English Rebel Songs 1381-1984 | ||||
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Studio album by Chumbawamba | ||||
Released | 1988/1994/2003 | |||
Recorded | 1988/2003 | |||
Genre | Folk, anarcho-punk, a cappella | |||
Label | Agit-Prop Records/MUTT | |||
Chumbawamba chronology | ||||
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English Rebel Songs 1381–1984 is a 1998 studio album by anarchist punk band Chumbawamba. It was originally released in 1988 with a slightly different tracklist as the re-release in 2003. Composed mostly of traditional English protest songs, the recording was a stark contrast to the group's previous punk recordings, pointing towards their future integration of choral and a cappella music, as well as a greater focus on harmony in their musical sound.
Some of the songs come from Stand Together by Hackney and Islington music group, 100 Songs Of Toil by Karl Dallas, A Touch On The Times, and A Ballard History of England by Roy Palmer. Many of the songs are still performed by modern English folk bands such as The Houghton Weavers and Coope, Boys & Simpson.
The original LP recording (1988) was released on CD in 1994 by One Little Indian Records. Chumbawamba re-recorded the album (and modified the title) in 2003, adding two extra tracks, releasing it under their newly formed MUTT Records label.
# | Song Name | Length | Year | Notes |
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1 | "The Cutty Wren" | 1:55 | 1381 | Written during the Peasants' Revolt |
2 | "The Diggers Song" | 2:31 | 1649 | Written by Gerrard Winstanley, leader of the Diggers |
3 | "Colliers March" | 2:28 | 1782 | Written by John Freeth; Refers to a march of workers in Birmingham protesting at the price of bread |
4 | "The Triumph of General Ludd" | 3:02 | 1812 | Refers to the Luddite Rebellion |
5 | "Chartist Anthem" | 1:34 | 1840s | Refers to the People's Charter drawn up by the Chartists in 1838 demanding universal suffrage |
6 | "The Bad Squire" | 3:54 | 1847 | Adaptation of a poem by Charles Kingsley written in defence of poachers. The original text can be found here |
7 | "Song on the Times" | 2:35 | 1840s | Written after the repeal of the Corn Laws |
8 | "Smashing of the Van" | 2:09 | 1867 | Refers to the Manchester Martyrs who were hanged in Manchester for shooting a policeman while rescuing two Irish men from jail |
9 | "The World Turned Upside Down" | 1:22 | 1647 | The title comes from a Diggers pamphlet |
10 | "Poverty Knock" | 3:14 | 1890s | Written by factory workers |
11 | "Idris Strike Song" | 2:49 | 1911 | Written in 1911 about a strike at the Idris soft drink factory in Wales; The Idris brand is now owend by Britvic |
12 | "Hanging on the Old Barbed Wire" | 2:02 | 1918 | Written by soldiers during World War I |
13 | "Coal Not Dole" | 2:00 | 1984 | Written by Kay Sutcliffe & Mat Fox; About the UK miners' strike (1984-1985) |
From the 2003 re-release: "Now, fifteen years later, we felt we'd learned enough about our voices to try again, updating and rearranging the songs against a backdrop of US/British warmongering. The songs were discovered in songbooks and in folk clubs and on cassette tapes, chopped and changed and bludgeoned into shape with utmost respect for the original tunes."
According to the 1994 CD notes: "The words are sung, with a couple of exceptions. exactly how we found them written. To start chopping and changing them all to fit in with modern language and ideas would have destroyed the reason why we wanted to do them like this (Which isn't to say that folk music isn't to be changed, edited and modernised.) Consequently the language and meaning seem a bit peculiar at times."
2003 re-recording
1988 recording
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