THE IRISH ROVERS
''50 YEARS, DISC ONE''
MARCH 01 2014
236:53
DISC ONE
1 - Come In 1:46
2 - Mick Maguire 2:04
3 - The Wind That Shakes the Corn 3:04
4 - My Old Man’s a Dustman 2:47
5 - Black Velvet Band 3:26
6 - The Orange and the Green 2:39
7 - The Bog in the Valley 2:34
8 - Kellswater 3:27
9 - The Bonny Lady 2:48
10 - Jigs_ Sweet Biddy Daly _ Tatter Jack Walsh _ Rakes of Kildare _ The Rambling Pitchfork 3:17
11 - Star of the Co_ Down 2:44
12 - Finnegan’s Wake 3:27
13 - Wild Rover 3:10
14 - Killiburne Brae 3:25
15 - Brigid Flynn 3:01
16 - Brady of Strabane 2:18
17 - Music in the Glen_ Sweet Biddy Daly _ The Carraroe Jig _Charlie Mulvihill's Reel _ Music in the Glen 2:00
18 - The Barleymow 2:35
19 - Paddy on the Turnpike 4:05
20 - Wasn’t That a Party 3:38
21 - I’ll Tell Me Ma _ Belle of Belfast 2:34
22 - The BiPlane, Evermore 3:19
23 - Puff the Magic Dragon 2:43
24 - Marvelous Toy 3:11
25 - Morningtown Ride 3:41
26 - Yes I Can 2:57
27 - The Unicorn 2:59
DISC TWO
1 - Boys of Belfast 2:44
2 - Bonnie Dundee 3:32
3 - Shores of Botany Bay 3:48
4 - Rolling Home to Ireland 3:00
5 - Reels_ Tie the Bonnet _ Scotch Mary _ The Mountain Road _ Maud Miller's _ Tulla Reel 2:46
6 - Down by the Laganside 4:03
7 - The Overlanders 2:07
8 - The Rake 4:10
9 - Jigs_ Willie Hunter's Jig _ The Maid on the Green _ The Boys of Tandragee _ Denis Murphy's Polka 3:22
10 - Dan O’hara 3:14
11 - Bold O’donahue 2:55
12 - A Long Time Ago 2:30
13 - Wild Colonial Boy 3:43
14 - New York Girls 2:45
15 - Dunluce Castle 3:46
16 - Little Skillet Pot 3:45
17 - Up Among the Heather 2:40
18 - Rambling Boys of Pleasure 3:34
19 - Boolevogue 3:09
20 - Rory Murphy 3:03
21 - Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye 3:25
22 - Reels_ Pidgeon on the Gate _ The Plough and the Stars _ The Reconcilliation 4:11
23 - Girls of Derry 3:07
24 - Dark Island 4:15
DISC THREE
1 - Irish Rover 2:35
2 - Ireland Boys Hurray 2:18
3 - Patsy Fagan 2:22
4 - Gracehill Fair 3:41
5 - Rare Ould Mountain Dew 2:11
6 - Whistling Gypsy 3:13
7 - Lily the Pink 3:38
8 - Pheasant Plucker’s Son 3:04
9 - Lewis Bridal Song _ Mairi's Wedding 2:34
10 - She Took Me by the Hand 3:02
11 - Whisky in the Jar 3:03
12 - Dear Little Shamrock Shore (feat_ Ca Be) 4:29
13 - Reels_ The Clare Reel _ The Dawn Reel 4:01
14 - Her Wonderful Ass 2:59
15 - The Titanic 6:35
16 - Come Away with Me 3:52
17 - What Would You Do 1:58
18 - Whores and Hounds 4:12
19 - Raise a Glass to St_ Patrick 3:15
20 - The Hermit 3:16
21 - Drunken Sailor 2:56
22 - Rovers Farewell 6:35
ABOUT 50 YEARS
The Irish Rovers, 50 Years is the Irish Rovers premiere music product to date. The greatest of the Greatest Hits, and the best of The Best of The Irish Rovers.
"As of this writing, the Irish Rovers have been travelling the world for close to fifty years and in fact, January 1st of 2015 will be our official 50th Anniversary. Different members have passed through our ranks over the years and all will be represented in this anthology.
We’ve sung thousands of songs over the years and trying to choose which ones should be included here was about as easy as teaching a chimp how to do an Irish jig, oh wait, they’ve done that! Oh well...anyway dear fans, here are some early recordings, some children’s songs, some from the middle and later years and some new ones, just written. These songs are from us to you, with the deepest heartfelt gratitude for your unfailing support of us all these years. Thank you and please enjoy."
Slainte, George Millar, December 2013
This 3 CD pack is a tribute to the 50 years of music that The Irish Rovers have produced. This includes their chart-toppers and significant songs from throughtout their career, plus 22 new recordings.
