"Meltdown Madness" is one of several American, multi-artist anti-nuclear albums compiled during the peak of the anti-reactor movement in the late 1970s & early 1980s. Information about The Survival Alliance, the group behind "Meltdown Madness" has proven somewhat elusive. On the back of the jacket they described themselves as "a non-profit all volunteer group advocating safe, clean energy resources, such as solar or wind power, as an alternative to dangerous, costly nuclear power." Beyond that, however, they sought to connect anti-nuclear activist groups with sympathetic musicians for benefit concerts and recordings. It is unclear whether this resulted in any further recorded or released music. This record was released in 1979, but was conceived of before the Three Mile Island meltdown that spring.
"The Ballad of Karen Silkwood" was written by Bonnie Lockhart, an Oakland, CA musician and activist who has performed solo as well as in groups such as The Red Star Singers, The Berkeley Women's Music Collective, Swingshift and Occupella. Lyrics and chords to the song were published in a 1978 songbook edited by Lockhart called "Out Loud! A Collection of New Songs by Women." Here, it is performed by the duo of Jeanne Mackey and Penny Rossenwasser, friends of Lockhart who were involved with the Washington, DC women's collective house Self Reliance. The Self Reliance basement served as rehearsal space for a number of politicized feminist performers.
For those who don't know who the anti-nuclear movement martyr Karen Silkwood was, this song is as good place to start as any. You can also hear Bonnie Lockhart perform it on her KZitem channel, as well as on an old KPFA radio program called "The energy will flow: antinuclear music by women." I will include links in the comments.
Thanks to Bonnie Lockhart, Jeanne Mackey and Penny Rosenwasser for permission to post this song.
Негізгі бет Jeanne Mackey and Penny Rosenwasser - Ballad of Karen Silkwood (US, 1979)
No video
Пікірлер: 1