Subject: Chord Req: Blackleg miner From: GUEST Date: 08 Feb 07 - 12:46 PM I saw someone play this once and i think Richard Thompson does it. Great song |
Subject: RE: Chord Req: Blackleg miner From: Richard Bridge Date: 08 Feb 07 - 02:02 PM Em In the evening D after dark When the Em black leg miner Bm creeps to work With his Em moleskin pants and his D dirty shirt There Em goes the Bm black leg miner I use a bridge after that between each verse, rhythm Dum diddle diddle diddle diddle dum dum dum, (= the length of one line) chords: Em Dum diddle diddle diddle diddle E perfect dum B9 Dum Em Dum Em is played 0 10 9 000 E perfect is 079900 D is 500775 Bm is 799777 B9 (not quite a true B9) is 799000 First verse and first half of the last at half tempo |
Subject: Blackleg Miner - Tune? From: Richard Bridge Date: 30 Jul 08 - 02:39 AM I have searched and read at least the two main threads on the Blackleg Miner (and some others on the way too). I ahve considered Malcolm DOuglas's informative post (reproduced in part below): - "Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Black Leg Miner From: Malcolm Douglas - PM Date: 26 May 01 - 02:51 PM I tend to think of this song as being so well-known as scarcely to be worth mentioning, but that would be a regional phenomenon; I doubt if it's often heard in America, and when it is, people probably think it's Irish...(sigh). As Swan mentioned, this song has -unless new information has come to light- been found only once in tradition as such, sung by W. Sampey of Bishop Aukland in County Durham (18th. November 1949). A.L. Lloyd printed it in the first edition of his book Come All Ye Bold Miners (Lawrence and Wishart, 1952) and it took the fancy of a great many Revival singers, among them Ewan MacColl and (much) later, Christie Moore. They are all, whether they know it or not, singing Mr. Sampey's song. Lloyd gave a text in more-or-less standard English, but didn't indicate whether or not this was exactly as sung. Some years later, he printed another set (Folk Song in England, Lawrence and Wishart, 1967) with modified, dialectal text and a slightly variant tune (this is the one quoted in the DT); typically, the only provenance he gave for it was a reference to his earlier book. Whence the variations is a mystery. In his notes to the second edition of CAYBM (1978) he remarks that the song has become popular and acquired melodic variants since his publication of it; whether these should be considered traditional in the strict sense is hard to say; it is not impossible that the song may have persisted elsewhere than just in Mr. Sampey's repertoire, though on balance it does seem most likely that Lloyd was the significant agent of transmission. Lloyd also refers to what may be a variation or parody of it, The Yahie Miners, noted by George Corson in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, and published in Coal Dust on the Fiddle (Philadelphia, 1943). I haven't seen that book, so I don't know how close it may or may not be to the Durham song. Malcolm" Now just yesterday it was put to me by a fellow who is well informed about folk but with a somewhat scattergun approach to his knowledge that possibly the words were traditional but the tune as we know it was composed (although I forget the name of the composer he suggested) Would anyone care to speculate? |
Subject: RE: Blackleg Miner - Tune? From: Richard Bridge Date: 30 Jul 08 - 02:44 AM PS - the tune in the digitrad is all but unrecognisable (and IMHO impossible to synch to the words) for the first couple of lines, and truncates prematurely. Fixing would be good if possible... |
Subject: RE: Blackleg Miner - Tune? From: Malcolm Douglas Date: 30 Jul 08 - 02:46 AM Not without more information, no. |
Subject: RE: Blackleg Miner - Tune? From: Malcolm Douglas Date: 30 Jul 08 - 03:01 AM That was in reply to Richard's first post, of course. The DT midi is exactly as printed by Lloyd (Folk Song in England, 1967, 385-6); but it has undergone some modifications by revival performers since then. They have also purged the text of some of its irregularities, and that too would contribute to the midi sounding odd to people who have only heard modern adaptations of the song. |
