Lyr ADD: Windmills (Alan Bell)

Subject: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 12:07 PM

In my distant memory there is a song about windmills. Can anyone help please.

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

I know the chorus as well but I believe there may be other verse(s)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: InOBU
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 12:22 PM

It is on one of the Irish Tradition albums... nice song. Lots of good verses.... I could give it to you from memory, but one of the other Mcats will likely know a link to the official version... if not, I will give you what I recall... Cheers Larry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: InOBU
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 12:25 PM

A how to... look above to the DT window, choose W and find the following... All the best, Larry
WINDMILL (from DT)
(Alan Bell)

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

Around and around and around went the big sails
Turning the shaft in the great wooden wheels.
Creaking and groaning, the millstone kept turning
Grinding to flour the corn from the fields

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

In Lancashire lands we work hard as the good earth
Plowing and sowing as the seasons declare
Waiting to reap of the rich golden harvest
While the miller was idle his mill he'd repair

Windmills of old wood all darkened by weather
Windmills of stone, glaring white in the sun
Windmills like giants all ready for tilting
Windmills that died in the gale of the storm

Copyright Alan Bell
@mill
filename[ WNDMILL

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 12:28 PM

That's great thank you...much appreciated.
Be Blessed.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: MMario
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 12:35 PM

it's still one of the DT's "Missing tunes" though, if anyone can post?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 01:26 PM

I've heard this song on a CD from Fred Holstein, and I'd bet it was was Holstein's recordings that brought this song into the "folk canon" in the U.S. Are there other recordings of the song available? Larry, you mention one of the Irish Tradition albums - which album, and who was the singer?
Is there an Alan Bell CD that I should add to my collection?
And yes, is there somebody who can send a MIDI of this song to MMario or me?
-Joe Offer-
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: s&r
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 01:37 PM

Alan has made several interesting CDs. He has been a prolific writer and fine singer for forty some years. He is known in particular as the founder and director of Fylde Festival, and of a blossoming Folk Arts network in the NW UK called Folkus.

Windmills has long been a regular at clubs in and around Fylde (a flat part of the UK).

The words there are nearly right; I'll correct them later from his songbook. I'll send a midi or the dots.

Stu

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 01:40 PM

S&R - we'll want to match words to the notes - so if you can embed lyrics in the midi it would help. I'm always willing to transcribe from a scan, tho.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 01:44 PM

whoops! sorry, that was me above.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: PennyBlack
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 03:58 PM

S & R - make that 50 years this year!

Alan's 70th Birthday Party and 50 years a singist/songsmith.

All Profits in aid of charity

Saturday, 26 June 2004
The Alan Bell 70th Birthday Concert:
At The Marine Hall, Fleetwood

For tickets or further information, please contact the venue directly.

Sunday, 5 September 2004
Fylde Folk Festival 2004: The Alan Bell 50th Anniversary Concert:

Please visit www.fylde-folk-festival.com for further details.

PB

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: InOBU
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 04:42 PM

Hi Joe:
Jeeze, my album is way high on a shelf in a room with a burned out light... I can get to it if no one picks up on this soon, but my recolection is the album is The Corner House. I'll see if I can find it in the dark. Cheers Larry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: InOBU
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 04:45 PM

Oh... Andy O'Brien vocals on the album Corner House, Billy McCumisky on box and Brendan Mullvahill on fiddle. CHeers Larry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 04:54 PM

Thanks, Larry - Can I buy you a light bulb (and some folkies to change it)?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: s&r
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 06:30 PM

Corrections as promised from Alan's songbook:
Line 2-change 'we' to 'men'
Line 3 'Seamen built ships to sail o'er...'
line 4 'Landsmen built windmills...
line 6 'turning the shafts and the great wooden wheels
line 7 'mill stones'
line 8 'the good corn from ..'
line 9 Through Flanders and Spain and the lowlands of Holland
line 10 Through...
line 13 The Lancashire Lads worked hard with the good earth
line 14 'ploughing' (UK)
line 15 delete 'of'
line 16 ' While the miller he idled his mill to repair
line 17 ' Windmills so old of wood blacked by weather'
line 18 '..flaring white..'
line 19 delete 'all'
line 20 'Windmills that died in the gales and are gone'

Stu

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: mg
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 06:51 PM

I thought it was gales of Argonne...mg

Subject: Lyr Add: WINDMILLS (Alan Bell)
From: PennyBlack
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 08:17 PM

WINDMILLS
(c) 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 o'er the oceans.
Landsmen built windmills, 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 mill stones kept turning,
Grinding to flour the good corn from the fields.

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

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

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

---

Click to play

Subject: Lyr Add: CIRCLES (G L Zak, A Cass, A Bell)
From: PennyBlack
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 08:22 PM

Now here's an interesting variation.....

