The Prayer was written for one part of the TV series Píseň pro Rudolfa III (Song for Rudolf III) during the heated days of August 1968, but this part was not broadcasted until the year 1969, so an explanatory apology saying that there is no connection between the song and the current political events had to be added.
On August 23 rd or 24 th, roughly two days after the beginning of the occupation, the composer Brabec was going to the recording studio in Petynka where he was expected by Marta Kubišová. Soviet soldiers shot through the tire of his car and so there was no other way than dictate the lyrics on the phone. The singer literally sang the song from the score; Angelo Michajlov played the piano and Karel Černoch the drums. Marta Kubišová then managed to sneak the recording, which was hidden in the front pocket of her jacket, in the sound broadcasting studios which were in Novodvorská. Marta Kubišová returned to the recording of the song a few more times – The Prayer for Marta was made in four versions, one appeared on Songy a ballad album from the year 1969. Before the broadcasting of the song was totally banned on the radio and also on TV, a respectable number was sold for the time – 80, 000 copies in all. The song also became the theme song of the political journal Jsme s vámi, buďte s námi (We are with you, be with us), which was moderated by Vladimír Škutina.
Berta Štenclová