Robb Johnson
Encyclopedia
Robb Jenner Johnson is a British
musician and songwriter, who has been called "one of the last genuinely political songwriters", and is known for his mix of political satire and wit. He has his own record label, Irregular Records
, and has released more than 25 albums either solo or in several collaborations.
, before forming a band called Grubstreet, which split up in 1983. Two years later he made his first solo album, setting up his own label on which to release it, before forming an agitprop
group, The Ministry of Humour, with Mark Shilcock and Graham Barnes. After the break-up of this act and a failed attempt at forming a new electric band, he returned to performing solo and also formed a duo with female singer Pip Collings.
In 1997 he composed the song cycle Gentle Men, based on the experiences of his grandfathers in the First World War. The song cycle was recorded by Johnson in collaboration with Roy Bailey
, and performed at the commemorative Passchendaele
Peace Concert. He remains active and has released at least one album each year since 2000 as well as playing regular gigs, benefits and political events. In 2006 he was a special guest at the BBC
's "Folk Britannia" concert at the Barbican Centre
, ending the night with a rendition of World War I song "Hanging on the Old Barbed Wire
".
in around 2006. He is a supporter of Brentford F.C.
and has performed fund-raising concerts for the club.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
musician and songwriter, who has been called "one of the last genuinely political songwriters", and is known for his mix of political satire and wit. He has his own record label, Irregular Records
Irregular Records
Irregular Records is a British independent record label specialising in folk music, which was established in 1985 by the singer Robb Johnson. In addition to Johnson's own recordings the label has also issued albums by artists such as Barb Jungr, Des de Moor, Maggie Holland and Russell...
, and has released more than 25 albums either solo or in several collaborations.
Biography
Johnson began his musical career playing in folk clubs in the 1970s and ran a folk club at the University of SussexUniversity of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
, before forming a band called Grubstreet, which split up in 1983. Two years later he made his first solo album, setting up his own label on which to release it, before forming an agitprop
Agitprop
Agitprop is derived from agitation and propaganda, and describes stage plays, pamphlets, motion pictures and other art forms with an explicitly political message....
group, The Ministry of Humour, with Mark Shilcock and Graham Barnes. After the break-up of this act and a failed attempt at forming a new electric band, he returned to performing solo and also formed a duo with female singer Pip Collings.
In 1997 he composed the song cycle Gentle Men, based on the experiences of his grandfathers in the First World War. The song cycle was recorded by Johnson in collaboration with Roy Bailey
Roy Bailey (folk singer)
Roy Bailey MBE , is a British socialist folk singer. Roy began his singing career in a skiffle group in 1958.Colin Irwin from the music magazine Mojo said Bailey represents "the very soul of folk's working class ideals.....
, and performed at the commemorative Passchendaele
Passendale
Passendale or Passchendaele is a rural Belgian village in the Zonnebeke municipality of West Flanders province...
Peace Concert. He remains active and has released at least one album each year since 2000 as well as playing regular gigs, benefits and political events. In 2006 he was a special guest at the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's "Folk Britannia" concert at the Barbican Centre
Barbican Centre
The Barbican Centre is the largest performing arts centre in Europe. Located in the City of London, England, the Centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory...
, ending the night with a rendition of World War I song "Hanging on the Old Barbed Wire
Hanging on the Old Barbed Wire
Hanging on the Old Barbed Wire is a war song of World War I. The song sarcastically recounts the location of various army members, not to be found in the combat zone, and concludes by describing the location of the old battalion: "hanging on the old barbed wire"...
".
Albums
Johnson has to date released over 30 albums.- In Amongst The Rain (1985)
- Songs for the New Jerusalem (1987)
- Skewed, Slewed, Stewed & Awkward (1987)
- Small Town World (1989)
- Overnight (1991) (Robb Johnson and Pip Collings)
- Tourists and Casualties (1993) (The Johnson-Collings Band)
- This Is the UK Talking (1994)
- Heart's Desire (1994) (Robb Johnson and Pip Collings)
- 1-2-3 (1994) (The Johnson-Collings Band)
- Lack of Jolly Ploughboy (1995) (Robb Johnson and Pip Collings)
- Lavender Blues (1995, six-track mini-album)
- Interesting Times (1995) (The Robb Johnson Band)
- The Night Café (1995)
- Hell’s Kitchen (1996) (The Robb Johnson Roots Band)
- Overnight (1996, solo re-recording of tracks from the 1991 album of the same name and Tourists and Casualties)
- Ugly Town (1997)
- Invisible People (1997)
- Gentle MenGentle Men (album)Gentle Men is an album released in 1997 by English folk singers Roy Bailey and Robb Johnson in collaboration with Belgian singer Vera Coomans and Belgian jazz band Koen De Cauter and the Golden Serenaders...
