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Ronnie Drew   •   Guaranteed Ronnie Drew

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  • Guaranteed Ronnie Drew
    • 1978 - Dolphin DOLM 5021 LP (IRL)
  • Side One
    1. Dublin City Theme (Eamonn Campbell)
      • The Mero (Pete St. John)
      • Johnny McGory (Pete St. John)
    2. Gas from a burner (James Joyce)
      • Easy & Slow (Trad. Arr. R. Drew)
    3. Second world (D. McDonagh)
      • Gunner McGee (Pete St. John)
    4. Peace (Joe O'Broin)
      • And the Band played Waltzing Matilda (Eric Bogle)
  • Side Two
    1. The Mero (Pete St. John)
      • O'Duffy's Ironsides (Trad. Arr. R. Drew)
    2. Do you remember Jem? (Heno McGee)
      • Barney Brown (Pete St. John)
    3. British Army (Trad. Arr. R. Drew)
      • The Captains and The Kings (Brendan Behan)
    4. Dandelion Market (Y. Costello)
      • Departed Man (Joe O'Broin)
      • Danny Farrell (Pete St. John)

  • Credits
    • Conceived and Produced for Dolphin Records by Pete St. John
    • Recorded at Trend Studios, Dublin. 1978
    • Engineer: Paul Waldron
    • Photography: Liam Quigley
    • Cover design: Diana O'Donnell
    • Title concept: John Sheahan
    • Drawing: Jack Coughlin — Courtesy David Hendricks Gallery
    • Musical Arrangements: Eamonn Campbell, Ronnie Drew & Pete St. John
    • Musical Director: Eamonn Campbell

Sleeve Notes

Just a note. About Guaranteed Ronnie Drew. Listen. A city's spirit is reflected in its people, and that reflection is captured in its music and song.

Far beyond our own shores Ronnie Drew has long been recognised as one of Dublin's, and indeed Ireland's, greatest folk artistes. Ballads, poems and stories flow easily from his tongue without the slightest smack of rancour or pretentiousness. His beloved city is intertwined in all he does with a mixture of witty cynicism and poignant social comment.

All the conditions of our humour experience are explored as he moves from the joy of reckless youth to the loneliness of old age, always blending compassion and understanding into his presentation. Present day problems like redundancy or the rejected itinerant are dealt with in proper order while maintaining the humour of life in a self-lampooning, tongue-in-cheek remembrance of teaching English — God bless the mark — in the sun drenched land of Spain.

You can be GUARANTEED a trip with Ronnie Drew to where ever. Dublin is our city, but Drew owns some of its songs.

Pete St. John