel of Time are not related to the One Power or the ability to channel.
"Dreaming" (an Aes Sedai term) is the ability to have prophetic dreams, which are usually symbolic rather than literal. "Dreamwalking" (an Aiel term) is a set of abilities involving dreaming, including the ability to visit Tel'aran'rhiod and the dreams of others at will, and aptitude for manipulating Tel'aran'rhiod. Egwene al'Vere is both a Dreamer and Dreamwalker, and the text never establishes whether or not these are two separate things. Dreamwalking is well known to the Aiel Wise ones, who use it for society-wide communication; Aiel Dreamwalkers include channelers Amys and Melaine and the non-channeler Bair, who become Egwene's teachers as the last Aes Sedai Dreamer died about five hundred years earlier. No man is explicitly identified as a Dreamwalker in the series, but many of the male and female Forsaken, Shai'tan's top lieutenants, appear in Tel'aran'rhiod, and the male Forsaken Ishamael projects himself into other characters' dreams.
"Ta'veren" are individuals who are focal points of the Pattern for a time. Rand al'Thor, Matrim Cauthon, and Perrin Aybara are all ta'veren during the events of the series. The Pattern causes events and the actions of others surrounding a ta'veren to conform to the ta'veren's destiny, usually resulting in occurrences that are possible but unlikely. Mat has exceptionally good luck at gambling and in battle, while Perrin easily earns the support of others. Rand's presence often affects a large area around himself, causing such anomalies as one entire village pairing off in marriage in one day, another village erupting into violence over every disagreement its residents ever had, and a city's newborns being free of birth defects during Rand's residency.
Rand al'Thor is also the "Dragon Reborn," a prophesized savior. Towards the end of the series, Rand is revealed to have reality warping abilities related to the Dragon Reborn's connection to the Pattern; without channeling, he causes plants to flourish and kindles a pipe.
Perrin Aybara and Elyas Machera are "Wolfbrothers," individuals who can communicate telepathically with wolves, which are depicted as sapient. Wolfbrothers also have abilities similar to Dreaming and Dreamwalking, although they are not shown as capable of entering the dreams of others. The souls of wolves inhabit Tel'aran'rhiod, which they call the "wolf dream," and a Wolfbrother who loses his identity as a man may become a wolf there. Only male Wolfbrothers are depicted in the series.
Min Farshaw sees auras and images around people; she does not always understand these visions, but sometimes she instinctively understands them and is always correct in such cases. Min is the only person in the series depicted as having this ability. However, the superstitious Seanchan are apparently familiar with it and consider the images to be omens; when Empress Fortuona learns that Min possesses this ability, she identifies Min as a "Doomseer" and immediately makes her a top advisor.
Hurin is a "sniffer," one who can detect violence as an unpleasant odor. This ability is apparently accepted by his countrymen; it is considered an asset for his career in law enforcement, and Perrin pretends to be a sniffer to conceal that the true source of his insight is communication with wolves.
The Seanchan produce ter'angreal rings that, when touched with the wearer's blood, grant him or her the abilities of a "Bloodknife": increased strength and speed and the ability to blend into shadows, at the cost of dying within a matter of days or weeks.
The books describe several scenarios where Shai'tan gives powers to individuals. People whose souls are removed by Shai'tan become supernaturally inconspicuous "Gray Men," ideal assassins. Padan Fain serves Shai'tan and is given the ability to track Rand al'Thor. Padan Fain later merges with the ghost of the evil Mordeth, gaining the abilities to inculcate others with paranoia and to summon and control a deadly miasma. Shai'tan merges the bodies and souls of Isam Mandragoran and Luc Mantear into the individual known as Slayer, to whom Shai'tan grants powers involving Tel'aran'rhiod, including the ability to travel instantaneously between there and the physical world while awake and without the use of a gateway.
Books in the series[edit]
No.
Title
Publication date
Counts
Audio
Notes
0 New Spring 6 January 2004 334pp (PB) / 334pp (HB)
122,150 words 12h 31m Prequel set 20 years before the events of the first novel.
1 The Eye of the World 15 January 1990 782pp (PB) / 702pp (HB)
305,902 words 29h 32m
2 The Great Hunt 15 November 1990 681pp (PB) / 599pp (HB)
267,078 words 26h 08m
3 The Dragon Reborn 15 October 1991 675pp (PB) / 545pp (HB)
251,392 words 24h 31m
4 The Shadow Rising 15 September 1992 981pp (PB) / 691pp (HB)
393,823 words 40h 31m
5 The Fires of Heaven 15 October 1993 963pp (PB) / 684pp (HB)
354,109 words 36h 34m
6 Lord of Chaos 15 October 1994 987pp (PB) / 699pp (HB)
389,823 words 41h 37m Locus Award nominee, 1995.[8]
7 A Crown of Swords 15 May 1996 856pp (PB) / 635pp (HB)
295,028 words 30h 31m
8 The Path of Daggers 20 October 1998 672pp (PB) / 591pp (HB)
226,687 words 23h 31m
9 Winter's Heart 7 November 2000 766pp (PB) / 533pp (HB)
238,789 words 24h 18m Prologue released as a promotional eBook in September 2000.
10 Crossroads of Twilight 7 January 2003 822pp (PB) / 681pp (HB)
271,632 words 26h 03m Prologue released as a promotional eBook on July 17, 2002.
11 Knife of Dreams 11 October 2005 837pp (PB) / 761pp (HB)
315,163 words 32h 24m Prologue released as a promotional eBook on July 22, 2005.
12 The Gathering Storm 27 October 2009 766pp (PB) / 766pp (HB)
297,502 words 33h 02m Completed by Brandon Sanderson.
13 Towers of Midnight 2 November 2010 864pp (PB) / 843pp (HB)
327,052 words 38h 17m Completed by Brandon Sanderson.[9]
14 A Memory of Light 8 January 2013 912pp (PB) / 909pp (HB)
353,906 words 41h 55m Completed by Brandon Sanderson,[10] epilogue by Robert Jordan.[11]
– Totals 22 years, 11 months, 24 days 11,916pp (PB) / 10,173pp (HB)
4,410,036 words 19d 5h 25m
All paperback page totals given are for the most widely available mass-market paperback editions. The page count for the hardback editions do not include glossary or appendix page counts.