(1997) (Roy Bailey, Vera Coomans, Robb Johnson, & Koen De Cauter & The Golden Serenaders) - Yeah Yeah Yeah: So Far So Good 1991-1998 (1998) (The Robb Johnson Band)
- The Big Wheel (1999)
- The Big Wheel - The Second XI and Alternative Versions (1999, live recordings and tracks omitted from the above album)
- Margaret Thatcher: My Part in Her Downfall (2000)
- 21st Century Blues (2001) (Robb Johnson, Miranda Sykes and Saskia Tomkins)
- The Triumph of Hope Over ExperienceThe Triumph of Hope Over Experience-Track listing:#"Passport, Tickets and Guitar" – 5:03#"One Broadstairs Morning" – 4:10#"Life is Football" – 4:49#"When the Swing Began to Swing" – 3:42#"Soho Heart" – 6:20...
(2002) - Maximum Respect (2002)
- Clockwork Music (2003)
- Friday Night in Brentford (2003)
- Tony Blair: My Part in His Downfall (2004)
- A Beginner's Guide (2005)
- Metro (2005)
- Saturday Night at The Fire Station (2006) (Robb Johnson & The Irregulars)
- All That Way For This (2007) (Robb Johnson & The Irregulars)
- Love & Death & Politics (2008, re-recording) (Robb Johnson & The Irregulars)
- Margaret Thatcher: My Part in Her Downfall - Deluxe (2009, box set comprising third and fourth albums plus other rare and unreleased material)
- The Liberty Tree (2009) (Leon RosselsonLeon RosselsonLeon Rosselson is an English songwriter and writer of children's books. After his early involvement in the folk music revival in Britain, he came to prominence, singing his own satirical songs, in the BBC's topical TV programme of the early 1960s, That Was The Week That Was...
and Robb Johnson) - The Ghost of LoveThe Ghost of LoveThe Ghost of Love is an album released in November 2009 by English folk-rock singer Robb Johnson and his band The Irregulars. The album takes the form of a song cycle based on a woman called Mary and the events that occur in her life at Christmas over various years.-Concept:A number of the songs...
(2009) (Robb Johnson & The Irregulars) - Man Walks Into a Pub (2010)
- Some Recent Protest Songs (2011)
- Once Upon a Time (2011)
Singles
- The Animals Song (1986)
- The Herald of Free Enterprise (1988)
- Wasted Years (1991)
- Living in the Rubbish (1991) (Robb Johnson and Pip Collings)
- Saturday Afternoon Red Army (1995)
Other appearances
- "When the People Rise Again" - track on the charity album That Eastern Wind - Songs and Poems of Geoff Parry, vol 8 (2008)
- "A Fine Career" - Johnson contributes lead vocals on this track from ChumbawambaChumbawambaChumbawamba is a British musical group who have, over a career spanning nearly three decades, played punk rock, pop-influenced music, world music, and folk music...
's 2008 album, The Boy Bands Have WonThe Boy Bands Have WonThe Boy Bands Have Won is the common title of a Chumbawamba album released in 2008. Its full title contains 865 characters, and holds the record for the longest album title, as of August 2009. The band normally uses the shorter version when referring to the album on their website.- Background :The... - "Permanent Free Zone" - track on the compilation album Return of the Read MenaceReturn of the Read MenaceReturn of the Read Menace is a compilation album, released in 1999 on G7 Welcoming Committee Records.-Track listing:# Screeching Weasel, "My Own World"# J Church, "Tightrope"# No Use For a Name, "Hybrid Moments"...
, 1999.
Personal life
Johnson married Meeta Kanabar on 22 August 1992. The couple have two sons, Hari (born 1998) and Arvin (born 1999). Johnson worked as a teacher at various schools in London, but relocated to HoveHove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
in around 2006. He is a supporter of Brentford F.C.
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
and has performed fund-raising concerts for the club.