Lyr Req: The Coal and Albert Berry (Ted Edwards)

Subject: Lyr Req: Coal mining song
From: GUEST,James Harper
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 06:01 AM

Hello,

I listened to a wonderful performance of a coal mining folk song at The Irregular Folk festival in oxford 2013/14. It was sung by one man without any instruments.

The song centered around a coal miner who was very angry at the coal for taking his loved ones and his health away from him. He would sing to the coal and get quite angry at it.

I have searched and searched to no avail and i was wondering if anyone could help me find the name of this song.

Many thanks,
James

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Coal mining song
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 06:04 AM

A line or two would help James I can think of more than one that would fit the bill.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE COAL AND ALBERT BERRY (Ted Edwards)
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 07:05 AM

THE COAL AND ALBERT BERRY
(Ted Edwards)

To the coal walked Albert Berry, drill of iron in his hand.
Off to fight another battle for the people of this land.

Said the coal to Albert Berry, `Forty years you've been a man.
You've took away the best part of me. Today I'll kill you if I can.'

Albert took his drill of iron, and he drilled himself a hole.
`For forty years you've tried to kill me,' said Albert Berry to the coal.

Said the coal to Albert Berry, `I have scarred your back with blue,
And your lungs are black and tattered, today I'll make an end of you!'

Albert took the shot and wire and plunged them deep into the hole.
`Now do your worst you black old devil,' said Albert Berry to the coal.

Shouted the coal to Albert Berry, as Albert pushed the plunger deep,
`I will make your wife a widow! I will make your children weep!'

A ton of dirt flew down the tunnel as Albert crouched into a hole.
`So you didn't get me this time,' said Albert Berry to the coal.

Albert stepped into the tunnel and he did not hear the sound,
As a ton of dirt and rubble crushed Albert Berry to the ground.

Then said the coal to Albert Berry as Albert's blood seeped in the floor.
`Men have always won the battles, but I always win the war!'

Then said the ghost of Albert Berry out of every bag of coal,
`There'll be other Albert Berrys.' said Albert Berry to the coal.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Coal mining song
From: GUEST,#
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 08:25 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzmnBWycwzo

Sung by the writer at that link.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Coal mining song
From: Raggytash
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 08:56 AM

Trust me on this one # That is NOT Ted Edwards singing !!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Coal mining song
From: GUEST,#
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 09:59 AM

Dang. My apologies. Thanks for the wakeup call, Raggytash.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Coal mining song
From: GUEST,James
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 12:48 PM

Unbelievable, you guys and gals did it!

Thanks so much!

What a great song, poor Albert Berry.

Thanks again you wonderful people,
James

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Coal mining song
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 01:05 PM

James I've known Ted Edwards for more years than I care to recall, over 45. The rendition on the post above is frankly bloody awful. If you want to know how the song should be heard have a listen to:

The Coal & Albert Berry


It's a lot closer to the original

Subject: RE: Req: Coal mining song-The Coal and Albert Berry
From: MoorleyMan
Date: 22 Jul 15 - 07:22 AM

Brilliant song.
There's no comparison with Ted's own version, which you can hear in an archive recording from 1984 on the CD "Ted Edwards - At Wigan" that Mark Dowding put together a few years back.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Coal and Albert Berry (Ted Edwards)
From: Bernard
Date: 27 Aug 15 - 05:06 PM

Ted says he used the surnames of two miners he worked with to come up with the fictitious 'Albert Berry'... some twenty-odd years later one of the last people to be injured in a mining accident was... Albert Berry.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Coal and Albert Berry (Ted Edwards)
From: Musket
Date: 28 Aug 15 - 03:26 AM

Interesting Bernard.

I don't know about last accident but the last fatality, my son was on the same shift and helped try to release the man who was crushed. I too attended a fatal accident at my pit for that matter.

Once my lad had left the pit, I felt I could add mining songs to the repertoire and this was one of the first I learned. Other than a reference to a "tunnel" which has never been a word I ever heard used, although an audience wouldn't understand "gate" I suppose, it is an excellent song.

Hearing Gary and Vera sing it again reminds me of their place as the very last act we booked at Worksop Folk Club at The Boundary. Must have been 33 years ago......

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Coal and Albert Berry (Ted Edwards)
From: Paul Reade
Date: 28 Aug 15 - 04:55 PM

Fantastic song. In view of what's happened to the coal industry perhaps an extra verse could be:-

"Said the Government to Albert Junior, we don't need miners or their coal
We can buy it cheap from China, so bugger off, you're on the dole"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Coal and Albert Berry (Ted Edwards)
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 28 Aug 15 - 06:43 PM

I spoke to Ted a few years back and suggested that a song he'd written about the closure of Irlam Steel works where he had been employed for a while could do with another verse.

In polite terms he told me to **** off. That's the way the had written the song and no additions were permissible.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Coal and Albert Berry (Ted Edwards)
From: GUEST,Phil Thurman
Date: 14 Jan 20 - 03:37 PM

James Harper... the solo singer you heard was undoubtedly the inimitable Ian Giles.