Rocked out rendition of Springhill Mining

Subject: Rocked out rendition of Springhill
From:
Date: 24 Apr 01 - 03:32 AM

Hi, I wonder if you can help me, the uk folk music usenet group and the people from Dirty Linen magazine weren't able to! Between about 80 - 85 in the UK I heard a folk-rock rendition of Springhill ( mining Disaster / Ballad of) on a trad folk music radio program. It was a studio cut, the (male) lead singer had a nasal voice like Vin Garbutt, the music was very rocked out..lots of bass guitar, and light on the chorus pedal. Sounded almost like a metal version! The tempo was a little faster than the midi file of Springhill on this site. Any thoughts as to who it might have been? I know that it wasn't U2 Arizona Smoke Revue Men of the Deeps Martin Carthy Dubliners Tom Jakovich Thanks Diane

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill
From: GUEST,Dita (at work)
Date: 24 Apr 01 - 04:53 AM

This rings a bell, I'll need to search my record/CD collections but the first place I'll look will be the Oyster Band (?the album with June Tabor), followed by Billy Bragg (b-sides).
Hope this helps or mabye jogs someone elses memory. I'll check the records when I can and get back.
love, john.

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill
From: GUEST,Dita (at work)
Date: 25 Apr 01 - 11:11 AM

Nope, wasn't any of the above. Had a look at all the likely suspects last night, but didn't find it. I know I have or have had this recording at one time. I can visualise myself looking at the cover while listening. Will keep looking. How about the rest of you 'catters
love, john

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 25 Apr 01 - 12:21 PM

The Oysters were my best bet, John, but it seems not. Have you got all their stuff? I hung out with them in the early 80's in Canterbury, but that was before the 'metal' age, and JJ's shades and crop.

Skipjack

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill
From: GUEST,Dita (at work)
Date: 25 Apr 01 - 04:12 PM

Hi Skipjack, my Oyster Band stuff runs from the two Fiddlers Dram albums, through Oyster Ceilidh Band and runs out of steam around "Deserters" early 90's. (So I do have all the albums for the period in question). Didn't seem to play Scotland much in the early days, first saw them in Glasgow touring the "Liberty Hall" set. Finally met Cathy when she was with the Albions at a north of England festival. Good band.
love, john.

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 26 Apr 01 - 01:56 PM

Yeah, they're still living down the shamelessly commercial Didn't We Have A Loverly Day ........

Skipjack

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill
From:
Date: 26 Apr 01 - 05:26 PM

John,

I can hardly breathe thinking that someone might know of the track that I'm talking about! I had a look at at a discography list for the Oysters from 1979, Springhill wasn't listed either as a single or a track on one of their albums...

Hoping...and thanks Diane

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill
From: Dita
Date: 28 Apr 01 - 08:50 AM

Still looking Diane, how about the rest of you guys and galls?
love john.

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 05:50 AM

The only version in my collection is the Seeger/McColl one but the Allmusic guide also lists a version by a group called Paddy goes to Holyhead which hasn't been mentioned so far in the thread, could that be it?
RtS

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill
From: Pene Azul
Date: 19 May 01 - 03:15 AM

From new thread:

Subject: Rock-Folk version of Springhill Mining
From: GUEST,[e-mail]
Date: 18-May-01 - 09:25 PM

I am awfully sorry if it considered rude on this forum to resurrect a thread that I had started only a couple of months ago. I have tried searching for it to see if I had received any more replies, but cannot find it.

I had posted previously asking if anyone can think of who did a folk-rock version of Springhill mining disaster, lead singer was male, had a nasal voice, tempo was faster than normal, heavy use of guitars and not much chorus pedal. If Vin Garbutt sung the song backed by Metallica it would approximate what this version sounded like!

It was recorded at least 15 years ago. I know that it wasn't U2, Arizona Smoke Review, Dubliners, Men of the Deeps.

One person here had replied that this description rang a bell, but couldn't quite put a finger on it...

If anyone else has an idea, please put me out of my misery, let me know!

p.s. I know it was definately the Springhill Disaster, not the Gresford Disaster

Thanks a lot Diane

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill Mining
From: Pene Azul
Date: 19 May 01 - 03:27 AM

Probably a longshot, but there's a reference to it on a rare, very expensive 10" record by a group called The Free Winds, about halfway down this page.

Jeff

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill Mining
From: Dita
Date: 21 May 01 - 05:07 PM

Still looking, love john.

