How Green Is the Valley

How Green Is the Valley is the second studio album of The Men They Couldn't Hang. It was released in 1986 after the band were signed to MCA Records following the success of their previous album Night of a Thousand Candles. It is the last album to feature co-founder Shanne Bradley on bass guitar.

How Green Is the Valley
Studio album by
Released1986
RecordedElephant Studios, Wapping.
GenreRoots rock, Folk-rock, Folk-punk
Length37:25
LabelMCA
ProducerMick Glossop
The Men They Couldn't Hang chronology
Night of a Thousand Candles
(1985)
How Green Is the Valley
(1986)
Waiting for Bonaparte
(1988)
Singles from How Green Is the Valley
  1. "Ghosts of Cable Street"
    Released: 1986
  2. "Gold Strike"
    Released: 1986
  3. "Shirt of Blue"
    Released: 1986

Singles edit

Three singles were released from the album: "Gold Rush", which included "Gold Strike" on the 12" version, "Ghosts of Cable Street" and "Shirt of Blue". "Ghosts of Cable Street", a song detailing the battle of Cable Street in 1936, used actual recordings of mounted police which could be heard outside the Wapping studios as it was during the time of the Wapping Printers Strike.[1] "Shirt of Blue" was another song, typical of The Men They Couldn't Hang writing material on British history, was the subject of the UK miners' strike (1984–1985). The video features press footage of the conflict between striking miners and the police.[2] The cassette version is the only one to feature additional tracks which were recorded during a live performance at the Electric Ballroom in London's Camden Town.

Personnel edit

Credits adapted from AllMusic.[3]

The Men They Couldn't Hang
Additional musicians
Additional personnel
  • Mick Glossop – production and engineering
  • Richard Haughton – album artwork
  • Paul Cox – photography

Track listing edit

Original Side 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Gold Strike"Paul SimmondsInstrumental1:20
2."Gold Rush"Paul SimmondsSwill, Cush2:03
3."Ghosts of Cable Street"Paul SimmondsSwill, Cush3:59
4."Dancing on the Pier"Paul SimmondsCush2:20
5."The Bells"Paul SimmondsCush3:15
6."Wishing Well"Nick LoweCush2:54
Original Side 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
7."Going Back to Coventry"Paul SimmondsCush3:15
8."Shirt of Blue"Paul SimmondsCush4:27
9."Rabid Underdog"Stefan CushCush2:12
10."Tiny Soldiers"Philip OdgersSwill3:41
11."The Parade"Paul SimmondsInstrumental2:12
12."Parted From You"Philip OdgersSwill4:12
Additional Tracks on cassette version
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
13."Whiskey with me Giro (live)"UnknownCush 
14."Scarlet Ribbons (live)"Paul SimmondsCush 

References edit

  1. ^ A Bag of Songs, Paul Simmonds, ISBN 9781447537274
  2. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Shirt of Blue. YouTube.
  3. ^ "How Green is the Valley - the Men They Couldn't Hang | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.