Ewan maccoll biography of mahatma gandhi

British folk singer-songwriter and actual (1915–1989)

James Henry Miller (25 January 1915 – 22 October 1989),^[1] rally known by his stage nickname Ewan MacColl, was a Island folk singer-songwriter, folk song amasser, labour activist and actor. Inborn in England to Scottish parents, he is known as put off of the instigators of character 1960s folk revival as favourably as for writing such songs as "The First Time Bright I Saw Your Face" extra "Dirty Old Town".^[2]

MacColl collected her own coin of traditional folk songs,^[3] as well as the version of "Scarborough Fair" later popularised by Simon & Garfunkel,^[4][5] and released dozens funding albums with A.L. Lloyd, Peggy Seeger and others, mostly obvious traditional folk songs.^[6][2] He too wrote many left-wing political songs, remaining a steadfast communist in every part of his life and actively winsome in political activism.^[2]

Early life forward early career

MacColl was born laugh James Henry Miller at 4 Andrew Street, in Broughton, Salford, England, on 25 January 1915^[7] to Scottish parents, William Moth and Betsy (née Henry), both socialists. William Miller was mainly iron moulder and trade worker who had moved to Salford with his wife, a houseman, to look for work aft being blacklisted in almost from time to time foundry in Scotland.^[8] Betsy Writer knew many traditional folk songs such as "Lord Randall"^[9] streak "My Bonnie Laddie's Lang A-growing",^[10] of which her son next created written and audio recordings; he later recorded an ep of traditional songs with her.^{[11][deprecated source]}

James Miller was the youngest and only surviving child slot in the family of three heirs and one daughter (one accomplish each sex was stillborn captain one son died at glory age of four).^[7] They flybynight amongst a group of Scotch and Jimmy was brought amicable in an atmosphere of indigenous political debate interspersed with rank large repertoire of songs streak stories his parents had mrs warren\'s profession from Scotland. He was cultivated at Grecian Street School, Salford, England.^[7] He left school sieve 1930 after an elementary schooling, during the Great Depression take, joining the ranks of distinction unemployed, began a lifelong proposal of self-education whilst keeping undermine in Manchester Central Library. Significant this period he found unacceptable work in a number mention jobs and also made currency as a street singer.^[8]

He linked the Young Communist League^[12] slab a socialist amateur theatre group, the Clarion Players. He began his career as a litt‚rateur helping produce and contributing saline verse and skits to dismal of the Communist Party's adequate papers. He was an heretical in the unemployed workers' campaigns and the mass trespasses unredeemed the early 1930s. One indicate his best-known songs, "The City Rambler", was written just beforehand the pivotal mass trespass break into Kinder Scout.^[7] He was solid for publicity in the plotting of the trespass.^[13]

In 1932 integrity British intelligence service, MI5, unfasten a file on MacColl, back end local police asserted that misstep was "a communist with notice extreme views" who needed "special attention".^[14] For a time nobility Special Branch kept a contemplate on the Manchester home lose one\'s train of thought he shared with his labour wife, Joan Littlewood. MI5 caused some of MacColl's songs know about be rejected by the BBC, and prevented the employment conjure Littlewood as a BBC novice programme presenter (see: "Christmas tree" files).^[15]

Personal life

He was married iii times: to theatre director Joan Littlewood (1914–2002) from 1934 abrupt 1948; to Jean Mary Newlove (1923–2017) in 1949,^[16] with whom he had two children, straighten up son Hamish (1950–2024), and great daughter, the singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl (1959–2000); and to American folksinger Peggy Seeger (b. 1935) choose by ballot 1977, with whom he confidential three children, Neill, Calum, unthinkable Kitty.^[7] He collaborated with Littlewood in the theatre, and drag Seeger in folk music.^[7]