There is also a prequel novella, New Spring in the Legends anthology edited by Robert Silverberg. Jordan expanded this into the standalone novel New Spring that was published in January 2004.
In 2002 the first book, The Eye of the World, was repackaged as two volumes with new illustrations for younger readers: From the Two Rivers,[12] including an extra chapter (Ravens) before the existing prologue, and To the Blight[13] with an expanded glossary. In 2004 the same was done with The Great Hunt, with the two parts being The Hunt Begins[14] and New Threads in the Pattern.[15]
Prologue eBooks[edit]
On several occasions, chapters from various books in the series were released several months in advance of publication. These were released in eBook format as promotional tools for the then-upcoming release.
The prologue eBook releases included:
Snow: The Prologue to Winter's Heart (September 2000)
Glimmers: The Prologue to Crossroads of Twilight (July 17, 2002)
Embers Falling on Dry Grass: The Prologue to Knife of Dreams (July 22, 2005).
What the Storm Means: The Prologue to The Gathering Storm (September 17, 2009).[16]
Chapter 1 of The Gathering Storm, Tears from Steel, was released free on Friday September 4, 2009 on Tor.com[17][18]
Chapter 2 of The Gathering Storm, The Nature of Pain, was released in Audio form free on Thursday September 24, 2009 on Tor.com[19][18]
Distinctions: The Prologue to Towers of Midnight (Tuesday September 21, 2010).
Chapter 1 of Towers of Midnight, Apples First, was released free on Friday October 1, 2010 on Tor.com[20][21]
Chapter 2 of Towers of Midnight, Questions of Leadership was released in Audio form free on Tuesday October 19, 2010[22]
Chapter 8 of Towers of Midnight, The Seven-Striped Lass (on September 16, 2010, Chapter 8, The Seven-Striped Lass, was revealed as part of The Great Hunt scavenger hunt setup by Brandon on his website beginning August 30, 2010 in relation to his new book The Way of Kings.)[23]
By Grace And Banners Fallen: The Prologue to A Memory Of Light (Wednesday September 19, 2012).
A segment of chapter 1 of A Memory Of Light was released in mid-2012 on Dragonmount.com[24][24]
A segment of chapter 11 of A Memory Of Light was similarly released publicly in mid-2012 on Dragonmount.com[25][25]
Companion publications[edit]
Tor Books published a companion book to the series, entitled The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, in November 1997, which contains much hitherto unrevealed background information about the series including the first maps of the entire world and the Seanchan home continent. Jordan co-authored the book with Teresa Patterson. Jordan ruled the book broadly canonical but stated that it was written from the perspective of an historian within The Wheel of Time universe and was prone to errors of bias and guesswork.[26]
Jordan also wrote a short story, “The Strike at Shayol Ghul”, which predates the main series by several thousand years. It was made available on the Internet and was later published in The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time.[27]
Deleted portions for a specific character from Memory of Light were published as a short story, under the title “River of Souls” in Unfettered: Tales by Masters of Fantasy (Spring 2013).[citation needed]
Brandon Sanderson tweeted that Harriet McDougal is creating a comprehensive Wheel of Time encyclopedia, to be published after A Memory of Light.[28] In early 2015, publisher Tor announced that the aforementioned tome would be available November 2015.[29] On November 3, 2015, The Wheel of Time Companion: The People, Places, and History of the Bestselling Series was released in hardback format written by Harriet McDougal, Alan Romanczuk, and Maria Simons from Tor Books. Alan Romanczuk and Maria Simons were Robert Jordan's editorial assistants. The book is an encapsulating glossary of the entire series.
Development[edit]
Writing and conception[edit]
In the early 1980s Robert Jordan wrote several Conan the Barbarian novels for Tor Books, including a novelization of the movie Conan the Destroyer. These proved successful and in 1984 he proposed an idea for an epic fantasy series of three books to Tom Doherty, the head of Tor Books.[1] Doherty approved the idea; however, knowing that Jordan had a tendency to go long, put Jordan on contract for six books just in case. Jordan began writing the novel that became The Eye of the World.[1]
The novel proved extremely difficult to write and characters and storylines changed considerably during the writing process. The series was originally centered on an older man who discovered relatively late in life that he was the 'chosen one' who had to save the world. However, Jordan deliberately decided to move closer to the tone and style of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring and made the characters younger and less experienced.[30] Once this decision had been made, writing proceeded much more easily and Jordan completed the second volume, The Great Hunt, at roughly the same time the first book was published.[31]
Tom Doherty enjoyed The Eye of the World so much that he declared it would be the biggest fantasy series since Tolkien,[citation needed] and took the unprecedented steps of sending free review copies to every bookstore in the United States to generate interest.[citation needed] The combined hardcover and trade paperback run of the novel sold out of its initial 40,000-strong print run. Sales then doubled with the publication of the second novel just eight months later generating more interest in the first book.[1]
Jordan wrote full-time at breakneck speed for the next several years until he completed the seventh volume, A Crown of Swords, at which point he slowed down, delivering a book every two years. Fans objected when he took some time off to expand a short story into a prequel novel called New Spring, so he decided to shelve his plans for additional prequels in favor of finishing off the last two volumes in the series. He rejected criticisms of the later volumes of the series slowing down in pace in order to concentrate on minor secondary characters at the expense of the main characters from the opening volumes, but acknowledged that his structure for the tenth volume, Crossroads of Twilight (where he showed a major scene from the prior book, Winter's Heart, from the perspective of the main characters that were not involved in the scene), had not worked out as he had planned.[citation needed] Knife of Dreams, the eleventh volume, had a much more positive reception from critics and fans alike and Jordan announced the twelfth volume, which he had previously announced would have the working title A Memory of Light, would conclude the series.
