Lyr Req: my old man's a unionman by alex glasgow

Subject: Lyr Req: my old man's a unionman by alex glasgow
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Sep 18 - 06:57 AM

anyone seen the lyrics and indeed a tune for this lesser known song from close the coalhouse door...benny graham

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: my old man's a unionman by alex glasgow
From: Dave Sutherland
Date: 18 Sep 18 - 03:12 AM

Benny - Would the song be on the CD "The Songs of Alex Glasgow" from Mawson and Swan? All the other tracks from Close the Coalhouse Door are on there but I'm at work at present- I'll look out my copy when I get home tonight.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: my old man's a unionman by alex glasgow
From: Brakn
Date: 18 Sep 18 - 06:21 AM

Is it this.

Ewan MacColl song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: my old man's a unionman by alex glasgow
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Sep 18 - 01:38 PM

no

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: my old man's a unionman by alex glasgow
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Sep 18 - 02:23 PM

Refresh. I've looked through a lot of recordings by Alex Glasgow, but I have been unable to find this one.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: my old man's a unionman by alex glasgow
From: Brakn
Date: 20 Sep 18 - 05:24 PM

Close the Coalhouse Door was directed by Joan Littlewood who was at one time Ewan MacColl's wife.

I can't find a list of songs that were used.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: my old man's a unionman by alex glasgow
From: GUEST,Guest Bob Blair
Date: 21 Sep 18 - 08:42 AM

I'm not sure that Joan Littlewood ever directed Close THe Coalhouse door.. I'd be interested if and when this happened.

Close the Coalhouse Door was written by Alan Plater( from stories by Sid Chaplin) with songs by Alex Glasgow

Here's a link to a BBC recording of it, if anyone would like to listen.
Not my digitisation so thanks to original digitiser

http://www.mediafire.com/file/pot9b9i41nb32vu/BBC_R4_-_Close_The_Coalhouse_Door-.mp3/file

Maybe someone could do a blue clicky for the link - Im useless at it

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: my old man's a unionman by alex glasgow
From: Brakn
Date: 21 Sep 18 - 01:26 PM

See here Bob.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: my old man's a unionman by alex glasgow
From: GUEST,Bob Blair Guest
Date: 21 Sep 18 - 03:12 PM

Thanks for that info Brakn. Fascinating link to the SLT as well.   I wished I’d seen Joan Littlewood’s production of Close the Coalhouse Door at the Roundhouse.

Joan used to come along to Ewan MacColl’s annual Festival of Fools written and produced by MacColl and performed by the Critics Group, of which I was a member. That particular year(1969) when she produced Coalhouse she told me when she came to the FOF that it was the best political theatre in Britain at that time.

Well you live and learn everyday - thanks again for filling me in on Joan’s production

Bob Blair

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: my old man's a unionman by alex glasgow
From: Brakn
Date: 22 Sep 18 - 04:57 AM

You'r welcome Bob.
Still wondering about the song though.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: my old man's a unionman by alex glasgow
From: GUEST,Guest Bob Blair
Date: 24 Sep 18 - 06:58 AM

Brakn The song is in Close the Coalhouse Door. It can be found at approx 33 mins in if you listen to the link I posted above

It's a woman's song and I'm not sure that Alex ever recorded it and it doesn't appear on The Songs of Alex Glasgow Vols 1 and 2, nor does it appear on a third recording that was available which he made at an Edinburgh Festival with Henry Livings. Great recordings.

Incidentally if anyone has a copy of a TV programme that Alex did called The Camera and the Song, then I'd be grateful for a copy. It was part of a series that I've been trying to get hold of for years. The songs from the TV programme or on the The Songs of Alex Glasgow Vols 1 and 2

Subject: lyrics add: my old man's a union man -Alex Glasgow
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 24 Sep 18 - 11:05 AM

BB's link
http://www.mediafire.com/file/pot9b9i41nb32vu/BBC_R4_-_Close_The_Coalhouse_Door-.mp3/file 

@33:20
My old man's a union man
as happy as happy can be,
He spends his life on a piecework plan
but it brings nae peace to me.
When he comes home at the break of dawn
he gives to me this greeting'
"Mary dear, you've got nowt to fear
... I've been to a union meeting."
33:54
My old man's a union man
as jolly as jolly can be,
He's working now on another time band
but he finds nae time for me.
When he comes home tight on a Friday night
(he) says he's not been cheating
And he's not been drinking - oh dear no -
he's been to a union meeting.
34:14
My old man's a union man
as bonny as bonny can be
But once in a while he's a family man
and he stays at home with me.
So he takes his turn and he minds the bairns
and then he starts repeatin'
"Tonight's the night, ... ooh! Turn out the light
... ooh hinny!
that's a lovely union meeting."

"Tonight's the night, ... ooh! Turn out the light
... ooh hinny!
that's a lovely union meeting."

[might need some edits]