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Looking For U.S. Labor and Work Songs

Bat Goddess 10 May 06 - 07:55 AM
jacqui.c 09 May 06 - 06:37 PM
Franz S. 09 May 06 - 03:58 PM
Joe Offer 09 May 06 - 04:15 AM
NormanD 09 May 06 - 03:35 AM
GUEST,Fred McCormick 08 May 06 - 11:25 PM
maire-aine 08 May 06 - 10:32 PM
Franz S. 08 May 06 - 10:19 PM
GUEST,saulgoldie 08 May 06 - 05:56 PM
GeoffLawes 08 May 06 - 05:51 PM
GeoffLawes 08 May 06 - 05:46 PM
saulgoldie 08 May 06 - 05:36 PM
GUEST,Jack Campin 08 May 06 - 05:11 PM
Barry Finn 08 May 06 - 11:44 AM
Amos 08 May 06 - 11:12 AM
GUEST,Susan W. 08 May 06 - 11:03 AM
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Subject: RE: Looking For U.S. Labor and Work Songs
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 10 May 06 - 07:55 AM

There's also a long out of print book called "Rebel Voices" which includes a lot of Labor songs -- don't have it right at hand for the particulars.

Linn


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Subject: RE: Looking For U.S. Labor and Work Songs
From: jacqui.c
Date: 09 May 06 - 06:37 PM

Utah Phillips has written a lot of these type of songs. Check out his 4 cd set called Starlight on the Rails.


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Subject: RE: Looking For U.S. Labor and Work Songs
From: Franz S.
Date: 09 May 06 - 03:58 PM

The John Edwards Memorial Foundation put out a couple of vinyl albums produced by Arhoolie Records called "Work's Many Voices" (JEMF 110-111). These were compilations or anthologies of commercial recordings made between 1956 and 1983. Notes by Archie Green. They're not folk songs, and mostly not organizing songs, just songs about different kinds of work. I don't know where they might be available nowadays, but they're very enjoyable.


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Subject: RE: Looking For U.S. Labor and Work Songs
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 May 06 - 04:15 AM

  • Click Here to get the 1923 Little Red Songbook online.
  • Click here for the Socialist Action songbook
  • Comrade's Socialist Songbook
  • Socialist Songbook

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    Subject: RE: Looking For U.S. Labor and Work Songs
    From: NormanD
    Date: 09 May 06 - 03:35 AM

    Check out this link to another music forum:

    http://www.charliegillett.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=836

    There's a long discussion which takes in American pop, blues and country songs - including "Working In A Coalmine", "Get A Job", "A Working Man Can't Get Nowhere Today", "Angel From Montgomery". etc.

    Norman


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    Subject: RE: Looking For U.S. Labor and Work Songs
    From: GUEST,Fred McCormick
    Date: 08 May 06 - 11:25 PM

    You've picked on a vast and sprawling subject which I couldn't possible tackle in one posting. For discussions of labour songs (rather than anthologies) take a look at John Greenway's American Folksongs of protest. ISBN 0374932549. It's an old book and one written by an anthropologist rather than a folkl song specialist. But it's still the best work on its subject.
    Also, Only a Miner, by Archie Green and Pistol Packin' Mama: Aunt Molly Jackson and the Politics of Folksong by Shelly Romalis. Both of these deal with songs in the American coal industry.

    Recommendable song collections include;

    Joanna Colcord: Songs of American Sailormen. Oak Publications, New York, 1964
    William Doerflinger. Shantymen and Shantyboys: Songs of the Sailor and the Lumbermen. Macmillan Co., New York, 1951.
    Stan Hugill: Shanties from the Seven Seas. Routledge & Kegan Paul, London, 1961.
    Hard Hitting Songs For Hard Hit People, edited by Alan Lomax with assistance from Woody Guthrie And Pete Seeger is still probably the best source of American labour protest songs ever compiled.
    John Lomax. Cowboy Songs and other Frontier Ballads.
    The Long Steel Rail. Norman Cohen

    For sound recordings, there are numerous anthologies of cowboy songs, but the best is probably a double CD called Back in the Saddle Again. New World. NW 314/315-2.

    Also, try Virginia Work Songs on Global Village CD1007. These are archive recordings with, as I recall quite a lot of prison worksongs. However, it also includes several shanties collected among fishermen of the Virginia coast.

    American Sea Songs and Shanties, Rounder 18964-1519-2, is pretty well unique in that it documents shanties which were collected from genuine sailing ship shanty singers.

