The Originals © by Arnold Rypens

Artist: Ewan MacColl
Author: Ewan MacColl
Label: Topic
Year: 1952

A-side: a cappella, B-side with Al Jeffrey on guitar. Written in '49 as an instrumental for the theatre production Landscape With Chimneys, a play about Salford, Lancashire, staged in '51. There's a one minute a cappella version on Ewan's 1959 concept album Streets Of Song (with Dominic Behan), illustrating a spoken part on Salford (Topic/Folkways).

Covers:

1956:: Alan Lomax & The Ramblers [vocal by Ewan MacColl; also featuring Peggy Seeger and Shirley Collins on Decca ep]
1959:: Mike Preston
1964:: Spinners [first popular recording; lead vocal: Mick Groves from Salford]
1964:: Chad & Jeremy
1964:: Donovan [shelved until '04]
1966:: Ian Campbell
1968:: Dubliners
1968:: Esther & Abi Ofarim
1968:: Julie Felix
1969:: Roger Whittaker
1970:: Rod Stewart
1975:: Gary Shearston
1976:: Pecker Dunne
1979:: Flavium
1981:: Roger Whittaker
1985:: Pogues [top 10 Fr]
1989:: Long Ryders
1994:: Jo Lemaire [as Foutue vieille ville]
1996:: Specials
2003:: Jimmy Johnstone & The Simple Minds
2006:: Frank Black
2007:: Johnny Logan
2010:: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
2012:: Bettye LaVette [two versions]
2023:: John Francis Flynn

See also: First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.

DIRTY OLD TOWN

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