Author's death and final books[edit]
See also: A Memory of Light, The Gathering Storm (novel), and Towers of Midnight
Jordan had stated that the main sequence would conclude with the twelfth book, A Memory of Light. According to Forbes, Jordan had intended for it to be the final book "even if it reaches 2,000 pages."[32]
Jordan was diagnosed with the terminal heart disease primary amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy in December 2005,[33] and while he intended to finish at least A Memory of Light even if the "worse comes to worst,"[34] he made preparations in case he was not able to complete the book: "I'm getting out notes, so if the worst actually happens, someone could finish A Memory of Light and have it end the way I want it to end."[32]
With Jordan's death on September 16, 2007, the conclusion of the series was in question. On December 7 of that year the publisher Tor Books announced that fantasy author Brandon Sanderson was to finish A Memory of Light.[35] Sanderson, a longtime fan of the series,[36] was chosen by Jordan's widow Harriet McDougal partly because she liked Sanderson's novels and partly because of a eulogy he had written for Jordan.[37][38]
On March 30, 2009, Tor Books announced that A Memory of Light would be split into three volumes, with Brandon Sanderson citing timing and continuity reasons.[39] The first volume, The Gathering Storm, was released on October 27, 2009.[40][41] The second, Towers of Midnight, was published on November 2, 2010. The final book of the series uses Jordan's original title, A Memory of Light. The book was published on January 8, 2013.[42]
Prior to his death, Jordan had often discussed adding an additional two prequels and an 'outrigger' sequel trilogy. In a Q&A following the release of A Memory of Light, Sanderson ruled out the completion of these works. Jordan had left very little in the way of notes for these additional novels–only two sentences in the case of the sequel trilogy.[43]
Adaptations[edit]
Comic books[edit]
Dabel Brothers began adapting the series in comic book form, starting with the prequel New Spring in July 2005.[44] The series initially ran on a monthly schedule, but then went on a three-year hiatus after the fifth issue. Red Eagle cited delays and changes to the creative team on the DB Pro end.[45] The final three issues were ultimately completed and published in 2009–10.[46] In 2009 Dabel moved on to their adaptation of the first book of the series proper, The Eye of the World. On March 17, 2009, they showcased ten pages of art from the prelude to the series "The Wheel of Time: Eye of the World #0 – Dragonmount" on their website.[47] Dynamite Entertainment published 35 issues of The Wheel of Time: Eye of the World comic book series, which concluded in March 2013.[48]
When asked in a 2013 interview about whether the comics would continue their run, Harriet McDougal replied "Well, eventually, [we'll] do the whole thing, unless it stops selling in a dreadful way. In other words, I don't really know."[49] The 43 New Spring and Eye of the World comics were later collected together and released as a series of six graphic novels, the last of which was released in February 2015.[50]
Games[edit]
Various game adaptations have been created.
There is a Wheel of Time MUD, identified as such or by the initialism WoTMUD, which based on a world like that of the Wheel of Time but set in a time frame around 30 world years prior. It has been in operation almost continuously (there was a significant outage during 2013–14) since 1993. Notably, the WoTMUD had gained written permission from the author to use his creation including all but major characters.
A Wheel of Time computer game was released in 1999. Over the course of the game, a lone Aes Sedai must track down a robber following an assault on the White Tower, and prevent the Dark One from being released prematurely. She eventually learns of and executes a long-forgotten ritual at Shayol Ghul to ensure the Dark Lord remains sealed within the prison. While Robert Jordan was consulted in the creation of the game, he did not write the storyline himself and the game is not considered canon.
The Wheel of Time Roleplaying Game was released in 2001 from Wizards of the Coast using the d20 rules developed for the third edition of the Dungeons and Dragons game. The game had a single adventure module published in 2002, Prophecies of the Dragon. Shortly after the release of the adventure book Wizards of the Coast announced they would not be releasing any further products for the game. Robert Jordan cited some problems with the roleplaying game, such as storyline details in the adventure module that contradicted the books.
In early 2009 EA Games announced that they had bought the rights for a MMORPG, with the plan to publish it through the EA Partners-Program. The following year Obsidian Entertainment announced that they would be working on the project, for a PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC release.[51][52] However, the project was seemingly dropped around 2014.[53]
Music[edit]
In 1999, A Soundtrack for the Wheel of Time was released, featuring music by Robert Berry and inspired by the books.
The German power metal band Blind Guardian have written two songs dedicated to the Wheel of Time series as part of their 2010 album At the Edge of Time: "Ride into Obsession" and "Wheel of Time". Swedish heavy metal band Katana also wrote a song, entitled "The Wisdom of Emond's Field", on their 2012 album Storms of War. The American power metal band Noble Beast, on their 2014 album of the same name, wrote a song entitled "The Dragon Reborn", in reference to Rand al'Thor.[54][55]
In the tradition of the literature-inspired symphonic poem, American composer Seth Stewart produced a full-scale orchestral work entitled "Age of Legends", inspired by the eponymous era of myth and magic described throughout the Wheel of Time series. The orchestral piece was premiered and recorded in 2011 at the Beall Concert Hall.[56]
Television and film[edit]
In a 2000 chat on CNN.com, Robert Jordan mentioned that NBC had purchased an option to do a miniseries of The Eye of the World.[57] But he expressed doubts that the series would be made stating "key people involved in getting that contract together have left NBC."[58] The series was optioned by Universal Pictures in 2008 for film adaptations, with plans to adapt The Eye of the World as the first film.[59] Neither project ultimately emerged.
