ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The McCalmans)

Subject: Song by The MacAlmans??
From: C Stuart Cook
Date: 05 Feb 22 - 09:39 AM

Looking for a song that I think the Macs did about working on the North Sea oil rigs? It’s hovering on the edges of my brain but won’t come any nearer.

Subject: ADD:Who Pays the Piper (Nancy Nicholson)
From: Helen
Date: 05 Feb 22 - 09:58 AM

Is it this one?

Who Pays the Piper

Lyrics here:
Who Pays the Piper

WHO PAYS THE PIPER
    (Nancy Nicholson)

    Chorus:
    Who pays the piper, who pays the piper
    Who pays the piper, who calls the tune
    Who pays the piper, what is the fee
    Flames on the water, death on the sea

    And the tune is old and has always told
    How the great brave and bold they do flourish
    How bravely they gamble with other men's lives
    And profit as other men perish

    And the tune rings out and is always found
    When the ground receives yet another
    Father of dazed and despairing young bairns
    Or son of a desolate mother

    And the price is dear for the folk who fear
    And who bear the burden of sorrow
    For those who were lost when the graph of the cost
    Crossed the graph of rich pickings tomorrow

    ( as sung by The McCalmans)

Subject: RE: Song by The MacAlmans??
From: Helen
Date: 05 Feb 22 - 02:32 PM

Piper Alpha disaster

Subject: RE: Song by The MacAlmans??
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Feb 22 - 02:45 PM

Helen's nailed it in one.

https://www.scotslanguage.com/articles/node/id/446

Subject: RE: ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The MacAlmans)
From: Helen
Date: 05 Feb 22 - 05:40 PM

Well I could say FIGJAM, but I'm too modest. LOL

Actually, I didn't know the song and only vaguely recalled the disaster.

I searched for:

McAlmans songs

and couldn't see any song titles which seemed to fit so I searched for:

McAlmans songs oil rig

and bingo!

So Google is the FIGJAM, not me.

But still, 19 minutes from OP question to answer is good.

Subject: RE: ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The McCalmans)
From: Reinhard
Date: 05 Feb 22 - 06:04 PM

You should have searched for "McCalmans songs" ;-)

Subject: RE: ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The MacAlmans)
From: Helen
Date: 05 Feb 22 - 06:48 PM

Oops! I still found it, though.

Subject: RE: ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The MacAlmans)
From: C Stuart Cook
Date: 06 Feb 22 - 10:56 AM

No that’s not the one I’m thinking of. I’ve gone through all the recordings and no found it yet. It may even have the the great Alec Campbell. Like I say, it’s hovering around the edge. It won’t come into focus.

Subject: RE: ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The MacAlmans)
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Feb 22 - 12:59 PM

Archie Fisher's "Men O'Worth" , perhaps ?
https://youtu.be/H9V3vYvQVHc

Subject: RE: ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The MacAlmans)
From: GUEST,maeve
Date: 06 Feb 22 - 01:11 PM

One could ask them what knows: http://the-mccalmans.com/contact.htm

Subject: RE: ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The MacAlmans)
From: Helen
Date: 06 Feb 22 - 01:36 PM

The usual questions:

Do you remember any of the lyrics? Please post what you remember to help with internet searches.

Do you definitely think it was The McCalmans? Or a group with a similar sound.

When did you hear it, e.g. which decade?

Was it recorded? Did you hear it on the radio, see it on TV, hear it on vinyl, CD, digital, YouTube, etc?

Did you hear it live?

Singer(s) male, female, a group, solo?
Musicians? Main instruments, any other instruments?
Lively, haunting, slow, fast, dance tune, etc, etc?

Any more information would be helpful. It might also help to jog your memory, especially if you can think of any lyrics from the song.

Subject: RE: ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The MacAlmans)
From: Helen
Date: 06 Feb 22 - 01:39 PM

And, importantly, was the song about the Piper Alpha disaster? Or did I get that wrong too?

Subject: RE: ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The MacAlmans)
From: Helen
Date: 06 Feb 22 - 01:41 PM

I just found this page which lists nine:

Piper Alpha (1988) Songs

Subject: RE: ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The MacAlmans)
From: C Stuart Cook
Date: 06 Feb 22 - 03:18 PM

Ok, after much brain frazzling I’ve come up with first line of “leave the land behind laddie”. Now that I’ve remembered a bit of the thing that was just out of reach I’ll work on it. I’m certain it was the MacAlmans and it will have been live or radio.

Subject: RE: ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The MacAlmans)
From: C Stuart Cook
Date: 06 Feb 22 - 03:24 PM

All of a sudden the lid comes off. It was “Men of Worth” by Phil Colclough. Mary Black has sung it but it was definitely the MacAlmans I remember singing it. Singing it bloody well too.

Thanks everybody. Sorry if my original query irritated some people.

Subject: RE: ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The MacAlmans)
From: C Stuart Cook
Date: 06 Feb 22 - 03:40 PM

Or it may be an Archie Fisher song which would make more sense.

Subject: RE: ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The MacAlmans)
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Feb 22 - 03:49 PM

"Men Of Worth" was written by Archie Fisher - not Phil Colclough.

Subject: RE: ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The MacAlmans)
From: Helen
Date: 06 Feb 22 - 04:07 PM

Your request didn't irritate me. I like a challenge. I don't even mind people telling me I'm wrong, even when I'm crowing about my own (non) victory. LOL

Men O' Worth performed by The McCalmans

The lyrics and a video of the song on that page.

Note: as Reinhard said above, the spelling of McCalmans. And, the album is called Flames on the Water, which is also a line in the first song I posted.

Subject: RE: ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The MacAlmans)
From: Helen
Date: 06 Feb 22 - 04:15 PM

Look what I also found - A Mudcat thread:

Men of Worth - Archie Fisher

Subject: RE: ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The MacAlmans)
From: GUEST,maeve
Date: 06 Feb 22 - 04:26 PM

Men of Worth discussion, Archie Fisher

Subject: RE: ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The MacAlmans)
From: Helen
Date: 06 Feb 22 - 04:53 PM

Coincidentally, and I didn't realise it when I started reading this thread, just last week I was watching a TV programme called When Big Things Go Wrong and there was a brief mention and some footage of what I now realise was the Piper Alpha disaster.

Subject: RE: ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The MacAlmans)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 06 Feb 22 - 06:23 PM

As already mentioned, searches go much better with correct spelling - McCalmans please! (Can a mudelf correct the thread title please?)

Subject: RE: ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The McCalmans)
From: GUEST,maeve
Date: 07 Feb 22 - 06:48 PM

Until someone waves a magic wand to correct the subject spelling, this post will allow it to show with a search using the correct spelling.

Subject: RE: ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The McCalmans)
From: Helen
Date: 08 Feb 22 - 01:26 AM

The best and most polite way to ask a Mudelf to correct the title of the thread is to send a PM. I believe that Joe Offer takes care of the music section. Without sending a PM to one of the moderators you just have to hope that one of our MudAngels will drop into the thread and read your request. Or waving a magic wand might - or might not - work. :-)

Thanks to the MudAngel who changed the thread title to the correct spelling.

Subject: RE: ADD: Who Pays the Piper (The McCalmans)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 09 Feb 22 - 07:46 PM

Thanks from me too.