A new song inspired by, and dedicated to, the legendary Bolton Steeplejack and Industrial Heritage saviour Fred Dibnah. A track from Simon Atkinson & The Foundryman's Apprentice new album 'A Different Kind Of Love'


"Someone like my famous late husband FRED DIBNAH MBE will always inspire us with his enthusiasm for our industrial past and the rich legacy he left behind through his television programmes and books. Simon was inspired to write this song as a tribute and in doing so, has captured the essence of 'OUR FRED'. I've listened over the months as the project developed, hearing Simon's attention to detail and the perfection he sought to produce a fitting tribute to a great man. Well, you've done it Simon! 'Our Fred' would have called it a 'reet belter'. Thank you so much, and I know everyone will love this song as much as I do."
Sheila Dibnah ( Widow of Fred)


Lead Guitar/Vocal : Simon Atkinson
Bouzouki: John Duffy
Mandolin/Backing Vocals: Hugh Clinton
Bass: Keir Highet
Cello: Becky Crichton
Fiddle: Cat Atkinson
Drums/Percussion: Richard Hamilton

Words & Music by Simon Atkinson.

Special thanks to Mrs Sheila Dibnah for all of her support and encouragement for this project dedicated to her late husband and to The View From The North Productions who gave permission for Fred Dibnah's voice and other sounds from their Fred Dibnah film collection to be used in this recording.

Recorded at Next Window Studio, Crosshill, Ayrshire 
Additional recording/mixing & Mastering at The Washoose Studio, CrawfordJohn, Lanarkshire.

FRED DIBNAH (Did You Like That?)
Words & Music © Copyright Simon Atkinson 2013

High over Bolton Fred Dibnah looks down over chimney won
Laddering up on the Monday and scaffolding Tuesday done
Balanced on planking on ciggie he draws
Surveys the scene with his casual awe
Folks in the street passing by unawares
A steeplejack plying his trade where nobody dares

With chimneys for mending and pointing 
now coming down brick by brick
As industries' marks on the landscape 
are vanishing twice as quick
Yearning for ways of the times gone before
Knocking down chimneys regrets to his core
A glimpse of the end sees the crowds gather round
A funeral pyre brings a chimney crashing to ground

Did you like that, did it give you a thrill?
Did you like what you saw as that old chimney fell?
Did you like that? - then remember this day
As you cheered at the sight of our industry crashing away.

A steamroller rises from ashes when seemingly certain dead
Fred Dibnah restores her to glories when found in a crumbling shed
rusting forgotten for years sealed away
For fifteen long years he rebuilds her to stay
Now smoke from her chimney is rising again
And over the hillside from Bolton she's steaming again

Did you like that - did it give you a thrill?
When you first heard that steam engine climbing the hill
Did you like that? then remember this day
As you cheered at the sight of our heritage rescued this way




FRED DIBNAH (Did You Like That?)

The third completed track from the new THREE SHIRES HEAD album by Simon Atkinson & The Foundryman's Apprentice -

Featuring:
Simon Atkinson: Songwriter /Lead Vocal/ Rhythm Guitar
John Duffy: Bouzouki
Hugh Clinton: Lead Acoustic Guitar/Mandolin/Backing Vocals
Becky Crichton: Cello
Keir Highet: Bass
Richard Hamilton: Drums/Percussion.

Words & Music Copyright Simon Atkinson 2015

Album photograph by Jim Ennis
Design by Simon Atkinson
Logo by Jack Thompson

Someone Like You

Your smile in the morning
Made everything suddenly clear
That warm Friday night, by the fountain of light
I'd waited 'till you had appeared

How we talked, and we laughed, through the evening
Did we know that the spell had been cast?
Until that next day, as you travelled away
How I'd hoped this would not be the last

I thought of you every moment of the weekend
Would you call after you had returned?
It seems crazy to say, after one single day
Felt I'd known you for so many years

But Now looking back I remember
The moment that night when I knew
That someone like you, saw in someone like me
A man with whom love could be true.




SOMEONE LIKE YOU

The title track from the new album by Simon Atkinson & The Foundryman's Apprentice THREE SHIRES HEAD

Words & Music copyright Simon Atkinson 2015

Lead vox and rhythm guitar: Simon Atkinson
Bouzouki: John Duffy
Lead guitar/mandolin/ backing vox: Hugh Clinton
Bass: Keir Highet
Drums/percussion: Richard Hamilton
Cello: Becky Crichton
Fiddle: Cat Atkinson.