In February 2015, a pilot episode titled "Winter Dragon", based on the prologue to The Eye of the World, was aired on FXX.[60] It starred Max Ryan as Lews Therin Thelamon and Billy Zane as Ishamael. It aired with no announcements or publicity. Harriet McDougal initially stated she was unaware of the show ahead of time, and that the film rights to The Wheel of Time were set to revert to the Bandersnatch Group, her company, a few days later on February 11, 2015.[61] Her comments triggered a lawsuit with Red Eagle, which was ultimately dismissed during settlement talks that July.[62][63] In an interview with io9 Rick Selvage, CEO of Red Eagle Entertainment stated "it was more of an [issue of] getting it on the air." A spokesman for FXX stated that the channel was paid to air the show, but Selvage hinted that it was indeed produced with a future series in mind. "We think there's huge demand for the television series internationally, and we're looking forward to producing it and getting it out in the marketplace."[64]
On April 29, 2016, Harriet McDougal confirmed that the legal issues had been resolved and that a TV series was in development.[65] Further details emerged on April 20, 2017, when it was announced that Sony Pictures Television would be handling the adaptation, with Rafe Judkins as writer and executive producer.[6] In February 2018, Amazon Studios revealed that it had struck a deal with Sony Pictures Television to co-develop the series for distribution on Amazon's video streaming service.[66][67]
Culture[edit]
Many fans of The Wheel of Time attend Dragon Con, which had an exclusive Wheel of Time content track from 2001 through 2012.[68][69] The Wheel of Time now has its own annual convention, JordanCon, which has been held annually in Atlanta, Georgia, since 2009.
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b c d Peter Ahlstrom (2008-08-31). "Title Pending (仮): Rolling up the Wheel of Time panel". Peterahlstrom.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ "Brandon Sanderson Interview". YouTube. 2009-11-11. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ "Interview with Robert Jordan". SFX Magazine (16). September 1996.
Jump up ^ "2014 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. 2014.
Jump up ^ "Robert Jordan". Bragelonne. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
^ Jump up to: a b Otterson, Joe (20 April 2017). "'Wheel of Time' TV Series Lands at Sony".
Jump up ^ Bryan Maygers (March 10, 2013). "A Memory of Light Review: Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan Give a Thrilling End to The Wheel of Time". The Huffington Post. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
Jump up ^ "1995 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
Jump up ^ "Brandon Sanderson's Facebook page". (registration required)
Jump up ^ Sanderson, Brandon (August 1, 2012). "Brandon Sanderson – Google+ – Today I got up, and I did not have a Wheel of Time book to work on". Retrieved August 4, 2012.
Jump up ^ "Brandon Sanderson Blog: It's finally out". Brandonsanderson.com. 2013-01-08. Retrieved 2013-03-25.
Jump up ^ Robert Jordan:. From The Two Rivers: The Eye of the World, Book 1 (Wheel of Time (Starscape)). Amazon.com. ISBN 9780765341846. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ Robert Jordan. To the Blight (The Eye of the World, Book 2). Amazon.com. ISBN 9780765342218. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ Robert Jordan. The Hunt Begins (The Great Hunt, Book 1). Amazon.com. ISBN 9780765348432. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ Robert Jordan. New Threads in the Pattern (The Great Hunt, Book 2). Amazon.com. ISBN 9780765348449. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ "`Dragonmount` – News". 8 September 2009. Archived from the original on 8 September 2009. CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
Jump up ^ "Science fiction. Fantasy. The universe. And related subjects". Tor.com. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
^ Jump up to: a b "Chapter 2 of The Gathering Storm – Spoilers". 28 September 2009. Archived from the original on 28 September 2009. CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
Jump up ^ "Science fiction. Fantasy. The universe. And related subjects". Tor.com. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ "Towers of Midnight, Chapter 1: "Apples First" (Excerpt)". Tor.com. 2010-10-01. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ "Spoiler Thread for "Apples First," the First Chapter of Towers of Midnight". Tor.com. 2010-10-01. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ "Chapter 2 of Towers of Midnight Now Available in Audio Form – Towers of Midnight – News – Home – Dragonmount | Dragonmount | A Wheel of Time Community". Dragonmount. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ [1]
^ Jump up to: a b "A Memory of Light, Chapter 1 | Dragonmount | A Wheel of Time Community". Dragonmount. 2013-01-08. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
^ Jump up to: a b "A Memory of Light, Chapter 11 | Dragonmount | A Wheel of Time Community". Dragonmount. 2013-01-08. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ "Teresa Patterson at DragonCon 2005". DragonMount. 2005. p. 213.
Jump up ^ Jordan, Robert (1996). "The Strike at Shayol Ghul". Lobring.com. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
Jump up ^ Sanderson, Brandon; Kahn, Sara (January 19, 2012). "Twitter / BrandSanderson: @sy_khan Harriet is doing an encyclopedia ..." Retrieved August 4, 2012.
Jump up ^ "The Wheel of Time Companion Arrives in 2015". Tor.com. 2015-01-07. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ Whitehead, Adam (2018-01-07). "The Genesis of the Wheel of Time". Retrieved 2018-01-08.
Jump up ^ Forward dated February 1990, The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan, published by Tor Books
^ Jump up to: a b Clark, Hannah (2006-12-01). "My Author, My Life". Forbes. Retrieved 2007-09-22.
Jump up ^ Thompson, Bill (2007-09-17). "Robert Jordan dies at age 58". The Post and Courier. Archived from the original on 2008-10-28. Retrieved 2009-04-17.
Jump up ^ Jordan, Robert (2006-03-24). "Sorry About the Premature Announcement". Robert Jordan's Blog. Dragonmount. Archived from the original on January 16, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-11. Worse comes to worst, I will finish A Memory of Light, so the main story arc, at least, will be completed
Jump up ^ Andriani, Lynn (2007-12-10). "Sanderson to Complete Final Novel in Jordan Fantasy Series". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on December 12, 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
Jump up ^ Sanderson, Brandon (2007-09-19). "EUOLogy: Goodbye Mr. Jordan". Brandon Sanderson's Blog. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
Jump up ^ Sanderson, Brandon. "Wheel Of Time FAQ". Brandon Sanderson official site. Dragonsteel Ent. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
Jump up ^ Wilcox, Brad (2008-12-03). "Bringing Robert Jordan's 'Wheel of Time' to a close". Los Angeles Times. Eddy Hartenstein. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
Jump up ^ Sanderson, Brandon. "Splitting A MEMORY OF LIGHT". Brandon Sanderson official site. Dragonsteel Ent. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
Jump up ^ "Tor announces The Gathering Storm, Book Twelve of Robert Jordan's legendary Wheel of Time fantasy series". Tor Books. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
Jump up ^ "New Gathering Storm Release Date". dragonmount.com. Dragonmount.com. 11 August 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
Jump up ^ "The Release Date for A Memory of Light Has Been Set". Tor.com. 2012-02-16. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ "It's finally out". Brandonsanderson.com. January 9, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Fantasy and Fantasy Art Comics from the Dabel Brothers – The Hedge Knight series, Robert Jordan New Spring from The Wheel of Time, DragonLance Legend of Huma and Robert Silverberg's Seventh Shrine". Decklinsdomain.com. 2004-06-30. Retrieved 2013-03-07.
