Harry Pollitt on disc
In early '90s, George Matthews - who was then looking after the archives of the Communist Party of Great Britain of which he had been a leading member - got in contact to say that he had come across five 78 rpm discs of a speech by Harry Pollitt. He had no means of playing or copying these discs and wanted my help.
I had been in touch with George to see what audio he had for a radio series I was making about the history of the international Communist movement. I borrowed the discs, copied them on to cassette, and returned them to George - along with a cassette copy. I also kept a cassette, and I am posting the audio below on this page.
The five discs made up a single speech by Harry Pollitt, recorded in 1942 and apparently released on disc for the benefit of party members. It runs to a little over twenty minutes.
I had been in touch with George to see what audio he had for a radio series I was making about the history of the international Communist movement. I borrowed the discs, copied them on to cassette, and returned them to George - along with a cassette copy. I also kept a cassette, and I am posting the audio below on this page.
The five discs made up a single speech by Harry Pollitt, recorded in 1942 and apparently released on disc for the benefit of party members. It runs to a little over twenty minutes.
CLICK ABOVE TO HEAR HARRY POLLITT SPEAKING IN 1942
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If you want to find out more about Harry Pollitt, here's the link to the Wikipedia entry. And there's a partisan and admiring biography here.
Pollitt (1890-1960), the subject of the tongue-in-cheek song 'Harry was a Bolshie', was general secretary of the Communist Party of Great Briatin from 1929 to 1956 - with an interruption during the earlier part of the Second World War when he was out of step with the Comintern line.
He came close to being elected to Parliament for a South Wales constituency in the 1945 general election.
Pollitt (1890-1960), the subject of the tongue-in-cheek song 'Harry was a Bolshie', was general secretary of the Communist Party of Great Briatin from 1929 to 1956 - with an interruption during the earlier part of the Second World War when he was out of step with the Comintern line.
He came close to being elected to Parliament for a South Wales constituency in the 1945 general election.
And if you are curious to know the words for 'Harry was a Bolshie', more prosaically known as 'The Ballad of Harry Pollitt', here are two slightly varying lyrics - I rather prefer the first:
Harry was a Bolshie, one of Stalin's lads
Till he was foully murdered by counter revolutionary cads
Counter revolutionary, counter revolutionary cads
He was foully murdered by counter revolutionary cads
That's all right said Harry, I'm not afraid to die
I'll carry on my Party work in the land beyond the sky
The land beyind the sky, the land beyond the sky
I'll just carry on my Party work in the land beyond the sky
He got up to the Pearly Gates, met Peter on his knees
'May I speak to Comrade God I'm Harold Pollitt please
Harold Pollitt please, Harold Pollitt please,
May I speak to Comrade God I'm Harold Pollitt please'
Said Peter unto Harry: 'Are you humble and contrite?'
'I'm a friend of Lady Docker's', 'Then OK. you'll be alright
Then OK. you'll be alright, then OK. you'll be alright
If you're a friend of Lady Docker's, then OK. you'll be alright'
They dressed him in a nightie, put a harp into his hand
And he played the Internationale in the hallelujah band
In the hallelujah band, in the hallelujah band
He played the Internationale in the hallelujah band
They put him in the choir, the hymns he did not like
So he organized the angels and he fetched them out on strike
Fetched them out on strike, fetched them out on strike
He organized the angels and he fetched them out on strike
One day as God was walking around the heavenly state
Who should he see but Harry chalking slogans on the gate
Slogans on the gate, slogans on the gate
Who should he see but Harry chalking slogans on the gate
They put him up for trial before the Holy Ghost
Charged with disaffection amongst the heavenly host
Amongst the heavenly host, amongst the heavenly host
Charged with disaffection amongst the heavenly host
The verdict it was guilty, said Harry 'That is swell'
And he tucked his nightie 'round his knees and he floated down to hell
Floated down to hell, floated down to hell
He tucked his nightie 'round his knees and he floated down to hell
A few more years have ended, now Harry's doing swell
He's just been made the people's commissar for Soviet Socialist Hell
And now all the little devils have joined the Y.C.L.
Yes all the little devils have joined the Y.C.L.
Now the moral of this story, it isn't hard to tell,
If you want to be a Bolshie, you've got to go to Hell,
Got to go to Hell, Yes, you've got to go to Hell,
If you want to be a Bolshie, you've got to go to Hell!
Harry was a bolshie and one of Lenin's lads
Was foully murdered by counter revolutionary cads
Counter revolutionary cads, counter revolutionary cads
Was foully murdered by counter revolutionary cads
He landed up in heaven trembling at the knees
'May I speak to God I am Mr. Pollitt please
Mr. Pollitt please, Mr. Pollitt please,
May I speak to God I am Mr. Pollitt please'
'Who are you' said God, 'if you're humble and contrite
And a friend of Lady Astor, then OK. you'll be alright
Then OK. you'll be alright, then OK. you'll be alright
And a friend of Lady Astor, then OK. you'll be alright'
They dressed him in a nightie, put a harp into his hand
And he played the Internationale in the hallelujah band
In the halelujah band, in the hallelujah band
He played the Internationale in the hallelujah band
They put him in the choir, the hymns he did not like
So he organized the angels and he fetched them out on strike
Fetched them out on strike, fetched them out on strike
He organized the angels and he fetched them out on strike
One day as God was walking around the heavenly state
Who should he see but Harry chalking slogans on the gate
Slogans on the gate, slogans on the gate
Who should he see but Harry chalking slogans on the gate
They put him up for trial before the Holy Ghost
Charged with disaffection amongst the heavenly host
Amongst the heavenly host, amongst the heavenly host
Charged with disaffection amongst the heavenly host
The verdict it was guilty, said Harry 'That is swell'
And he tucked his nightie round his knees and he floated down to hell
Floated down to hell, floated down to hell
He tucked his nightie round his knees and he floated down to hell
A few more years have ended, now Harry's doing swell
He's just been made the people's commissar for Soviet hell
Commissar for Soviet hell, commissar for Soviet hell
He's just been made the people's commissar for Soviet hell
Now the moral of this story is easy for to tell
If you want to be a Bolshevik, you'll have to got to hell
You'll have to go to hell, Yes, you'll have to go to hell
If you want to be a Bolshevik, You'll have to go to hell!