From the Archives 11: Guy Drake, That Supreme Court Bus / School Busin' (1971)

In Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, 402 U.S. 1 (1971), the United States Supreme Court held that courts could order busing in order to remedy racial imbalance in public schools, and affirmed a court order requiring busing in Charlotte, North Carolina. While busing effectively reduced segregation, it sparked a backlash. Soon after the decision, Guy Drake (best known for his minor hit "Welfare Cadillac" (1970)), wrote and recorded "That Supreme Court Bus" (Joe Mason & Guy Drake), with the B-side "School Busin'" (Johnny Credit). The 45rpm single was released by Mallard Records, Inc., of Nashville, Tennessee. Apparently, a Michigan organization opposed to busing bought a bunch of copies of the single (Nashville Scene, Billboard, Nov. 20, 1971, at 84), and Drake delivered a copy of single to each member of the Supreme Court (Red O'Donnell, Nashville Sound, Express & News (San Antonio, TX) Dec. 19, 1971, at 127). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.