Verses 1-4 & Chorus © Copyright 1979, Gwendolyn Lee Zak; used by permission. Verse 5 by Ann Cass; tune – "Windmills" by Alan Bell

Circles

In days gone by, when the world was much younger
Man wondered at spring born of winter's cold night:
Wond'ring at the games of the moon and the sunlight,
They saw the Lady and the Lord of all life.

And around and around and around turns the good earth;
All things must change as the seasons go by.
We are the children of the Lord and the Lady,
Whose myst'ries we know, but we'll never know why.

In all lands the people were tied to the good earth,
Plowing and sowing as the seasons declared:
Waiting to reap of the rich, golden harvest,
Knowing her laughter in the joys that they shared.

In Flanders and Wales and the green hills of Ireland,
In the kingdoms of England and of Scotland and Spain,
Circles grew up all along the wild coastline,
And worked for the land with the sun and the rain.

Circles for healing and working the weather,
Circles for knowing the moon and the sun,
Circles for thanking the Lord and the Lady,
Circles for dancing the dance never done.

And we who reach for the stars in the heavens,
Turning our backs on the fields and the groves
Still live in the love of the Lord and the Lady;
The greater the circle, the more the love grows.



(Alternative second line for the last verse: "Leaving behind the fields and the groves")

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: InOBU
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 09:27 PM

Hi Joe... I'm playing scales with the broken paw... but not yet up to standing on a chair in a dark room and tempting fate!
Cheers
Larry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 18 Jun 04 - 05:15 AM

Thank you all for your help. Best wishes, Mike.

Subject: Tune Add: WINDMILLS (Alan Bell)
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 18 Jun 04 - 08:36 AM

X:1
T:WINDMILLS
C:Alan Bell - 1970
N:from the sheet music (sent in by S&R
I:abc2nwc
M:3/4
L:1/8
K:G
z4D2|"G"G4B2|"D"D4D D|"C"C2E2G2|"G"G2D3D|
w:In days gone by, when the world was much young-er, Men
G2G2B2|"D"D4-D ^C|"C"C2E2G2|"G"G6|
w:har-nessed the wind_ to work for man-kind
G2G2B2|"D"A4-A F|"C"G2E2E2|"G"G2D4|
w:Sea-men built ships_ to sail o'er the o-ceans,
G2G2B2|"D"D2D3^C|"C"C2E2G2|"G"G6-|
w:Lands-men built wind-mills the corn for to grind._
G4D D|"G"G4B B|"D"D4D ^C|"C"C2E3G|"G"G2D4|
w:it's a-round, and a-round, and a-round went the big sails,
G2G2B2|"D"D4D ^C|"C"C2E2G2|"G"G6|
w:Turn-ing the shafts and the great wood-en wheels.
G2G2B2|"D"A2F3F|"C"G2E2E2|"G"G2D4|
w:creak-ing and groan-ing, the mill stones kept turn-ing,
G2G2B2|"D"D4D ^C|"C"C2E2G2|"G"G6-|G4z2
w:grind-ing to flour, the good corn from the fields._

Subject: Tune Add: WINDMILLS (Alan Bell) - Harmony
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 18 Jun 04 - 09:18 AM

And because I love the song so much here's the two harmony parts:

X:1
T:WINDMILLS High Harmony
C:Alan Bell - 1970
N:from the sheet music (sent in by S&R
M:3/4
L:1/8
K:G
z4F2|"G"B4d2|"D"F4F F|"C"E2G2c2|"G"B2G3G|
B2B2d2|"D"F4-F =F|"C"E2G2c2|"G"B6|
B2B2d2|"D"d4-d A|"C"c2G2G2|"G"B2G4|
B2B2d2|"D"F2F3=F|"C"E2G2c2|"G"B6-|
B4G G|"G"B4d d|"D"F4F =F|"C"E2G3c|"G"B2G4|
B2B2d2|"D"F4F =F|"C"E2G2c2|"G"B6|
B2B2d2|"D"d2A3A|"C"c2G2G2|"G"B2G4|
B2B2d2|"D"F4F =F|"C"E2G2c2|"G"B6-|B4z2

X:1
T:WINDMILLS Low Harmony
C:Alan Bell - 1970
N:from the sheet music (sent in by S&R
M:3/4
L:1/8
K:G
z4B,2|"G"D4G2|"D"A,4A, A,|"C"G,2C2E2|"G"D2B,3B,|
D2D2G2|"D"A,4-A, A,|"C"G,2C2E2|"G"D6|
D2D2G2|"D"F4-F D|"C"E2C2C2|"G"D2B,4|
D2D2G2|"D"A,2A,3A,|"C"G,2C2E2|"G"D6-|
D4B, B,|"G"D4G G|"D"A,4A, A,|"C"G,2C3E|"G"D2B,4|
D2D2G2|"D"A,4A, A,|"C"G,2C2E2|"G"D6|
D2D2G2|"D"F2D3D|"C"E2C2C2|"G"D2B,4|
D2D2G2|"D"A,4A, A,|"C"G,2C2E2|"G"D6-|D4z2

Not quite as dramatic as the McCalmanc version, but not too bad.

