Showing posts with label The Chieftains. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Chieftains. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Van Morrison & The Chieftains - Songs Of Innocence (1988)

Van Morrison first met The Chieftains at an Edinburgh rock festival, and they later joined up in Belfast during Morrison's No Guru tour. Following the tour, Morrison and Paddy Moloney met up and discussed recording an album together, with both of them having a list of songs that they wanted to include, and they eventually reached a consensus to cover two of Morrison's previously released tracks, with 'Irish Heartbeat' later becoming the title of the album, and the rest would be traditional Irish songs. According to Moloney, making the album was a way for Morrison to rediscover his Irish roots, having played blues, rock 'n' roll, jazz and more importantly soul, for many years, and so he wanted to come home to his Irishness with The Chieftains. The album was recorded on dates from September to December 1987 and in January 1988, and was released later that year. It consists of eight traditional Irish songs, plus re-workings of the Morrison songs 'Celtic Ray' and 'Irish Heartbeat', with 'Carrickfergus' being described by critic Denis Campbell as "a melancholic air worthy of Otis Redding". 'On Raglan Road' was adapted from a poem by Patrick Kavanagh and is the story of a man ensnared by a beautiful revenant, whom he had mistaken for a creature made of clay. 'Irish Heartbeat' received positive reviews from most critics, one of whom called it "some of the most haunting, rousing, downright friendly music of the year", and in the NME's round-up of albums of the year of 1988 it was ranked number 2. On 15 September 1988 Morrison and The Chieftains played a gig together at The Ulster Hall, Belfast, which was recorded for Ulster Television, and also broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK. For anyone who missed it, or just wants to hear this meeting of two of Ireland's most revered musical exports, here is the whole concert. 



Track listing

01 Tore Down A La Rimbaud 
02 In The Garden 
03 Rave On John Donne 
04 Did Ye Get Healed 
05 Star Of The County Down 
06 She Moved Through The Fair 
07 Ta Mo Chleamhnas Deanta 
08 I'll Tell Me Ma 
09 Carrickfergus 
10 Celtic Ray 
11 Marie's Wedding 
12 Boffyflow & Spike 
13 Goodnight Irene 
14 Moondance  

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Have A Folky Christmas 2023

It won't be long before Christmas is upon us once again, so here is a fine selection of folk-inspired Christmas tunes, without a folkified carol in sight. 



Track listing

01 The Bells Of Dublin/Christmas Eve (The Chieftains 1991)
02 On A Quiet Christmas Morn (Mary Chapin Carpenter 2008)
03 Christmas For Cowboys (John Denver 1975)
04 The Coventry Carol (The Young Tradition with Shirley & Dolly Collins 1969)
05 Christmas Passing Through (The Roches 1990)
06 Gaudete (Steeleye Span 1973)
07 Song For A Winter's Night (Gordon Lightfoot 1967)
08 Upon A Winter's Night (Cara Dillon 2016) 
09 Christ Is Born On Christmas Day (John Fahey 1991)
10 River (Joni Mitchell 1971)
11 Silent Night All Day Long (John Prine 1993)
12 In Dulci Jubilo (Maddy Prior & The Carnival Band 2005)
13 Goodbye England (Covered In Snow) (Laura Marling 2009)
14 Sing We Noel (The Kingston Trio 1960)
15 Candlemas Eve (Kate Rusby 2008)
16 I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day (Burl Ives 1965)
17 Coventry Carol (Joan Baez 1966)
18 On Christmas Night All Christians Sing (The Christmas Albion Band 2003)
19 The Seven Rejoices Of Mary (Loreena McKennitt 2008)
20 Christmas Carolling (The Irish Rovers 1999)

Search 'christmas aiwe' for all my Christmas albums.