"Hail to the Thieves, Volume III: Songs to Take Our Country Back!" with Billy Bragg, Utah Phillips, Anne Feeney, Chuck Brodsky, Colleen Kattau and more was released in September 2006 and "Farewell to the Thief!," the final CD in the series, was released in September 2008-- both are on CDBABY, just search.
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The compilation album
"Hail to the Thief II: Songs to Send Bush Packing!"
promises to be a funny, and serious, take on the upcoming election, the right-wing Republican agenda, and of course George "Dubya" Bush. The album's 20 tracks lay out the case against Bush in songs and stories.
This collection features some of the country's best-known folksingers, including Tom Paxton, Utah Phillips, Kim and Reggie Harris, the duo Magpie, and Faith Petric.
Also featured on the CD are hardworking, traveling folk musicians from around the country: Steve Brooks, Joe Jencks, Mark Levy, Amy Martin, Lisa Rogers, and the new duo "emma's revolution", which features Pat Humphries and Sandy O. San Francisco's Labor Heritage-Rockin' Solidarity Chorus and bowed-saw player Chris Bricker round out the album.
The project was conceived and produced by George Mann and 88-year-old executive producer Julius Margolin. George and Julius contribute five songs to the album and produced the first "Hail to the Thief!" CD in August 2001. They are members of the New York City Labor Chorus and performers with seven CDs and years of singing between them. Mann compiled the CD from more than 50 songs submitted by songwriters around the country.
"Julius and I have always believed the 2000 election was stolen in Florida," Mann said. "Virtually everything Bush has done in the past four years has been a failure and embarrassment to this country, let alone caused suffering here and abroad." George and Julius decided to produce the album to help raise awareness through the power of its songs, and to motivate folks to vote Bush out in November. "We want a fair election, a safer world, and a government that is a world partner, not prone to unilateral action without consequence," Mann said.
"Our aim is for a government of the people, by the people and for the people to finally be established in the USA," says Faith Petric, who has been singing for more than 30 years and is based in San Francisco. "This CD helps push us in that direction. Sing along!"
This is not your typical record production team. Julius turned 88 in August and is a lifetime activist and union delegate. George teamed up with Julius in 1999 and they sing and record left-of-center folk and labor songs. "We stand with all these great artists against George Bush," said Julius. "This election is one of the most important I've seen in my life, and we want to help defeat George Bush with this album."
We are honored to have this CD up at CD BABY! They have been selling and promoting our music and the songs of many of these artists for a number of years.
For more information about the album, to hear audio clips from the album, and to arrange interviews, check out http://www.georgeandjulius.com or e-mail hailtothethief@att.net.
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TRACK LIST:
"Stupid's Pledge" (C) 1991 U. Utah Phillips, & "General, Your Tank is a Powerful Vehicle" (by Bertolt Brecht) are from the Utah Phillips CD, "I've Got to Know."
"I'm George W" lyrics and arrangement (C) 2001 George Mann. Original music: "Oh Susanna!" By Stephen Foster.
"Big, Big World" (C) 2001 Reggie and Kim Harris, Brooky Bear Music. Used by permission of Appleseed Records.
"It's About Oil" (C) 2003 Amy Martin, recorded live December 7, 2002 in Missoula, MT.
"BushWhacked" (C) 2004 Steve Brooks, BMI.
"I Trust the People" (C) 2001 Greg Artzner and Terry Leonino. Used by permission of Sliced Bread Records.
"In Florida" (C) 2001 Tom Paxton, ASCAP.
"I Don't Want to Be A Soldier" (C) 2003 Julius Margolin and George Mann.
"Bless His Heart" (C) 2004 Lisa Rogers.
"Son-of-a-Bush" (C) 1999 Mark Levy.
"If You Were My Son, I'd Whack You One" (C) 2004 George Mann.
"The World from the Bottom Up and Other Observations" (C) 2004 U. Utah Phillips.
"W Medley II" words (C) 2004 Bernard Gilbert.
"Peace, Salaam, Shalom" (C) 2001 Pat Humphries & Sandy O, BMI.
"Dear Mr. President" (C) 2003 Jen Cass. Performed by Joe Jencks.
"Just A Few Bad Apples," new lyrics to "If I Only Had A Brain" (C) 2003 George Mann.
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