Barker's Dozen
Listeners who needs them, huh?! Well, let's be honest its nice to get feedback even when the listeners come up with their own suggestions! And peddle their own bands into the bargain... Musician Steve Barker ran his eye over The Hub's Paddy's Day playlist and sent these responses, alternative suggestions, and link to his band's website!
SB: I took the opportunity to listen to your “playlist” including the soliloquy from that obscure text* you mentioned. Good stuff. However, I can’t help but react/respond to a themed list.
* The Hub believes this is a jocular reference to Molly Bloom's soliloquy from James Joyce's Ulysses, a bonus track on Side B: Traditional on the original playlist.
Thin Lizzy
Picture: The Thin Lizzy line-up of Downey, White, Lynott and Wharton in 1980 / independent.ie
SB: I was a huge Lizzy fan back in the day. Saw them live many times. And while you can’t fault the choice of The Boys Are Back In Town, I would have thought Whiskey In The Jar would be a better St Paddy’s day choice, or perhaps Emerald or Róisín Dubh?
YouTube video: THIN LIZZY Black Rose Live RockPalast
The Hub: Róisín Dubh or Black Rose was the last and title track on Lizzy's 1979 studio album Black Rose: A Rock Legend. The album was described enigmatically by John Meagher in the Irish Independent as: "... a defining album from a seismic year for Irish music, ...but it marked the end of Phil Lynott's band as a force in rock music."
The article contains this judgment on Lizzy's status in Irish music:
Black Rose: A Rock Legend would be a fitting end to a decade in which the group proved themselves to be one of the defining guitar bands of their time as well as the outfit who - with the greatest of respect to Horslips - helped put Irish music on the map more than any other in the 1970s.
For an introduction to Horslips see The Hub's tribute to the A Record A Day music appreciation group.
Gary Moore
Picture: Gary Moore and Phil Lynott on the cover of Out In The Fields
SB: Still Lizzy-related - Gary Moore? Known for his Blues, Heavy Rock and Fusion work, he could dip his toe in to a bit of tradition.
The Hub: Barker's GM choices are Out In The Fields, a collaboration with Phil Lynott, Over The Hills and Far Away and Wild Frontier.
Paul Brady
Picture: Paul Brady Live at Rockpalast / www.paulbrady.com
SB: Every time I think of Dublin I think of Paul Brady. Had the huge pleasure of working with him once. Great guy and fantastic singer and songwriter. Big in Ireland but never broke through here in the UK. Try You and I from the 1991 album Trick or Treat.
The Hub: Paul Brady's bio begins: Paul Brady, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is one of Ireland’s most enduringly popular artists. Born in Belfast on May 19th 1947 and raised in Strabane, Northern Ireland, on the border with the Irish Republic, he was interested in a wide variety of music from an early age. A Fifties child, his first sounds the Swing, Jazz, Show tunes of his parents generation.
Then 50’s Rock ‘n Roll, 60’s pop and Motown, Blues, R’nB and Country and Western. Through all this ran the potent flavour of Irish traditional music and song.
YouTube video: Paul Brady - Unfinished Business
Paul Brady is still making new music albeit after some thought. Of his recent release Unfinished Business he says:
This is my first record of new songs since Hooba Dooba back in 2010. It’s been rattling around me for the past three or four years. In that time I released the ‘Paul Brady Anthology’ and ‘The Vicar Street Sessions’ so I wasn’t doing nothing.. but I wanted to take my time with a new record. The record business was changing drastically over that period anyway and for a time I was, like many other artists, wondering was there any point in putting out an album at all.
Brady has since released It’s A Beautiful World (Now You Are Here) written with Sarah Vaughan in April 2020, a "celebration of life in these crazy times."
Swim
YouTube video: Sundrive Road - Swim.
SB: That made me think of another Irish band I had worked with. They were going to be “the next big thing”, but I guess not. Although not on Spotify I did find a video of them playing Sundrive Road in a pub.
No Sweat
YouTube video: Heart and Soul (Official Video) (1990) From The Album No
SB: Talking of Irish bands I worked with who failed to deliver on their promises – No Sweat. Again not on Spotify, but I found a video of Heart and Soul, the single they had out when I knew them.
Cara Dillon
Picture: Cover image of Cara Dillon's album Sweet Liberty / caradillon.bandcamp.com
SB: I’ll finish with There Were Roses by Cara Dillon, something a little less raucous, but the most moving of this random list.
The Hub: Cara's profile introduces her as: "Born in Dungiven in 1975, surrounded and infused with the rich cultural heritage of her native County Derry, Cara has risen to become one of the finest exponents of traditional Irish song anywhere in the world."
From the 2003 album Sweet Liberty, There Were Roses' Troubles-era-lyrics are introduced with the opening verse:
My song for you this evening
Is not to make you sad
Nor for adding to the sorrows
Of this troubled northern land
But lately I've been thinking
And it just wont leave my mind
I'll tell you about two friends one time
Who were both good friends of mine
Playlist
The Hub: You can listen to the More Paddy's Music: Barker's Dozen playlist by clicking on the link below.
Red Dog Band
Picture: Musician Steve Barker / reddogband.com
SB: Nothing to do with Irish music, but here is a link to Red Dog my band's website. The music is playable from the site.
The Hub: Click on the site and you will read this: Red Dog is the musical vision of London-based artist Stephen Barker. Largely instrumental, the sound is of multi-dimensional Guitar and righteous Hammond driven by a relentless Rhythm Section. Live shows later this year.
You can also listen to the band's largely instrumental music (but beware Beware The Devil!) via this link, starting with Nighthawks.