In 1957, protest singer Pete Seeger wrote The Bells of Rhymney, one of his most famous songs which he first recorded live at New York's Carnegie Hall.
But its origins can be traced back to the 1926 General Strike, when budding poet Idris Davies vowed to educate himself and leave behind the his life of toil as a miner in Rhymney.
The poem, published by Davies in his first book Gwalia Deserta in 1938, had been inspired by the hardship of the mining communities, and was written in a style similar to the nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons.
As well as Rhymney, the poem refers to the bells of Merthyr, Rhondda, Blaina, Caerphilly, Neath, Swansea, Newport, Cardiff and Wye.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the song, folk musician Huw Williams travelled from St David's Church in Rhymney to upstate New York to interview the 88-year-old Seeger for a BBC Radio 4 documentary.
"I didn't really know much about Wales except there were a lot of good singers and a lot of good songs," said Seeger.
"I ran across a book by Dylan Thomas with a chapter called Welsh Poetry in the English language, and there were the words to The Bells of Rhymney."
While recording the programme, Huw Williams also met Roger McGuinn of The Byrds, and witnessed renditions of both the poem by Seeger and the song by McGuinn.
The programme concluded with a new version of the song from inside St David's Church itself, with Williams enlisting the help of poet Patrick Jones and Mike Peters of The Alarm.
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Paul Barker from Swansea and Shrewsbury
Had not realised how many people had recorded this song. My brother David kept a Post office at Stow Hill, Newport next to St Woolos. The bells used to disturb him. I wonder if these were bells of Newport referred to by Idris Davies?
Phil Howells, Merthyr Tydfil
Roger McGuinn also apologised for the pronounciation of Rhymnney when he sang at the Coliseum, Aberdare, a couple of years ago. The Byrds always seemed to sing Rim-nee.And when I saw Judy Collins at Aberdare last June, a few of us met her as she came out of the theatre and she said: "I was going to sing tonight..." and she began to sing The Bells of Rhymney, helped by myself and others present. It's good that when singers tour, they know something of the area where they are performing. I have the song by Judy Collins, The Byrds and Pete Seeger on albums.
gwyncy jones...ponty
just a geographical point!....the beaufort theatre is not really in the rhymney valley!......unless porth is in caerphilly!......still as idris once said to me....poetic licence!!!
Katherine McDonald in Cambridge
To Gareth Owen - I'm also a relative of Idris Davies (his cousin was my grandmother), and we're very proud of him too. :-) I've used his work for all sorts of school projects and things. This very morning, I recommened "The Angry Summer" to a friend working on a final-year dissertation. Not only is his work beautiful and haunting, but it recalls a period in our history which too many have forgotten.
Martin - San Francisco
I first heard Bells of Rhymney as a teen in New York in the mid '60s on the Byrd's Mr Tambourine Man album which my older sister brought home one day. I wore out the album, it was full of such amazing songs and I loved that twanginess of the Byrd's sound, set off by their use of 12-string Rickenbacher electric guitars. The mid-section of Rhymney is instrumental, a guitar solo by Roger McGuinn that is extraordinarily beautiful and melodic. Then there's that soft but powerful "ahhhhhhhh" by the group that ends the song. It has always been one of my favourite folk rock songs and I heard it even before Seeger's version which I also love.
Jack Ladd Calgary
I have just heard it on Radio 2 this evening 16-12-08 I was stunned as my Grandmother taught it to me way back in the early sixties when I was a young boy. I have always thought it was her own creation, although she didnt say it was, I just assumed she made it up. I am left with a desire to shout "Gran! Your poem is on the radio" but there is no one left to hear me anymore. Still I dont see the sadness in the lyrics just happy memories of childhood in Crickhowell and Abergavenny.
Riccardo Soldati from Pistoia, Italy
Pete Seeger was one of the heroes of my generation. He, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan were the minstrels of Pacifism for our youth to celebrate as idols. I listened this song of his and was struck strongly, better and before the McGuinn version. Such words and the full meaning of the poetry touched Seeger’s heart and he added life to it as music has success to do. The way Pete did was exactly the ONE which such words deserve. This way the words touched my heart too as well those of millions, even if I never heard anything about this poet. If Pete would not have had such special sensibility, no songs would have been written, and those worth words would have touched only the hearts of few local person who had the luck to know this valuable poet. He is one of the thousand who spent their lives as heroes, without any knowledge of his work before his life turned off.
Matt from Miami
Well, fellas, it's time to cover this song again! This time with my band...
Byrdman in Wirral
I thought Roger McGuinn he sang it pronounced 'Romney' it was some kind of modern day protest song version as in Republican politician Mitt Romney. Oops.
Lynda Harris from Rhymney
It has always given me great pride in being born and bred in Rhymney and it gives me greater pride knowing the name of Rhymney is known all over the world because of this wonderful and heart wrenching song and poem.
Rhymney Boy
Rhymney is the lost town of South Wales - it is almost trapped in its own timewarp from the 70s but being born and bred there-as Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz - there is no place like home!Fond memories of the Lawn and the Annexe - the old rugby club, the Castle, the Workies,the Tredegar Arms, the Farmers, the Legion and the Puddlers. A tough old place but when the sun shines it almost looks....... beautiful.And the accent....best in the Valleys!
