Cycling UK Forum

Pete Seeger has left us at a grand old age. A wonderful poet and musician. I shall never forget sitting a few feet from him, Ewan MacColl and Peggy at Farnborough Folk Club in the 60's. I never saw Pete as a protest singer, his songs were gentler than that pointing out the absurdities of life in those times and the futility of war. We were all glad we weren't involved in Vietnam but later BLiar tragically involved us in the Middle East. Perhaps if he had listened to Pete it never would have happened.

RIP Pete, you did your bit and more.

Al

Agreed,he'll be sadly missed and the world a worse place for his passing.
When I heard the news I found myself thinking,if there's a heaven Pete Seeker will go straight there.

I said to a couple of friends today, ' A life well led ', R.I.P. and well done the BBC for putting him at the top of the news this morning.

al_yrpal wrote:Pete Seeger has left us at a grand old age. A wonderful poet and musician. I shall never forget sitting a few feet from him, Ewan MacColl and Peggy at Farnborough Folk Club in the 60's. I never saw Pete as a protest singer, his songs were gentler than that pointing out the absurdities of life in those times and the futility of war. We were all glad we weren't involved in Vietnam but later BLiar tragically involved us in the Middle East. Perhaps if he had listened to Pete it never would have happened.

RIP Pete, you did your bit and more.

Al

I was never lucky enough to see him or Ewan and Peggy. I envy your memory.

I think he saw himself as a protest singer, or something like it.

In December 1945, a group of musicians, choral directors and union educators met at Seeger's New York apartment to form People's Songs. At one and the same time a quasi-political movement with far-flung chapters and a booking agency, People's Songs furiously promoted the "hootenanny" – informal sessions where musicians and fans traded songs and shared leftwing political enthusiasms.

The McCarthyites certainly saw him as a communist. Of course, the HUAAC had a wide definition of communism, but he must have pointed out the absurdities of life in a fashion that they saw as subversive.

Then came the blacklist. The Weavers were banned from radio and television, and even some concert halls. With their scheduled appearances and commercial recording contracts cancelled, the group dissolved in 1953.

but in 1955 he was subpoenaed by the House UnAmerican Activities Committee. He cited the first amendment on freedom of speech, refused to talk about his politics, and was sentenced to a year in jail for contempt of Congress. He served four days – but was effectively off the mainstream media until the 1970s, despite the conviction being overturned in 1961.

The MacColls also had a political message in some of their songs.

Certainly an influential performer in my day. Sadly missed

I bought a second hand copy of the Best of Pete Seeger (double LP) for a couple of quid a couple of months ago.
Delightful.

Mike Sales wrote:

In December 1945, a group of musicians, choral directors and union educators met at Seeger's New York apartment to form People's Songs. At one and the same time a quasi-political movement with far-flung chapters and a booking agency, People's Songs furiously promoted the "hootenanny" – informal sessions where musicians and fans traded songs and shared leftwing political enthusiasms.

The McCarthyites certainly saw him as a communist. Of course, the HUAAC had a wide definition of communism, but he must have pointed out the absurdities of life in a fashion that they saw as subversive.

But Pete Seeger *was* a subversive (according to the 'rules'). I don't know if he was a member of the Communist party, but he certainly sang songs for them. One of his first groups, Almanac Singers, was investigated for anti-war songs by the FBI during WW2. Although they had switched to antifascist songs, they lost some popularity when the story about the FBI investigation broke. Not long after, Pete Seeger was drafted.

After the war, he supported the labor movement, sang for itinerant workers, and published political songs. He refused to testify before the HUAAC, offering to sing the songs about which they questioned him, instead.

The first song I remember memorising was 'Where have all the Flowers Gone'.

I've got American Favourite Ballads on now. He makes it all sound deceptively easy. Magical.

(Edited to add): there are hours upon hours of Seeger on YouTube, but particularly good are the many episodes of his folk-music TV show Rainbow Quest. Here's him with Johnny Cash and June Carter.

Vorpal wrote:But Pete Seeger *was* a subversive (according to the 'rules'). I don't know if he was a member of the Communist party, but he certainly sang songs for them.

He was at one point but left after World War II. Continued to call himself a "small-C communist" throughout his life.

Mike Sales wrote:I was never lucky enough to see him or Ewan and Peggy. I envy your memory.

Hey, Peggy Seeger's still going. I saw her in a tiny pub basement in London just a few weeks ago, and she was astonishing. Just an enchanting stage presence, and singers a third of her age would kill for that much energy.

R.I.P. Pete. I never saw him live but he's left a good legacy. There was a nice interview of his played on Radio Scotland today.

The communist angle reminds me of one of my dad's stories. A friend from his climbing club had emigrated to the USA in the 1950s. Knowing he had been involved in politics in the Clydeside shipyards my dad asked him how he had got on with the "Are you know etc a member of the Communist party. To which his friend replied "Nae bother, I was never a member of the party, they were too right wing for me."

I saw Pete in 1989,on stage with Arlo Guthrie in Toronto. A privilege. RIP one of the good guys.

Obama tribute to folk singer Seeger http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25923852

What would the McCarthyites be saying now? Arch Republicans will wince at this.

America is the home of capitalism but it still produces people like Pete, Steinbeck, Joan and Bruce?

Al

irc wrote:............. "Are you know etc a member of the Communist party. To which his friend replied "Nae bother, I was never a member of the party, they were too right wing for me."

al_yrpal wrote:.....America is the home of capitalism but it still produces people like Pete, Steinbeck, Joan and Bruce?

Al

For every action there's an equal and opposite reaction

Sad to say that I'd never even heard of him until it was announced he'd died.
I knew his music of course, but never thought about who wrote it.

Mick, you are obviously not an old Folker like us.

Al