Ernst Busch - Der Barrikaden-Tauber

Yesterday was the 120th birthday of Ernst Busch - a welcome opportunity to post more of his recordings.

Ernst Busch was born as a son of Mason Friedrich Busch and his wife Emma. He followed from 1915 to 1920 an apprenticeship as a mechanic and then worked at a shipyard. In 1917 he became a member of the Sozialistische Arbeiterjugend and in november 1918 he participated in the sailor rebellion in Kiel. In 1919 he became a member of the KPD.

In 1920 took Busch stage and singing lessons and he worked at various companies. In 1927 he established himself in the Berlin art colony and from 1928 he played in Berlin at the Volksbühne, the Theater der Arbeiter and the Piscator-Bühne in pieces of Friedrich Wolf, Ernst Toller and Bertolt Brecht. In the first production of the "Threepenny opera", he had a role as a police officer and in the film adaptation of 1931 he sang the famous "Die Moritat von Mäckie Messer". In Slátan Dudows film "Kuhle Wampe", he played a leading role and he sings the "solidarity song" from Brecht and Eisler.

After the seizure of power by the Nazis the SA tried to arrest Busch. He fled with his wife, the singer Eva Busch, to Netherlands, where he performed for the VARA. He then stayed in Belgium, Zurich, Paris, Vienna and finally the Soviet Union-

In 1937, Busch, as thousands of kindred spirits, moved to Spain, where he joined the International Brigades. He performed in Spain for the volunteers of the International Brigades and worked for Radio Madrid. With songs like the Thälmann-Kolonne, No pasaran Bandiera rossa and others he turned against fascism. After Franco 's victory, Busch moved back to Belgium, where he made recordings for Radio in 1938.

In 1940 he was arrested and deported to France , where he was interned until 1943 before  he could flee. However, he was again arrested and handed over to the Gestapo.

At the end of the Second World War, he was freed by the Red Army from the prison of Brandenburg. When he moved to Pankow (in the Soviet sector), he became a member of the Socialist Unity Party.

As an actor, he performed at the Berliner Ensemble, the Deutsches Theater and the Volksbühne.

Busch was also known for his performance of songs of Hanns Eisler and of international worker songs. In 1956, 1966 and 1979, he was awarded the national prize of the GDR. Between 1963 and 1975 he recorded for the Aurora record label about 200 of his songs on.

In 1961 he withdrew, officially out of health considerations, back from the scene. The real reason was supposedly his repeated criticism of the SED. Ernst Busch died on June 8, 1980 in Bernburg, 80 years old.

"Der Barrikaden-Tauber" is a collection of historic recordings from the 1930s, mastered from regular shellac releases on Gloria, Homocord, Versandhaus Arbeiter-Kult, Deutscher Arbeiter-Sängerbund and Keynote Recordings.


Tracklist:

1 Ballade von den Baumwollpflückern 2:55
2 Das Lied von den Murmeln 2:55
3 Der brave Peter 3:14
4 Nur auf die Minute kommt es immer an 2:46
5 Solidaritätslied 2:23
6 Der erste Schritt vom rechten Weg 3:11
7 Ballade von der Wohltätigkeit 3:06
8 Stempellied 1929 3:07
9 Sechstagerennen 3:10
10 Lied der Bergarbeiter 2:52
11 Die Moritat von Mackie Messer 2:49
12 Das Lied von der Unzulänglichkeit menschlichen Strebens 3:33
13 Der Marsch ins Dritte Reich 2:40
14 Kampflied gegen den Faschismus 3:24
15 Lied der Moorsoldaten 2:58
16 Die Thälmann-Kolonne 2:55
17 Hans Beimler 2:21
18 Das Bataillon Edgar André 2:46

3 from the movie "Das Meer ruft" (1933)
4, 6 from the movie "Eine von uns" (1932)
5 from the movie "Kuhle Wampe oder: Wem gehört die Welt?" (1932)
10 from the play "Heer ohne Helden"
11, 12 from the movie "Die Dreigroschenoper" (1931)
13 after the English song "It's a Long Way to Tipperary"

Ernst Busch - Der Barrikaden-Tauber
(320 kbps, cover art included)