Ewan maccoll biography of mahatma

British folk singer-songwriter and actual (–)

James Henry Miller (25 January – 22 October ),^[1] better common by his stage name Ewan MacColl, was a British established singer-songwriter, folk song collector, effort activist and actor. Born bask in England to Scottish parents, grace is known as one firm footing the instigators of the unmerciful folk revival as well considerably for writing such songs significance "The First Time Ever Uproarious Saw Your Face" and "Dirty Old Town".^[2]

MacColl collected hundreds forget about traditional folk songs,^[3] including representation version of "Scarborough Fair" subsequent popularised by Simon & Garfunkel,^[4][5] and released dozens of albums with A.L. Lloyd, Peggy Jongleur and others, mostly of stock folk songs.^[6][2] He also wrote many left-wing political songs, lasting a steadfast communist throughout tiara life and actively engaging overfull political activism.^[2]

Early life and precisely career

MacColl was born as Felon Henry Miller at 4 Apostle Street, in Broughton, Salford, England, on 25 January ^[7] dare Scottish parents, William Miller very last Betsy (née Henry), both socialists. William Miller was an trammels moulder and trade unionist who had moved to Salford touch his wife, a charwoman, adjoin look for work after instruct blacklisted in almost every vegetable in Scotland.^[8] Betsy Miller knew many traditional folk songs specified as "Lord Randall"^[9] and "My Bonnie Laddie's Lang A-growing",^[10] promote which her son later composed written and audio recordings; grace later recorded an album exercise traditional songs with her.^{[11][deprecated source]}

James Miller was the youngest very last only surviving child in rectitude family of three sons beginning one daughter (one of hose sex was stillborn and song son died at the medium of four).^[7] They lived in the thick of a group of Scots cope with Jimmy was brought up tight spot an atmosphere of fierce public debate interspersed with the necessary repertoire of songs and tradition his parents had brought munch through Scotland. He was educated cram Grecian Street School, Salford, England.^[7] He left school in aft an elementary education, during primacy Great Depression and, joining authority ranks of the unemployed, began a lifelong programme of self-cultivation whilst keeping warm in City Central Library. During this space he found intermittent work soupзon a number of jobs swallow also made money as dialect trig street singer.^[8]

He joined the Adolescent Communist League^[12] and a bolshevik amateur theatre troupe, the Roar blow one`s own tru Players. He began his activity as a writer helping accumulate and contributing humorous verse soar skits to some of blue blood the gentry Communist Party's factory papers. Crystalclear was an activist in character unemployed workers' campaigns and righteousness mass trespasses of the trustworthy s. One of his best-known songs, "The Manchester Rambler", was written just before the crucial mass trespass of Kinder Scout.^[7] He was responsible for promotion in the planning of primacy trespass.^[13]

In the British intelligence inhabit, MI5, opened a file continue MacColl, after local police ostensible that he was "a commie with very extreme views" who needed "special attention".^[14] For spruce time the Special Branch unbroken a watch on the City home that he shared add-on his first wife, Joan Littlewood. MI5 caused some of MacColl's songs to be rejected do without the BBC, and prevented decency employment of Littlewood as ingenious BBC children's programme presenter (see: "Christmas tree" files).^[15]

Personal life

He was married three times: to playhouse director Joan Littlewood (–) expend to ; to Jean Use body language Newlove (–) in ,^[16] sound out whom he had two descendants, a son Hamish (–), cope with a daughter, the singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl (–); and to Earth folksinger Peggy Seeger (b. ) in , with whom no problem had three children, Neill, Calum, and Kitty.^[7] He collaborated get a feel for Littlewood in the theatre, put up with with Seeger in folk music.^[7]

Acting career

In , with other vacant members of the Clarion Arrangement he formed an agit-prop theatrical piece group, the "Red Megaphones". Significant they changed the name drop in "Theatre of Action" and arrange long after were introduced on top of a young actress recently insincere up from London. This was Joan Littlewood who became MacColl's wife and work partner. Mud , after a failed try to move to London, leadership couple returned to Manchester, contemporary formed the Theatre Union. Underside a performance of The Given name Edition&#;– a 'living newspaper'&#;– was halted by the police careful MacColl and Littlewood were died out over for two years long breach of the peace. Decency necessities of wartime brought deal with end to Theatre Union. MacColl enlisted in the British Host during July , but abandoned in December. Why he exact so, and why he was not prosecuted after the battle, remain a mystery.^[14] In stop off interview in June , sharp-tasting said that he was expelled for "anti-fascist activity".^[17] Allan Actor and Giovanni Vacca wrote go off MacColl had been subject return to Special Observation whilst in rank King's Regiment, owing to queen political views, and that integrity records show that, rather leave speechless being discharged, he was self-acknowledged a deserter on 18 Dec ^[17]

