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The Iron Muse

The Iron Muse (Topic 12T86)

The Iron Muse
A Panorama of Industrial Folk Song
arranged by A.L. Lloyd

Topic Records 12T86 (LP, UK, 1963)
Elektra EKL 279 (USA, UK, 1963)

 The Iron Muse (Elektra EKL 279)

Musicians

Anne Briggs, Bob Davenport, Ray Fisher, Louis Killen, A.L. Lloyd, Matt McGinn, vocals;
The Celebrated Working Man's Band: Alf Edwards, concertina; Colin Ross, fiddle; Jim Bray, double bass

Tracks

The original Topic record has one track (A11) more than the Elektra LP; both have different track orders.

Topic LP

Side 1Side 2
  1. [CWMB] Miner's Dance Tunes
  2. [BD] The Collier's Rant
  3. [AB] The Recruited Collier
  4. [ALL] Pit Boots
  5. [LK] The Banks of the Dee
  6. [MM] The Donibristle Moss Moran Disaster
  7. [BD] The Durham Lockout
  8. [LK] The Blackleg Miners
  9. [ALL] The Celebrated Working Man
  10. [BD] The Row Between the Cages
  11. [CWMB] The Collier's Daughter
  1. [CWMB] The Weaver's March
  2. [ALL] The Weaver and the Factory Maid
  3. [RF] The Spinner's Wedding
  4. [ALL] The Poor Cotton Wayver
  5. [AB] The Doffing Mistress
  6. [MM] The Swan Necked Valve
  7. [RF] The Dundee Lassie
  8. [MM] The Foreman O'Rourke
  9. [LK] Farewell to the Monty
  10. [CWMB] Miner's Dance Tunes

Electra LP

Side 1Side 2
  1. [ALL] The Celebrated Working Man (1:28)
  2. [BD] The Collier's Rant (1:45)
  3. [AB] The Recruited Collier (2:34)
  4. [ALL] Pit Boots (2:03)
  5. [LK] The Banks of the Dee (2:21)
  6. [BD] The Row Between the Cages (1:45)
  7. [BD] The Durham Lockout (3:05)
  8. [LK] The Blackleg Miners (1:20)
  9. [MM] The Donibristle Moss Moran Disaster (3:10)
  10. [CWMB] Miner's Dance Tunes: Newburn Lads / The Bonny Pit Laddie / The Drucken Collier (1:35)
  1. [CWMB] The Weaver's March (0:45)
  2. [ALL] The Weaver and the Factory Maid (2:23)
  3. [RF] The Spinner's Wedding (1:30)
  4. [ALL] The Poor Cotton Wayver (3:35)
  5. [MM] The Swan Necked Valve (2:37)
  6. [AB] The Doffing Mistress (1:20)
  7. [MM] The Foreman O'Rourke (3:39)
  8. [RF] The Dundee Lassie (1:33)
  9. [LK] Farewell to the Monty (3:09)
  10. [CWMB] Miner's Dance Tunes: The Jolly Colliers / The Keelman ower Land / Sma' Coals an' Little Money (2:08)

A.L. Lloyd's Sleeve Notes

What is folk song? The term is vague and seems to be getting vaguer. However, the songs on this record may conveniently be called “industrial folk songs” for without exception they were created by industrial workers out of their own daily experience and were circulated, mainly by word of mouth to be used by the songwriter's workmates in mines, mills and foundries. That other branch of workers' song, made by learned writers and musicians on behalf of the proletariat and passed on chiefly through print is not represented on this record. However excellent, such songs belong to a different order and require some other label than that of “folk song”. Here, we repeat, our concern is with songs made by working people out of their own traditions and for their own use.

The folk songs of industrial workers have not been much noticed. Cecil Sharp and other great collectors confined themselves to the rural past and rather shunned the industrial present. Thereby they allowed themselves only a partial view of Britain's musical folklore, for in fact the industrial community has much to show of traditional song native to itself, and indeed the creation of folk song has passed almost entirely into the scope of the working class of the towns within the last century or so as this record may suggest. Though the performance of folk song lingered on in the countryside, the composition of new stuff had to all intents ceased in the villages by the mid-19th century; but among industrial workers the creation of new songs celebrating strikes, pit disasters, workshop incidents etc. persisted and seems lately to have taken a fresh lease of life in somewhat altered circumstances.

