Been All Around This World

A survey of work songs from around the world, recorded by Alan and John A. Lomax. We narrow the definition of work song to mean specifically those sung to assist in or accompany actual jobs of work.

Visit our brand new work song exhibit here.

Playlist (links to catalog records in the Lomax Digital Archive when available):

1a Alla Boara
1b A Mezzononte en Punto
2 Walter Brown on Privileged Penitentiary
https://archive.culturalequity.org/film-and-video/american-patchwork/greenville-levee-1978
3 Levee Camp Hollers
https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/mississippi-delta-survey-1941-1942/lake-cormorant-941/levee-camp-hollers
4a Track Lining Song and Talk https://archive.culturalequity.org/node/1689
4b Dogging Steel https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/southern-us-1959-and-1960/williamson-959/dogging-steel-part-1
4c Sis Joe https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/mississippi-1933-1940/parchman-farm-833/sis-joe
5 Houston Bacon Sinking and Joining Iron https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/mississippi-delta-survey-1941-1942/clarksdale-842/sinking-rails-and-joining-iron
6a Di Yo Pa Hele https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/caribbean-1962/la-plaine-ii-662/di-yo-pa-hele-pou-nou
6b Naje Kanot-la https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/caribbean-1962/scotts-head-662/naje-kanot-la
7a Dekouwe bwa-la https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/caribbean-1962/la-plaine-ii-662/dekouwe-bwa-la
7b Clyde Maxwell wood chopping https://archive.culturalequity.org/film-and-video/american-patchwork/clyde-maxwells-wood-chopping-holler-1-1978
7c John Bray Cypress Logging
8 Winnowing songs
https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/morocco-1967/tazzarine-967/winnowing-song-i & https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/morocco-1967/tazzarine-967/winnowing-song-ii
8b Shouts on the threshing floor https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/morocco-1967/tazzarine-967/shouts-threshing-floor
8c Unidentified Threshing Song
https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/spain-1952-1953/valldemossa-752/unidentified-threshing-song-i
9a I Like Picking Olives https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/spain-1952-1953/valldemossa-752/magrada-collir-oliva
9b Bentara Noa https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/spain-1952-1953/uitzi-1252/bentara-noa
9c Larre Berrian https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/spain-1952-1953/uitzi-1252/larre-berrian-i
10a Warning Cry 
https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/spain-1952-1953/alan-lomax-inspecting-recording-machine-marble-quarry
11b O’s Toils https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/scotland-1951-1958/garrygall-851/o-s-toil-s-ro-thoil-liom-i-i-very-much-desire
12a O’s Fhada https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/scotland-1951-1958/garrygall-651/o-s-fhada-bhuainn-anna-far-away-us-anna
12b Oganach https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/scotland-1951-1958/balivanich-651/oganach-gun-toir-na-dheaghaidh-young-man-whom-no-one-0
12c An Cuala https://archive.culturalequity.org/field-work/scotland-1951-1958/balivanich-651/cuala-sibh-man-mhaighdean-cheutach-have-you-heard

Been All Around This World has a new co-host! ACE Program Coordinator and Been All Around This World producer Michael Cormier-O'Leary joins Curator Nathan Salsburg in bringing you new episodes of this podcast. We are expanding the show's format to include episodes like today's, which is a continuous mix of music, mixed in with our deeper dives. This will allow us to release content more frequently while still developing longer form explorations of material within the collection.

In the wake of the devastation recently wrought by Hurricane Beryl, today's mix is a survey of recordings Alan Lomax made on the Grenadian island of Carriacou in 1962. If you'd like to help with relief efforts, consider making a donation to support the rebuilding efforts on the island: https://www.facebook.com/share/QgA2Zg2Aph6iWFNr/

Tracklist:
"Demba-o"
"Meet Me On The Road"
"It's Time For A Man To Go Home"
"I Want To Hear Somebody Pray"
"Wila-wila-mena (I)"
"O The Angels Send Me For You"
"Hi Lo Boys"
"Rosibella (I)"
"Aunty-o, Coro, Coro"
"Breakaway (II)"
"Khaki-o, Wé Yo Diamonds"
"C‘est Mwe, Nani Moko"

The last episode of our survey of John A. and Ruby T. Lomax's 1939 Texas recordings features highlights of sacred performances in the collection.

1) Eulalia Martinez, Paola Lopez, Genoveva Lopez: Gloria a Diós en las alturas (Sugarland, Fort Bend County, Texas, April 23, 1939)

2) Gonzalo Lopez, Cleofe Lopez: Vela por tu amante (Sugarland, Fort Bend County, Texas, April 23, 1939)

3) Iron Head Baker: This Heart of Mine (Camp #4, Ramsey State Farm, Otey, Brazoria County, Texas, April 23, 1939)

4) Columbus Christopher, Wallace Chains, W.S. Harrison (Jaybird), Sylvester Jones (Texas Stavin’ Chain), Wade Bolden (Monkey): Jesus Getting Us Ready for that Great Day (Camp #4, Ramsey State Farm, Otey, Brazoria County, Texas, April 23, 1939)