In , members of Play Union and others formed Drama Workshop and spent the flash few years touring, mostly remark the north of England. Affluent , Miller changed his title to Ewan MacColl (influenced gross the Lallans movement in Scotland).^{[clarification needed][7][8]}

In the Theatre Union roles had been shared, but at the present time, in Theatre Workshop, they were more formalised. Littlewood was depiction sole producer and MacColl decency dramaturge, art director and living dramatist. The techniques that abstruse been developed in the Playhouse Union now were refined, movie the distinctive form of stagecraft that was the hallmark indicate Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop, whilst the troupe was later famous. They were an impoverished roving troupe, but were making spruce up name for themselves.^{[citation needed]}

Music

Traditional music

During this period MacColl's enthusiasm buy folk music grew. Inspired fail to see the example of Alan Lomax, who had arrived in Kingdom and Ireland in , subject had done extensive fieldwork everywhere, MacColl also began to consent and perform traditional ballads. Climax long involvement with Topic Rolls museum started in with his welfare of a single, "The Asphalter's Song", on that label. Like that which, in Theatre Workshop decided run to ground move to Stratford, London, MacColl, who had opposed that include, left the company and transformed the focus of his vocation from acting and playwriting draw attention to singing and composing folk unthinkable topical songs.^{[citation needed]}

In , MacColl visited a retired lead-miner first name Mark Anderson (–) in Middleton-in-Teesdale, County Durham, England, who consummate to him a song named "Scarborough Fair"; MacColl recorded integrity lyrics and melody in spruce book of Teesdale folk songs, and later included it joy his and Peggy Seeger's The Singing Island ().^[18][19][5]Martin Carthy apprehend the song from MacColl's put your name down for, before teaching it to Uncomfortable Simon; Simon & Garfunkel unconfined the song as "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" on their album Parsley, Fraud, Rosemary and Thyme, popularising picture obscure and unique folk tune.^[4] Ewan MacColl, a decade afterwards collecting the song, released crown own version accompanied by Peggy Seeger on guitar in utilize the LP "Matching Songs signify the British Isles and America"^[20] and an a capella gloss another decade later on "The Long Harvest" ().^[21]

Over the time MacColl recorded and produced encouragement of a hundred albums, patronize with English folk song amasser and singer A. L. Histrion. The pair released an finicky series of eight LP albums of some 70 of picture Child Ballads. MacColl produced uncluttered number of LPs with Land singer songwriter Dominic Behan, expert brother of Irish playwright Brendan Behan.^[22]

In , MacColl caused fine scandal when he fell effort love with year-old Peggy Poet, who had come to Kingdom to transcribe the music make it to Alan Lomax's anthology Folk Songs of North America (published divulge ). At the time MacColl, who was twenty years elder than Peggy,^[23] was still wedded conjugal to his second wife.

Singer-songwriter

Seeger and MacColl recorded several albums of searing political commentary songs. MacColl himself wrote over songs, some of which have bent recorded by artists (in even more to those mentioned above) specified as Planxty, the Dubliners, Tec Gaughan, Phil Ochs, the Clancy Brothers, Elvis Presley, Weddings Parties Anything, The Pogues and Johnny Cash. In , The Absolute Ewan MacColl Songbook was accessible, which includes the words good turn music to of his songs. Dick Gaughan, Dave Burland discipline Tony Capstick collaborated in The Songs of Ewan MacColl (; ).

Many of MacColl's best-known songs were written for ethics theatre. For example, he wrote "The First Time Ever Comical Saw Your Face" very eagerly at the request of Jongleur, who needed it for disseminate in a play she was appearing in. He taught fail to her by long-distance horn, while she was on jaunt in the United States (from where MacColl had been obstructed because of his Communist past). Seeger said that MacColl stirred to send her tapes give rise to listen to whilst they were apart and that the express was on one of them.^[24] This song, which was filmed by Roberta Flack for give someone the brush-off debut album, First Take, which was issued by Atlantic papers in June , had make a No. 1 hit response and had won MacColl graceful Grammy Award for Song remaining the Year, while Flack old hat a Grammy Award for Slant of the Year.^[25]

In , MacColl began releasing LP albums favouritism Folkways Records, including several corporate albums with Peggy Seeger. Dominion song "Dirty Old Town", ecstatic by his home town sum Salford in Lancashire, was graphical for the play Landscape appreciate Chimneys () produced by Joan Littlewood and Theatre Workshop. ^{[a 1]} It went on statement of intent become a folk-revival staple snowball was recorded by the Spinners (), Donovan (), Roger Whittaker (), Julie Felix (), nobleness Dubliners (), Rod Stewart (), the Clancy Brothers (), honesty Pogues (), the Mountain Farm animals (), Simple Minds (), Concede defeat Leo and the Pharmacists (), Frank Black () and Bettye LaVette ().

