the Irish Rovers
The Life of the Rover
1969 - Decca DL 75157 LP
(re-release) MCA MCA-284 LP
Side One
Fifi O'Toole (Pat and Victoria Garvey)
Pleasant and Delightful
Orange Nickelodeon (Pat and Victoria Garvey)
King of the Fairies
Molecatcher
Winkin, Blinkin, and Nod (L. Simon & E. Fields)
Side Two
Sullivan's John (Pecker Dunne)
Bunclody Cuckoo
Sam Hall
Banks of Newfoundland
Life of the Rover (Ewan McColl)
Credits
Will Millar
George Millar
Jimmy Ferguson
Joe Millar
Wicil McDowell
Produced by Charles Bud Dant
Engineer: Terry D. Brown
Sleeve Notes
Diodorus, in the first century B.C., was describing the Celts of Gaul in his history of the world. "In conversation they use many words and speak in riddles, for the most part hinting at things and leaving a great deal to be understood. They frequently exaggerate with the aim of extolling themselves and diminishing the status of others. They are boasters and threateners and given to bombastic self-dramatization, and yet they are quick of mind with good natural ability for learning and take great pleasure in merry-making and hospitality."
"THE LIFE OF THE ROVER" puts us in contact with these "Celts" all over the world. Be it in Sydney, Australia, or Kirkland Lake, Ontario, they "take great pleasure in merrymaking and hospitality." The five of us are a privileged lot in being able to share a few jars with the lot of you-may ye be half an hour in heaven before the devil knows you're dead!
Oh, by the way, it took Irish monks donkey's-years to do the abstract type of "The Book of Kels". We couldn't find an Irish monk to do our album cover art but we're lucky to have Alex Steinweiss fill in for us.
Alternate releases
The Life of the Rover: 1970 - MCA MUPS 406 LP
UK release