Subject: RE: Blackleg Miner - Tune? From: Les in Chorlton Date: 30 Jul 08 - 10:45 AM I bet Bert made it up Les In Chorlton |
Subject: RE: Blackleg Miner - Tune? From: Richard Bridge Date: 30 Jul 08 - 12:56 PM I am surprised by what is said about the midi. Maybe my Nero is mangling it. I learned the tune (in the form it had before I made my own butchered version) from my late wife. Lloyd was no stranger to her or to her first husband. I sing a text with only the most marginal pruning of irregularities from the text in the digitrad. |
Subject: RE: Blackleg Miner - Tune? From: Les in Chorlton Date: 25 Sep 08 - 05:15 AM Three of us were sitting in our kitchen last night singing and playing tunes. I offered 'The Unfortunate Taylor' or 'Go and list foe a Sailor' as it is also known. Made popular by John Kirkpatrick and recorded on an Albion Band album around mid 70's. Also sung recently by Martin Carthy. My mate Ken said isn't that the same tune as 'Blackleg Miner'? Cheers L in C |
Subject: RE: Blackleg Miner - Tune? From: Steve Gardham Date: 25 Sep 08 - 02:18 PM The nearest tune I can bring to mind is 'Though you are a mucky kid' from the same area. Come to think of it it's also the same as 'Dol-li-a' Just checked Korson p334. It's beginning to look very strongly that it comes from America like several other mining songs sung in the North East over here. You've got 2 choices...either it was brought back by a returning miner from Nova Scotia where Sampey picked it up, or Bert was doing his usual. Here is the NS version, no tune given, 'Text contributed by Stuart McCawley, Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. "This 'come all ye' is sixty years old (in 1945) and still sung in District 26 (NS)"...McCawley' Early in the month of May when all the ice is gone away The Yahies they come down to work With their white bags and dirty shirt, The dirty Yahie miners. Chorus Bonnie Boys, oh won't you gang! Bonnie boys, oh won't you gang! To beat the Yahie miners. They take their picks and they go down A-digging coal on underground, For board and lodgings can't be found For dirty Yahie miners. Into Mitchell's they do deal, Nothing there but Injun meal, Sour molasses will make them squeal, The dirty Yahie miners. Join the Union right away, Don't wait till after pay, Join the Union right away, You dirty Yahie miners. Mrs McNab she keeps a hall Where the Yahies they do call, You'll see them flock around the hall. The dYm Don't go near McDonald's door, Else the bully will ahve you sure, For he goes round from door to door Converting Ym Jimmie Brimick he jumped in Caught MacKeigan ny the chin, "Give me Maggie though she's thin For I'm no Ym" From Ricky Boston they do come, The damnedest Yahies ever found, Around the office they do crowd, The dYm. The Lorway road it is now clear, There are no Yahies on the beer, The reason why they are not here, They're frightened by the miners. If Bert did write the English version he did a damned good job. it's just a pity that he didn't lay claim to his works. And hey they write some cracking songs in NS. |
Subject: RE: Blackleg Miner - Tune? From: GUEST,JTT Date: 25 Sep 08 - 03:34 PM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flqcZmsLgIo |
Subject: RE: Blackleg Miner - Tune? From: GUEST,JTT Date: 25 Sep 08 - 03:37 PM Ignore post above; this one is more to the point: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7pnRgBan7c |
Subject: RE: Blackleg Miner - Tune? From: Les in Chorlton Date: 25 Sep 08 - 03:52 PM Tim & Maddy 1927? Something good |
Subject: RE: Blackleg Miner - Tune? From: Les in Chorlton Date: 25 Sep 08 - 03:52 PM Sorry Steeleye 1928 |
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Blackleg Miner From: GUEST,Vince the Makem Date: 09 Nov 13 - 06:47 PM I'm just trying out the song with the following chords Am Em C G Am Em Am Am Em C G Am Em Am With a simple pick pattern sounds quite nice...but what do I know! |
Subject: RE: Tune Req: Blackleg Miner From: Tug the Cox Date: 10 Nov 13 - 04:44 PM a version by Syteeleye Span here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7pnRgBan7c |
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