Discussion: Windmills by Alan Bell

Subject: Windmill by Alan Bell
From:
Date: 04 May 01 - 08:22 PM

Anyone know who the publishing company is and how to contact them?

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 06 May 01 - 04:13 PM

Dunno but you can get Alan Bell by going to www.folkus.co.uk (Sorry, can't be doing with clickies at the mo.)

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Oct 03 - 02:03 PM

Somebody asked me for chords for this song - can anybody help?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Oct 03 - 03:07 PM

[e-mail]

Alan can be contacted via above - I presume the publishing co might have been Tamlyn - which would be Alan as well.....

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: GUEST,Phil
Date: 14 Oct 03 - 06:48 PM

I've known this song for as long as I can remember - I have no idea where I first heard it. I started singing it about 3 years ago and seem to enjoy it more each time. Usually I sing it very slowly but at a session in Geelong (Victoria, Australia) after I sang someone commented that they had known it as a fairly quick and jaunty song. When sung slowly it is a great song to get a large group singing, the harmonies that evolve are often sensational.

Joe, I play it in E with the capo on the 2nd fret but leave the low E string open. The chord forms I use are in D but it sounds in E. Chords are simply a rotation through D, A, G, A. Occasionally I'll hold the chord of D and run the bass through D, C#, B, A.

A great song.

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: GUEST,Matt
Date: 03 Aug 12 - 02:42 AM

Is this song from an old folk song, IE 1800's or was it just created?

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 03 Aug 12 - 03:26 AM

Well Alan is no spring chicken......

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Aug 12 - 03:29 AM

....but he's still running folk festivals, so it must be an old folk song.... ;-)

---

YouTube recordings of this song here (click) and here (click)

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: s&r
Date: 03 Aug 12 - 05:04 AM

Alan is still managing director of Fylde Folk Festival and has been for forty years since its inception. I don't know if any festival directors can match that...

Stu

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 03 Aug 12 - 05:15 AM

in answer to your serious questyion Matt - Alan bell of Fleetwooe wrote the song. One of his many great songs - Bread and fishes probably being the most famous. Alan is still very much with us and wasn't around in the 1800's. If you want to write songs like that - Alan does songwriting classes occasionally.

Subject: DT Correction: Windmills by Alan Bell
From: s&r
Date: 03 Aug 12 - 08:53 AM

The words to Windmills are given below. They are taken directly from Alan's songbook. There are various wrong versions on the web including the version in the forum here.


WINDMILLS
(Alan Bell)

In days gone by when the world was much younger
Men harnessed the wind to work for mankind
Seamen built ships to sail on the ocean.
Landsmen built windmills the corn for to grind

CHORUS
It's around and around and around went the big sails
Turning the shafts and the great wooden wheels.
Creaking and groaning, the millstone kept turning
Grinding to flour the good corn from the fields

In Flanders and Spain and the lowlands of Holland
Through the Kingdoms of England and Scotland and Wales
Windmills grew up all along the wild coastlines
Ships of the land with their high canvas sails

The Lancashire lads worked hard with the good earth
Ploughing and sowing as the seasons declare
Waiting to reap the rich golden harvest
While the miller he idled his mill to repair

Windmills so old of wood blacked by weather
Windmills of stone, glaring white in the sun
Windmills like giants ready for tilting
Windmills that died in the gales and are gone


Stu

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: Charley Noble
Date: 03 Aug 12 - 10:20 AM

Stu-

Thanks for the lyrics.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 03 Aug 12 - 10:27 AM

In days gone by, when the world was much younger
Men harnessed the wind to work for mankind
Seamen built tall ships to sail on the ocean
While landsmen built wheels the corn for to grind

/ G - C G / / G D C G / 1st /

{Refrain}
And around and around and around went the big sail
Turning the shaft and the great wooden wheel
Creaking and groaning, the millstones kept turning
Grinding to flour the good corn from the field

In Flanders and Spain and the lowlands of Holland
And the kingdoms of England and Scotland and Wales
Windmills sprang up all along the wild coastline
Ships of the land with their high canvas sails

{Refrain}

In Lancashire, lads work hard at the good earth
Ploughing and sowing as the seasons declare
Waiting to reap all the rich, golden harvest
While the miller is idle, his mill to repair

{Refrain}

Windmills of wood all blackened by weather
Windmills of stone, glaring white in the sun
Windmills like giants all ready for tilting
Windmills that died in the gales and the sun

As performed by Clam Chowder!

