28 Aug 00 - 03:26 PM (#286688) Subject: Ewan Macoll song From: Catrin The other current Ewan Macoll thread brought to mind that there's one of his songs song that a friend of mine sings occasionally. I've been pestering him for the words but you know.... I can't remember what it's called but it's about a factory strike where the workers want to impose a colour bar (accusing 'blacks' of taking jobs or something). The story goes that the unions refused to support that strike because 'this is the kind of ignorance the unions have always fought' or something. I can't find it in the DT (probably because I don't know the words or the title(?)). What I do remember is that it's a powerful song. Help, anybody? Catrin |
28 Aug 00 - 04:56 PM (#286748) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ewan Macoll song From: Pene Azul This page lists a song called "The Colour Bar Strike" from Second Shift with Peggy Seeger, but give no further info. Jeff |
28 Aug 00 - 05:02 PM (#286754) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ewan Macoll song From: Pene Azul This page also contains this citation: Colour-Bar Strike - Mayo, Charlie/MacColl, Ewan Critics Group. Sweet Thames Flow Softly, Argo ZDA 47, LP (1966), cut# 15 Jeff |
29 Aug 00 - 02:47 AM (#287048) Subject: Lyr Add: THE COLOUR-BAR STRIKE (Mayo, MacColl)^^ From: Stewie Here you go:
THE COLOUR-BAR STRIKE
Source: transcribed from The Critics 'Sweet Thames Flow Softly' Argo LP ZDA 47 Cheers, Stewie. ^^ |
29 Aug 00 - 03:36 AM (#287051) Subject: Ewan MacColl Songbook From: Joe Offer http://www.pegseeger.com says that Peggy is publishing The Essential Ewan MacColl Songbook and it should be ready in the Autumn of 2000. I can hardly wait. -Joe Offer- |
29 Aug 00 - 04:36 AM (#287060) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ewan Macoll song From: Catrin Thank you, thank you everybody - I have been trying to get those words for years (seriously!). One request on the Mudcat and it takes less than twenty-four hours!!! Joe - I'll be on the look out for that book too! Catrin |
29 Aug 00 - 07:39 AM (#287085) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ewan Macoll song From: John in Brisbane Catrin and Joe, I haven't yet found my index to the published book of the Radio Ballads but my memory tells me that it's in there. I don't have access to a copy of this book in Brisbane, but if you can locate a copy, the tune is notated in there - I hope. Regards, John |
21 Mar 01 - 07:42 PM (#422804) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ewan Macoll song From: Joe Offer Still haven't seen the songbook. Anybody know anything about it? -Joe Offer- |
22 Mar 01 - 06:29 AM (#423014) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ewan Macoll song From: nutty MacColl published this in THE SINGING ISLAND (Belwin - Mills Music Ltd 1960) and says ........... "Since folksong is concerned with the daily stuff of people's lives, it is not suprising that social and political matters are, from time to time , used as themes. Charlie Mayo , a locomotive fireman at Kings Cross Loco Depot, wrote this hardhitting song immediately after the colour-bar strike of the Kings Cross railwaymen in 1957. We publish it as an interesting example of contemporary song in the folk idiom" |
22 Mar 01 - 11:29 AM (#423212) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ewan Macoll song From: GeorgeH I don't recall it as being in the Radio Ballads (though I've not listened to the whole set as yet . . ) BTW I'd strongly recommend Singing Island to anyone who can find a copy . . wonderful, and highly varied collection of songs old and less old. ISTR it's actually jointly attributed to Peggy. G. |
22 Mar 01 - 01:01 PM (#423291) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ewan Macoll song From: Musicman catrin... just gotta know the right places to look!!!!! |
22 Mar 01 - 01:13 PM (#423302) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ewan Macoll song From: IanC Hi folks I've seen a copy of "The Singing Island" in the British Library. You're unlikely to be able to find one yourself because it was a fairly small circulation pamphlet type book, aimed at schools etc. It's actually a pretty important piece of work because it includes the versions of both "The Black Velvet Band" and "The Wild Rover" which were recorded by "The Dubliners" as hit singles in the 1960s and subsequently became the "standard" versions (the former collected from Harry Cox in 1953 and the latter from Sam Larner in 1956 or 9 I think). If you've got a copy of the book, hang onto it (unless you want to sell it to me!).
