"Dave Harker was SWP, and no friend of the CPGB "
I know that Brian
Just before I left Manchester the SWP were planning a show to commemorate the Peterloo 150th anniversary and contacted me through a fiend of a friend to advise them on songs
I met up with them with a list of suggestions, only to find they didn't have a clue about folk songs - they ended up with a fifth rate rock band - they really don't have a line on folk song, neither does the left in modern general even though they played a major paaaart in getting the ball tolling with the Worker's Music Association and the early days of Topic records -
MacColl was forever falling out with the various organisations
We have an interesting radio programme on the history of Topic here called 'Little Red Label' - well worth a listen
Bob Thomson gave a lot of help to Harker when he was preparing Fakesong - he was furious at the outcome
Bed-time - we have a solid week of diddley-di music and song to face from tomorrow onwards
Jim