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill Mining
From: Brigie
Date: 25 May 01 - 07:10 AM

what was your mans name from the Pogues??Sounds like a possiblilty

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill Mining
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Jun 01 - 05:47 PM

No, it wasn't Paddy goes to Holyhead, though their version was pretty good. On a side note, I know napster was stealing, but it did enable me to find all of these versions as mp3's and try them to see if they were the song I was looking for before I went on a quest to find the CD...

Thanks everyone Diane

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill Mining
From: GUEST,Lucius
Date: 02 Jun 01 - 12:06 AM

I seem to recall a version serving as album title to a late sixties group such as Guess Who or Bee Gees, or maybe even 1910 Fruit Gum Company. How "rocked out" was it?

I'm off to search the Billboard site.

Lucius

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill Mining
From: elffi
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 12:32 AM

Hi Lucius.

Sorry for the term "rocked out" ! The backing music was fairly contemporary, lots of guitar and bass like U2's version (though I know it wasn't U2, I heard this before U2 started adding it to their set, and Bono was not the singer)

Thanks D

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill Mining
From: elffi
Date: 24 Jun 01 - 12:03 PM

OK, I can close this annoying, persistant thread of mine. I was chatting to Nigel Schofield at the Old Songs Festival yesterday, he most definitively said that it was the Oyster Band, 1st or possibly 2nd album, on Dingle's records from around '79 - '80. Apparently U2 heard this version and copied it note for note. This record was a limited release, in Britain only.

Thanks to all who made suggestions! Diane

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill Mining
From: GUEST,Dita (at work)
Date: 25 Jun 01 - 09:05 AM

That's where I started looking Diane, on the 2 Dingles albums in question, the Oyster Band were called Fiddlers Dram. If it is on there I missed it.
I'll check again tonight and confirm or deny.

love,john.

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill Mining
From: Stewie
Date: 25 Jun 01 - 10:00 AM

According to the following discography of the band, which seems quite comprehensive, they did not record it as Fiddler's Dram - or at all as far as I can see with a quick scroll. They did record 'Coal Creek Mine' on 'Wide Blue Yonder'.

Oyster discography

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill Mining
From: Stewie
Date: 25 Jun 01 - 10:06 AM

I suppose it is possible - but unlikely, I'd reckon - that it was lurking under the title 'The Black Hole' in the 1981 single listed in the Fiddler's Dram section of the discography.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill Mining
From: Dita
Date: 25 Jun 01 - 06:41 PM

Sorry Diane, I'm afraid Nigel's wrong, (same mistake I made, see post two on this thread).
I agree with Stewie's dicography above there is nothing missing, got the albums on my lap, it ain't there, so were still looking!!!!!
Reading over my shoulder my better half has just suggested we look at The Alarm. Don't have any of their stuff so it's back to searching. I haven't given up on this one yet,
love, john.

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill Mining
From: GUEST,Dia (at work)
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 04:21 AM

Nope ain't the Alarm, checked their website and all recorded songs are listed there, some folk mining related stuff (they were Welsh), but not this.
My guess is that Lucius above was thinking of the Bee Gees "New York Mining Disaster 1941" which was on "BeeGee's 1st", and was their fisrt UK hit, the album might have had a different title is USA.
Not given in yet,
love, john.

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill Mining
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 12:36 AM

I am re-visiting this quest after a couple of years away... Would anyone remember a folk rock version of the Springhill Mining Disaster circa 80 - 84 as described in this thread? If anyone has any ideas I would be eternally grateful to you for sharing them..

Diane

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill Mining
From: Stewie
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 02:00 AM

Diane, Gracenote indicates that U2 did a version of 'Springhill Mining Disaster' in the 80s. I haven't heard it, but it could be what you are after. See reference ON THIS PAGE.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill Mining
From: Stewie
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 03:03 AM

My apologies, I should have read the thread more carefully - U2 was mentioned above and dismissed.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill Mining
From: mg
Date: 18 Oct 04 - 09:18 PM

I can't help you with the recording...but I do know someone who was involved in the mining disaster as a radio operator. I can see if she would like to be contacted by any folklorist or interested person. mg

Subject: RE: Rocked out rendition of Springhill Mining
From: GUEST
Date: 12 May 19 - 03:03 PM

Thank you so much to the people back then who helped... I don't suppose this triggers any memories with anyone 18 years after the original post? (Wow shows how old this forum is!!)

thanks
Diane