Regards, John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 18 Jun 04 - 09:30 AM

I sent Joe the midi as well

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 18 Jun 04 - 09:40 AM

MM, all 3 versions?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jun 04 - 09:43 AM

just the first one so far -

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: breezy
Date: 18 Jun 04 - 10:33 AM

New song on the scene about windmill

'The Mill' written by George Papavgeris and recorded by Cloudstreet on their new album availeble soon.

If you be at Arden this w.end ask em.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 18 Jun 04 - 10:24 PM

Just for posterity the two harmonies didn't come from the score, I used software to create them and then did some minor tweaking.

Regards, John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Dec 04 - 02:24 AM

MMario sent me this MIDI when FTP was down and I wasn't able to upload it. I came across it today, so here it is. It doesn't sound quite right to me - at least, it doesn't sound like the Fred Holstein recording. Other opinions?
-Joe Offer-

---

Click to play

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: GUEST,Paul Burke
Date: 22 Dec 04 - 03:32 AM

Pennyblack, that song is truly Lost Golden Age crap. Ancient peasant life was about shovelling manure wearing worn out rags on a frozen morning. Sorry. I'll give you an even worse variant to make up for it.

A long time ago, before toilets were thought of
People would go in a hole in the ground,
When it was chilly, it froze off your willy,
When it was foggy, you just heard the sound....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: s&r
Date: 22 Dec 04 - 04:15 AM

Joe - the music corresponds with the original. Commonly the tune is sung without the C# notes in bars 7, 15, 25, 33. It's possible that the notes were transcribed too accurately from Alan's singing - part of his style is to approach notes with a sort of portamento. Try just omitting the C#s.


Stu

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Dec 04 - 04:31 AM

Hi, Stu - on the third line of every verse, Holstein goes up much higher than the rest of the melody. Wish I could notate by ear, so I could demonstrate.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: breezy
Date: 22 Dec 04 - 06:07 AM

George Papavgeris plus Cloudstreet are in Brisbane now

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: s&r
Date: 22 Dec 04 - 06:30 AM

Had a browse around and found Fred Holstein - sounds as though he was a nice performer. I orddered one of his cd's to add to my collection: it's got Windmills on - I'll notate it when it arrives

Stu

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: Enti
Date: 22 Dec 04 - 08:33 AM

I only ever heard the song when my father sang it, it was one of my favourites..

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: OldPossum
Date: 22 Dec 04 - 08:39 AM

The only version of Windmills that I know, is on the LP No Strings Attached by The McCalmans (RCA PL 25086), from 1971. Joe, the MIDI you posted gets an OK from me too, it agrees with what The McCalmans are singing. Wild guess: Could it be that Fred Holstein got the song from the McCalmans - directly or indirectly? Since the McCalmans tend to sing in harmony a lot, someone who learned it from them might have had to guess at the tune here and there.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: song about windmills
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 23 Dec 04 - 05:44 AM

Muscat's very own El Greko has a song about windmills - heard him sing it the other night - with Cloudstreet! Let him finish his holdays first...

Subject: Tune Add: WINDMILLS (Alan Bell)
From: s&r
Date: 31 Dec 04 - 08:16 AM

Got the Fred Holstein version. Nice straightforward singer with a rich voice.
Joe - is this what you hear

%%abc-version 2.0
%%abc-creator HARMONY 3.3.2
% Obtainable from www.greenhedges.com
%%titlefont TIMES-BOLD 18
%%subtitlefont TIMES-BOLD 12
%%vocalfont HELVETICA-BOLD 9
%%gchordfont HELVETICA-BOLD 9
%%infofont HELVETICA-BOLD 9
X:1
T:WINDMILLS
M:3/4
|
Q: 1/4=120
L:1/8
K:EMaj
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|
w: the o ceans,
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|
w: the great wood en wheels.
creak ing and groan ing,
e2 c2 c2|e2 B4|e2 e2 g2|B4 z/2 B^A|
w: the mill stones kept turn ing,
grind ing to flour, the
A2 c2 e2|e8| |
w: good corn from the fields



Stu

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Windmills (Alan Bell)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Aug 14 - 10:21 PM

I have a friend who needs permission to use "Windmills" in a songbook. Can somebody post an e-mail address for him here if it's public, or by personal message (click) if it's a private e-mail address that shouldn't be posted here?
Thanks.
-Joe-
or [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Windmills (Alan Bell)
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 20 Aug 14 - 09:24 AM

Alan Bell is the Director of the Fylde Folk Festival and can be contacted on [e-mail].