Sharmagne Leland-St. John Hollywood California, US
The first time I heard The Bells of Rhymney was at "The Trip" on the famous Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. The Birds were blasting it. A few months later, I moved in with a girlfriend and her family. Her brother was a HiFi Stereo Geek. He very kindly allowed me to use it if I promised not to touch anything other than power and the lever to place the diamond needle on the LP... He had some Judy Collins albums. One in particular which I played non-stop called Judy Collins # 3. It had Turn Turn turn as well which Pete Seeger had written/adapted and the Byrds had covered. She had a gorgeous rendition of the Bells Of Rhymney ... I played Judy's album so much I was sure I would wear out the grooves. My next experience was around 1969 I was in a live in relationship with Patty Duke's former husband. He had a copy of Patty Duke whisper/singing the poem...I still have the vinyl of it... Lastly somewhere in my memory I am aware of Richard Burton either reciting it to me, or having heard a recording of him reciting it. Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane. I still have a few copies of the Judy Collins version.
Gareth Owen
I actually am a direct relative of Idris Davies himself and it is a very proud fact of our family. It is nice that the actual pronounciation of Rhymney was used by Roger McGuinn!
Julia Park - Mississippi
John Denver also recorded the song in his early days as a folk singer/musician and also sang it at his concerts over the years. Great song.
John Vale
One of my earliest favourite bands were the Byrds and I hadn't got any real clue about the derivation of the song until it came into my head for no apparent reason tonight (about 40 years after first hearing it!) and the internet told me all! Fascinating.
Mark Stanfield - Porth, Rhondda
Roger McGuinn formerly of the Byrds sang the song for the first time with the CORRECT PRONOUNCIATION actually in the Rhymney Valley on Saturday June 23rd 2001 at the Beaufort Centre venue near Ebbw Vale. He'd had a few emails from Wales apparently and apologised for the 35 year delay in finally getting it right! I know ... coz I was there!
Frank Ferguson from Ottawa, Canada
This is absolutely one of my favourite songs. I've always wondered what the words meant and just today, after hearing it again, decided to find out. Now it makes perfect sense: the anger/angst of a former Welsh miner; the social consciousness of a '60's American folk singer (sadly missing nowadays). So, now I can equate Wales with more than Tom Jones.
Gary Powell, Tamworth, Staffs
During the 1960s (when I was a teenager), my family moved to South Africa. My dad was born and brought up in Rhymney and, prior to emigrating, had been a miner. My father was always intensely proud of being Welsh and his Rhymney roots. Therefore I clearly remember him being brought to tears upon hearing Cher's version of "Bells of Rhymney" in about 1966. He got a little annoyed at some of the pronounciation though.
Ray from Blackwood
I first heard the song on a Cher LP (All I really want to do - 1965) which I picked up in the early 80's. Much like Phil hearing the link between the Welsh valleys and American music also gave me a feeling of pride and sorrow.
Arthur Roper from Blackwood
I first heard the Byrds' recording of the Bells of Rhymney in the sixties. I have often wondered how a poem written by Idris Davies in Rhymney in Monmouthshire (as it was then) found its way to the west coast of America. Pete Seeger came across it by chance and the "protest" nature of Seeger's work lent itself to such a song. The Byrds had recorded several of Bob Dylan's protest songs so it fitted in well with their music. I would recommend Idris Davies's work to anyone who has an interest in the mining valleys of South Wales and their turbulent history. Davies's Selected Poems is easily available on the net. His work combines humour, sadness and above all, anger.
Dorian Willliams, Santa Rosa, California
Solved a question, around 1960 walking along a street in San Francisco glanced at I believe a book stall and read, " Bells of Rhymney", actually, the words Pete Seeger, and Rhymney caught my eye. I believe the book contained an album of Pete Seeger's songs. At the time I wondered of the connection, as I thought Pete Seeger had written it. I did not have the time to read, or question it further, and the usual, "I'll find out later" left it at that. Generally one reads Rhondda rather than Rhymney so that was a surprise, (after all who ever heard of Rhymney? only me and a few others as I grew up in Bedwas untill 14 years of age). Now I must find a copy of the poem.
Richard Bucknall
My first experience of the song was through the Oysterband's version, which gained extra power through frequently following Kay Sutcliffe's 'Coal Not Dole'. Although retaining Seeger's melody, their version, with its backing of searing electric guitar and pounding rhythm, turns the song from being a lament to a roaring cry of anger. A great example of how the basics of a song can be reinvented to find a new audience and feel fresh, while retaining its original message.
Mandi from Cardiff
I remember The Alarm's version which was on a B-side of "The Chant Has Just Begun". I absolutely loved it, although I was too young to understand then what it was about. I listen to it with sadness now I understand the lyrics better.
Phil Press from Neath
This song is so moving and enlightening at the same time. We have a combination of lyrics and tune written thousands of miles apart yet brought together by chance and ultimately resulting in one of the most poignant songs of the last century. Hearing my home town of Neath being sung along with the other Welsh place names connected me to my American music heroes of the sixties and still fills me with a feeling of pride and sorrow.
Do you have any memories of the Bells of Rhymney?
How did a mining ballad inspire a folk rock standard performed by The Byrds, Judy Collins, Cher and The Alarm?
