How Green Is the Valley

How Green Is the Valley
Studio album by The Men They Couldn't Hang
Released 1986
Recorded Elephant Studios, Wapping.
Genre Roots rock, Folk-rock, Folk-punk
Label MCA
Producer Mick Glossop
The Men They Couldn't Hang chronology
Night of a Thousand Candles
(1985)
How Green Is the Valley
(1986)
Waiting for Bonaparte
(1988)
Singles from How Green Is the Valley
  1. "Ghosts of Cable Street"
    Released: 1986
  2. "Gold Strike"
    Released: 1986
  3. "Shirt of Blue"
    Released: 1986

How Green Is the Valley is the second studio album of The Men They Couldn't Hang. It was released in 1986 after the band were signed to MCA Records following the success of their previous album Night of a Thousand Candles. It is the last album to feature co-founder Shanne Bradley on bass guitar.

Singles

Three singles were released from the album: "Gold Rush", which included "Gold Strike" on the 12" version, "Ghosts of Cable Street" and "Shirt of Blue". "Ghosts of Cable Street", a song detailing the battle of Cable Street in 1936, used actual recordings of mounted police which could be heard outside the Wapping studios as it was during the time of the Wapping Printers Strike.[1] "Shirt of Blue" was another song, typical of The Men They Couldn't Hang writing material on British history, was the subject of the UK miners' strike (1984–1985). The video features press footage of the conflict between striking miners and the police.[2] The cassette version is the only one to feature additional tracks which were recorded during a live performance at the Electric Ballroom in London's Camden Town.

Personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic.[3]

The Men They Couldn't Hang
Additional musicians
Additional personnel

Track listing

Original Side 1
No. TitleWriter(s)Lead vocals Length
1. "Gold Strike"  Paul SimmondsInstrumental 1:20
2. "Gold Rush"  Paul SimmondsSwill, Cush 2:03
3. "Ghosts of Cable Street"  Paul SimmondsSwill, Cush 3:59
4. "Dancing on the Pier"  Paul SimmondsCush 2:20
5. "The Bells"  Paul SimmondsCush 3:15
6. "Wishing Well"  Nick LoweCush 2:54
Original Side 2
No. TitleWriter(s)Lead vocals Length
7. "Going Back to Coventry"  Paul SimmondsCush 3:15
8. "Shirt of Blue"  Paul SimmondsCush 4:27
9. "Rabid Underdog"  Stefan CushCush 2:12
10. "Tiny Soldiers"  Philip OdgersSwill 3:41
11. "The Parade"  Paul SimmondsInstrumental 2:12
12. "Parted From You"  Philip OdgersSwill 4:12
Additional Tracks on cassette version
No. TitleWriter(s)Lead vocals Length
13. "Whiskey with me Giro (live)"  UnknownCush  
14. "Scarlet Ribbons (live)"  Paul SimmondsCush  

References

  1. A Bag of Songs, Paul Simmonds, ISBN 9781447537274
  2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z3CciyMTqA
  3. http://www.allmusic.com/album/how-green-is-the-valley-mw0000885857/credits
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