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Sleeve Notes
We met the five Whistlebinkies from Scotland in 1976 at the 6th International Festival of Political Song in Berlin. They are workers or employees in the industrial center of Glasgow. It is therefore not surprising that they combine the traditional folk music of their country with a good dose of proletarian research. They are not 'purists' of folklore in the academic sense. When performing, two members of the group appear in a kind of Scottish national costume, and the others in slightly stylized working-class clothing that could be typical of many countries. In this way, the two main characteristics of their art — a pride in national traditions that is not taken too seriously combined with proletarian internationalism — are symbolized. The Whistlebinkies also make Irish music and also use the traditional Irish drum, called bodhrán, for Scottish melodies. The connection between Irish and Scottish folklore is very deep, which is precisely why British imperialism continually tries to drive a wedge between these two peoples. The 'Binkies' consciously work against such efforts. So it's no coincidence that they join forces here with their Irish comrade, the working class singer Ted McKenna. Ted, who is from Dublin, represented Ireland at the 6th Festival. He accompanies himself on the mandolin, an instrument popular among the Irish.
Scottish folk music is inextricably linked to the bagpipes, and it is only right that the bagpipes occupy a central place in the music of the Whistlebinkies. The centuries-long popularity and political importance of this instrument among the people is evidenced by the fact that it was banned by the authorities after the destruction of the highland tribes in 1746. They made an exception: in the newly created 'Scottish' regiments of the British Army, people were allowed to play the bagpipes. An attempt was made to misuse the Highland warriors and the bagpipes in the interests of British imperialism. But the people never gave up their bagpipes. Wherever the democratic movement needed musical support, the bagpipers were always there — be it at the traditional celebrations in honor of the national poet Robert Burns or at the head of the large marches of the working class. The 'victory march' of the bagpipes does not stop at the Scottish border: in our century it has also become established in England as a popular instrument of the workers' movement. The girls specialize in this. There is hardly an English miners' festival day where the highlight is not a girls' bagpipe orchestra marching up and down in full highland costume.
Jack Mitchell (1977)
Rattlin' Roarin' Willie — Playing, roaring Willie Willie goes to the fair. Friends try to persuade him to trade his fiddle for half a liter of wine. But Willie says:
"If I sold my fiddle, the world would think I was stupid,
because my fiddle and I have had many a carefree day."
This old Scottish folk song was written and adapted by Robert Burns, the national poet of Scotland.
Champion At Keepin' 'em Rollin' — The wheels are rolling like clockwork for me. This modern song by Ewan MacColl in the style of traditional "industrial ballads" was written for a series of the London radio station "Die Liedträger". It is the self-portrayal of a proud truck driver:
"I fill up with diesel oil and a shot of strong tea.
The traffic regulations, that was my ABC.
The wheels are rolling like clockwork for me."
What is characteristic of the Irish singer Ted McKenna is that he also sings many non-Irish working class songs.
The Haughs O' Cromdale — This old Scottish folk song, one of the many "battle ballads", sings about the military conflicts between the Scots and the English at the time. Like most such ballads, this song is a "Jacobite song" (Jacobites are supporters of the feudal royal family of the Stuarts). The Jacobites were defeated by the bourgeois "Hannoverians". However, the song depicted the opposite. Two battles 45 years apart were put together, with the first appearing as the second in order to achieve the "desired" result, i.e. H. a victory for the Jacobites.
'Mrs. McGrath' The Sergeant Said — Ms. McGrath is persuaded by the sergeant to give her son Ted to the soldiers. After seven years he returns without legs. Anger, not pity, seizes Mrs. McGrath — at her son, but even more at those who caused the war:
"All foreign wars between Don Juan and the King of Spain
I condemn and by God they will repent for taking the legs of one of my children."
As in this old Irish song, this theme also appears frequently in Irish folk song. The British authorities knew how to recruit generations of young and destitute Irish people for their colonial wars.
The Dirty Blackleg Miner — Ted McKenna sings a ballad from the rich tradition of English miners' class struggle.
The Rocky Road To Dublin — This Irish ballad deals with the problem of emigration and seasonal work in England. It is significant that the song is still sung among Irish youth today. "The Rocky Road to Dublin" symbolizes the hardships and humiliations that the young Irish farmer has to endure when he sets off for seasonal work "on the other side". The dullness of their fate is suggested by the melody. The incidents along the way, which sometimes seem almost funny, are put into perspective by the hidden bitterness of the refrain: "One, two, three, four, five: chase the hare, chase it down the stony path, and all the way to Dublin."
Came Ye O’er Frae France? — In this Jacobite song from Scotland, the Highlanders, supporters of the defeated Stuarts, mock the frivolous lifestyle and the many love affairs of the Hanoverian King George I of England. One day the usurper will have to pay, and the swords of the Highlanders will see to that. Battles long lost and forgotten — but the song still lives on today through its sly irony and healthy irreverence.
Original German translated via Google Translate.