Freakons
At last: it‘s here: the collaborative CD of Freakwater/Mekons union FREAKONS
Will be released in September
(Thanks to Chris and Marco!)
SONGS:
01 Dark Lords of the Mine
02 Chestnut Blight
03 Abernant 84/85
04 Judy Belle Thompson
05 Canaries
06 Black leg miner
07 Phoebe Snow
08 Manningtone Mine Disaster
09 Never thought I‘d see the day
10 Dreadful Memories
11 Coorie Doon
12 Blue scars of the miner
# | Song Title | Author(s) | Notes |
| 1 | Dark Lords of the Mine | Freakons | See Dick Cavett interviewing Richard Burton (suggested by Jon L.) |
| 2 | Chestnut Blight | Freakwater | See Wikipedia info |
| 3 | Abernant 84-85 | Mekons | Original version is on Mekons’ “Fear And Whiskey”. Abernant was a coal-mining village in Wales, affected by the 1984-85 strike and closures. Abernant – remembered through songs |
| 4 | Judy Belle Thompson | Freakwater | See Wikipedia info |
| 5 | Canaries | Freakons? | See Wikipedia info |
| 6 | Black Leg Miner | traditional | See song information |
| 7 | Phoebe Snow | Freakwater | A sardonic reply to a railroad’s advertising campaign: Wikipedia |
| 8 | Mannington Mine Disaster | Hazel Dickens | See song information |
| 9 | Never Thought I’d See the Day | Freakons? | See Wikipedia |
| 10 | Dreadful Memories | Sarah Ogan Gunning | See info about SO Gunning |
| 11 | Coorie Doon | Matthew McGinn | Also called “Miner’s Lullaby” |
| 12 | Blue Scars of a Miner | Freakons? | Title & lyric from a Dylan Thomas phrase |
Artwork by Jo Clauwaert
Freakons @ The Hideout
(performed at The Hideout, Chicago, September 10, 2017 (with Catherine Irwin, Janet Bean, Jon Langford, Sally Timms, Jean Cook, Anna Krippenstapel, and James Elkington)
| The Trimdon Grange Explosion | Thomas “Tommy” Armstrong | Not on album; listen to Mekons “original” see info about disaster | |
| Coal Miner’s Grave | Hazel Dickens | Not on album; listen to Hazel Dickens version About Hazel Dickens | |
| Dark As a Dungeon | Merle Travis | Not on album; listen at HSB show (39 minutes in) | |
| Farewell Johnny Miner | Ed Pickford | Not on album; listen at youtube | |
| Working in the Coal Mine | Allen Toussaint | Not on album; listen at youtube ; see Wikipedia |
Freakons at HSB
Complete Show
performed at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, October 5, 2013