Cheers! |
22 Mar 01 - 03:18 PM (#423438) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ewan Macoll song From: nutty My copy cost £1.50 ( so it must have been bought in the 70's ) It contains 96 songs and I'm sorry Ian .. it is not for sale |
22 Mar 01 - 07:19 PM (#423615) Subject: Ewan MacColl songbook From: Joe Offer OK, here's the respons from www.pegseeger.com: The Ewan MacColl Songbook's projected appearance is now Summer 2001Now we know. -Joe Offer- Duplicate post deleted. --JoeClone. *smirk* |
23 Mar 01 - 05:30 AM (#423877) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ewan Macoll song From: Joe Offer Yeah, and I knew I had double-posted - the second one was to correct a spelling, but then I forgot to delete the first. These JoeClones are getting far too crafty for me. This could be a deep philosophical issue - what happense when the clones are better than the original - should we delete the original??? -Joe, the original- Nah - we still need the blueprint. No one's better or worse. We all simply have different abilities and different ways of messing up. We don't have many opportunities to catch you making a boo-boo! --JC |
26 Oct 11 - 10:10 AM (#3245039) Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Colour Bar Strike (Ewan MacColl) From: Billy Weeks A little added information: Charles Mayo, who wrote 'The Colour Bar Strike' while he was a steam locomotive fireman, much later became the Education Officer at the Independent Broadcasting Authority. He is now retired and living in the West Country. |
12 Feb 13 - 07:45 AM (#3478595) Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: The Colour-Bar Strike (Ewan MacColl) From: GUEST Contributors to this elderly thread may like to know that the words of Charles Mayo's 'The Colour Bar Strike' appeared in John Rose 'Solidarity Forever: !00 Years of King's Cross ASLEF' 1986. Charlie himself has recently published 'Ghosts of Steam: the diary of a young locomotive fireman at King's Cross Depot 1952-1954' - a very limited edition available from Sue Elliott at 47 Brentham Way W5 1BE (bevansue@globalnet.co.uk) at £12 incl p&p. The diary is reproduced in facsimile, which gives it great immediacy, even if it makes for slightly slower reading. The thoughts and experiences of a young man of the far left in a gruelling job with companions conditioned to tabloid right wing views (leading at one time to the notorious strike) makes a great story. It ends quite suddenly with his winning a life-changing scholarship to Ruskin College. The short (typeset) Introduction by the Charlie Mayo of today, looking back over sixty years, gives all the context you need. At the end he includes two more of his ballad texts. MacColl's setting of CBS, sung by EM himself, is available on Youtube. Charlie is still with us, resident in Polperro. |
12 Feb 13 - 07:48 AM (#3478597) Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: The Colour-Bar Strike (Ewan MacColl) From: Billy Weeks Sorry, I lost me cookie. That last GUEST was me. |
12 Feb 13 - 10:49 AM (#3478659) Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: The Colour-Bar Strike (Ewan MacColl) From: Jim Carroll The note to this song when it appeared on Topic Record 'Second Shift' (1958) was as follows. "Charlie Mayo, locomotive fireman of Kings Cross loco depot, wrote the words to this hard-hitting song immediately after the colour bar strike of the Kings Cross railwaymen in 1957. The air is by Ewan MacColl." Judging by how Ewan made tunes, I would guess that he based this one on'Searching For Young Lambs". Billy - Thanks for letting us know that Charlie is still going strong and a link to where we can get his book. Jim Carroll |