Songs for John Doe
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| 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 | |
| Genre | Folk music | |
| Label | Almanac Records | |
| Producer(s) | Erin Barnay | |
| The Almanac Singers chronology | ||
|---|---|---|
| N/A | 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.
Released in May 1941 in the midst of World War II, a notable aspect of the album was the appearance of anti-war songs. However, when Hitler's armies invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, a non-aggression pact was broken and the pacifist stance of The Almanacs soon became out of the question. The album was quickly pulled from distribution and The Almanacs changed direction in support of the US entry in the war. This changed political stance was later 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.
One of the songs "Liza Jane" was reworked 23 years later when it became the first released product for British rock icon David Bowie. The song was a debut single for his band "The Manish Boys" and was revisited once again 40 years later during his 2004 Reality Tour.
[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 |
[edit] Personnel
- Pete Seeger, vocal;
- Millard Lampell, vocal;
- Josh White, vocal, guitar;
- Sam Gary, vocal
[edit] External links
- Song of John Doe (The Almanac Singers) (1941)
- Sam Gary discography (with picture of that album's cover)