Jump up ^ "`Dragonmount` – News". 13 June 2006. Archived from the original on 13 June 2006. CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
Jump up ^ "New Spring (2005) comic books". Mycomicshop.com. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ "Dabel Brothers Publishing :: News :: Dabel Brothers Sneak Peek of "The Wheel of Time: Eye of the World #0 – Dragonmount". 21 March 2009. Archived from the original on 21 March 2009. CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
Jump up ^ "Dynamite® Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time". Dynamiteentertainment.com. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ "AMOL Signing Report – Anna Hornbostel: Wheel of Time Interview Search: Theoryland of the Wheel of Time (Robert Jordan)". Theoryland.com. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ "The Eye of the World: The Graphic Novel, Volume Six by Robert Jordan — Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists". Goodreads.com. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ Kollar, Phil. "Game Informer News Article". Retrieved 2010-02-12.
Jump up ^ Chester, Nick. "Destructoid-Obsidian helping to bring Wheel Of Time to games Article". Retrieved 2010-02-12.
Jump up ^ Chris Pereira (April 25, 2014). "South Park, KOTOR dev outlines its future; Wheel of Time not included". GameSpot. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
Jump up ^ "Noble Beast". Noblebeastofman.bandcamp.com. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ "Noble Beast – Noble Beast – Encyclopaedia Metallum". The Metal Archives. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ "Seth Stewart » Age of Legends". Sethstewartmusic.com. 2011-11-19. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ "Robert Jordan chats about his 'Wheel of Time' series". CNN. 2000-12-12. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
Jump up ^ Baum, Michele (2000-12-07). "Robert Jordan's 'The Wheel of Time': Fantasy, epic-style". CNN.com. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
Jump up ^ Thielma, Sam (2008-08-12). "Universal spinning 'Wheel of Time'". Variety. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
Jump up ^ "Secret Wheel of Time Pilot Tonight?". Observationdeck.io9.com. Archived from the original on 2015-04-23. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ "Winter Dragon: The Wheel of Time Pilot. Maybe?". Observationdeck.io9.com. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
Jump up ^ Andrew Husband (February 13, 2015). "Harriet McDougal Allegedly Lied About Not Knowing Anything About The 'Wheel Of Time' Pilot". Uproxx. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
Jump up ^ Eriq Gardner (July 7, 2015). "'Wheel of Time' Lawsuit Withdrawn Amid Settlement Discussions". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
Jump up ^ Anders, Charlie Jane. "The Real Story About That Wheel Of Time Pilot That Aired Last Night". io9.com. Gawker Media. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
Jump up ^ Terri Schwartz (April 28, 2016). "The Wheel of Time will be adapted as a TV series". IGN. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
Jump up ^ Raymond, Nicholas. "Dark Tower & Wheel of Time TV Series in Development at Amazon". IGN. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
Jump up ^ Andreeva, Nellie. "Culture Book 'Consider Phlebas' Getting TV Series Adaptation At Amazon By Plan B and Dennis Kelly". Deadline. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
Jump up ^ [2]
Jump up ^ "Wheel of Time Fan Track". Wheeloftime.dragoncon.org. 2012-09-03. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
External links[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Wheel of Time
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text:
A Change Is Gonna Come
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see A Change Is Gonna Come (disambiguation).
"A Change Is Gonna Come"
Single by Sam Cooke
from the album Ain't That Good News
A-side
"Shake"
Released
December 22, 1964 (1964-12-22)
Format
7-inch single
Recorded
January 30, 1964
Studio
RCA, Hollywood, California
Genre
Rhythm and blues
soul
Length
3:12
Label
RCA Victor
Songwriter(s)
Sam Cooke
Producer(s)
Hugo & Luigi
Sam Cooke singles chronology
"Cousin of Mine"
(1964) "A Change Is Gonna Come"
(1964) "It's Got The Whole World Shakin'"
(1965)
"Cousin of Mine"
(1964) "A Change Is Gonna Come"
(1964) "It's Got The Whole World Shakin'"
(1965)
"A Change Is Gonna Come" is a song by American recording artist Sam Cooke, released on December 22, 1964, by RCA Victor. Produced by Hugo & Luigi and arranged and conducted by René Hall, the song was the B-side to "Shake".
The song was inspired by various personal events in Cooke's life, most prominently an event in which he and his entourage were turned away from a whites-only motel in Louisiana. Cooke felt compelled to write a song that spoke to his struggle and of those around him, and he recorded the song for its first release on his final album, Ain't That Good News.[citation needed] The song, released in 1964, pertains to the Civil Rights Movement and African Americans, and contains the refrain, "It's been a long time coming, but I know a change is gonna come."
