Lyr Req/Add: Teesside Bridges (Erik Gooding)

Subject: Lyr Add: ? BRIDGES
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Mar 17 - 05:13 AM

I'm looking for the lyrics and tune if available to a song I heard many years ago.

The only words I remember are:

If you're looking for (?) bridges in Tees side we've got two
To show what local engineers and working lads can do
There's one that (?) all out of shipping's way
The other shuffles back and forth a hundred times a day.

CHeers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: ? BRIDGES
From: Bugsy
Date: 14 Mar 17 - 05:14 AM

That was me, above, by the way.

I forgot to sign in.

CHeers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: TEES SIDE SONG "? BRIDGES'
From: Bugsy
Date: 14 Mar 17 - 08:22 PM

Refresh

Subject: ADD: Teesside Bridges (Erik Gooding)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Mar 17 - 02:15 AM

Hi, Bugsy -
Long time, no see. Teesside bridges, eh? I'd sure like to see that Transporter Bridge. The Tees Newport Bridge is a beauty, too. Your song is "Teesside Bridges," recorded by Richard Grainger. Here's a YouTube link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVBxDQSUW8A

TEESSIDE BRIDGES
(Erik Gooding)

CHORUS
If you're looking for fine bridges then on Teeside we've got two,
To show what local engineers and laborers can do,
There's one that lifts a stretch of road up out of shipping's way
And another shuffles back and forth a hundred times a day.

When I was just a student lad and working on a grant,
I got me sen a summer job in Dorman's Ackland Plant
Where conditions for the workers hadn't changed in fifty years
And the smell of smoke and manganese hung in the furnace glare.

The output of that plant it would be very hard to beat,
Wi' weary tykes a-toiling in the grim and bloody heat;
But a firm that mak's a better steel just find one if ye can
For that very furnace forged the steel for Sydney Harbour's span.

One day the foreman and me sen were walking to the mess.
We passed five hundred ton o' steel - I'm sure it were no less,
Says he to me, 'The job looks hard, of ingots there's a glut.'
And sure enough a twelve-month and that Ackland Plant were shut.

Now I'll tell ye lads of Brumagem what mak's us fancy cars
And fittings fine electrical and fruit and nut cake bars,
There's not a single one of ya that knows the way we feel
About our area up The North, where we mak' British steel.


Source: http://garrygillard.net/music/DannySpooner/yearslyrics.html. I take it that this is a transcription of the Danny Spooner recording.
Good to see that Garry is back to transcribing lyrics.

Here are Danny Spooner's notes on the song:

For a brief time in the 1970s Erik Gooding worked as a mathematics lecturer in Melbourne and used to visit Frank Traynor's Folk Club where I got to know him. As a student he had taken a job at the Dorman Long Steel Works at Ackland on Teeside, and wrote this song about his experiences. It's a bottler of a song which my brother Mick and his mate Pete nicked - and they do a great job with it too. This recording was made for Ian Ball's Anthology record Danny Spooner and Friends.

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Teesside Bridges (Erik Gooding)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Mar 17 - 02:46 AM

Here's my transcription of the Richard Grainger recording, just a bit different from what Garry came up with.

TEESSIDE BRIDGES
(Erik Gooding)

CHORUS
If you're looking for fine bridges then on Teesside we've got two,
To show what local engineers and laborers can do,
There's one of them that lifts itself up out of shipping's way
And the other shuttles back and forth a hundred times a day.

When I was just a college lad and living on a grant,
I went and got a summer job in Dorman's Acklam Plant (?)
Where conditions for the workers never change in fifty years
And fumes of oil and manganese blew (flew) in the furnace flames.

The output of this plant you would be hard-put (too?) to beat,
We wirey types are toiling in the grime and bloody heat;
Why, a firm that makes a finer steel, now tell me if you can
For this furnace made the very steel for Sydney's Harbour span.

One day the foreman and meself was going to the Bess (?).
We passed three hundred ton of steel - I'm sure it was no less,
Says he, 'This job looks for us, of ingots there's a glut.'
And sure enough, by twelve-month, that Acklam Plant was shut.

But I tell you sons of Brumagem who makes us fancy cars
With fittings fine electrical and fruit and nut case (?) bars,
There's not a single one of you that know the way we feel
About this area in the North, where we make British steel.


"Bess" - as in Bessemer?

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Teesside Bridges (Erik Gooding)
From: Bugsy
Date: 15 Mar 17 - 02:49 AM

Thank you Joe,

Your blood's worth bottling!

CHeers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Teesside Bridges (Erik Gooding)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Mar 17 - 02:54 AM

Glad I could help, Bugsy. Here's another transcription that seems very good.
Source: http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/antique-machinery-and-history/folk-music-machining-manufacturing-115793/index2.html

TEESSIDE BRIDGES
(Erik Gooding)

CHORUS
If you want to see fine bridges, then on Teesside we've got two
To show what local engineers and labourers can do
There's one o' them that lifts itself
Up out o' shipping's way
And t'other shuttles back and forth
A 'undred times a day.

When I was just a college lad, and living on a grant,
I went and got a summer job at Dorman's Acklam plant
Where conditions for the workers
Hadn't changed for fifty years
And the smell of oil & manganese
Hung in the burning air

The output of this plant
It would be hard for two to beat
Wi' wiry types a-toilin' in the grime and bloody heat
Why, a firm that makes a finer steel, you tell me if you can
For this furnace made the very steel
For Sydney Harbour's span

Chorus

One day the foreman & meself were going to the Bess
We passed three 'undred ton o' steel,
I'm sure it was no less
Says 'e to me "This job looks 'ard,
Of ingots there's a glut"
And sure enough, in twelve months time,
That Acklam plant was shut.

Now all you lads o' Brummagen
As makes yer fancy cars
And fittings fine electrical
And fruit and nutcake bars
There's not a single one of you
As knows the way we feel, about our area up 't North
Where we make British steel.

Chorus

I like this video - it has great bridge photos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw4B4B4WRoo

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Teesside Bridges (Erik Gooding)
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Mar 17 - 06:55 PM

It states that Erik Gooding was the writer of this song. Who was this guy and did he write any more songs ??

Subject: RE: req/ADD: Teesside Bridges (Erik Gooding)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Mar 17 - 09:40 PM

I get a security warning on this page, so I won't make a link. Here's what it says:

The Teeside Bridges: Written by Erik Gooding in the 1970s this tells part of the story of the decline of heavy industry in Britain. Erik, a mathmatics student, worked a holiday job with the Dorman Long Company in Teeside as steel stocks piled high. Erik also worked for a year in Australia as a maths teacher at Scotch College in Melbourne.

Source: www.locrian.com.au/gurdygirl/friends_backg.html - the Website of Locrian Records in Australia, apparently describing tracks on a CD titled With Friends.[spelling is from the source, not me -Joe-]

I added Danny Spooner's notes to my post with Garry's transcription above (click)