Davey Arthur   •   Celtic Side Saddle

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• Celtic Side Saddle
  • 1994 - Park Records PRK CD26 CD (UK)

• Tracklist
  1. Celtic Side Saddle (Russ Conway)
  2. Hail Mary Full of Grace (Davey Arthur)
  3. The Galway Farmer (Steve Knightly)
  4. Fair City Set (Trad. Arr. Arthur, McAuley, Lowrey, Barret)
  5. The Emigrant (Davey Arthur)
  6. Over the Ocean (Davey Arthur)
  7. Slip-n-Slides (Trad. Arr. Arthur, McAuley, Lowrey, Barrett)
  8. Euston Station (Danney Ellis)
  9. Mad Lady and Me (Jimmy McCarthy)
  10. The Walk (Davey Arthur)
  11. Sit You Down (Steve Knightly)
  12. Ness Pipers
      1. The hut on Staffin Island (Phil Cunningham)
      2. Sandy McLeod of Garafad (Phil Cunningham)
      3. Scarce of Tatties (Norman McLean)
      4. Men of Ness (Trad. Arr. Lowrey)
  13. Sister Marcella (Davey Arthur)

• Musicians
  • Davey Arthur: Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin, Bodhrán
  • Anton McAuley: Fiddle
  • Gregor Lowrey: Accordion
  • Noel Barren: Bass, Fretless Bass
  • Steve Knightley: Acoustic Guitar, Mandocello
  • Phil Beer: Acoustic Guitar, Slide Guitar
  • Brian O' Reilly: Acoustic Guitar
  • Paul Seymore: Piano
  • Dave Prim: Bass
  • Chris Baylis: Guitar
  • Carole Cook: Backing Vocals
  • Nick Holland: Backing Vocals, Keyboard
  • Pete McPhail: Whistle, Copper Flute

• Credits
  • Produced by Chris Baylis (Tracks: 2-13)
  • Engineers Brian O'Reilly (Track: 1) & Chris Baylis (Tracks: 2-13) at VM Studios
  • Special thanks to all my family — also to
    • Jon & Kay Benns
    • John & Nico Dagnell
    • Tony & Ruth Jeffries
    • John Allen
    • Steve Green for Photographs
    • Benzie Graphics
    • Riverline Reprographics.
  • This is especially for my wife Joann who gave me the support and encouragement through all the long hours of writing and arranging of this album.

Sleeve Notes

Celtic Side Saddle — This hit from the 1960s was originally written for piano by one of the 'pop stars' of that era, Russ Conway. We've taken this catchy melody and put our own Celtic feel to it.

Hail Mary Full of Grace — I read the news again today — Oh boy! A line from the John Lennon song 'A day in the Life'. After reading through 'The Cork Examiner' of May 93, it seemed to be all bad news as well that day.

The Galway Farmer — A marvellous song from the pen of Steve Knightley. It truly captures the energy and excitement of a horse race, and shows the expectations many Irish have, and share, each year travelling to Cheltenham to race, and win!

An Imireach or The Emigrant — My grandfather Padraig O'Conaghain (Paddy Connaghan) collected this melody in Thor, Crolly, Co. Donegal around 1905, and my mother in turn gave the melody to me. I wrote the lyrics originally in English and a good friend John Allen from Cork translated the English text to Gaelic.

Over the Ocean — This is a song that gives some of the different reasons young men and women leave Ireland. It's usually unemployment, but in this case it's family trouble at home.

Euston Station — I can't count the number of Irish emigrants I've met world-wide that couldn't relate to this song, being far from home, and feeling homesick!

The Walk — I wrote this melody after taking my two sons for a walk one Sunday morning in Cork. What started out to be a leisurely Sunday walk was shattered when we came across a dog fight in the middle of the road, of which the dog owners also ended up fighting over! We managed to get around the commotion and went about our Sunday walk.

Sit You Down — A lovely song about people leaving small towns and villages everywhere! And the reality that the people they leave behind really miss them, and long for them to come back home!

Sister Marcella — I wrote this piece of music in memory of Bobby Sands who died in 1981. He was a most prolific poet and writer, and when writing he used the pen name Marcella (his sister's name).