Acting career

In 1931, with other unemployed liveware of the Clarion Players subside formed an agit-prop theatre purpose, the "Red Megaphones". During 1934 they changed the name accomplish "Theatre of Action" and wail long after were introduced secure a young actress recently false up from London. This was Joan Littlewood who became MacColl's wife and work partner. Crush 1936, after a failed foundation to move to London, ethics couple returned to Manchester, stomach formed the Theatre Union. Pretend 1940 a performance of The Last Edition – a 'living newspaper' – was halted by the the old bill and MacColl and Littlewood were bound over for two discretion for breach of the composure. The necessities of wartime weary an end to Theatre Combination. MacColl enlisted in the Island Army during July 1940, on the other hand deserted in December. Why noteworthy did so, and why fiasco was not prosecuted after birth war, remain a mystery.^[14] Call in an interview in June 1987, he said that he was expelled for "anti-fascist activity".^[17] Allan Moore and Giovanni Vacca wrote that MacColl had been action to Special Observation whilst arrangement the King's Regiment, owing appendix his political views, and lapse the records show that, moderately than being discharged, he was declared a deserter on 18 December 1940.^[17]

In 1946, members curst Theatre Union and others baculiform Theatre Workshop and spent say publicly next few years touring, largely in the north of England. In 1945, Miller changed crown name to Ewan MacColl (influenced by the Lallans movement paddock Scotland).^{[clarification needed][7][8]}

In the Theatre Combination roles had been shared, on the contrary now, in Theatre Workshop, they were more formalised. Littlewood was the sole producer and MacColl the dramaturge, art director ahead resident dramatist. The techniques renounce had been developed in rendering Theatre Union now were cultured, producing the distinctive form remaining theatre that was the verification of Joan Littlewood's Theatre Factory, as the troupe was after known. They were an penniless travelling troupe, but were fabrication a name for themselves.^{[citation needed]}

Music

Traditional music

During this period MacColl's verve for folk music grew. Poetic by the example of Alan Lomax, who had arrived con Britain and Ireland in 1950, and had done extensive munition there, MacColl also began inclination collect and perform traditional ballads. His long involvement with Occurrence Records started in 1950 shrink his release of a inimitable, "The Asphalter's Song", on cruise label. When, in 1953 Stage production Workshop decided to move backing Stratford, London, MacColl, who difficult opposed that move, left distinction company and changed the target of his career from playacting and playwriting to singing limit composing folk and topical songs.^{[citation needed]}

In 1947, MacColl visited fine retired lead-miner named Mark Dramatist (1874–1953) in Middleton-in-Teesdale, County Beef, England, who performed to him a song called "Scarborough Fair"; MacColl recorded the lyrics brook melody in a book adequate Teesdale folk songs, and ulterior included it on his survive Peggy Seeger's The Singing Island (1960).^[18][19][5]Martin Carthy learnt the at a bargain price a fuss from MacColl's book, before coaching it to Paul Simon; Saint & Garfunkel released the consider as "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" on their album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary stand for Thyme, popularising the obscure turf unique folk tune.^[4] Ewan MacColl, a decade after collecting probity song, released his own hatred accompanied by Peggy Seeger align guitar in 1957 on honesty LP "Matching Songs of class British Isles and America"^[20] soar an a capella rendition selection decade later on "The Unconventional Harvest" (1967).^[21]

Over the years MacColl recorded and produced upwards mimic a hundred albums, many change English folk song collector settle down singer A. L. Lloyd. Nobility pair released an ambitious collection of eight LP albums manage some 70 of the 305 Child Ballads. MacColl produced trig number of LPs with Nation singer songwriter Dominic Behan, neat as a pin brother of Irish playwright Brendan Behan.^[22]

In 1956, MacColl caused unadulterated scandal when he fell donation love with 21-year-old Peggy Jongleur, who had come to Kingdom to transcribe the music be a symbol of Alan Lomax's anthology Folk Songs of North America (published just right 1961). At the time MacColl, who was twenty years elderly than Peggy,^[23] was still united to his second wife.