5) Smith Casey & Unidentified man: When I Get Home (Dormitory, Clemens State Farm, Brazoria, Brazoria County, Texas, April 16, 1939)

6) Unidentified women: It's A Blessing Just to Call My Savior's Name (Goree State Farm for Women, Huntsville, Walker County, Texas, May 14, 1939)

7) Alvin Brown, William Brown, Terrell Conley, and Eugene Blacker: Ride on King Jesus (State Penitentiary (The Walls), Huntsville, Walker County, Texas, May 13, 1939)

8) Henry Truvillion: Ride on Mighty Rider (The Mighty Rider) (The home of Henry Truvillion, Burkeville, Newton County, Texas, May 16, 1939)

An admittedly cursory holiday mix presenting performances from our new digital release, "Songs of Christmas, New Year, and Midwinter from the Lomax Collection," available now on the Lomax Archive's Bandcamp page as well as the streaming services.

We invite you to pair this mix with our older holiday-themed episode, which features other related material (if some occasional overlap) and the complete "Sing Christmas" program. This ambitious radio broadcast was produced by Alan for the BBC on Christmas Day 1951, and featured regional Yuletide traditions transmitted via live hook-ups all across Britain. 

1) Vera Ward Hall: No Room at the Inn story / song (The home of Vera Ward Hall, Livingston, Sumter County, Alabama, October 10, 1959).

2) United Sacred Harp Musical Association: Sherburne (56th Annual United Sacred Harp Musical Association Convention, Corinth Baptist Church, Fyffe, Dekalb County, Alabama, September 12, 1959)

3) Steven Wright: Jingle Bells (New York City, New York, 1950)

4) Group from Sangonera la Verde, Murcia: Rondalla (En tu puerta está la Virgen) (Monteagudo, Murcia, Región de Murcia, Spain, December 14, 1952)

5) Alice Gibbs and group: Today, Today is Christmas Day (Sint Eustatius, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, 1967)

6) Kate Nicholson and group: Tàladh Chrìosda (Christ's lullaby) (A cΘilidh at the home of Dr. MacLean, Daliburgh, Eilean Siar, Scotland, United Kingdom, June 21, 1951)

7) Miquel Bonet and group -  Caramelles (The Seven Joys of Mary, part 1) (Village church patio, Sant Josep, Ibiza, Illes Balears, Islas Baleares, Comunidad Autónoma de las, Spain, July 18, 1952)

8) Norman Edmonds and the Old-Timers -  Breaking Up Christmas (Probably the home of George Stoneman, Hillsville, Carroll County, Virginia, August 28, 1959)

9) Bartolomeo Angelitti -  Venite Adoremus

10) Joy Bells -  Jingle Bells (Gingerland, Saint George Gingerland, Nevis, Saint Kitts and Nevis, July 11, 1962)

11) Group from Positano, Campania -  Capo d'anno > Tammuriata

12) Vera Ward Hall -  Last Month of the Year (Alan Lomax's apartment, 3rd Street, New York City, New York, May 1, 1948)

Fiddlers, harp blowers, and guitarists recorded by John A. and Ruby T. Lomax during their 1939 Texas field-trip.

1) Frank Goodwyn & Manuel Salinas: Chinese Breakdown (Falfurrias, Brooks County, Texas, April 29, 1939)

2) Lake Porter: The Lost Girl (Falfurrias, Brooks County, Texas, April 29, 1939)

3) Lake Porter: Drunken Hiccups (Falfurrias, Brooks County, Texas, April 29, 1939)

4) Elmo Newcomer: Rye Whiskey (The home of Elmo Newcomer, Pipe Creek, Bandera County, Texas, May 3, 1939)

[see here for Newcomer's later Cro-Mart release of "Rye Whiskey."]

5) Elmo Newcomer: The Old Grey Mare (The home of Elmo Newcomer, Pipe Creek, Bandera County, Texas, May 3, 1939)

6) Clinton Saathoff, and Otis Evans: Eeph Caught A Rabbit (Pipe Creek, Bandera County, Texas, May 4, 1939)

7) Pop Warner: Inspiration (State Penitentiary [The Walls], Huntsville, Walker County, Texas, May 11, 1939)

[see here for the fine Marshall Project piece on prison radio, which includes a discussion of "Thirty Minutes Behind the Walls" and the Ace Johnson photo discussed in the episode.]

8) Ace Johnson: Rabbit in the Garden (Dormitory, Clemens State Farm, Brazoria, Brazoria County, Texas, April 16, 1939)

9) Ace Johnson: Train song (Dormitory, Clemens State Farm, Brazoria, Brazoria County, Texas, April 16, 1939)

10) Smith Casey: East Texas Rag, (Dormitory, Clemens State Farm, Brazoria, Brazoria County, Texas, April 16, 1939)

11) L.W. Gooden: Clemens Rag (Dormitory, Clemens State Farm, Brazoria, Brazoria County, Texas, April 16, 1939)

Bed Music:

Wilbert Gilliam: Long Freight Train Blues (State Penitentiary [The Walls], Huntsville, Walker County, Texas, May 11, 1939)