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: s&r
Date: 03 Aug 12 - 03:35 PM

That's why I posted Alan's original words, although I recognise the folk process.

The last line of your first verse and the last line of the last verse however lose by this process. IMO

Stu

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: Bernard
Date: 03 Aug 12 - 05:18 PM

A few years ago when Sounds of Folk was on BBC GMR (now Radio Manchester), we interviewed Alan - and I was privileged to sing this song live on air with Alan joining in on the choruses!

I checked the words through with him before we went live...

I've still got the archive recording, too.

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Aug 12 - 12:35 AM

Stu, I standardized the format in your post to match what we use in the Digital Tradition. Does the songbook omit punctuation altogether?
Any other changes before I submit a correction request for the Digital Tradition?

Oh - I think the name of this song is a plural "Windmills." Am I correct?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 04 Aug 12 - 01:13 AM

Correct, Joe. "Windmills" it is.

The Fylde of Lancashire is the area between the rivers Wyre and Ribble, stretching west to the Irish Sea coast from a line roughly between Preston and Lancaster. About twenty miles square, the area once possessed thirty-five windmills. Allen Clarke, who coined the name "Windmill Land", was a local journalist whose book of that title, published 1916, is still highly sought after.

Alan Bell was born within sight of Staining Mill (still standing with full sails, renovated after a disastrous fire and subsequently converted to a private dwelling). He used to nurse an ambition to own one of these relics, and took an image of Staining Mill as the original logo of Fylde Folk Festival in Fleetwood, about to celebrate forty years under his direction at the end of this month.

After the Taverners' version, my favourite renditions of the song were by the McCalmans and Archie Fisher. It remains one of Alan's best songs.

Ross

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: s&r
Date: 04 Aug 12 - 03:41 AM

Thanks for that Joe - the punctuation is in a PM to you.

Stu

Subject: DT Correction: Windmills (Alan Bell)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Aug 12 - 05:34 PM

S&R sent me a fully-corrected transcription of the song, and I'd like to submit it to the Digital Tradition as a correction. Any additions before I submit it?
Thank you very much, Stu.
-Joe Offer-

---

Joe

My post was a correction of the Digitrad. I only corrected words. This is checked for punctuation against two versions Alan published; one in 'the Taverners Songbook'   and one in 'the Alan Bell Songbook', a later publication. The first used "blackened' the later one used 'blacked' which is what Alan sings
Stu

WINDMILLS
(Alan Bell)

In days gone by when the world was much younger,
Men harnessed the wind to work for mankind.
Seamen built ships to sail on the ocean,
Landsmen built windmills the corn for to grind.

   CHORUS
   It's around, and around, and around went the big sails,
   Turning the shafts and the great wooden wheels.
   Creaking and groaning, the millstone kept turning
   Grinding to flour, the good corn from the fields.


Through Flanders and Spain, and the lowlands of Holland,
Through the Kingdoms of England and Scotland and Wales,
Windmills grew up all along the wild coastlines,
Ships of the land, with their high canvas sails.

The Lancashire lads worked hard with the good earth,
Ploughing and sowing as the seasons declare.
Waiting to reap the rich golden harvest,
While the miller he idled his mill to repair.

Windmills so old of wood blacked(ened) by weather,
Windmills of stone, glaring white in the sun.
Windmills like giants ready for tilting,
Windmills that died in the gales and are gone.

---

S&R submitted the melody in another thread - corrections?