The twenty-eight page booklet which accompanies this CD pack contains a history of The Irish Rovers with photos from throughtout the years. For additional details of the band, you can also refer to the cover artwork. The piece is called "The Life of the Rover" and contains nearly 40 references to the band's history. It was commissioned by The Irish Rovers. Hamish Douglas Burgess, the Celtic artist, who created the piece in the style of the Book of Kells, also hosts a Celtic radio show from Maui. The cover art is available as a poster from this website or as a giclee art print from the artist directly.
BIOGRAPHY
by Bruce Eder
The Irish Rovers were one of the more popular folk-based singing groups to come out of Ireland in the mid-'60s, although they had to do it by way of Canada. As teenagers, founders George Millar (guitar, vocals, banjo) and Jimmy Ferguson (vocals) were former residents of Northern Ireland, living in Toronto, when they started singing together in 1963, originally for cigarette and beer money. It was Millar's mother who suggested, on hearing the duo rehearse, that they use the name The Irish Rovers, from the song "The Irish Rover." The duo of Millar and Ferguson became a trio with the addition of new immigrant Joe Millar (vocals, accordion), George's cousin, in 1964, and a quartet when the trio headed to Calgary, Alberta to add Will Millar (guitar, banjo, vocals) -- George's older brother, who was hosting a children's television show at the time -- to the lineup. Their original inspiration came from Tommy Makem & the Clancy Brothers, mixing shared vocals and somewhat heavier instrumental prowess.
After a successful engagement at a coffeehouse in Calgary where they honed their act for weeks, the group headed south to the United States, where they managed to get booked into the Purple Onion in San Francisco -- where the Kingston Trio and other renowned acts had been fixtures for years -- and then to the Ice House in Pasadena. At that time, they were a straight folk act with lots of good-time songs and between-song humor about drinking and other pleasures of the flesh. And they were popular enough at both venues to end up making a circuit of the still-vibrant folk club scene across the United States, then back to Canada, and finally a return visit to the Ice House in 1966. There, they were heard by Charles "Bud" Dant, an executive with the U.S. label Decca Records, who was so impressed with the group and their presentation that he not only got them signed to the label, but made the decision not to tamper with a good thing, and allow their debut album to be a live recording from the Ice House.
Their debut, The First of the Irish Rovers, was successful enough to justify a follow-up, and it was at that point that they began to run short of fully worthwhile repertory. It was Will Millar, who had hosted a children's show in Calgary, who provided them with an extra number, a children's song that had gone over well on his program. Written by Shel Silverstein, the renowned humorist, author, and singer, "The Unicorn" was popular on Millar's show and the group cut it as an album track and a single. The latter reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968, an extraordinary achievement at the time -- the mass popularity of folk music had begun receding as far back as 1965, as most of the top younger performers switched to electric instruments, and the folk-rock and psychedelic booms had done little to make the marketplace more hospitable. Yet here were The Irish Rovers, with one of the Top Ten singles in the country, and an album of the same name also selling well.
The record did bring about several changes for the group, however. Around this time, accordionist Wilcil McDowell, a friend of the bandmembers who also hailed from the Emerald Isle, joined the group to broaden the Rovers' sound. And meanwhile, although it wasn't really a children's song in the purest sense of the word, a lot of the appeal of "The Unicorn" was centered on younger listeners and their parents, and as their audiences grew, and large numbers of children started attending their shows, they had to cut back on the number of songs about drinking and other "ribald" subjects that would have been part of their usual set in previous years. That growth in their audience, and the abandonment of some of the repertory (and humor) that had made up their set forced the group to start seriously researching Irish folk music for new material. They were also hemmed in by the fact that they weren't a topical performing group -- they wanted to entertain rather than send messages, even in the middle of the Vietnam War and other sources of strife, especially the worsening violence over Northern Ireland (where all of the members originally hailed from). The closest they got to a "message" song was the distinctly humorous "The Orange and the Green" (which was adapted from the traditional tune "The Rising of the Moon").
the Rovers' lineup was surprisingly stable through the years, as they rode the success of "The Unicorn" across the '70s and beyond. By that time, more serious and scholarly Irish folk groups such as the Chieftains had emerged internationally to steal some of the spotlight, but The Irish Rovers still had a loyal and devoted following. In 1980, they were signed to Columbia Records' Epic & Affiliated Labels division, as it was called, releasing their music on the Cleveland International label -- this came with an initial name change to the Rovers, under which they had a minor country music hit with "Wasn't That a Party," which rose to number 45. But protests from longtime fans of Gaelic descent forced a restoration of their original name. Since then, Will Millar retired in 1995 and cousin Joe left the group ten years later; sadly, Jimmy Ferguson passed away suddenly in 1997. Still, the group -- including both George Millar and Wilcil McDowell -- has endured, and in more recent years has recorded for its own label, Rover Records.
