The Imagined Village - Empire & Love - 'My Son John'

Opening track from 'Empire & Love', the latest album from The Imagined Village, released Jan 10th 2010 on Emmerson, Concrake and Constantine Records.
www.theimaginedvillage.com
www.myspace.com/theimaginedvillage
One of the most unusual collaborations of the past decade, The Imagined Village made a significant impression with their critically acclaimed and commercially successful debut album (released via Peter Gabriel's Real World label). They toured extensively, appeared on TV's Later...With Jools show and won out at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. If the band had initially developed as a loose collective of singers and musicians, they have subsequently consolidated into a working, growing, organic aggregation. This stability in personnel is shiningly reflected in the brand new, follow-up album, which is also their first on the new record label ECC. Titled "Empire and Love", it is released on 11 January 2010, a few days prior to a major UK tour that will include prestigious gigs at Scotland's Celtic Connections Festival and London's Queen Elizabeth Hall.
The music on Empire and Love is played by the 'Parish Council' of Martin Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Chris Wood, Simon Emmerson, Barney Morse Brown, Sheema Mukerjhee, Johnny Kalsi, Andy Gangadeen, Ali Friend and Simon Palmskin Richmond.
Filmed by Henry Dalton and Lisette Lawrie
Live footage filmed at Bridport Arts Centre, Bridport UK
Directed and Edited by Henry Dalton for TDF Films
www.tdffilms.com

[@frankzappa951]

Mr Carthy is a genuine underground legend. U.K. should celebrate this man every day!! This song should be sung in school halls in assembly’s.

[@johnshort5003]

assemblies

[@Mouldytone]

Folk music at its brilliant best. The old stories of human stupidity shown to be shockingly contemporary.

[@vermilliongecko]

The human race doesn't learn, does it.

[@ashpalmaxe]

Anyone here in 2019? I listen to this daily. So so so cool 😊

[@Rustymouse]

With you ....:)

[@christianjreynolds]

I'm still here in 2020!

[@delboi1978]

im here late 2020 :)

[@laminatas4208]

I'm here 2021

[@luiswilliams360]

I was first here in when it first came out & I am back on a pretty regular basis. It is now 2021

[@standroid64]

Taz sent me here. Glad I came. King beautiful!

[@AledoBren]

Nice version of an old English song with lyrics for todays conflicts.

[@brownkevi1]

Absolutely amazing how Sheema takes her jacket off, puts it on, takes it off, puts in on, etc., almost every time the camera moves away from her! And still playing without a pause. Absolutely amazing!

[@Rustymouse]

and his daughter Eliza Carthy with different changes of dresses.

[@lindsayheywood7195]

A multi talented band, indeed!

[@ElizaCarthy1]

🤣

[@fenderplayer2355]

Ashley: YES!!! I am Here....2020 Can listen to Martin Carthy EVERY day. Wish he's play LIVE here in NY. Glad to find so many kindred spirits!!!! VERY COOL!

[@phillipcooperUK]

2021 here. Three generations of my family have been listening to Martin Carthy since the revival, my parents, me, and now my 12 year old son too. I suppose we're lucky in the UK as I've been fortunate to see him quite a few times. Hopefully NY when Covid eases.

[@desmarshall8154]

Bloody Hell SO many instruments..the Devils music..DIVERSITY is alive & well on the ENGLISH electric folk scene ! even a Sikh playing his drum..HA,HA love it..

[@strudders2112]

Seeing them tonight.... I dont venture out much but needs must on this occasion.... Simply stunning...

[@swp4445]

Just goes to show that true folk music is never far from the modern world.... amazing work from all involved.... depressing nothing has really changed in 200 yrs though! Cruel Brittania is still sending our young men and women of to fight while the chickenhawks stay at home....

[@patrickmulvaney7262]

Gorgeous

[@garyhosty9874]

stunning

[@johnmcfadden1416]

Hope you investigate Martin Carthy and folk music further if this is your first encounter.

[@TYNM4N]

We had Martin Carthy performing as a guest at The Bridlington Folk Club about four years ago. He gave permission for me to video the whole performance so it could be shared with one of our members who was recovering from a stroke in hospital.

[@ianwilkinson1964]

I LOVE this

[@TheDancingcrone]

Absolutely superb. A message for us all.

[@thesarcasticninjaja8835]

Is there a deeper meaning behind this song..?

[@helencollins5769]

absolutely brilliant!

[@westonwindsorian]

Just the best

[@KuyVonBraun]

Wow, I am amazed that 'parties' like the BNP still exist. Doesn't this group show that such things are so irrelevant these days it's laughable? I mean, imagine someone running about crying about the ether. Surely they deserve a similar reaction?

[@carollizc]

Haunting is exactly the right word for this. A remarkable update, as only Martin could do.

[@NnjaRiot]

brilliant live. really like the sitar

[@willwallacetree]

Fantastic

[@garyhosty]

fantastic

[@chrisdansey2600]

That is because it is the same song. Mrs McGrath is the Irish version of My Son John.

[@dannyallvey79]

Really good rendition.

[@Scottishenglish]

Haunting..feel the hairs on the back of your neck raise as you listen to this...

[@PrincessNinja007]

So true.

[@sandramorey2529]

This is a wonderful anti war song for our time. There is a novel called "Johnny Got His Gun" by Dalton Trumbo that tells the same awful story. Hearing Martin Carthy sing it is stirring.

[@ElCalvo45]

Heard this recording for the first time yesterday, and it's been echoing in my head ever since. Simply wonderful!

[@MySaviorservant]

Ha i love this song

[@Grymm23]

Bastards! Making a grown man like me blub at a song......... Okay better now, just stunning.

[@johnnybourgeois13]

It would be far better if this beautiful song didn't have to exist. But, it seems that every generation has to write them; this could have been sung in 1919 after that barbaric butchery, or in 1819 after the Napoleonic slaughters. Probably 1719 too, some other little tiff between inbred royal cousins and their favourite bankers. I'm going to listen to it for the fifth time now. We still need a revolution, don't we ? Probably the only way to stop it.

[@jms805]

This is just like Mrs. McGrath

[@vermilliongecko]

Johnny Khalsi is hot.

[@tntcerveris]

wououhouuu

[@svenlittlecross]

anyone got lyrics?

[@powerofacat]

i wonder if the story is true

[@jaford2]

Very good - but I think I prefer the Boiled in Lead version...

[@mcttotal]

not much wrong with this