Bono and Crew Set Sail Under Jolly Roger

Rogues Gallery"Pirates of the Caribbean" director Gore Verbinski isn't satisfied with just sharing his vision of pirates, he wants us all to hear their music. Gore Verbinski, Johnny Depp and Hal Willner have joined forces with Anti Records to create "Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys," a two-disk CD with more songs about the sea and pirates then you can shake a peg leg at.

Bono, Sting, Nick Cave and a host of other singers lend their talent to the swashbuckling album. Artists recorded their songs- usually in less then a day- with any of the six house bands set up in destinations around the globe. At one point, eight songs were recorded in one day by eight different singers.

Over 600 songs were drudged up by producer Willner who rummaged antique stores, eBay and the Internet, culling together the list. The list was eventually shortened to 60 recorded songs, 43 of which made it onto the album, which is slated for a August 22nd release.

Check out Bono's rendition of "A Dying Sailor to His Shipmates" Truly uplifting stuff.




And Sting's rousing rendition of " Blood Red Roses".



Tags: anti records, AntiRecords, bono, gore verbinski, GoreVerbinski, hal winner, HalWinner, johnny depp, JohnnyDepp, nick cave, NickCave, pirate, rougues gallery, RouguesGallery, sting

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1. hope they didn't 'pirate' any of those songs

Posted at 6:52PM on Jun 29th 2006 by doug

2. If this album had no input from the decemberists it is an outrage.

Listen to "The Mariner's Revenge Song" and then tell me why it's not included.

http://www.npr.org/programs/asc/archives/decemberistslive05/

Posted at 7:23PM on Jun 29th 2006 by jesse

3. Actually, I hope to God that they don't have any Decembrist influence. Nothing against the Decembrists, but the music we're talking about here is traditional: It's sea songs and shantys, old as the sailing trade itself. It's no outrage if they don't have the Mariner's Revenge Song; but if they miss out on Excursion Around the Bay, or Captain Kidd (about the nefarious pirate, William Kidd) or other traditonal songs like that.... that's what would be a crime.

Posted at 7:56PM on Jun 29th 2006 by Alex Sturbaum

4. Love it. Sounds like a lot of fun. Foin' swashbuckling tunes.

Posted at 8:13PM on Jun 29th 2006 by htc

5. Hehehe, while I agree that they probably shouldn't have put Mariner's Revenge Song on this particular album they could have at least called up Colin and and the gang and had them perform a classic shanty. I'm sure they would have loved it once they knocked Colin off his high horse (mast?) and got him to agree to it. But am I the only one who finds it a bit odd that the man who did Desert Rose is now performing Blood Red Roses? Its a conspiracy I tell you! Or something...

Posted at 9:57PM on Jun 29th 2006 by Jeffrey Alan Dow

6. Glorify pirates that traded in Africain slaves is shameful Bono!

Posted at 7:54AM on Jun 30th 2006 by John Michaels

7. "Over 600 songs were drudged up by producer Willner who rummaged antique stores, eBay and the Internet, culling together the list."

Ummm... I think they might have meant "dredged up."

Posted at 8:46AM on Jun 30th 2006 by ShelaghC

8. Who doesn't love a song about pillaging. Bono's pirate song sounds better than Sting's. Bono is full of hubris, but his voice is always enigmatic and powerful.

Posted at 10:14AM on Jun 30th 2006 by sean kemble

9. All the usual liberal suspects glorifying pirates, who are nothing more than today's terrorists. Nothing new here; move on!

Posted at 10:54AM on Jun 30th 2006 by P.J. O'Bourke

10. I've been living on the water and singing traditional sea music for many years. It is so great to see the genre head mainstream. The music is enjoyed so much by all ages and backgrounds. I presently sing with a couple Sea Shanty groups, including "Skip Henderson and Starboard Watch", one of the premier Shanty groups in the U.S. Henderson penned the great pirate song, "Billy Bones", most likely overlooked for this production because it's a reletively recent song. It is available at: http://www.deadmentellnotales.com/index.shtml.
Bono's "Dying Sailor" is a nice rendition, as is Sting's "Blood Read Roses", but Sting's is a work song, that would be impossible to heave to, or the weigh anchor at that lively pacing.
For lot's of Piratical, music, events, etc. check out one of the best Pirate re-enactment groups around, "Tales Of The Seven Seas" at: http://www.talesofthesevenseas.com

Posted at 11:38AM on Jun 30th 2006 by Bloody John

11. Oh MY, I don't think they included "The Whydah's Whim- Black Sam's Lament"
and alas, Black Bellamy's ship-the only pirate ship on the globe that was discovered off Cape Cod, sunk by a gale in 1717 ARRRRRRRGGG!!

Posted at 1:13PM on Jun 30th 2006 by Ralph Vaccari

12. I'll buy the thing just for the chance to hear Richard Thompson sing Mingulay Boat Song.

Posted at 3:55PM on Jun 30th 2006 by Marie LaCroix

13. Is this released yet? If so, anyone know where to purchase it?

Posted at 3:01AM on Jul 1st 2006 by Frank

14. The album is not released yet but it will be released on 22nd of August. I listen to the two songs and wow, I must say those songs are great.

Posted at 6:38PM on Jul 3rd 2006 by Monica

15. As an itinerant shantyman and leader of a pirate jam band, first from Vashon Island on the Puget Sound in Washington, and now in Southern California, I don't know whether to be encouraged by this album, or entirely disheartened. There are many folks out there who have spent years researching and performing these songs, and are deserving of wider exposure, as well as the means to afford to pay their bills, and now the big commercial singers are going to come in and plunder the genre and take the credit (true piracy, indeed). Theauthentic folk musicians get screwed, and the ever so brilliant public will go around thinking Sting and Bono "discovered" sea music, making even more money in the process.
I can't wait until my pirate jam band goes out to perform and people think that we're copying them. Damn yer eyes Bono. Fetch me the cat and rig the grating. Lou Reed'll be able to take the lash - and like as not, enjoy it, but Bryan Ferry'll shed tears when I cut into his fine silk suit. As fer Sting, ye won't be wrapped 'round me finger, but bent o'er me 16 pounder with salt in the wounds.....

Posted at 12:30PM on Jul 14th 2006 by Shanghai Brown

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