Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger & Charles Parker • The Ballad of John Axon (1965)
- The Ballad of John Axon
- 1965 - Argo RG 474 LP (UK)
- Side One
- John Axon was a Railway Man
- It was 4 a.m. that Saturday
- The Iron Road is a Hard Road
- It doesn't matter where you come from …
- The rain was gently falling …
- Come all you British loco men
- The Repair Was Done
- I May Be A Wage Slave On Monday (part one)
- Side Two
- I May Be A Wage Slave On Monday (part two)
- Come All You Young Maidens
- Steam Train, Steam Train
- Under The Large Injector Steam-Valve
- The engine had reached the distant signal
- On the 3rd of May 1957
- Singers
- Ewan MacColl, A. L. Lloyd, Isla Cameron, Stan Kelly, Colin Dunn, Charles Mayo & Dick Loveless
- Instrumentalists
- Jim Bray: Bass
- Fitzroy Coleman: Guitar
- Terry Brown: Trumpet
- Bob Clark: Fiddle
- John Cole: Harmonica
- Brian Daley: Guitar
- Billy Loch: Drums
- Alf Edwards: Concertina
- Bob Mickleburgh: Trombone
- Bruce Turner: Clarinet
- Credits
- Set into song by Ewan MacColl
- Orchestration and music direction: Peggy Seeger
- Production by Charles Parker
- Technical direction under John Bower
- Issued with the co-operation of the British Broadcasting Corporation
- The cover picture, 'Rain, Steam and Speed' by J.M. Turner, is reproduced by courtesy of The National Gallery, London
- First broadcast July 2, 1958, BBC Home Service
- The Ballad of John Axon was the work (script) of Ewan MacColl and Charles Parker
'Engine driving's got to be in your blood for a start. If it's not in your blood to stand the erratic hours you'll never stand the pace. The railway life, to my mind — to the proper railwayman — it always comes first, it's in his blood.'
(Alec Watts — Chargeman Cleaner)
The old railwayman, it was a tradition, it was part of your life railways went through the back of your spine like Blackpool went through rock.'
(Jim Howarth — Driver)
'What a feeling you have when you get off the shed; you've got the engine, you've got the control of it, and what a feeling — I'm cock of the bank, there's nobody can take a rise out of me now, she's mine. Come on, me old beauty, and off we go. The moon's out and the countryside — it's lovely. On we go, what a feeling — she answers to every touch. Some more rock on, lad. Yes — it's grand.'
(Jack Pickford — Driver)