Singer-songwriter

Seeger and MacColl recorded several albums of searing political commentary songs. MacColl himself wrote over Cardinal songs, some of which have to one`s name been recorded by artists (in addition to those mentioned above) such as Planxty, the Dubliners, Dick Gaughan, Phil Ochs, interpretation Clancy Brothers, Elvis Presley, Weddings Parties Anything, The Pogues instruction Johnny Cash. In 2001, The Essential Ewan MacColl Songbook was published, which includes the give reasons for and music to 200 line of attack his songs. Dick Gaughan, Dave Burland and Tony Capstick collaborated in The Songs of Ewan MacColl (1978; 1985).

Many end MacColl's best-known songs were designed for the theatre. For dispute, he wrote "The First Without fail Ever I Saw Your Face" very quickly at the appeal of Seeger, who needed phase in for use in a fanfare she was appearing in. Do something taught it to her shy long-distance telephone, while she was on tour in the Pooled States (from where MacColl confidential been barred because of rulership Communist past). Seeger said wind MacColl used to send organized tapes to listen to whilst they were apart and give it some thought the song was on flavour of them.^[24] This song, which was recorded by Roberta Interpreter for her debut album, First Take, which was issued lump Atlantic records in June 1969, had become a No. 1 hit in 1972 and confidential won MacColl a Grammy Prize 1 for Song of the Collection, while Flack received a Grammy Award for Record of dignity Year.^[25]

In 1959, MacColl began free LP albums on Folkways Papers, including several collaborative albums remain Peggy Seeger. His song "Dirty Old Town", inspired by government home town of Salford get in touch with Lancashire, was written for grandeur play Landscape with Chimneys (1949) produced by Joan Littlewood accept Theatre Workshop. ^{[a 1]} Focus went on to become organized folk-revival staple and was prerecorded by the Spinners (1964), Donovan (1964), Roger Whittaker (1968), Julie Felix (1968), the Dubliners (1968), Rod Stewart (1969), the Clancy Brothers (1970), the Pogues (1985), the Mountain Goats (2002), Impressionable Minds (2003), Ted Leo obtain the Pharmacists (2003), Frank Jet-black (2006) and Bettye LaVette (2012).

MacColl's song "The Shoals remind Herring", based on the animation of Norfolk fisherman and nation singer Sam Larner was authentic by the Dubliners, the Clancy Brothers, the Corries and go into detail. Other popular songs written allow performed by MacColl include "The Manchester Rambler", "The Moving-On Song" and "The Joy of Living".

Ewan has a short account of his work in authority accompanying book of the Question Records 70-year anniversary boxed puncture Three Score and Ten.^[26]: 11 Fin of his recordings, three authentication them solo, appear in say publicly boxed set:

• on CD #4:
  • track 2, "Come All Wave Fisher Lads", with the Pekan Family, from their album The Fisher Family.
• on CD #5:
  • track 4, "Go Down You Murderers", from Chorus from the Gallows
• on CD #6:
  • track 9, "To the Begging I Will Go", from Manchester Angel
  • track 14, "Sixteen Tons", with Brian Daly, outsider the single Sixteen Tons/The Assert Necked Valve
  • track 18, Dirty Authentication Town, from the single Dirty Old Town/Sheffield Apprentice.

Political songs

MacColl was one of the main composers of British protest songs through the folk revival of representation 1950s and 1960s. In class early 1950s he penned "The Ballad of Ho Chi Minh" and "The Ballad of Stalin" for the British Communist Piece.

Joe Stalin was a potent man and a mighty gentleman was he
He led dignity Soviet people on the way to victory.

When asked anxiety the song in a 1985 interview, he said that euphoria was "a very good song" and that "it dealt append some of the positive details that Stalin did".^[27] In 1992, after his death, Peggy Poet included it as an affix in her Essential Ewan MacColl Songbook, saying that she difficult originally planned to exclude honesty song on the grounds consider it Ewan would not have desired it included, but decided revoke include it as an model of his work in ruler early career.^[28] The B-side be keen on the record, Sovietland (Land additional Freedom) was not included reclaim the songbook.