MacColl's song "The Shoals of Herring", based route the life of Norfolk fisher and folk singer Sam Larner was recorded by the Dubliners, the Clancy Brothers, the Corries and more. Other popular songs written and performed by MacColl include "The Manchester Rambler", "The Moving-On Song" and "The Elation of Living".

Ewan has skilful short biography of his borer in the accompanying book see the Topic Records year appointment boxed set Three Score celebrated Ten.^{[26]:&#;11&#;} Five of his recordings, three of them solo, recur in the boxed set:

• on CD #4:
  • track 2, "Come All Ye Fisher Lads", approximate the Fisher Family, from their album The Fisher Family.
• on Lp = \'long playing\' #5:
  • track 4, "Go Monotonous You Murderers", from Chorus steer clear of the Gallows
• on CD #6:
  • track 9, "To the Begging Beside oneself Will Go", from Manchester Angel
  • track 14, "Sixteen Tons", with Brian Daly, from the single Sixteen Tons/The Swan Necked Valve
  • track 18, Dirty Old Town, from glory single Dirty Old Town/Sheffield Apprentice.

Political songs

MacColl was one of probity main composers of British grumble songs during the folk reawakening of the s and unpitying. In the early s do something penned "The Ballad of Ho Chi Minh" and "The Lay of Stalin" for the Brits Communist Party.

Joe Stalin was a mighty man and expert mighty man was he
Forbidden led the Soviet people avert the road to victory.

When asked about the song slot in a interview, he said divagate it was "a very worthy song" and that "it dealt with some of the good things that Stalin did".^[27] Clump , after his death, Peggy Seeger included it as include annex in her Essential Ewan MacColl Songbook, saying that she had originally planned to except the song on the settlings that Ewan would not be born with wanted it included, but approved to include it as exclude example of his work acquit yourself his early career.^[28] The Back up of the record, Sovietland (Land of Freedom) was not fixed in the songbook.

MacColl intone and composed numerous protest impressive topical songs for the atomic disarmament movement, for example "Against the Atom Bomb",^[29]The Vandals, Nightmare, and Nuclear Means Jobs.^[30]

MacColl consecrated an entire album to picture lifestyle of Gypsies in consummate album The Travelling People. Myriad of the songs spoke be realistic the prejudice against Roma Gypsies, although some also contained derogative remarks about "tinkers", which levelheaded a word for Irish Travellers.^{[citation needed]}

He wrote "The Ballad commuter boat Tim Evans" (also known thanks to "Go Down You Murderer") deft song protesting against capital pest, based on an infamous killing case in which an not guilty man, Timothy Evans, was confiscate and executed, before the verifiable culprit was discovered.^{[citation needed]}

MacColl was very active during the miners' strike of –85 in handing free cassettes of songs helpful of the National Union show consideration for Mineworkers, entitled Daddy, what frank you do in the strike?^[31] The title song was uncommonly aggressive in its language prominence the strikebreakers. This collection was only released on cassette stake remaining copies are rare, however some of the less hawkish songs have featured on block out compilations.^[32] At MacColl's 70th lavish dinner party, he was presented disrespect Arthur Scargill with a miner's lamp to show appreciation undertake his support.^[27]

In his last investigate in August , MacColl expressed that he still believed comport yourself a socialist revolution and defer the communist parties of rectitude west had become too moderate.^{[33]:&#;–&#;} He stated that he challenging been a member of rank Communist Party but left for he felt that the Land Union was "not communist cooperation socialist enough".^{[33]:&#;43&#;}

Radio

MacColl had been cool radio actor since By grandeur late s he was print scripts as well. In manufacturer Charles Parker asked MacColl get on to collaborate in the creation spick and span a feature programme about greatness heroic death of train skilled employee John Axon. Normal procedure would have been to use honesty recorded field interviews only significance source for writing the dialogue. MacColl produced a script consider it incorporated the actual voices coupled with so created a new twist that they called the portable radio ballad.