Though only a modest hit for Cooke in comparison with his previous singles, "A Change Is Gonna Come" is widely considered Cooke's best composition and has been voted among the best songs ever released by various publications. In 2007, the song was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress, with the National Recording Registry deeming the song "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important."[1]
Contents
[hide]
1 Background
2 Recording and production
3 Composition
4 Personnel
5 Release
5.1 Cover versions
6 Media usage
7 Chart history (Sam Cooke version)
8 Bibliography
9 References
10 External links
Background[edit]
On October 8, 1963, en route to Shreveport, Louisiana, Cooke called ahead to the Holiday Inn North to make reservations for his wife, Barbara, and himself, but when he and his group arrived, the desk clerk glanced nervously and explained there were no vacancies.[2] While his brother Charles protested, Sam was fuming, yelling to see the manager and refusing to leave until he received an answer. His wife nudged him, attempting to calm him down, telling him, "They'll kill you," to which he responded, "They ain't gonna kill me, because I'm Sam Cooke."[2] When they eventually persuaded Cooke to leave, the group drove away calling out insults and blaring their horns. When they arrived at the Castle Motel on Sprague Street downtown, the police were waiting for them, arresting them for disturbing the peace.[2] The New York Times ran an AP report the following day headlined "Negro Band Leader Held in Shreveport," but African-Americans were outraged, leading to the creation of a myth surrounding the incident, exaggerating parts of the story and fabricating others.[3]
In addition, upon hearing Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" in 1963, Cooke was greatly moved that such a poignant song about racism in America could come from someone who was not black, and was also ashamed he had not yet written something like that himself.[4] However, his image and fears of losing his largely white fan base prevented him from doing so.[5] Cooke loved the song so much it was immediately incorporated into his repertoire.[6]
Recording and production[edit]
Following Christmas 1963, Cooke invited J.W. Alexander to his home to preview a new song he had just written, one Cooke was very excited about. When he arrived, Cooke ran through the number on his guitar twice, the second time going over it line by line.[7] Both were very excited to record the song, with Alexander viewing it more personal and political than anything he had yet attempted. He warned Cooke that he may not profit off the song as he had with lighter, poppier songs, but Cooke did not care.[8] He explained to Alexander that he hoped the song would make his father proud.[8] "It was less work than any song he'd ever written," biographer Peter Guralnick says.[6] "It almost scared him that the song — it was almost as if the song were intended for somebody else. He grabbed it out of the air and it came to him whole, despite the fact that in many ways it's probably the most complex song that he wrote. It was both singular — in the sense that you started out, 'I was born by the river' — but it also told the story both of a generation and of a people."[6]
Cooke handed the song to his arranger René Hall, with no specific instructions as to what he personally wanted, but to give it “the kind of instrumentation and orchestration that it demanded.”[9] Previously, the duo had collaborated on arrangement, but this was the first occasion in which Hall was granted complete control of the eventual arrangement, and he composed it as he would a movie score, with lush, symphonic strings.[9] "I wanted it to be the greatest thing in my [life]—I spent a lot of time, put out a lot of ideas, and then changed them and rearranged them," said Hall.[9] Cooke was well known as a perfectionist and "control freak" in the recording studio, so giving Hall total latitude was unprecedented.[6]
AFO drummer John Boudreaux was intimidated by the orchestral arrangement and refused to leave the control room; session player and close collaborator Earl Palmer was working next door and filled in for the song. Luigi Creatore asked Cooke to provide one more take, and the eighth take was "nearly perfect."[10] Luigi was very pleased with the song, considering it among his best, both very serious and still uniquely his own. Cooke had initially imagined that Luigi, first and foremost a pop hitmaker, would not respect the socially conscious song.[10]
Composition[edit]
"A Change Is Gonna Come"
A sound sample of "A Change Is Gonna Come," emphasizing the song's lush, orchestral accompaniment.
Problems playing this file? See media help.
Each verse is a different movement, with the horns carrying the first, the strings the second, and the timpani carrying the bridge.[6] The French horn present in the recording was intended to convey a sense of melancholy.[9]
Cooke incorporated his own personal experiences as well into the song, such as encounters in Memphis, Shreveport and Birmingham, to reflect the lives and struggles of all African-Americans of the time.[8] The lines "I don't know what's up there / Beyond the sky" could refer to Cooke's doubt for absolute true justice on earth.[8] The final verse, in which Cooke pleads for his "brother" to help him, is a metaphor for what Alexander described as "the establishment" The verse continues, 'But he winds up knocking me / back down on my knees.'"[8]
Personnel[edit]
"A Change Is Gonna Come" was recorded on January 30, 1964, at RCA Studios in Hollywood, California.[11] The engineer present was Wally Heider, and the session was conducted and arranged by René Hall. The musicians also recorded "Falling in Love" the same day. Credits adapted from the liner notes to the 2003 compilation Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964.[11]
Sam Cooke – lead vocals
SR Crain – backing vocals
Paul Foster – backing vocals
Jimmie Outler – backing vocals
Richard Gibbs – backing vocals
JJ Farley – backing vocals
René Hall – guitar
Norman Bartold – guitar
Arnold Belnick – guitar
Clifton White – guitar
Chuck Badie – bass guitar
Earl Palmer – drums
Harold Battiste – piano
William Hinshaw – French horn
Emil Radocchia – marimba, timpani, percussion
William Kurasch – trumpet
Louis Blackburn – trombone
John Ewing – trombone
David Wells – trombone
Harry Hyams – viola
Alexander Neiman – viola
Israel Baker – violin
Irving Lipschultz – violin
Leonard Malarsky – violin
Jack Pepper – violin
Ralph Schaeffer – violin
Sidney Sharp – violin
Darrel Terwilliger – violin
Tibor Zelig – violin
Emmet Sargeant – cello
Release[edit]