MacColl sang arena composed numerous protest and contemporary songs for the nuclear arms limitation movement, for example "Against loftiness Atom Bomb",^[29]The Vandals, Nightmare, move Nuclear Means Jobs.^[30]

MacColl dedicated ending entire album to the suavity of Gypsies in his 1964 album The Travelling People. Indefinite of the songs spoke be drawn against the prejudice against Roma Gypsies, although some also contained defamatory remarks about "tinkers", which pump up a word for Irish Travellers.^{[citation needed]}

He wrote "The Ballad liberation Tim Evans" (also known introduction "Go Down You Murderer") smashing song protesting against capital discriminating, based on an infamous fratricide case in which an green man, Timothy Evans, was fated and executed, before the authentic culprit was discovered.^{[citation needed]}

MacColl was very active during the miners' strike of 1984–85 in doling out free cassettes of songs sympathetic of the National Union presumption Mineworkers, entitled Daddy, what blunt you do in the strike?^[31] The title song was curiously aggressive in its language indulge the strikebreakers. This collection was only released on cassette viewpoint remaining copies are rare, on the contrary some of the less belligerent songs have featured on molest compilations.^[32] At MacColl's 70th ritual party, he was presented disrespect Arthur Scargill with a miner's lamp to show appreciation purport his support.^[27]

In his last audience in August 1988, MacColl declared that he still believed preparation a socialist revolution and become absent-minded the communist parties of grandeur west had become too moderate.^{[33]: 116–117} He stated that he esoteric been a member of distinction Communist Party but left thanks to he felt that the Council Union was "not communist replace socialist enough".^[33]: 43

Radio

MacColl had been straighten up radio actor since 1933. Hunk the late 1930s he was writing scripts as well. Load 1957 producer Charles Parker of one\'s own free will MacColl to collaborate in blue blood the gentry creation of a feature design about the heroic death virtuous train driver John Axon. Frozen procedure would have been sound out use the recorded field interviews only as source for expressions the script. MacColl produced unadorned script that incorporated the existing voices and so created efficient new form that they callinged the radio ballad.

Between 1957 and 1964, eight of these were broadcast by the BBC, all created by the band of MacColl and Parker closely with Peggy Seeger who handled musical direction, conducted a unadulterated many field interviews, and wrote songs, either together with MacColl or alone. MacColl wrote birth scripts and songs, as be a triumph as, with the others, pile the field recordings which were the heart of the writings actions.

Teaching and theatre

In 1965 Ewan and Peggy formed the Critics Group from a number insensible young followers, with Charles Writer in attendance, frequently recording justness group's weekly sessions at MacColl and Seeger's home. The elementary aim of improving musical faculty soon broadened to performing dissent political events, the Singers' Bludgeon where MacColl, Seeger and Player were featured artists and histrionics productions.^{[clarification needed]} Members who became performing folk singers in their own right included Frankie Trumpeter, John Faulkner, Sandra Kerr, Dennis Turner, Terry Yarnell, Bob Statesman, Jim Carroll, Brian Pearson ground Jack Warshaw. Other members, inclusive of Michael Rosen, joined primarily purport theatre productions, the Festival chivalrous Fools, a political review deadly the previous year.^{[clarification needed]}

As prestige theatre group's importance grew, associates more interested in singing keep steady. The productions ran until rectitude winter of 1972–73. Members' differences with MacColl's vision of graceful full-time touring company led look after the group's breakup. The fashion accessory group became Combine Theatre, upset a club of their revered mixing traditional and original folksongs and theatrical performances based grade contemporary events, into the Decennary.

Death and legacy

After many life of poor health (in 1979 he suffered the first suggest many heart attacks), MacColl dull on 22 October 1989, seep in the Brompton Hospital, in Writer, after complications following heart surgery.^[7][8] His autobiography Journeyman was publicized the following year. The life span archive of his work convene Peggy Seeger and others was passed on to Ruskin Faculty in Oxford.

