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Tommy Makem   •   Live at the Irish Pavilion

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  • Live at the Irish Pavilion
    • 1993 - Shanachie 52036 CD (USA)
  • Tracklist
    1. Winds of Morning (T. Makem)
    2. Kitty Bawn O'Brien (A. MacGillivray)
    3. A Little Road and A Stone To Roll (J. Stewart)
    4. Kids On The Range (R. Browne)
    5. The Minstrel Boy/Let Erin Remember (T. Moore, Arr. T. Makem)
    6. The Winds Are Singing Freedom (M. Makem)
    7. The Boys of Killybegs (T. Makem)
    8. Tanqueray Martini O (J. Campbell)
    9. My Dark Rosaleen (J.C. Mangan, Arr. T. Makem)
    10. Wee Willie (Trad., Air. & Adpt. T. Makem)
    11. The Garten Mother's Lullaby (Joseph Campbell, Arr. T. Makem)
    12. If I Was A Dog (C. Gallagher)
    13. A Son Of The Soil (Inishowen) (R. Arbuckle)
    14. Farewell My Friends (T. Makem)

  • Musicians
    • Tommy Makem: Lead Vocals, 5 String Banjo, Whistle & Bodhrán
    • Ronnie D'Addario: Guitars, Bass, and Backing Vocals
    • Bob Mastro: Violin, Mandolin, and Backing Vocals
  • Credits
    • Produced by Ronnie D'Addario
    • Engineers Peter Bengtson and Ronnie D'Addario
    • Mixed at In my Room Studios, Flushing, NY
    • Photo by Norman Vershay
    • Recorded live at TOMMY MAKEM'S IRISH PAVILION, 130 East 57th St., New York, NY

Sleeve Notes

Winds of Morning — I get many, many requests for this song. Perhaps it's the feeling of a simpler, less harrying lifestyle, combined with the yearning for airy, windy spaces and the lure of finding it all back home that makes it popular. The spoken verse used to introduce the song is from "The Mountainy Singer" by Joseph Campbell.

Kitty Bawn O'Brien — Lost love has ever and always been one of the main subjects for beautiful songs and never more poignantly than here in Allister MacGillivray's lovely composition.

A Little Road And A Stone To Roll — To me, this song expresses in simple allegorical terms, a philosophy to which I am attuned. I added the doo-doodle-do bits as a sort of mantra because I like the song so much and to help plant the ideas securely in my consciousness.

Kids On The Range — I learned this song from the singing of Ronnie Browne of The Corries, one of my favorite groups. It's a fun song to sing and I could find no better words to dedicate it than the words of Ronnie Browne himself… "This song is dedicated to all of you who have your family raised and still living at home with you."

The Minstrel Boy/Let Erin Remember — Both of these songs were written by the poet Thomas Moore (1779-1852). Moore, who was born in Dublin, was a great favorite in the drawing rooms of 19th Century London. Someone, and I can't remember whom, once wrote of him that "He took the wild harp of Erin and turned it into a musical snuff box." Let that be as it may, there is no doubting his superb poetical ability or the popularity of his songs to this day.

The Winds Are Singing Freedom — A song of hope, and, hopefully, reconciliation. To everything there is a season…the season is now.

The Boys Of Killybegs — To all you men of the sea, where ever you are… "Slainte!"

Tanqueray Martini O — A modern day slice of a "special" section of life at sea. Yo! Ho! Ho! and a bottle of…rum?

My Dark Rosaleen — At the end of the 16th century, Ireland was anxiously expecting help from a powerful Spain and the Pope and hoping for the restoration of the Stuarts to the English through in order to ease the hardships that she, Ireland, was suffering. The great chieftain, Hugh O'Donnell, was expressing these hopes and his own deep love for Ireland in a poem he had reputedly written. In the poem, he referred to Ireland as Dark Rosaleen. The words are a translation of that poem from the Irish by James Clarence Mangan (1803-1849).

Wee Willie — Another children's song from the streets of Belfast

The Garten Mother's Lullaby — This beautiful mystical lullaby was written by the poet Joseph Campbell. It is not widely known that Campbell also wrote such classic Irish songs as "My Lagen Love" and many more.

If I Was A Dog — Life as imagined by a dog and written by old friend Colm Gallagher. Colm also wrote "Holy Mo My Father Loves Nikita Khruschev", the lovely "I Held a Lady" and many, many more.

A Song Of The Soil (Inishowen) — Inishowen means the Island of Owen and is situated in East Donegal near the city of Derry. Steeped in history, this exquisite, mystical place is dominated by the Grianan of Aileach, a circular stone temple built for Nial of the Nine Hostages somewhere in the 5th century. Listen to this song and it will give you some inkling of the magical pull of this special place.

Farewell My Friends — The music, the people and the land of Ireland all tend towards the making of friendships. Once you've made friends with the music, the people or the land, it's hard to leave without a heartfelt promise to return.