English Rebel Songs
English Rebel Songs 1381–1914 | ||||
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MUTT | ||||
Chumbawamba chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
English Rebel Songs is the third studio album by English band Chumbawamba.
It was originally released on LP and cassette in
It was re-recorded in
Composed mostly of traditional English
Some of the songs come from Stand Together by Hackney and Islington music group, 100 Songs Of Toil by
Reception
Track listing
# (1988) | # (2003) | Song Name | Length (2003) | Year | Notes |
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1 | 1 | "The Cutty Wren" | 1:55 | 1381? | Said to have been written during the Peasants' Revolt, but not recorded before 1776 |
2 | 2 | "The Diggers' Song" | 2:31 | 17th century | Written by Gerrard Winstanley, leader of the Diggers |
3 | 3 | "Colliers' March" | 2:28 | 1782 | Written by John Freeth; Refers to a march of workers in Birmingham protesting at the price of bread |
4 | 4 | "The Triumph of General Ludd" | 3:02 | 1812 | Refers to the Luddite Rebellion |
5 | 5 | "Chartist Anthem" | 1:34 | 1847 | Written by Ben Boucher. Refers to the People's Charter drawn up by the Chartists in 1838 demanding universal suffrage |
- | 6 | "The Bad Squire" | 3:54 | 1847 | Adaptation of a poem by poachers .
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6 | 7 | "Song on the Times" | 2:35 | 1840s | Written after the repeal of the Corn Laws |
7 | 8 | "Smashing of the Van" | 2:09 | 1867 | Refers to the Manchester Martyrs who were hanged in Manchester for shooting a policeman while rescuing two Irish republicans from jail |
8 | 9 | "The World Turned Upside Down" | 1:25 | 1647 | The title comes from a Diggers pamphlet |
9 | 10 | "Poverty Knock" | 3:14 | 1890s | Written by factory workers |
10 | 11 | "Idris Strike Song" | 2:49 | 1911 | Written in 1911 about a strike at the Idris soft drink factory in Wales; the Idris brand is now owned by Britvic |
11 | 12 | "Hanging on the Old Barbed Wire" | 2:02 | 1918 | Written by soldiers during World War I; refers to incompetent leaders sending legions of young to their deaths |
12 | - | "The Cutty Wren" | 1381? | Reprise, on original 1988 release only | |
- | 13 | "Coal Not Dole" | 2:00 | 1984 | Written by Kay Sutcliffe & Mat Fox about the UK miners' strike (1984–1985)
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According to the 1988 LP notes: "The words are sung, with a couple of exceptions, exactly how we found them written. To start chopping and changing them all to fit in with modern language and ideas would have destroyed the reason why we wanted to do them like this (Which isn't to say that folk music isn't to be changed, edited and modernised.) Consequently the language and meaning seem a bit peculiar at times."
From the 2003 re-release: "Now, fifteen years later, we felt we'd learned enough about our voices to try again, updating and rearranging the songs against a backdrop of US/British warmongering. The songs were discovered in songbooks and in folk clubs and on cassette tapes, chopped and changed and bludgeoned into shape with utmost respect for the original tunes."
Personnel
1988 recording
Liner notes state that "Alice Nutter was otherwise engaged" |
2003 re-recording
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References
- Allmusic; retrieved 8 December 2016
- ^ Album: Chumbawamba: English Rebel Songs 1381–1984, Mutt at the Independent; published 12 June 2003; retrieved 8 December 2016
External links
- English Rebel Songs 1381–1984 at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)