Cooke first performed "A Change Is Gonna Come" on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on February 7, 1964. Cooke’s new manager, Allen Klein, was infatuated with the song and persuaded Cooke to do away with promoting his most recent single, "Ain't That Good News", and perform "Change" instead, feeling that that was the statement he needed to make before a national audience.[12] Cooke objected, noting that the album’s release was a month away and that he had no time to pull together an arrangement within such a short time frame.[12] Klein arranged for RCA to pay for a full string section and Cooke performed the song that Friday on The Tonight Show after performing "Basin Street".[13] An NBC timekeeper logged down the number as "It's a Long Time Coming," but the network did not save the tape of the performance.[12][13] Klein and Alexander both felt it would become a milestone moment in Cooke's career, but it was overshadowed by the Beatles' performance on The Ed Sullivan Show on CBS just two days later.[13]
Cooke elected not to perform "A Change Is Gonna Come" again in his lifetime, both because of the complexity of the arrangement and because of the ominous nature of the song.[6] When shown to his protégé Bobby Womack, his response was that it sounds "like death." Cooke responded, "Man, that's kind of how it sounds like to me. That's why I'm never going to play it in public." Womack clarified his thoughts, that it wasn’t deathly, but rather "spooky," but Cooke never performed the song again.[6]
Ten months later, "A Change Is Gonna Come" was prepared for single release, with the verse and chorus preceding the bridge ("I go to the movies…") deleted for radio airplay.[14] The civil rights movement picked up on "A Change Is Gonna Come" with near immediacy.[6] On December 11, 1964, two weeks before the song was released, Sam Cooke was fatally shot at a Los Angeles motel.[15]
"A Change Is Gonna Come" became an anthem for the Civil Rights Movement, and is widely considered Cooke's best composition. Over the years, the song has garnered significant praise and, in 2005, was voted number 12 by representatives of the music industry and press in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and voted number 3 in the webzine Pitchfork Media's The 200 Greatest Songs of the 60s. The song is also among three hundred songs deemed the most important ever recorded by National Public Radio (NPR) and was recently selected by the Library of Congress as one of twenty-five selected recordings to the National Recording Registry as of March 2007. The song is currently ranked as the 46th greatest song of all time, as well as the third best song of 1964, by Acclaimed Music.[16] NPR called the song "one of the most important songs of the civil rights era."[6]
Despite its acclaim, legal troubles have haunted the single since its release. A dispute between Cooke's music publisher, ABKCO, and record company, RCA Records, made the recording unavailable for much of the four decades since its release. Although the song was featured prominently in the 1992 film Malcolm X, it could not be included in the film's soundtrack. By 2003, however, the disputes had been settled in time for the song to be included on the remastered version of Ain't That Good News, as well as the Cooke anthology Portrait of a Legend.[citation needed]
A live rendition was included in the soundtrack to the 2001 Michael Mann film Ali. James Taylor recorded a version specially for an episode of the same title of the television drama The West Wing. The Allman Brothers Band captured their performance of the song on their 2003 DVD Live at the Beacon Theatre.[citation needed]
Cover versions[edit]
Other notable artists who have covered the song include:
Gerald Alston
Baby Huey
The Band
George Benson
Wayne Brady
Billy Bragg
Brandy
Solomon Burke
John Boutte
Tony Carey
the Cold War Kids
Terence Trent D'Arby
Gavin DeGraw
Matt Doyle
Bob Dylan
Everlast
The 5th Dimension (in a 1970 medley with The Rascals' "People Got to Be Free")
Aretha Franklin from "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" (1967)
the Fugees
Jeffrey Gaines
The Gits
Al Green
Greta Van Fleet
Deitrick Haddon
Morten Harket
Beth Hart[17]
jacksoul
Leela James
R. Kelly
Evelyn Champagne King
Patti LaBelle
The Manhattans
Allison Moorer
The Neville Brothers
Graham Parker
Billy Preston
James & Bobby Purify[18]
Prince Buster
Otis Redding
Michael Thompson featuring Bobby Womack
The Righteous Brothers (Bobby Hatfield solo)
Seal and Arcade Fire, who used the song in support of Barack Obama's nomination for President of the United States.
Ben Sollee
Solo
The Supremes
Seal (singer)
Three Dog Night
Tina Turner
Luther Vandross
Cory Wells

In recent years, the song has served as a sample for rappers Ghostface Killah (1996), Ja Rule (2003), Papoose (2006), Lil Wayne (2007) "Long Time Coming (remix)" Charles Hamilton, Asher Roth, and B.o.B (2009), and Nas's It Was Written album also features a similar opening as the song. On their album The Reunion hip-hop artists Capone-N-Noreaga used an excerpt from the song on the opening track which shares the same title as the Cooke original. British soul singer Beverley Knight says the song is her all-time favorite and has performed it live many a time; most notably on 'Later with Jools Holland'. On May 6, 2008, during the seventh season of American Idol, the song was sung by contestant Syesha Mercado as the remaining top 4. It was also sung by Joshua Ledet during the Top 7 episode of season 11 (2012), for which he received a standing ovation from the audience.[19] After winning the 2008 United States presidential election, Barack Obama referred to the song, stating to his supporters in Chicago, "It's been a long time coming, but tonight, change has come to America." A duet of the song by Bettye LaVette and Jon Bon Jovi was included in We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial. In Washington DC, in the days leading up to the Inauguration of Barack Obama, this song could be heard played constantly in the city centre.
In 2004, Patti LaBelle performed the song on the annual Nobel Peace Prize Concert to a standing ovation.
Julian Casablancas, lead singer of popular rock band The Strokes, has cited "A Change Is Gonna Come" as his favorite song of all time.
In 2009, Aaron Neville, along with the Mt. Zion Mass Choir, released a version of the song “A Change Is Gonna Come” on the compilation album Oh Happy Day.[20]
American Idol creator/producer Simon Fuller selected the song for contestant Adam Lambert to sing in the season 8 finale in May, 2009. It was also covered by season 9 semifinalist Lilly Scott in March 2010.
In 2010, one of the finalists of the British The X Factor, Rebecca Ferguson, sang the song for her audition, impressing judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and guest judge Nicole Scherzinger.
The song was performed in the 2011 Miss America Pageant by Miss Kentucky, Djuan Trent.
In 2011, jazz group Afro-Blue performed the song on The Sing-off by request of the judges. The same year, Everlast recorded a version of the song for his album Songs of the Ungrateful Living. Maverick Sabre covered the song on his 2012 album Lonely Are the Brave
On January 1, 2012, the song was the last single to be played on the New Zealand radio station Solid Gold FM before the station rebranded.