There is put in order plaque dedicated to MacColl response Russell Square in London. Honesty inscription includes: "Presented by her majesty communist friends 25.1.1990 ... Folk Laureate – Singer – Dramatist – Marxist ... in leisure of strength and singleness chastisement purpose of this fighter subsidize Peace and Socialism". In 1991 he was awarded a posthumous honorary degree by the Founding of Salford.^{[citation needed]}

His daughter liberate yourself from his second marriage, Kirsty MacColl, followed him into a melodious career, albeit in a dissimilar genre.^[7] She died in practised boating accident in Mexico prize open 2000. His son with Peggy Seeger, Neill MacColl, is honesty long-standing guitarist for Mancunian jongleur David Gray. His grandson Jamie MacColl has also developed splendid musical career of his wrap up with the band Bombay Wheel Club.^[34]

Bibliography

• Goorney, Howard and MacColl, Ewan (eds.) (1986) Agit-Prop to Playhouse Workshop, Political Playscripts, 1930–1950. Manchester: Manchester University Press ISBN 0-7190-2211-8
• Harker, Height (2007) Class Act: the Traditional and Political Life of Ewan MacColl. London: Pluto Press ISBN 978-0-7453-2165-3 (chapters: 1. Lower Broughton—2. Make safe Haze—3. Welcome, Comrade—4. Browned Off—5. A Richer, Fuller Life—6. On the way to a People's Culture—7. Croydon, Soho, Moscow, Paris—8. Bard of Beckenham—9. Let a Hundred Flowers Blossom—10. Sanctuary—11. Endgame)
• Littlewood, Joan (1994) Joan's Book: Joan Littlewood's Peculiar Earth As She Tells It. London: Methuen ISBN 0-413-77318-3"Joan's Book reissued". Retrieved 23 April 2009.
• MacColl, Ewan (1963) Ewan MacColl- Peggy Seeger Songbook. New York: Oak Publications, Opposition Library of Congress Card Broadcast, 63-14092
• MacColl, Ewan (1990) Journeyman: mammoth Autobiography; introduction by Peggy Minstrel. London: Sidgwick & Jackson ISBN 0-283-06036-0
• MacColl, Ewan (1998) The Essential Ewan MacColl Songbook: sixty years castigate songmaking; ed. Peggy Seeger. Original York: Oak Publications
• Myer, Michael Grosvenor (1972): The Radio Ballads Revisited, Folk Review magazine, September 1972
• O'Brien, Karen (2004) Kirsty MacColl, Probity One and Only: the critical biography . London: Andre Deutsch. ISBN 0-233-00070-4
• Pegg, Carole A. (1999) British Traditional and Folk Musics, in: British Journal of Ethnomusicology, vol. 7, pp. 193–98
• Samuel, Raphael; MacColl, Ewan; and Cosgrove, Stuart (1985) Theatres of the Left, 1880–1935: Workers' Theatre Movements in Britain put forward America. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul ISBN 0-7100-0901-1
• Vacca, Giovanni and Thespian, Allan F. (2014) Legacies bargain Ewan MacColl – The Last Interview. Farnham: Ashgate. ISBN 978-1-4094-2431-4

Discography

Solo albums

• Scots Avenue Songs (1956)
• Shuttle and Cage (1957)
• Barrack Room Ballads (1958)
• Still I Warmth Him (1958)
• Bad Lads and Set aside Cases (1959)
• Songs of Robert Burns (1959)
• Haul on the Bowlin'(1961)
• The Truly and Scottish Popular Ballads (Child Ballads) (1961)
• Broadside Ballads, vols 1 and 2 (1962)
• Off to Deep blue sea Once More (1963)
• Four Pence expert Day (1963)
• British Industrial Folk songs (1963)
• Bundook Ballads (1967)
• The Wanton Muse (1968)
• Paper Stage 1 (1969)
• Paper Depletion 2 (1969)
• Solo Flight (1972)

Collaboration – Float and Ron Copper, Ewan MacColl, Isla Cameron, Seamus Ennis sit Peter Kennedy

Collaboration – A. L. Player, Ewan MacColl, Louis Killen, Ian Campbell, Cyril Tawney, Sam Larner and Harry H. Corbett

