songs about work

In this posting we pay tribute to Archie Green, the great scholar of laborlore (the study of the expressive culture of working people) who passed away in March at the age of 91.  Included here are his now out of print LPs “Work’s Many Voices” volumes 1 & 2 – a selection of labor related songs drawn from Archie’s collection of rare 45 rpm singles.  These songs span the years 1950-1985 and cover a number of musical styles including country, blues, Mexican corridos, Cajun and polka. To hear the 1st volume in its entirety, click the top play button.  Click here for the track list.

Click here to Download Work’s Many Voices Vol. 1

Click here to Download Work’s Many Voices Vol. 2

Also posted here is a selection from Nathan Salsburg’s Root Hog or Die radio program, originally aired on East Village Radio, paying tribute to Archie by playing a bunch of recordings that were influential to him and that he loved.

Back in December I did a long (all afternoon long, he loved to talk) interview with Archie at his home in San Francisco.  It was a great conversation and there’s probably material in there for several episodes of DHR, so look out for that in the coming months.

Selections from Mother Jones, The New York Times and The Daily Yonder obituaries:

“Archie Green, a shipwright turned folklorist whose interest in union workers and their culture transformed the study of American folklore and who single-handedly persuaded Congress to create the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, died last Sunday at his home in San Francisco. He was 91… (NY Times)“