OFFICIAL SITE
''50 YEARS, DISC ONE''
MARCH 01 2014
236:53
DISC ONE
1 - Come In 1:46
2 - Mick Maguire 2:04
3 - The Wind That Shakes the Corn 3:04
4 - My Old Man’s a Dustman 2:47
5 - Black Velvet Band 3:26
6 - The Orange and the Green 2:39
7 - The Bog in the Valley 2:34
8 - Kellswater 3:27
9 - The Bonny Lady 2:48
10 - Jigs_ Sweet Biddy Daly _ Tatter Jack Walsh _ Rakes of Kildare _ The Rambling Pitchfork 3:17
11 - Star of the Co_ Down 2:44
12 - Finnegan’s Wake 3:27
13 - Wild Rover 3:10
14 - Killiburne Brae 3:25
15 - Brigid Flynn 3:01
16 - Brady of Strabane 2:18
17 - Music in the Glen_ Sweet Biddy Daly _ The Carraroe Jig _Charlie Mulvihill's Reel _ Music in the Glen 2:00
18 - The Barleymow 2:35
19 - Paddy on the Turnpike 4:05
20 - Wasn’t That a Party 3:38
21 - I’ll Tell Me Ma _ Belle of Belfast 2:34
22 - The BiPlane, Evermore 3:19
23 - Puff the Magic Dragon 2:43
24 - Marvelous Toy 3:11
25 - Morningtown Ride 3:41
26 - Yes I Can 2:57
27 - The Unicorn 2:59
DISC TWO
1 - Boys of Belfast 2:44
2 - Bonnie Dundee 3:32
3 - Shores of Botany Bay 3:48
4 - Rolling Home to Ireland 3:00
5 - Reels_ Tie the Bonnet _ Scotch Mary _ The Mountain Road _ Maud Miller's _ Tulla Reel 2:46
6 - Down by the Laganside 4:03
7 - The Overlanders 2:07
8 - The Rake 4:10
9 - Jigs_ Willie Hunter's Jig _ The Maid on the Green _ The Boys of Tandragee _ Denis Murphy's Polka 3:22
10 - Dan O’hara 3:14
11 - Bold O’donahue 2:55
12 - A Long Time Ago 2:30
13 - Wild Colonial Boy 3:43
14 - New York Girls 2:45
15 - Dunluce Castle 3:46
16 - Little Skillet Pot 3:45
17 - Up Among the Heather 2:40
18 - Rambling Boys of Pleasure 3:34
19 - Boolevogue 3:09
20 - Rory Murphy 3:03
21 - Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye 3:25
22 - Reels_ Pidgeon on the Gate _ The Plough and the Stars _ The Reconcilliation 4:11
23 - Girls of Derry 3:07
24 - Dark Island 4:15
DISC THREE
1 - Irish Rover 2:35
2 - Ireland Boys Hurray 2:18
3 - Patsy Fagan 2:22
4 - Gracehill Fair 3:41
5 - Rare Ould Mountain Dew 2:11
6 - Whistling Gypsy 3:13
7 - Lily the Pink 3:38
8 - Pheasant Plucker’s Son 3:04
9 - Lewis Bridal Song _ Mairi's Wedding 2:34
10 - She Took Me by the Hand 3:02
11 - Whisky in the Jar 3:03
12 - Dear Little Shamrock Shore (feat_ Ca Be) 4:29
13 - Reels_ The Clare Reel _ The Dawn Reel 4:01
14 - Her Wonderful Ass 2:59
15 - The Titanic 6:35
16 - Come Away with Me 3:52
17 - What Would You Do 1:58
18 - Whores and Hounds 4:12
19 - Raise a Glass to St_ Patrick 3:15
20 - The Hermit 3:16
21 - Drunken Sailor 2:56
22 - Rovers Farewell 6:35
ABOUT 50 YEARS
The Irish Rovers, 50 Years is the Irish Rovers premiere music product to date. The greatest of the Greatest Hits, and the best of The Best of The Irish Rovers.
"As of this writing, the Irish Rovers have been travelling the world for close to fifty years and in fact, January 1st of 2015 will be our official 50th Anniversary. Different members have passed through our ranks over the years and all will be represented in this anthology.
We’ve sung thousands of songs over the years and trying to choose which ones should be included here was about as easy as teaching a chimp how to do an Irish jig, oh wait, they’ve done that! Oh well...anyway dear fans, here are some early recordings, some children’s songs, some from the middle and later years and some new ones, just written. These songs are from us to you, with the deepest heartfelt gratitude for your unfailing support of us all these years. Thank you and please enjoy."
Slainte, George Millar, December 2013
This 3 CD pack is a tribute to the 50 years of music that The Irish Rovers have produced. This includes their chart-toppers and significant songs from throughtout their career, plus 22 new recordings.