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%%titlefont TIMES-BOLD 18
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M:3/4
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V:1 clef=TREBLE
z4 B2|e4 z/2 g2|B4 z/2 BB|A2 c2 e2|
w: In days gone by, when the world was
e2 B3 B|e2 e2 g2|B4 ^A|A2 c2 e2|
w: much young er,
Men har nessed the wind to work for
e6|g2 .e2 .g2|f4 d|e2 c2 c2|
w: man kind
Sea men built ships to sail o'er
e2 B4|e2 e2 g2|B2 B3 ^A|A2 c2 e2|
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Lands men built wind mills the corn for
e8|z/2 BB|e4 z/2 gg|B4 z/2 B^A|
w: to grind.
it's a round, and a round, and
A2 c3 e|e2 B4|e2 e2- g2|B4 z/2 B^A|
w: a round went the big sails,
Turn ing the shafts and
A2 c2 e2|e6|g2 e2 g2|f2 d3 d|
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creak ing and groan ing,
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grind ing to flour, the
A2 c2 e2|e8| |
w: good corn from the fields

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Aug 12 - 05:52 PM

I listened to the song on Alan Bell's Definitive Collection, and there are three places in Stu's transcription that I question:

-In the third line of the first verse, I hear a plural oceans

-In the third line of the chorus, I hear a plural millstones

-In the second line of the third verse, I hear a-sowing - but I would prefer to leave this line as Stu has it.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: s&r
Date: 05 Aug 12 - 03:37 AM

Joe - Oceans is correct: millstones is correct: sowing is correct. All according to the songbooks.

Proof reading for me is an inexact science it seems.

I'm with Ross - this remains one of my favourite Alan Bell Songs.

Stu

PS - the previous post got lost in the ether I think

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: r.padgett
Date: 05 Aug 12 - 04:03 AM

Re last post
Bread and Fishes and The Parting Glass are all favourites too

Just refinding Alan Bell's songs. Parting Glass finding popularity in Ireland it seems and Bread and Fishes in churches!

Alice White popular song too

Ray

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Aug 12 - 04:15 AM

did Alan Bell write Parting Glass, well I never, I learn something new every day

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: stallion
Date: 05 Aug 12 - 04:26 AM

Is it the same Parting Glass that is supposed to have come from a broadside circa 1770? Guest above was a perplexed me, took me four attempts to convince MCPS that "Stormy Weather" was not from a musical

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: s&r
Date: 05 Aug 12 - 05:03 AM

I think the song that Ray is referring to is possibly 'So here's to you'. It uses the phrase 'parting glass' in the chorus.

'When first we met, complete total strangers,
We didn't know if we could be friends.
How soon we've come to know each other,
So now I know we will meet again.

Cho
So here's to you and our time together,
I'll share with you now a parting glass,
And bid adieu with a smile and laughter.
Our time apart will be short and pass.

We've talked of dreams and the good tomorrows,
Of yesterdays with their dark despair.
We've had our share of love and sorrow,
So now we part as friends who care.
Cho

A long long road now lies before me,
And fate will lead me where it will.
All throught the valleys and over mountains,
I'll not forget and remember you still.

Alan Bell 1978


Stu

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: stallion
Date: 05 Aug 12 - 03:18 PM

a beauty

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: r.padgett
Date: 06 Aug 12 - 03:32 AM

Yes sorry since we were talking Alan Bell I assumed Parting Glass as Alan Bell

The other Parting Glass is of course a well known traditional song

Thanks for posting "Here's to you and our time together" aka Parting Glass with its fine sentiments

Ray

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 06 Aug 12 - 04:22 PM

Bumped into Alan Bell today on the front at Sidmouth -it being festival week. Told him there was currently a mudcat thread about him and his song.

Subject: RE: Help: Windmill by Alan Bell
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 06 Aug 12 - 04:22 PM

Bumped into Alan Bell today on the front at Sidmouth -it being festival week. Told him there was currently a mudcat thread about him and his song.