Dave's Music #42 Celtic Connections

Of course my library has a rich supply of Celtic music and I don't listen to it only during March, but it's not a bad reason to revisit and explore the library for Music with no Expiration Date.  Sure bring it out once a year, better than never.  Of course I'll try to stretch you into new music, and some not filed in the Irish section of your favorite music store.

1) Long Way to Galway - The Resonate Rogues

I forget when I met this duo recently, but I quickly knew I would love their music and bought their whole library (Yes sometimes I look at that 30% discount and jump at it)  Seriously, doesn't this picture make you want to listen?

It’s a long way to Galway when your mind is full of sand

And where you lay your head is in a strangers open hand

My sweetheart she’s a traveler but her body craves to be home

Wandering brings her sorrow when it’s finally time to go


Oh-oh where to go when you find you’ve had enough
,
I don’t know how to rest when I’ve fallen down

Friday St. Patrick's Day Flashback New Video... and oh my it's a good one.

2) Lad Among Heather - Wolf Loescher

I met Wolf early during the pandemic as I was buying new music, I need more of him in my library.  This is one of my favorite song from him.  He's living in Longmont Colorado.

Awa' wi' yer satins, yer silks and yer shawls
Yer soirees and yer parties and yer elegant balls
For a dance in the barn's worth ten in the hall
Wi' the lads that were reared among heather

Friday St. Patrick's Day Flashback New Video... and oh my it's another good one.

3) Black Velvet Band - Jessica Brett

I don't need much encouragement to return to this video I found while I was writing the Peaky Blinders post. 

4) Safe Home - Outside Track cover of Johnsmith

Our blog will always transport you... from Jessica in Ireland to John in Trempealeau WI, but the catch is John runs tours to Ireland and wrote a song that is a classic and has been covered by a few great Irish performers.  Since John doesn't have the track in his Bandcamp page (John get with it, open your library to new ears... ha) I'm sharing my favorite cover from a group I met through their former lead singer Norah Rendell.

Friday St. Patrick's Day Flashback New Video... and it won't be in the new playlist at the end because they have it inadvertently setup under YouTube Children rules.  (It's kind of misleading)  So I added a different video and YES it's my neighbor from eight miles away, Johnsmith.

5) Danny Boy - Johnny Cash

Not much to say here... the master and from his American Recordings sessions.

6) Postcards from Paonia - Humbird

Written in the tradition of Celtic songs that are sung as stories in your neighborhood bar, Siri Undlin wrote and performs a song that can quiet a noisy bar/cafe when she starts singing it.  (yes I've witnessed it and goosebump city as it happens)

Friday St. Patrick's Day Flashback New Video... and I can sense a moose nearby is getting goosebumps.

7) Here's a Health Unto All True Lovers - Norah Rendell

(Mentioned in track 4) Norah has played my house concert a couple times, and I could write an entire blog post about her and her hubby Brian Miller, let's just say she is an award winning vocalist, who plays a kick ass flute too.  One of their concerts had a Christmas tour being held two days later, it was decked to the hilt, so I recorded a tour for my sister in law in FL and put them in the background.  First the video (songs fit Irish theme), and then the song from the playlist:

Of course I love when musicians post the stories behind the songs on Bandcamp, and when they do I LOVE to share them:

Collector Helen Creighton described the atmosphere in the home of singer William Gilkie when she visited in 1950: “…friends walk into his house without need of knocking, slipping noiselessly to their places so the singers would not be disturbed.” Gilkie sang for Creighton’s recording machine with a child on his knee and chewing tobacco in his mouth.

In other versions of this song, the man tapping at his true love’s window is revealed to be the ghost of her lost lover.

lyrics

Here’s a health unto all true lovers,
And unto mine where’er she be,
This very night, love, I mean to be with you,
It’s many’s a long mile she is from me.

It’s let this night be as dark as dungeons,
And there no gay light all to appear,
My steps shall guide thee without a stumble,
All in the arms of you, my dear.

Friday St. Patrick's Day Flashback New Video... a little blurry but great sound.

8) The Mountain - The Outside Track

Here's Norah when she was touring with The Outside Track.

And yes I had a chance to see them in the states, what a fun group of people.

9) Slan Abhaile - Moors & McCumber

Let's close it out with two more stateside guys who also take people on tours of Ireland like Johnsmith.

In my green island home, we were carried away
To a time when our fathers were living this way
With a pint in the evening to settle the score
We rise up singing ‘till we’re human once more

Friday St. Patrick's Day Flashback New Video... got to love them live. 

10) Leaving for Cobh - Moors & McCumber

As we pay homage to the Irish, I'm hoping you are reaching for a little Irish Whiskey.

We drink to remember, we drink to forget
We drink to put rest to the ghosts in our heads
Who remind us of home, as we sail to new lands
We’re leaving for Cobh in the morning

For all my Flashback Friday posts I add a ONE Click playlist if the post didn't have it... so grab a pint and listen to the YouTube playlist.

Next steps: (of course added during brushing off the lint during Flashback Friday)

- Browse the rest of the blogs by stopping at this "Theme Page."

- Enjoy Tune Tuesday which brings you one song from a past blog post.

- Stop over to the Review page to my other most spinned and loved albums.

- See what other post have been most popular recently with our Stats Page.

- Find out who in the world thinks he has the authority to write this blog in the About.

- Let me answer why you won't find the playlists on Spotify here.

- Finally, the Mission page explains why there is no advertising cluttering the page.

If you use Facebook, we have a page that will help you remember to read the next post.