The twenty-eight page booklet which accompanies this CD pack contains a history of The Irish Rovers with photos from throughtout the years. For additional details of the band, you can also refer to the cover artwork. The piece is called "The Life of the Rover" and contains nearly 40 references to the band's history. It was commissioned by The Irish Rovers. Hamish Douglas Burgess, the Celtic artist, who created the piece in the style of the Book of Kells, also hosts a Celtic radio show from Maui. The cover art is available as a poster from this website or as a giclee art print from the artist directly.
BIOGRAPHY
by Bruce Eder
The Irish Rovers were one of the more popular folk-based singing groups to come out of Ireland in the mid-'60s, although they had to do it by way of Canada. As teenagers, founders George Millar (guitar, vocals, banjo) and Jimmy Ferguson (vocals) were former residents of Northern Ireland, living in Toronto, when they started singing together in 1963, originally for cigarette and beer money. It was Millar's mother who suggested, on hearing the duo rehearse, that they use the name The Irish Rovers, from the song "The Irish Rover." The duo of Millar and Ferguson became a trio with the addition of new immigrant Joe Millar (vocals, accordion), George's cousin, in 1964, and a quartet when the trio headed to Calgary, Alberta to add Will Millar (guitar, banjo, vocals) -- George's older brother, who was hosting a children's television show at the time -- to the lineup. Their original inspiration came from Tommy Makem & the Clancy Brothers, mixing shared vocals and somewhat heavier instrumental prowess.
After a successful engagement at a coffeehouse in Calgary where they honed their act for weeks, the group headed south to the United States, where they managed to get booked into the Purple Onion in San Francisco -- where the Kingston Trio and other renowned acts had been fixtures for years -- and then to the Ice House in Pasadena. At that time, they were a straight folk act with lots of good-time songs and between-song humor about drinking and other pleasures of the flesh. And they were popular enough at both venues to end up making a circuit of the still-vibrant folk club scene across the United States, then back to Canada, and finally a return visit to the Ice House in 1966. There, they were heard by Charles "Bud" Dant, an executive with the U.S. label Decca Records, who was so impressed with the group and their presentation that he not only got them signed to the label, but made the decision not to tamper with a good thing, and allow their debut album to be a live recording from the Ice House.
Their debut, The First of the Irish Rovers, was successful enough to justify a follow-up, and it was at that point that they began to run short of fully worthwhile repertory. It was Will Millar, who had hosted a children's show in Calgary, who provided them with an extra number, a children's song that had gone over well on his program. Written by Shel Silverstein, the renowned humorist, author, and singer, "The Unicorn" was popular on Millar's show and the group cut it as an album track and a single. The latter reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968, an extraordinary achievement at the time -- the mass popularity of folk music had begun receding as far back as 1965, as most of the top younger performers switched to electric instruments, and the folk-rock and psychedelic booms had done little to make the marketplace more hospitable. Yet here were The Irish Rovers, with one of the Top Ten singles in the country, and an album of the same name also selling well.
The record did bring about several changes for the group, however. Around this time, accordionist Wilcil McDowell, a friend of the bandmembers who also hailed from the Emerald Isle, joined the group to broaden the Rovers' sound. And meanwhile, although it wasn't really a children's song in the purest sense of the word, a lot of the appeal of "The Unicorn" was centered on younger listeners and their parents, and as their audiences grew, and large numbers of children started attending their shows, they had to cut back on the number of songs about drinking and other "ribald" subjects that would have been part of their usual set in previous years. That growth in their audience, and the abandonment of some of the repertory (and humor) that had made up their set forced the group to start seriously researching Irish folk music for new material. They were also hemmed in by the fact that they weren't a topical performing group -- they wanted to entertain rather than send messages, even in the middle of the Vietnam War and other sources of strife, especially the worsening violence over Northern Ireland (where all of the members originally hailed from). The closest they got to a "message" song was the distinctly humorous "The Orange and the Green" (which was adapted from the traditional tune "The Rising of the Moon").
the Rovers' lineup was surprisingly stable through the years, as they rode the success of "The Unicorn" across the '70s and beyond. By that time, more serious and scholarly Irish folk groups such as the Chieftains had emerged internationally to steal some of the spotlight, but The Irish Rovers still had a loyal and devoted following. In 1980, they were signed to Columbia Records' Epic & Affiliated Labels division, as it was called, releasing their music on the Cleveland International label -- this came with an initial name change to the Rovers, under which they had a minor country music hit with "Wasn't That a Party," which rose to number 45. But protests from longtime fans of Gaelic descent forced a restoration of their original name. Since then, Will Millar retired in 1995 and cousin Joe left the group ten years later; sadly, Jimmy Ferguson passed away suddenly in 1997. Still, the group -- including both George Millar and Wilcil McDowell -- has endured, and in more recent years has recorded for its own label, Rover Records.
OFFICIAL SITE
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