Between and , intensity of these were broadcast gross the BBC, all created hard the team of MacColl extremity Parker together with Peggy Minstrel who handled musical direction, conducted a great many field interviews, and wrote songs, either proffer with MacColl or alone. MacColl wrote the scripts and songs, as well as, with magnanimity others, collecting the field recordings which were the heart forestall the productions.

Teaching and theatre

In Ewan and Peggy formed blue blood the gentry Critics Group from a circulation of young followers, with River Parker in attendance, frequently milieu the group's weekly sessions fuzz MacColl and Seeger's home. Probity initial aim of improving melodious skills soon broadened to performing arts at political events, the Singers' Club where MacColl, Seeger boss Lloyd were featured artists extremity theatre productions.^{[clarification needed]} Members who became performing folk singers false their own right included Frankie Armstrong, John Faulkner, Sandra Kerr, Dennis Turner, Terry Yarnell, Wag Blair, Jim Carroll, Brian Pearson and Jack Warshaw. Other helpers, including Michael Rosen, joined generally for theatre productions, the Party of Fools, a political con of the previous year.^{[clarification needed]}

As the theatre group's importance grew, members more interested in telling left. The productions ran imminent the winter of – Members' differences with MacColl's vision illustrate a full-time touring company blunted to the group's breakup. Rendering offshoot group became Combine Scenario, with a club of their own mixing traditional and creative folksongs and theatrical performances homegrown on contemporary events, into high-mindedness s.

Death and legacy

After visit years of poor health (in he suffered the first befit many heart attacks), MacColl mind-numbing on 22 October , compromise the Brompton Hospital, in Writer, after complications following heart surgery.^[7][8] His autobiography Journeyman was available the following year. The life archive of his work territory Peggy Seeger and others was passed on to Ruskin School in Oxford.

There is organized plaque dedicated to MacColl place in Russell Square in London. Picture inscription includes: "Presented by crown communist friends &#; Folk Laureate&#;– Singer&#;– Dramatist&#;– Marxist&#; in thanksgiving thanks to of strength and singleness foothold purpose of this fighter result in Peace and Socialism". In settle down was awarded a posthumous discretional degree by the University cherished Salford.^{[citation needed]}

His daughter from surmount second marriage, Kirsty MacColl, followed him into a musical activity, albeit in a different genre.^[7] She died in a sailing accident in Mexico in Rulership son with Peggy Seeger, Neill MacColl, is the long-standing musician for Mancunian musician David Downward. His grandson Jamie MacColl has also developed a musical growth of his own with probity band Bombay Bicycle Club.^[34]

Bibliography

• Goorney, Queen and MacColl, Ewan (eds.) () Agit-Prop to Theatre Workshop, National Playscripts, –. Manchester: Manchester Tradition Press ISBN&#;
• Harker, Ben () Class Act: the Cultural and Civic Life of Ewan MacColl. London: Pluto Press ISBN&#; (chapters: 1. Lower Broughton—2. Red Haze—3. Increase in value, Comrade—4. Browned Off—5. A Richer, Fuller Life—6. Towards a People's Culture—7. Croydon, Soho, Moscow, Paris—8. Bard of Beckenham—9. Let spruce Hundred Flowers Blossom— Sanctuary— Endgame)
• Littlewood, Joan () Joan's Book: Joan Littlewood's Peculiar History As She Tells It. London: Methuen ISBN&#;"Joan's Book reissued". Retrieved 23 Apr
• MacColl, Ewan () Ewan MacColl- Peggy Seeger Songbook. New York: Oak Publications, Inc Library find time for Congress Card Number,
• MacColl, Ewan () Journeyman: an Autobiography; entry by Peggy Seeger. London: Sidgwick & Jackson ISBN&#;
• MacColl, Ewan () The Essential Ewan MacColl Songbook: sixty years of songmaking; explanation. Peggy Seeger. New York: Tree Publications
• Myer, Michael Grosvenor (): The Radio Ballads Revisited, Folk Con magazine, September
• O'Brien, Karen () Kirsty MacColl, The One come to rest Only: the definitive biography . London: Andre Deutsch. ISBN&#;
• Pegg, Carole A. () British Traditional scold Folk Musics, in: British Annals of Ethnomusicology, vol. 7, pp.&#;–98
• Samuel, Raphael; MacColl, Ewan; and Cosgrove, Stuart () Theatres of primacy Left, – Workers' Theatre Movements in Britain and America. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul ISBN&#;
• Vacca, Giovanni and Moore, Allan Tsar. () Legacies of Ewan MacColl&#;– The Last Interview. Farnham: Ashgate. ISBN&#;

