Recordings: Songs of the Spanish Civil War

Subject: Songs of the Spanish Civil War
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 30 Sep 14 - 09:36 PM

Bear Family has issued a 7-CD/1-DVD 300 page book box set:
Bear-Family Spain in My Heart

http://www.bear-family.com/index.php?cl=details&lang=1&anid=2540aed3fa9ea2c9fe9ee6083a9af9eb

Smithsonian Folkways has combined the 2 LP's of Spanish Civil War
songs on 1 CD to be released In a couple of weeks:
Smithsonian Folkways Songs of the Spanish Civil War

http://www.folkways.si.edu/news-and-press/sneak-preview-songs-of-the-spanish-civil-war-out-10-14-14

Best wishes, Thomas.

Subject: RE: Songs of the Spanish Civil War
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 30 Sep 14 - 09:40 PM

Bear Family has issued a 7-CD/1-DVD 300 page book box set:

http://www.bear-family.com/index.php?cl=details&lang=1&anid=2540aed3fa9ea2c9fe9ee6083a9af9eb

Smithsonian Folkways has combined the 2 LP's of Spanish Civil War
songs on 1 CD to be released In a couple of weeks:

http://www.folkways.si.edu/news-and-press/sneak-preview-songs-of-the-spanish-civil-war-out-10-14-14

Best wishes, Thomas.

Subject: RE: Songs of the Spanish Civil War
From: GUEST,Mike Yates
Date: 01 Oct 14 - 05:00 AM

I remember a tune that one could not hear
Without the heart beating and the blood catching fire
Without the fire rekindling like a heart beneath the ashes
And one knew at last why the sky is blue

These words by Louis Aragon are quoted in the booklet to the Chant du Monde CD "Songs of the Spanish Civil War" ("Cantos de la Guerra Espana") CD 274 1034. This is another CD that should be heard alongside the two sets mentioned by Thomas Stern. I especially like the spirited version of "Los Cuatro Generals" which is included on the Chant du Monde CD.

Unfortunately, the Bear Family set, which is excellent and contains all that one really needs to know, is hugely expensive. At the moment, one can pick it up on Amazon for around £130.

The Folkways set, sorry I still call it a Folkways set as I have had the Folkways albums for years and years, is also interesting. One thing that does strike me here is how much the German language songs sound almost like the sort of things that German fascists were singing in the 1930's! In fact, my wife has at times asked me to switch it off because it reminds her too much of Hitler. I once went to an exhibition that comprised works by both Russian Communists and German fascists - massive sculptures of the respective leaders etc., huge monuments to workers and soldiers, rifles raised to the sky - and, at times, it was hard to distinguish just who had made the art, they were so similar!

Subject: RE: Songs of the Spanish Civil War
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 01 Oct 14 - 03:14 PM

The Smithsonian site lists the contents of the two Folkways albums,
but not an official track list of the CD. When Folkways issued
the Bart Van Der Schelling recordings, only 2 of the 3 discs were
available, so 2 songs were NOT included on the LP.
Anyone know if they have corrected that on the CD (i.e. added the
two missing songs) or a missed opportunity ???

Thomas.

'From Behind the Barbed Wire' sung by Bart van der Schelling and the Exiles Chorus
La Guardia Rossa (The Red Guard)
Wir Hinterm Draht (Behind the Barbed Wire)
La Joven Guardia (The Youthful Guardsmen)
Au Devant de la Vie (Toward the New Life)

missing:
ELS SEGADORS (Catalan National Hymn)
DIE THAELMANN-KOLONNE (Song of the 11th International Brigade)

Subject: RE: Recordings: Songs of the Spanish Civil War
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 26 Oct 14 - 03:09 PM

Just noticed the following which contains some
related songs:

"1936 The Spanish Revolution" book + two 3" CDs
AK Press (San Francisco/Edinburgh), 1997
(reissue of 1986 book & 2 7" singles)

This is a collection of photographs of the Anarchist revolutionaries
actions in the Spanish Civil War.

There are short essays interspersed:
Revolution
The Collectives
Culture
The Front
The End
Afterword

not complementary to the Soviets.

The two 3" CD's contain the following songs which
are performed by THE EX:

THEY SHALL NOT PASS
EL TREN BLINDADO

AY CARMELA
PEOPLE AGAIN

Best wishes, Thomas.