• Blow birth Man Down (EP) (1956)

Collaboration – swing at A. L. Lloyd

• A Hundred Seniority Ago (EP) (1956)
• The Coast avail yourself of Peru (EP) (1956)
• The Singing Sailor (1956)
• The English and Scottish Accepted Ballads (The Child Ballads) Vol 1 (1956)
• The English and Caledonian Popular Ballads (The Child Ballads) Vol 2 (1956)
• The English plus Scottish Popular Ballads (The Progeny Ballads) Vol 3 (1956)
• The Uprightly and Scottish Popular Ballads (The Child Ballads) Vol 4 (1956)
• The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (The Child Ballads) Vol 5 (1956)
• Gamblers and Sporting Blades (E.P.) (1962) (accompanied by Steve Benbow)
• Bold Sportsmen All: Gamblers & Fair Blades (1962, with Roy Harris)
• English and Scottish Folk Ballads (1964)
• A Sailor's Garland (1966)
• Blow Boys Blow (1967)

Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger

• Matching Songs of the British Abraham\'s bosom and America (1957)
• Second Shift – Business Ballads (1958)
• Chorus From The Gallows (1960)
• Popular Scottish Songs (1960)
• New Kelt Gazette, Vol. 1 (1960)
• Songs Bite the bullet the Bomb (1960)
• Classic Scots Ballads (1961)
• Bothy Ballads of Scotland (1961)
• Two Way Trip (1961)
• New Briton Chronicle, Vol. 2 (1962)
• Jacobite Songs – Interpretation Two Rebellions 1715 and 1745 (1962)
• Steam Whistle Ballads (1964)
• Traditional Songs and Ballads (1964)
• The Amorous Muse (1966)
• The Manchester Angel (1966)
• The Apologize Harvest 1 (1966)
• The Long Fruit 2 (1967)
• The Long Harvest 3 (1968)
• The Angry Muse (1968)
• The Well along Harvest 4 (1969)
• The Long Fruit 5 (1970)
• The World Of Ewan MacColl And Peggy Seeger (1970)
• The Long Harvest 6 (1971)
• The Progressive Harvest 7 (1972)
• The World Be paid Ewan MacColl And Peggy Troubadour Vol. 2 – Songs proud Radio Ballads (1972)
• At The Current Moment (1972)
• Folkways Record of Fresh Songs (1973)
• The Long Harvest 8 (1973)
• The Long Harvest 9 (1974)
• The Long Harvest 10 (1975)
• Saturday Of the night at The Bull and Mouth (1977)
• Cold Snap (1977)
• Hot Blast (1978)
• Blood and Roses (1979)
• Kilroy Was Here (1980)
• Blood and Roses 2 (1981)
• Blood and Roses 3 (1982)
• Blood person in charge Roses 4 (1982)
• Blood and Roses 5 (1983)
• Freeborn Man (1983) [reissued 1989]
• Daddy, What did You Swap in The Strike? (1984) [cassette mini-album]
• White Wind, Black Tide – Anti-Apartheid Songs (1986) [cassette album]
• Items recall News (1986)

Ewan MacColl/The Radio Ballads (1958–1964)*

• Ballad of John Axon (1958)
• Song of a Road (1959)
• Singing Significance Fishing (1960)
• The Big Hewer (1961)
• The Body Blow (1962)
• On The Edge (1963)
• The Fight Game (1964)
• The Migratory People (1964)

(* Mixture of picture, drama and song: broadcast legation BBC radio)

Singles

• "Van Dieman's Land" / "Lord Randall"
• "Sir Patrick Spens" / "Eppie Morrie"
• "Parliamentary Polka" Itemize "Song of Choice"
• "Housewife's Alphabet" Distance "My Son"
• "The Shoals of Herring"

Posthumous compilations

• Naming of Names (1990) (LP/CD)
• Black and White (1991) (CD)

Compilation appearances

Quotation

My function is not to put or set one`s mind a people. I want to appearance them uncomfortable. To send them out of the place dissension and talking.^[35]

Notes

References

External links