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Grunts Irish music Hootenanny


blind boy grunt

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well now, there i was this afternoon playing on Youtube, and also thinking about QG and his Irish ancestry. Also pondering about how to amass a few points to help me get rid of this hated 'Rockstar with LB groupies' tag that's hanging around my neck like a stone.

Anyway, all that pointed me in the direction of something i love...Irish bands and singers. I'm pretty much convinced and have been for years that the Irish accent is perfect for vocals. This comes from years ago in the 70s and 80s when i hung around with a part Irish band in London called 'Mantilla'

so, this is my Irish music thread. Dedicated to all the Irish guys on here..BB, Ciobha, Kylemore et-al. Who for all i know may hate this stuff...  but never mind.

I start with the Dubliners, no doubt Liam Clancy won't be far behind. Please feel free to add to these.

 

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Certainly a novel idea for a thread Grunt.  I enjoy a lot of this music on certain occasions, songs about everyday struggles and life in general.   The Liberties mentioned in the song is an area of Dublin that was outside the city walls, and the folk living there were free from paying taxes, hence the name of the place. The Guinness centre is located nearby also.

Here is a wonderful version of The Auld Triangle recorded in the Royal Albert Hall of all places :)  The eagled eyed among you may have spotted a sign for an Irish bar on Second Road at the Made in Thailand complex called The Old ThaiAngle, not sure if it’s still there mind.

 

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Well well - Seamus O' Grunt - Irish now ! Why was you hanging around with a band named after a Spanish Ladies Headress ? Anyway this bloke Hansard - can't say I've ever heard of him. The song however I know well after running a Folk 'n' Blues Club for 10 years with an Irishman. I did though recognise one of the punters on stage - Paul Brady - excellent singer and guitarist - from the band Planxty. Here's his rendition of 'Arthur McBride. Not only but also another song by Brady - 'The Lakes of Pontchartrain' - not an Irish song but very popular with Irish folkies. This is a version from the seventies. There is a link with these songs ! Bob Dylan. ! Both these songs Bob has belted out. On You Tube there is an interview with Brady and he tells how he was asked to visit Bob (in London) to teach him the pickin' etc of this song (it's in an open 'G' tuning). Brady obliged and went to see Bob and sorted his finger picking out. listen.

 

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some good stuff coming through! thank you all.

yes of course Quinn, Dylan and the Irish stuff... he has long talked about his appreciation of Irish ballads, probably made known to him initially by Liam Clancy who he met way back in 1962.  Indeed he did say that Liam was the best ballad singer that he has ever heard.  Here before the song are bob's comments.

So then, how about some Liam stuff. And topically, Clancy singing Restless farewell, Dylan's rewritten version of The Parting Glass.

 

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"From Clare to Here" is a song about the heartache and hardship faced by Irishmen working abroad in the 1960s and 70s. It sums up the plight of Irish immigrants so well that many people assume it’s an Irish song but in fact it was written by the English singer songwriter Ralph McTell. McTell says he heard the phrase while working as a labourer with some Irish friends in the early 60s. There was a conversation about how the lives of Irish people changed when they swapped their family homes in Ireland for cheap lodgings in England. Reflecting on the changes, one of the men said: “Yes, it’s a long way from Clare to here.”

 

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On 9/14/2021 at 11:13 AM, blind boy grunt said:

Janet Devlin

Was familiar with her, thanks for the pointer Grunt.

13 hours ago, Quinn said:

From Clare to Here" is a song about the heartache and hardship faced by Irishmen working abroad in the 1960s and 70s.

Emigration and missing home is a strong theme in many of the ballads that make up a section of Irish trad music.  This is one of my favourites, Spancil Hill (also in Co. Clare) about an a man who settles in California and dreams about home.   Christy Moore gives some background to it in the intro.  The west of Ireland in particular was hit hard by emigration over the past 200 years or so for various reasons.

 

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Heart warming to hear this music after so many years. Brings tears to me oyes, it does.

Remember having a debate with an opinionated English girl who maintained Dylan was not a true folk ballardist. Silly bint didn' realise "the Times they are a'changing".

Where has all my vinyl collection gone? Probably in some old record shop or a garage that needs cleaning out the old man's "stuff".

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so, on the Parting Glass/ Restless Farewell theme, here's Bob doing Restless Farewell at the Frank Sinatra 80th Birthday Bash in 1995. Dylan had long known Sinatra through his friendship with daughter Nancy and Tony Bennett. not so relevant perhaps, and not trying to turn this thread into a Dylan one. But it's a goody.

A false clock tries to tick out my time. To disgrace, distract and bother me.

And the dirt of gossip, blows into my face and the dust of rumours covers me.

But if the arrow is straight and the point it is slick,

it can pierce through the dust no matter how thick.

So i'll just make my stand and remain as i am,

and bid farewell, and not give a damn.

 

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Back in the day my town centre local was run by a great bloke called Don(al) - he was London Irish. We regularly had music nights there - very informal. A fairly regular drop in was Luke Kelly - usually when The Dubliners were playing the 'Soup in a Basket' circuit popular in the 60's/70's. Luke would chat and sing and shift the Guinness. Top Feller. !

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3 hours ago, Quinn said:

Luke would chat and sing and shift the Guinness. Top Feller. !

They put up 2 statues of him around Dublin in recent years also. 

1 hour ago, blind boy grunt said:

well, when the Irish crew [ bumble, Seamus O' Poke et al] get back here...we'll talk Emmy into having an Irish night... Bumble, if you want to bring Sarah Devlin...feel free. Just don't bring the Bachelor's! you can bring that lead singer bird from the Corr's too.

Good idea Grunt, will be interesting to see how much the girls can hide behind a shamrock bikini ;)

 

Another Luke song, about how the ladies can lead a man astray before you know it :)

 

 

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