I think that Alan has regained the copyright of his songs, which he now publishes through Tamlyn Music.

Alan recently celebrated his 80th birthday - with a concert which included Windmills. The 42nd - and final - Fylde Folk Festival will take place in Fleetwood, Lancashire, over the weekend of 29/30/31 August 2014.

I'm very sorry to report that Stu - of Stu and Rusty - died last year.

---

We've tried [e-mail] and received no response. Anybody have another way to contact Alan? -Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Windmills (Alan Bell)
From: Felipa
Date: 20 Aug 14 - 11:02 AM

happy birthday, Alan Bell!
I remember hearing this song as sung by Tommy Makem

http://www.releaselyrics.com/3c37/tommy-makem-%26-liam-clancy-windmills/ (with audio)

http://martindardis.com/windmills_lyrics_and_chords.html (with chords)

there are also sites offering mp3 of Makem-Clancy version of the song

Subject: DT Corr: Windmills (Alan Bell)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Nov 14 - 05:27 AM

I thought that Penny Black did a pretty good job of correcting the DT version, but she missed a few of the corrections specified by s&r - looks like just the word "through" in the Flanders & Spain verse. So, here's my attempt, referring to the Alan Bell recording. Any other corrections?

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 o'er the oceans.
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 mill stones 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, Scotland and Wales,
Windmills grew up all along the wild coastlines,
Ships of the land with their high canvas sails.
CHORUS

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

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

Click to play

Alan Bell Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-liyZ2pHAYg

From Alan Bell: The Definitive Collection

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Windmills (Alan Bell)
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 29 Nov 14 - 08:58 AM

Joe, are you still trying to contact Alan Bell?

He is also Chairman of Folkus.
THE 12th FOLKUS WADDOW RESIDENTIAL WEEKEND OF MUSIC MAKING
6th 7th & 8th FEBRUARY 2015 Waddow Hall, Clitheroe, Lancashire
Weekend and Day prices available soon. Email [e-mail]

He is appearing with his band at the Willows Folk Club in Kirkham, Lancashire on Wednesday, 3 December.

Penny Black were folk duo John Bond and Pete Skinner.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Windmills (Alan Bell)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Nov 14 - 07:50 PM

Hi, Henry - we did make contact with him, and we had a very nice correspondence with him and I believe it was his daughter. He gave us permission to publish "Windmills" in the upcoming Rise Again Songbook. Sometimes, the songwriters furnish us lyrics and chords, but apparently Alan Bell did not. I think the lyrics I have a correct now, but I would be grateful if somebody could check them closely and compare them with the Alan Bell songbook. The DT version is close to what's been circulating in the U.S. for years. I'd prefer to have something closer to the original.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Windmills (Alan Bell)
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 30 Nov 14 - 04:25 AM

my humble version

https://soundcloud.com/denise_whittle/windmills

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Windmills (Alan Bell)
From: GUEST,Swaleman
Date: 30 Nov 14 - 04:28 AM

Hello Joe - I have the song book and your lyrics are spot on except in verse 3 line 2 where it should read 'as the seasons declare'. Hope that helps.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Windmills (Alan Bell)
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 30 Nov 14 - 11:57 AM

Nice though it is, Al, the tune you sing bears very little resemblance to the original.

This is a song we used to sing although I must admit that the band I sung it with did disband in around 1977. Being involved with running one of the biggest clubs in the South Manchester area during that period, besides ourselves, the two main exponents of the song were the Macalmans and Alan Bell's group, the Taverners, themselves. Certainly, the first recording of the song was by the Macalmans and I honestly don't remember whether the Taverners ever recorded it - unlike the Macalmans, they weren't a fully professional outfit.

At the time, I do remember that Alan was involved in writing songs for a television series and it may have been recorded for that although I suspect that the song predates that.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Windmills (Alan Bell)
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 30 Nov 14 - 12:25 PM

i learned it off Alan's cd. i'd heard him sing it at Waddow - i know its not really the sort of thing i do well.

The Taverners did it on their Blowing Sands album.

my arrangement is admittedly just me pissing about with Carthy's C tuning. i did it a few years ago.   lets hope i didn't do it irreparable harm!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Windmills (Alan Bell)
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 01 Dec 14 - 09:28 AM

There's no point in trying to exactly reproduce the original Al.

Actually, I doubt whether Alan ever wrote chords for it. The only instrument I ever remember "the worlds oldest teenager", as he was referred to the last time we were at the Fylde Folk Festival, around 30 years ago, was the concertina.

I expect the chords came from the late Brian Osborne.