Dirty Old Town at 75

Available for over a year

Radio 4 has commissioned a brand new version of Dirty Old Town, the timeless classic that Ewan MacColl wrote about Salford. Mike Sweeney grew up on it’s streets, he's been singing the song his whole life, but when he brings Ewan’s widow, the folk legend Peggy Seeger back to the city to record a new version, he uncovers revelation after revelation. Peggy's new orchestral version with the BBC Philharmonic recalls all the longing and loneliness, felt by a young Ewan MacColl as he roamed Salford as a young man. Mike unlocks the secrets of the song, peeling back layers of history, meaning and emotion. He hears about the love and hate that Ewan had for Salford -and what Ewan thought of famous covers of Dirty Old Town by The Dubliners and The Pogues. He learns about the song's 'missing verse' , and hears Peggy perform it live and exclusively, in an emotional finale overlooking the docks that MacColl sang about. Presenter Mike Sweeney Producer: Catherine Murray Exec Producer: Richard McIlroy Studio Manager: Michael Smith Prod Co-ord: Lydia Depledge-Miller, Mica Nepomuceno and Pete Liggins Dirty Old Town: Arrangement by Kate St John The BBC Philharmonic was conducted by Mark Heron Vocals: Peggy Seeger Guitar: Neill MacColl Orchestral Recording and Mix Engineer: John Cole Guitar: Calum MacColl at WITW Thanks to the Lomax Digital Archive for use of ‘When I was Single’ by the Manchester Ramblers; Pam Bishop of Charles Parker Archive for the clip of Ewan MacColl in the Critics Group, Mary Orr for use of clips from Parsley, Sage and Politics. Thanks to Hamish and his mum for permission to use lyrics from Landscape with Chimneys. Special thanks to Josie Cahill, Partnerships Manager at BBC North and Kate Doyle, Director of We Invented the Weekend Festival.