| "Part of the Union" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Strawbs | ||||
| from the album Bursting at the Seams | ||||
| B-side | "Will You Go" | |||
| Released | January 1973 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:54 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Strawbs | |||
| Strawbs singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "Part of the Union" on YouTube | ||||
"Part of the Union" is a song by English band Strawbs, featured on their 1973 album Bursting at the Seams and was the band's most successful single, peaking at No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart. It also reached No. 10 in the Irish Singles Chart.
The song was included on the album Bursting at the Seams but is not considered typical of the songs on that album. It was originally recorded without a contribution by band leader Dave Cousins and was to be released under the name of "The Brothers". It demonstrates the different, more commercial direction the writing partnership of Richard Hudson and John Ford was taking within the band.
The song (especially its chorus "You don't get me I'm part of the Union") quickly became popular as an unofficial anthem of the trade union movement. [1] Subsequently, the Strawbs have confirmed that the song was written with genuine celebratory intent, in support of the unions. [2]
The B-side track "Will You Go" is an arrangement of the Irish folk song "Wild Mountain Thyme" written by Belfast musician Francis McPeake, dating back to the repertoire of The Strawberry Hill Boys (the original name of Strawbs)
In the band's appearance on BBC's Top of the Pops , on 8 February 1973, introduced by DJ Jimmy Savile, keyboardist Blue Weaver appeared with both piano and pedal harmonium and drummer Richard Hudson appeared with a marching bass drum emblazoned with the words "The Associated Union of Strawbs Workers". [3]
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) [4] | 2 |
| Canada (RPM) [5] | 48 |
| Ireland | 11 |
| United Kingdom (Official Charts Company) | 2 |
The original "Brothers" recording can be found on the box set A Taste of Strawbs . Cockerel Chorus, who had a hit with "Nice One Cyril", also recorded the song for inclusion on their 1973 Party Sing-a-long album. [6]
From 2007 to 2016 the song was a standard feature of the Strawbs' live set.[ citation needed ] and was included in their live DVD The Strawbs – Lay Down With The Strawbs, filmed and recorded live at The Robin 2 in Bilston, UK on 5 March 2006. [7]
The song resurfaced on the UK television advertisement for insurance company Norwich Union in 1998. [8]
The song is played at the end of Philadelphia Union home games.[ citation needed ]
The Strawbs are an English rock band founded in 1964 as the Strawberry Hill Boys. The band started out as a bluegrass group, but eventually moved on to other styles such as folk rock and progressive rock.
Grave New World is the fourth studio album by English band Strawbs, their fifth overall. It was the first album to be released after the departure of Rick Wakeman, who was replaced by Blue Weaver, late of Amen Corner.
Bursting at the Seams is the fifth studio album by English band Strawbs, released on 26 January 1973 by A&M Records. It was the first album to be released after the departure of founder member Tony Hooper and the recruitment of Dave Lambert. It contains their two most successful singles and peaked at No. 2 in the UK Album Chart and No. 65 in Canada.
Hero and Heroine is the seventh studio album by English band Strawbs.
Richard William Stafford Hudson is an English musician who played drums and sitar for the Strawbs. He later joined forces with bassist John Ford to form a duo, Hudson Ford, in which he played guitar and sang.
Dave Lambert is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter, who has been a member of the Strawbs at various stages of the band's career, beginning in the 1970s.
"Benedictus" is a song by English band Strawbs featured on their 1972 album Grave New World.
"Lay Down" is a single by the Strawbs which reached No. 12 in the UK Singles Chart in October 1972 - their first hit. It was included on their 1973 album Bursting at the Seams.
"Here It Comes" is a song and 1972 single by the English band Strawbs. It did not appear on any of their studio albums, but it was included on two compilation albums: Strawbs by Choice (1974) and Halcyon Days (1997). Written by bandleader Dave Cousins, "Here It Comes" shows definite pop influences and a more commercial view to song-writing, a trait that would extend to the next single, "Lay Down".
Ronald George Arthur Chesterman was an English musician. He is best known as the original double bass player with the Strawberry Hills Boys, starring Dave Cousins on guitar, dulcimer, banjo and vocals, Tony Hooper on guitar and vocals and Ron himself on double bass. They kept that name from 1964 when they formed until June 1967, when they were giving a concert and needed to put the name of the band on stage, so they became The Strawbs. Later, after he left the band, he became a county archivist in Chester.
Blue Angel is the 15th studio album by English band Strawbs. It was the first Strawbs album in 12 years to contain new material and featured several different line-ups of musicians from past Strawbs eras. Welsh folk-singer Mary Hopkin featured on many tracks, continuing a working partnership established by Dave Cousins and Brian Willoughby on their album The Bridge, from which several of the tracks on this album are drawn.
A Taste of Strawbs is a box-set album by Strawbs. Instead of being a "best of" album, the compilers have attempted to present alternative versions of some well-known songs plus some previously unreleased material. Included are some very old songs by The Strawberry Hill Boys, with Dave Cousins, Tony Hooper and Ron Chesterman, also are some very interesting songs by Sandy Denny and The Strawbs, and outtakes from different periods of the band's career.
The Best of Strawbs is a compilation album of songs by Strawbs, with one track from the Dave Cousins solo album Two Weeks Last Summer.
"Shine on Silver Sun" is a song by English band Strawbs featured on their 1974 album Hero and Heroine. It is written by Dave Cousins and was intended as a "come-back" single after the post-"Part of the Union" band split. The single was a minor success peaking at number 34 in the UK Singles Chart.
Strawbs in Concert is a live album by English band Strawbs. The tracks are taken from recordings of two BBC In Concert programmes from 1973 and 1974.
The Very Best of the Strawbs: Halcyon Days is a compilation album by English band Strawbs. Although credited to Strawbs it does contain three Hudson Ford tracks and a Dave Cousins solo track. The album was released as a 2-CD set in the UK and US. The US release has a slightly different title and a different track listing.
The Complete Strawbs is a live album by English band Strawbs. It was recorded in 1998, at their 30th anniversary concert at Chiswick House. The concert was also filmed and later was released on DVD. More than four different incarnations of the band performed. Wherever possible, the tracks were performed by the original musicians, although there were exceptions. Keyboard players John Hawken, Andy Richards and Rick Wakeman were unable to attend, but Wakeman's son Adam deputised for them. Original bass player Ron Chesterman and one-time drummer Tony Fernandez were present at the concert but did not perform.
"Queen of Dreams" is a song performed by English band Strawbs and written by Dave Cousins. The track first appeared on the 1972 Grave New World album.
"The Flower and the Young Man" is a song by English band Strawbs written by Dave Cousins. The track first appeared on the Grave New World album.
Lay Down with the Strawbs is a live album by English band Strawbs. It was recorded at Robin 2 in Bilston and features the "Hero and Heroine line-up" of the band with a guest appearance of former member John Ford.
