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Tommy Makem   •   Love Is Lord Of All

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  • Love Is Lord Of All
    • 1971 - GWP ST 2033 LP (USA)
  • Side One
    1. Better Times (Tommy Makem)
    2. Little Red Lark (Song Of The Wandering Aengus) (Arr. & Adapt. T. Makem)
    3. Killyburn Brae
    4. Bonny Love
    5. Venezuela (John Jacob Niles)
  • Side Two
    1. Vancouver (Tommy Makem)
    2. New York Girls
    3. Lagan Love
    4. Lolly Too Dum
    5. Going Home To Mary (Tommy Makem)
    6. As I Roved Out (Trad. Arr. & Adap. R. Durham)

  • Musicians
    • Lead Guitar: Ray Durham
    • Second Guitar: Dick Barton
    • Bass: Martin Walsh
  • Credits
    • Produced by Tommy Makem
    • Recording Engineer: Darby Carroll of Eamonn Andrews Studios in Dublin
    • Jacket Concept by Tomorrow Today
    • Design by Ely Besalel
    • 1971 © GWP Records
    • All tracks: Trad. Arr. & Adap. T. Makem, unless otherwise noted.

Sleeve Notes

BETTER TIMES
Warm thoughts of times past can soothe the woes of times present and plant the seeds of hope for times yet to come.

LITTLE RED LARK (from the poem by W. B. Yeats, "The Song Of Wandering Aengus")
William Butler Yeats' very haunting The Song Of Wandering Aengus just had to be included in this record of love songs. The melody in the background is a very old Gallic air called, The Little Red Lark.

KILLYBURN BRAE
Love is blind as some bright fellow once said, and maybe it is just as well if some of the people involved were like the old woman in this song. In many places both she and the song were known as The Farmers' Curst Wife.

BONNY LOVE
Love and a little perseverance will find a way, if we're to believe this very lovely old Scottish traditional song. It is also known as 'The False Lover Won Back.

VENEZUELA
When cupid goes hunting with his little bow and arrow, he knows no boundaries. He can strike anyone at any time in any place.

VANCOUVER
The beautiful city of Vancouver is an ideal setting for a love song. I'm sure if Venus were looking for a home, she would give strong consideration to Vancouver, B.C.

NEW YORK GIRLS
There are all shapes and sizes, creeds and classes of lovely girls in New York and the sailors, who from time immemorial were good judges of both liquor and ladies, never tired of singing about them.

LAGAN LOVE
One of the most beautiful of all Irish love songs and also one of my favorite songs. I'm sure you'll agree that for both melody and Lyrics, it would be hard to beat.

LOLLY TOO DUM
When a woman gets the notion of marrying into her-head, there is no way of stopping her. You might as well be trying to pull a cat by the tail, back ways out of a stocking.

GOING HOME TO MARY
When love has cast her spell on you, there is no escape. You may travel to the ends of the earth, but still you'll find you're drawn back by a very powerful force to where your heart has found true happiness.

AS I ROVED OUT
One of the many versions of The Trooper And The Maid. The philosophy expressed in the last verse seems to enjoy great favour with soldiers, sailors and indeed a large percentage of the male civilian population as well and rightly so!


My brain was doing somersaults trying to come up with something at least half original for the liner notes for this album of love songs. And while passing St. Agnes' Church on East 43rd Street in New York City, there on the bulletin board I discovered that St. Paul had already done the job for me and I would, hereby, like to express my thanks to him. Anyway here is what I discovered on the bulletin board. I hope you like it as much as I did:

"Love is always patient and kind. It is never jealous; love is 'never boastful or conceited. It is never rude or selfish. It does not take offense and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins, but delights in the truth. It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes."

ST. PAUL

In short, there are three things that last — Faith, Hope and Love and the greatest of these is Love.

TOMMY MAKEM