    Tipple, Loom and Rail is an old Folkways LP of American industrial songs by Mike Seeger. I've never heard it, but would imagine it to be indispnsable to your quest. It's long been out of catalogue, but you should be able to download it from the Smithsonian Folkways site at http://www.folkways.si.edu/index.html.

    Finally, just about any release featuring Woody Guthrie will have masses of relevant songs. I'd particularly recommend the Library of Congress Recordings set, if it is still available.

    As I said, it's a huge subject, and that lot doesn't even begin to scratch the surface. But it might point you in a few directions.

    Cheers,

    Fred McCormick.


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    Subject: RE: Looking For U.S. Labor and Work Songs
    From: maire-aine
    Date: 08 May 06 - 10:32 PM

    You were right the first time-- it's Si Kahn. See www.sikahn.com

    Maryanne


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    Subject: RE: Looking For U.S. Labor and Work Songs
    From: Franz S.
    Date: 08 May 06 - 10:19 PM

    Joe Glazer's book, "Songs of Work and Freedom", is a very good source. The Labor Heritage Foundation in DC (actually Maryland) might be able to help.


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    Subject: RE: Looking For U.S. Labor and Work Songs
    From: GUEST,saulgoldie
    Date: 08 May 06 - 05:56 PM

    By the way, Joe Glazer is a gem. Perhaps you can get in touch with him through one of the links from the search link. He was in the trenches with "the movement" for a good 6 decades, or so, and he wrote or promoted dozens of songs, hence the link above. Good luck, Susan!


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    Subject: RE: Looking For U.S. Labor and Work Songs
    From: GeoffLawes
    Date: 08 May 06 - 05:51 PM

    Sorry that should be Si Khan


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    Subject: RE: Looking For U.S. Labor and Work Songs
    From: GeoffLawes
    Date: 08 May 06 - 05:46 PM

    A lot of the famous U.S.Labor and Work songs of the first half of the twentieth century were associated with The Industrial Workers of THe World or Wobblies a socialist/syndicalist organisation which produced numerous editions of their Little Red Song Book containing words,music and history of the songs. The I.W.W. still exists and I think you can still get the latest edition from them -they have a website which might be a good place to start. Si Kahn is a modern writer who has written some fine songs about work and labor issues.


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    Subject: RE: Looking For U.S. Labor and Work Songs
    From: saulgoldie
    Date: 08 May 06 - 05:36 PM

    Union Maid
    Argonne Mills
    Ludlow Massacre
    The Mills Were Made of Marlbe

    Follow this link to a Google search for some help:

    http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=joe+glazer+lyrics&btnG=Google+Search


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    Subject: RE: Looking For U.S. Labor and Work Songs
    From: GUEST,Jack Campin
    Date: 08 May 06 - 05:11 PM

    Look at Anne Feeney's website for contemporary stuff.


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    Subject: RE: Looking For U.S. Labor and Work Songs
    From: Barry Finn
    Date: 08 May 06 - 11:44 AM

    In the above search box, search the DT by entering any of the below
    @work, @labor, @railroad, @logger, @farmer, @cowboy,
    or a combination using @work or @labor & any of the others, that will bring you up plenty.
    You didn't say if you wanted songs about or/and songs used while working (work songs), there's a difference if you're looking for one & not the other.
    Good Luck
    Barry


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    Subject: RE: Looking For U.S. Labor and Work Songs
    From: Amos
    Date: 08 May 06 - 11:12 AM

    Here's a few titles you can find in the DT, probably, or on early recordings by the Almanac Singers or Folkways records:

    Which Side Are You On
    Joe Hill
    Get Thee behind Me Satan
    Ho, Boys, Cancha Line 'Em?
    Talking Union Blues
    A Miner's Life (Keep Your Eye Upon the Dollar)
    The Banks Are Made of Marble
    The Farmer is the Man

    Actually, on reflection, you are talking about a really massive set of songs, if any kind of blue-collar labor is your primary criterion.
    You could start by going into the DT and looking for tags like [work] or [labor].

    A


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    Subject: Looking For U.S. Labor and Work Songs
    From: GUEST,Susan W.
    Date: 08 May 06 - 11:03 AM

    I'm looking for U.S. Labor and Work Songs. Not Spirituals or Prison Work Songs, but, other U.S. Work songs.

    cheers,
    Susan


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