Songs for John Doe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Songs For John Doe

Studio album by The Almanac Singers

Released

May 1941

Recorded

A Central Park West studio, New York, Late March or early April 1941

Almanac Records

Erin Barnay

The Almanac Singers chronology

Songs For John Doe
(1941)

Talking Union
(1941)

Songs For John Doe is the 1941 debut album and first released product of influential folk musicians, the Almanac Singers.

The album was released in May 1941, at a time when World War II was raging but the United States remained neutral. The Soviet Union and Nazi Germany were still at peace, as provided by the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. American Communists and their fellow travelers, prominent among The Almanacs, reluctantly followed the anti-interventionist stance dictated by Moscow, which accounts for the appearance of anti-war songs on the album. However, when Hitler's armies invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, the pact was broken and The Almanacs enthusiastically changed direction and began agitating in favor of US intervention in Europe. The album was quickly pulled from distribution and the new political line was evident on the group's 1942 album, Dear Mr. President.

For the album, six masters were recorded in a two or three hour session. "'C' For Conscription" and "Washington Breakdown" were recorded as a single take.

[edit] Track listing

Track	Song Title	By
1.	Ballad of October 16	Millard Lampell
2.	Billy Boy	Millard Lampell
3.	'C' For Conscription	Millard Lampell and Pete Seeger
4.	Liza Jane	Millard Lampell and Pete Seeger
5.	Plow Under	Millard Lampell and Pete Seeger
6.	The Strange Death of John Doe	Millard Lampell
7.	Washington Breakdown	Pete Seeger and Lee Hays