THREE SHIRES HEAD

From the new album by Simon Atkinson & The Foundryman's Apprentice - THREE SHIRES HEAD

Music by Simon Atkinson / Lyric: the poem by W.H.Auden

Lead Vocal/Rhythm Guitar : Simon Atkinson
Bouzouki : John Duffy
Electric Guitar/ Mandolin/ Backing Vocals: Hugh Clinton
Bass Guitar : Keir Highet
Cello: Becky Crichton
Drums: Richard Hamilton 

STOP ALLTHE CLOCKS

Words & Music Copyright (c) Simon Atkinson 2018

Lead Vocals/Guitar  : Simon Atkinson
Bouzouki / Backing Vocals: John Duffy
Fiddle: Karen Henderson
Bass: Martin Henderson

The Invasion of Auld Ayr (Redux)

Words & Music Copyright (c) Simon Atkinson 2018

Lead Vocals/Guitar : Simon Atkinson
Bouzouki / Backing Vocals: John Duffy
Fiddle: Karen Henderson
Bass: Martin Henderson

Hotel on Washington Circle

Words & Music Copyright (c) Simon Atkinson 2018
All Rights Reserved

Lead Vocals/Guitar : Simon Atkinson
Bouzouki / Backing Vocals: John Duffy
Fiddle: Karen Henderson
Bass: Martin Henderson

A DIFFERENT KIND OF LOVE

She wakes on Thursday morning, as the day is dawning
She packs belongings from her fragile life into a bag
All she could show the world for 19 years of making do and mending
Just pretending

He'd said "you know you need me
I know you'd never leave me
You know beyond that door you'd last a week, and little more"
But now he's sleeping sound, her footsteps light upon the ground
Are leaving, she's leaving

To find a love, a different kind of love
Love, a very, very, different kind of love - a love

Arrives at Sister's cosy, her greeting less than rosy
Invited through the door, though odds on staying pretty poor
Now clear supportive words were hollow
Now she feels absurd and empty, oh so empty

But if they could see what's going on
Behind those tired eyes
Her made up face disguising every sign
From the comfort of their warm and cosy
Widescreen TV lives
It's easier pretending that she's fine...

A Different Kind Of Love (Redux)

Words & Music Copyright (c) Simon Atkinson 2018
All Rights Reserved.

Lead Vocals/Guitar : Simon Atkinson
Bouzouki / Backing Vocals: John Duffy
Fiddle: Karen Henderson
Bass: Martin Henderson

Recorded at Next window Studio : Crosshill, Ayrshire, Scotland.

CHAMPAGNE LUNCH

Seems since time began every working man
Toiled for some other's dream
Kept his family fed, bought his daily bread
Tried to live within means

But then dreams were sold with tales of prosperity
Simply place their trust, their hard earned crust
Their homes,their family

So in shares and bonds, into pension funds
Soon placed all of their cash
All advised by you with your bonus due
Trust while sharing their stash

You said Greed is good, get remortgaging right away
So beyond their means they reached for dreams
New home, new holiday

Came that fateful day soon found you'd betrayed
Those that you'd never seen
As your champagne lunch, dreams turned into crunch
Can't you see where you've been?

It's a sin, can't you see where you've been now?
Trading in lives, using people a long, long, long, long time
Now you know 'little people' below 
Are calling it time, admit you blew every dime

It's a sin, can't you see where you've been now?
Trading in lives, using people a long, long, long, long time
Now you know 'little people' below 
Are calling it time, admit you blew every dime

Now the dust has clear and just as we feared
You're right back on floor
All your years of greed just helped you succeed 
On the backs of the poor

Now that working man, his plan is just to survive
From your penthouse high above the mass
Your greed remains alive...

Champagne Lunch

Described by The Word On The Street Magazine as 'Classic songwriting in the mould of The Divine Comedy' 'Folk/Jazz Innovators' The Foundryman'sApprentice (Formerly Simon Atkinson and the Foundryman's Apprentice) present a unique brand of original Vibrant contemporary Folk  with hints of Atkinson's previous Jazz, Swing & Blues heritage.

 In The words of South Quennsferry Radio; " Simon Atkinson & The Foundryman's Apprentice - Probably the best band you've never heard, but the future is bright"

The Foundryman's Apprentice

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