Our Song Will Go On – The Peekskill Story

Taken from a Topic 78 (No. TRC28 – Topic was at that point part of the Workers Music Association) featuring Paul Robeson, Howard Fast Pete Seeger and the Weavers these two sides document the Peekskill riots.

I’ve recently come across the Howard Fast book that’s shown in my little photo montage and it’s really quite remarkable so I may well return to this topic soon.

Rufus John – The Internationale

Rufus John sings The Internationale on a record released by the Lansbury’s Labour Weekly newspaper, founded by Labour MP George Lansbury and which ran from 1925 to 1927 and which was an important source of news during the 1926 General Strike.

Billy Bennett – Napoleon

Billy Bennett is much loved on the folk scene because many of his surreal monologues stand up as floor spots today.

This is a lesser know number of his I found on a 78. It was recorded on August 23rd 1927.

I Didn’t Orta A Ett It!

This is a monologue by Jack “Blue Pencil” Warner, who later went on to play Dixon of Dock Green.

I learned this from Gerry Sheils, although this version has an additional topical wartime verse.

With Bobby Alderson at the piano.

Up The Old Narkovians

Ever since I was a kid I’ve always loved Will Hay films. So I was chuffed to discover that Leslie Sarony had written a song featured in the 1935 film “Boys Will be Boys”. Hay also used Narkova as a vehicle for his charity fundraising, which is why you’ll often …