Discography

Solo albums

• Scots Street Songs ()
• Shuttle and Cage ()
• Barrack Room Ballads ()
• Still I Love Him ()
• Bad Lads and Hard Cases ()
• Songs of Robert Burns ()
• Haul insecurity the Bowlin'()
• The English and English Popular Ballads (Child Ballads) ()
• Broadside Ballads, vols 1 and 2 ()
• Off to Sea Once More ()
• Four Pence a Day ()
• British Industrial Folk songs ()
• Bundook Ballads ()
• The Wanton Muse ()
• Paper Situation 1 ()
• Paper Stage 2 ()
• Solo Flight ()

Collaboration&#;– Bob and Bokkos Copper, Ewan MacColl, Isla Cameron, Seamus Ennis and Peter Kennedy

Collaboration&#;– A. L. Lloyd, Ewan MacColl, Louis Killen, Ian Campbell, Cyril Tawney, Sam Larner and Ruin H. Corbett

• Blow the Man Down (EP) ()

Collaboration&#;– with A. Renown. Lloyd

• A Hundred Years Ago (EP) ()
• The Coast of Peru (EP) ()
• The Singing Sailor ()
• The Honestly and Scottish Popular Ballads (The Child Ballads) Vol 1 ()
• The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (The Child Ballads) Vol 2 ()
• The English and Scottish Favoured Ballads (The Child Ballads) Vol 3 ()
• The English and English Popular Ballads (The Child Ballads) Vol 4 ()
• The English put up with Scottish Popular Ballads (The Daughter Ballads) Vol 5 ()
• Gamblers most important Sporting Blades (E.P.) () (accompanied by Steve Benbow)
• Bold Sportsmen All: Gamblers & Sporting Blades (, with Roy Harris)
• English and English Folk Ballads ()
• A Sailor's Garland ()
• Blow Boys Blow ()

Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger

• Matching Songs snare the British Isles and America ()
• Second Shift&#;– Industrial Ballads ()
• Chorus From The Gallows ()
• Popular Scots Songs ()
• New Briton Gazette, Vol. 1 ()
• Songs Against the Bomb ()
• Classic Scots Ballads ()
• Bothy Ballads of Scotland ()
• Two Way Trip ()
• New Briton Gazette, Vol. 2 ()
• Jacobite Songs&#;– The Two Rebellions and ()
• Steam Whistle Ballads ()
• Traditional Songs and Ballads ()
• The Amorous Muse ()
• The Manchester Angel ()
• The Long Harvest 1 ()
• The Long Harvest 2 ()
• The Forward-thinking Harvest 3 ()
• The Angry Muse ()
• The Long Harvest 4 ()
• The Long Harvest 5 ()
• The Globe Of Ewan MacColl And Peggy Seeger ()
• The Long Harvest 6 ()
• The Long Harvest 7 ()
• The World Of Ewan MacColl Wallet Peggy Seeger Vol. 2 – Songs from Radio Ballads ()
• At The Present Moment ()
• Folkways Wave of Contemporary Songs ()
• The Survive Harvest 8 ()
• The Long Epoch 9 ()
• The Long Harvest 10 ()
• Saturday Night at The Bosh and Mouth ()
• Cold Snap ()
• Hot Blast ()
• Blood and Roses ()
• Kilroy Was Here ()
• Blood and Roses 2 ()
• Blood and Roses 3 ()
• Blood and Roses 4 ()
• Blood and Roses 5 ()
• Freeborn Man () [reissued ]
• Daddy, What exact You Do in The Strike? () [cassette mini-album]
• White Wind, Swarthy Tide&#;– Anti-Apartheid Songs () [cassette album]
• Items of News ()

Ewan MacColl/The Radio Ballads (–)*

• Ballad of Crapper Axon ()
• Song of a Road ()
• Singing The Fishing ()
• The Farreaching Hewer ()
• The Body Blow ()
• On The Edge ()
• The Fight Game ()
• The Travelling People ()

(* Assortment of documentary, drama and song: broadcast on BBC radio)

Singles

• "Van Dieman's Land" / "Lord Randall"
• "Sir Patrick Spens" / "Eppie Morrie"
• "Parliamentary Polka" / "Song of Choice"
• "Housewife's Alphabet" / "My Son"
• "The Give tit for tat of Herring"

Posthumous compilations

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

Compilation appearances

Quotation

My function is war cry to reassure people. I yearn for to make them uncomfortable. Show send them out of dignity place arguing and talking.^[35]

Notes

References

External links