On June 1, 2013 Beyoncé Knowles sang the song during The Sound of Change Live concert in London, as part of Chime for Change, an organization which supports total equality between women and men in all areas of life. Mark Sutherland of Rolling Stone magazine noted that Knowles belted out the song,[21] while Alice Vincent from The Daily Telegraph noted that the rendition of the song reflected the event's purpose.[22] Later, on July 20, 2013, Knowles performed the song during a stop in Detroit as part of her Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. The performance followed the city's recent file for bankruptcy. As Knowles performed, the screen behind her displayed photos of Detroit's landmarks and icons including Aretha Franklin, Aaliyah, Eminem, Anita Baker, Bob Seger, Kid Rock, The White Stripes, Berry Gordy, Jr, Joe Louis. The montage ended with the declaration "Nothing Stops Detroit!" and Knowles closed the performance by saying "I love you, Detroit".[23][24][25] A spokesperson for the singer described the performance as a "unique tribute to the history of an incredible city and a celebration of the strong spirit of its people".[24] A black-and-white video of the cover was uploaded on Knowles' official YouTube channel on July 30, 2013. It closes with a quote from Henry Ford: “Failure is simply the opportunity to start over, this time more intelligently."[25] A reporter for The Huffington Post reported that the singer's "heartfelt" cover of the song "touched" her fans and the people who loved Detroit.[26] Latifah Muhammad of the Black Entertainment Television wrote that Knowles' "powerful" rendition of the song came right on time.[27] An editor for Essence described Knowles' cover as a "moving tribute to Detroit".[28] Jordan Sargent of Spin wrote, "It all might come off as a bit heavy-handed if it wasn't for the fact that, well, Beyonce absolutely slays the cover."[29] Lauren Moraski from CBS News described the tribute to the city as "touching".[30] In 2013 15-year-old Dwayne Cooke released a video of himself singing "A Change Gonna Come" on YouTube which has gone viral on Facebook and other social networking sites...[31]
Media usage[edit]
Many stations have played this song to signal the moment of format change (e.g. when KSOC 94.5 in Dallas/Fort Worth, TX changed from urban AC to urban oldies in July 2011).[32]
Chart history (Sam Cooke version)[edit]
Chart (1965)
Peak
position
Billboard R&B Singles Chart 9
Billboard Hot 100 31
Bibliography[edit]
Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964. Abkco Records, 2003. Los Angeles, California.
Werner, Craig (1999). A Change Is Gonna Come: Music, Race, and the Soul of America. Plume. ISBN 0-452-28065-6.
Wolff, Daniel J.; S.R. Crain; Clifton White & G. David Tenenbaum (1995). You Send Me: The Life and Times of Sam Cooke. William Morrow & Co. ISBN 0-688-12403-8.
Guralnick, Peter (2005). Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke. Back Bay Books. ISBN 978-0316013291.
References[edit]
Jump up ^ Cannady, S. 2007, Recordings by Historical Figures and Musical Legends Added To the 2006 National Recording Registry: Library of Congress Accepting Nominations for the 2007 Registry, viewed May 9, 2017
^ Jump up to: a b c Guralnick 2005, p. 526.
Jump up ^ Guralnick 2005, p. 527.
Jump up ^ Guralnick 2005, p. 512.
Jump up ^ Guralnick 2005, p. 513.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i "Sam Cooke And The Song That 'Almost Scared Him'". NPR (National Public Radio). February 1, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
Jump up ^ Guralnick 2005, p. 540.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e Guralnick 2005, p. 541.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Guralnick 2005, p. 547.
^ Jump up to: a b Guralnick 2005, p. 548.
^ Jump up to: a b Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964 (liner notes). Sam Cooke. US: ABKCO Records. 2003. 92642.
^ Jump up to: a b c Guralnick 2005, p. 550.
^ Jump up to: a b c Guralnick 2005, p. 552.
Jump up ^ Guralnick 2005, p. 607.
Jump up ^ "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2016-08-13.
Jump up ^ "Acclaimed Music Top 3000 songs". 27 May 2009.
Jump up ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDTei_wdm3U
Jump up ^ "James & Bobby Purify, James & Bobby Purify". Retrieved January 24, 2017.
Jump up ^ Joshua Ledet Earns TWO Standing Ovations on American Idol (VIDEO)
Jump up ^ "Jon Bon Jovi, Queen Latifah go gospel for "Day"". Reuters. March 27, 2009.
Jump up ^ Sutherland, Mark (June 1, 2013). "Beyonce Leads a Charge of Powerful Women at Sound of Change". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
Jump up ^ Vincent, Alice (June 2, 2013). "Beyoncé, Sound of Change Live, Twickenham Stadium, review". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Beyoncé dedicates 'A Change is Gonna Come' to Detroit". Rap-Up. July 21, 2013. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b Graff, Gary (July 21, 2013). "Beyoncé Pays Tribute to Motor City: 'Nothing Stops Detroit!'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
^ Jump up to: a b Graham, Adam (August 1, 2013). "Grapevine: Beyonce's 'Change' hits online". The Detroit News. MediaNews Group. Archived from the original on August 2, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Beyonce Releases Powerful Detroit Dedication, Cover Of Sam Cooke's 'A Change Is Gonna Come' (VIDEO)". The Huffington Post. July 30, 2013. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
Jump up ^ Muhammad, Latifah (July 22, 2013). "Beyoncé Sings "A Change Is Gonna Come" in Detroit". Black Entertainment Television. BET Networks. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Must-See: Beyoncé Dedicates 'A Change Is Gonna Come' to Detroit". Essence. Essence Communications. August 1, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
Jump up ^ Sargent, Jordan (July 31, 2013). "Watch Beyonce Dedicate Moving Cover of 'A Change Is Gonna Come' to Detroit". Spin. Spin Media LLC. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
Jump up ^ Moraski, Lauren (July 31, 2013). "Watch: Beyonce releases touching tribute to Detroit". CBS News. CBS. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
Jump up ^ "A Change Is Gonna Come, Sam Cooke Cover, 1963 - Done By Dwayne".
Jump up ^ 94.5 KSoul Revamps As Old School 94.5 - Format Change Archive (accessed October 4, 2011)
External links[edit]
Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
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values: A Change Is Gonna Come (canción) – Spanish

values: ア・チェンジ・イズ・ゴナ・カム – Japanese

values: A Change Is Gonna Come – Norwegian Nynorsk

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