Sinking of the Reuben James was also recorded twice by the Chad Mitchell Trio (Singing Our MInds - Mercury Records and Mighty Day/The Chad Mitchell Trio Reunion - Folk Era Records). A Woody Guthrie version of it has also been released recently by Smithsonian Folkways on the CD- That's Why We're Marching. Woody started out by wanting to list the names of all 120 or so sailors killed, but the Almanac Singers balked at the length of the song. Apparently the Almanacs suggested the "What were their Names" line as a substitute for all the names and Millard Lampell of the Almanacs wrote the last verse. Thus credt for the song is usually given to Woody Guthrie and the Almanac Singers. I do not know if Guthrie's verses with all the names survive anywhere.

rich r