We have said that industrial folk song has been neglected hitherto. As far as the light of present knowledge extends, the richest store seems to be found among miners and textile workers. Mining, spinning and weaving are occupations that provided themes for many songs well before the industrial revolution began to affect popular culture in the latter half of the 18th century. Subsequent industrial developments - steel, railways, etc. - which lacked this early fund of song, seem to have remained much weaker in poetry and music than the older traditional industries among whom good songmakers, some of them youngsters, are still to be found. But it must be said that as yet the ground is little explored and surprises may be in store for the searcher. What is so far found, of old stuff and new, is a reproof to those who profess to believe that the cultural horizon of the working class is bounded by the bingo hall and the idiots' lantern. It is true that most of these songs have only a limited circulation; it is also true that the circulation is widening. As yet the industrial community is only dimly aware of its own self-made cultural heritage; but that awareness is growing. This record, in a brief survey, presents but a few of the songs that working men and women have made out of their own lives. If it helps to make the songs wider known, good. If it inspires the making of new industrial songs, better still. The tradition is a fine one and worth perpetuating.

> Folk Music > Records > The Iron Muse

The Iron Muse

The Iron Muse (Topic TSCD465)

The Iron Muse
A Panorama of Industrial Folk Song
Various Artists

Topic Records TSCD465 (CD, UK, 1993)

Despite the same title, this is not a reissue of the above LP but a compilation with only seven tracks from the name-giving album and a lot of other musicians. Especially, nothing by the original album's arranger A.L. Lloyd survived onto this compilation.

Tracks

  1. The High Level Ranters feat. Johnny Handle: The Sandgate Girl's Lament / Elsie Marley
  2. The High Level Ranters feat. Johnny Handle: Doon the Waggonway
  3. Tommy Gilfellon: A Miner's Life
  4. Ewan MacColl acc. Peggy Seeger: The Coal-Owner and the Pitman's Wife
  5. Louis Killen: The Trimdon Grange Explosion
  6. Louis Killen: The Blackleg Miners
  7. Dick Gaughan acc. Alistair Anderson: The Auchengeich Disaster
  8. Ed Pickford: Ee Aye, Aa Cud Hew
  9. Maureen Craik acc. Colin Ross: The Durham Lockout
  10. The High Level Ranters feat. Johnny Handle: Aa'm Glad the Strike's Done
  11. The Celebrated Working Man's Band: The Weaver's March
  12. Ray Fisher: The Spinner's Song
  13. Ewan MacColl acc. Peggy Seeger: Oh Dear Me
  14. Anne Briggs: The Doffing Mistress
  15. Dave Brooks: The Little Piecer
  16. Harry Boardman acc. Lesley Boardman and Bob Diehl: The Hand-Loom Weaver's Lament
  17. Ray Fisher: The Dundee Lassie
  18. The Oldham Tinkers feat. John Howarth: Success to the Weavers
  19. Ewan MacColl acc. Peggy Seeger: Fourpence a Day
  20. Louis Killen: Up the Raw
  21. Dick Gaughan: Bonny Woodha'
  22. Louis Killen: The Banks of the Dee
  23. Bob Davenport acc. The Celebrated Working Man's Band: The Row Between the Cages
  24. Louis Killen acc. Colin Ross: Aw Wish Pay Friday Would Come
  25. Louis Killen acc. Colin Ross: Keep Your Feet Still, Georgie Hinny
  26. Louis Killen: Farewell to the Monty

The tracks were taken from these original Topic LPs:
#6, 11, 12, 14, 17, 22, 23, 26: The Iron Muse. A Panorama of Industrial Folk Song (12T86, 1963)
#4, 13, 19: Ewan MacColl: Steam Whistle Ballads (12T104, 1964)
#9: Tommy Armstrong of Tyneside (12T122, 1965)
#1: The High Level Ranters: Northumberland For Ever (12T186, 1968)
#16: Deep Lancashire (12T188, 1968)
#5, 20, 24, 25: Along the Coaly Tyne: Old and New Northumbrian Songs (12T189, 1968?)
#15: 'Owdham' Edge (12T204, 1971)
#18: Oldham's Burning Sands (12T206, 1972?)
#8: Canny Newcassell (12T219, 1972)
#2, 7, 10, 21: The Bonny Pit Laddie (12T271/2, 1975)