English recordings of The Internationale that don't suck?

[Janine Melnitz]

This site* is great but all the english versions sound real bad to me. In fact, I've never heard The Internationale sound nearly as good in english as it does in most of the languages represented there. This has less to do, I'm sure, with the english language than with anglo/american politics; still, there has to be a decent recording somewhere. Can anyone help out?

(I realize a lot of you might think there's at least one good example on that site; my opinion is that in any language the solo folk-singer approach is a terrible one for this song. All my favorite versions are choral, usually with minimal accompaniment. I'm happy to be proven wrong though!)

*LET'S ALL IMAGINE THAT THIS IS A LINK TO A SITE WITH RECORDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONALE IN OVER 40 LANGUAGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON'T BOTHER CLICKING IT THOUGH BECAUSE IT'S NOT A REAL LINK, I'M NOT ALLOWED TO POST THOSE

[RedAnarchist]

This site* is great but all the english versions sound real bad to me. In fact, I've never heard The Internationale sound nearly as good in english as it does in most of the languages represented there. This has less to do, I'm sure, with the english language than with anglo/american politics; still, there has to be a decent recording somewhere. Can anyone help out?

(I realize a lot of you might think there's at least one good example on that site; my opinion is that in any language the solo folk-singer approach is a terrible one for this song. All my favorite versions are choral, usually with minimal accompaniment. I'm happy to be proven wrong though!)

*LET'S ALL IMAGINE THAT THIS IS A LINK TO A SITE WITH RECORDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONALE IN OVER 40 LANGUAGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON'T BOTHER CLICKING IT THOUGH BECAUSE IT'S NOT A REAL LINK, I'M NOT ALLOWED TO POST THOSE


You can't post links until you have 25 posts - its just an anti-spam measure.

As for choral versions, have you heard this one - http://youtube.com/watch?v=CYxQQbZim8I - by the Sheffield Socialist Choir?

[Janine Melnitz]

Yeah that one's on the site!* It's the second-least-bad one they have but they're using Billy Bragg's lyrics, which I think are really awful.**

*If anyone's curious, you can find the page in the links section of Wikipedia's article for "The Internationale"
**My "favorite" on there, another choral one by Mark Blitzstein & The New Singers, is actually good, or would be if they hadn't jammed the word "soviet" in after "international". Nothing against the SU, it's just real hilariously intrusive, almost intentionally obnoxious

[RedAnarchist]

I don't know any others, sorry.

[jossfritz]

I'm link-less as well for now, but if one were to visit youtube, one could hear ... --Alistair Hulett and Jimmy Gregory Internationale: similar to Bragg's but folkier with different phrasing. Chinese Red Rock - the Internationale--not in English but with "Rockin'" guitars--I'm surprised there isn't an English version like this.

[Kropotesta]

Well here's Billy Braggs version.
http://www.last.fm/music/Billy+Bragg/+videos/+1-Zk69e1Vcmvg