A Singsong And A Scrap

''A Singsong and a Scrap'' is the 12th studio album by Chumbawamba released in 2005. It shows more folk influence than their previous album '' Un'' and features guest appearances from folk musicians such as Coope Boyes and Simpson, Andy Cutting and John Jones and Ian Telfer of Oysterband. The first single to be taken from the album is "Fade Away". It was the band's first album without vocalist and founding member Alice Nutter who, although was still a member at the time of release, did not contribute to the album in any form.

Background

"Laughter in a Time of War", "By and By", and "Walking into Battle with the Lord" feature vocals by John Jones. Additionally, Coope Boyes and Simpson contribute vocals to "Walking into Battle with the Lord", "Bankrobber", and "The Land of Do What You're Told". "By and By" is a tribute to Swedish-American labour activist Joe Hill. "You Can (Mass Trespass)" takes inspiration from the Mass Trespass of Kinder Scout, which led to land access reform across the UK. "When Alexander Met Emma" is about anarchists Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman. "Bankrobber" is a cover of the Clash song of the same name, featured here in an a capella arrangement.

Chumbawamba recorded a cover of the traditional Italian song "Bella Ciao" in the wake of the controversial death of activist Carlo Giuliani in Genoa. The album features a hidden track, "The Untraditional", which is a song about forbidden love in the English folk tradition. Any mention of the track on the package was omitted to reinforce the "taboo" subject nature and "because it tries to make its point in a very quiet way".

Track listing

All songs written, arranged and produced by Chumbawamba, except "Bankrobber" written by Joe Strummer and Mick Jones and "Bella Ciao" (traditional).

# "Laughter in a Time of War" – 2:46
# "William Francis" – 3:39
# "By and By" – 4:31
# "You Can (Mass Trespass, 1932)" – 4:38
# "Walking into Battle with the Lord" – 2:56
# "When Alexander Met Emma" – 3:10
# "Fade Away (I Don't Want To)" – 3:10
# " Bankrobber" – 2:07
# "Learning to Love" – 3:12
# "The Land of Do What You're Told" – 4:19
# " Bella Ciao" – 1:34
# "Smith and Taylor" – 4:00
# "The Untraditional" – 1:56

Personnel

''All instruments and voices''
* Jude Abbott
* Lou Watts
* Boff Whalley
*Neil Ferguson

''With''

* John Jones & Barry Coope, Jim Boyes & Lester Simpson – Vocals
* Winkie Thin – Accordion on 1, 4, 7, 10, 12; Whistling on 6; Cello on 9
* Richard Ormrod – Accordion on 3; Mellophone on 12
* Andy Cutting – Melodeon on 2,9
* James O'Grady – Uilleann pipes on 3, 13; Whistle on 2
* Ian Telfer – Fiddle on 7, 10

References

* Chumbawamba new

External links

''A Singsong and a Scrap''
at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singsong And A Scrap, A
Chumbawamba albums
2005 albums
No Masters albums