Chiff and Fipple Forums

You all know it. You've all played it.
Anyone who's played a gig in the USA
or Canada has gotten a request fer it.
Some of you love it, some of you hate it.
Please feel free to post yer favorite
version/recording. You or anyone playing it.
Thanks,
O.
Let's start it off with that most traditional of instruments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wko5BqWR8gw

I like it well enough, it's a fun tune in spite of the baggage it carries. Both Ed Reavey and Paddy Fahey rewrote it, Tommy Reck did a lovely job on it, Patsy Touhey played to gallery but had fun with it, Gerdy Commane recorded a nice take. More tha na few did an unintended hatchet job on it, but what can you do?

I must admit, I love the tune. I'll have a think about versions, but I play it often.

Mr.Gumby wrote:I like it well enough, it's a fun tune in spite of the baggage it carries. Both Ed Reavey and Paddy Fahey rewrote it, Tommy Reck did a lovely job on it, Patsy Touhey played to gallery but had fun with it, Gerdy Commane recorded a nice take. More tha na few did an unintended hatchet job on it, but what can you do?

I wonder if Tommy Potts was ever recorded
playing it. If you'd care to share some files
Please do by all means.

I wonder if Tommy Potts was ever recorded
playing it.

Hm, can't think of any of Potts. I did just find a Johnny Doherty one though. And a 78rpm by K,. Scanlon. In 1982 I recorded both Joe and Dermot O'Loughlin playing the tune. There are probably a few more knocking about that I can't think of right now.

Mr.Gumby wrote:

I wonder if Tommy Potts was ever recorded
playing it.

Hm, can't think of any of Potts. I did just find a Johnny Doherty one though. And a 78rpm by K,. Scanlon. In 1982 I recorded both Joe and Dermot O'Loughlin playing the tune. There are probably a few more knocking about that I can't think of right now.

The Johnny Doherty one is famous. I'm not that keen on it, though, which is unusual for me - I generally love anything the man ever did. But not that.

I must confess I’ve never bothered to learn the tune, despite 13 years of playing and accumulating hundreds of tunes. I can hear it in my head, so could probably figure it out without trouble, but just never felt the desire to.

Thomaston wrote:I must confess I’ve never bothered to learn the tune, despite 13 years of playing and accumulating hundreds of tunes. I can hear it in my head, so could probably figure it out without trouble, but just never felt the desire to.

Really? It's a great tune. I love it.

The Johnny Doherty one is famous. I'm not that keen on it, though, which is unusual for me - I generally love anything the man ever did. But not that.

I don't know, this is a recording of a gig he did at some hotel. Not sure you'd love him playing the Colonel Bogey medley he did there though, although, again, it is fun.

I must confess I’ve never bothered to learn the tune

No, but it's one of those tunes that's just there. When I was very young they had the farming news on just before the one O'clock news, prices of cattle on the marts, that sort of stuff, it opened with a bunch of violinists playing the Irish Washerwoman, when I was sick, home from school I always heard that on the radio. I suppose it stuck right there. But since I have heard great players play it and there are lovely versions of it, but it has baggage: listening to John Sheehan hamming it up with André Rieu will put anyone off it but I have played it with Tommy Reck and I hold that occasion very dear.

[fixed typo]

Mr.Gumby wrote:this is a recording of a gig he did at some hotel. Not sure you'd love him playing the Colonel Bogey medley he did there though, although, again, it is fun.

Yes, it is fun. Lots of humour in there, and I like the harmonies.

Did I hear the obligatory Yank at the end saying "Waanderrrful!"

I have a recording of Dermot Byrne playing a version - possibly from Donegal - I think in "Emaj". It's a wonderful piece of music.
I think I may have a recording of Paddy Fahy playing it somewhere as well.
Scottish Highland pipers have a 4-part hornpipe version, recorded by both "The Tannahill Weavers" and "The Battlefield Band" in the early-mid 1970s.
I play it occasionally as a waltz.
If I can find the time, and the recordings, I'll stick them in a Dropbox folder and post the link.

kenny wrote:I have a recording of Dermot Byrne playing a version - possibly from Donegal - I think in "Emaj". It's a wonderful piece of music.
I think I may have a recording of Paddy Fahy playing it somewhere as well.
Scottish Highland pipers have a 4-part hornpipe version, recorded by both "The Tannahill Weavers" and "The Battlefield Band" in the early-mid 1970s.
I play it occasionally as a waltz.
If I can find the time, and the recordings, I'll stick them in a Dropbox folder and post the link.

That would be great, Kenny. I'd love to hear that. (Or those? It's the Dermot Byrne in particular I'd be interested in, personally. I can't remember whether I've heard it before ...)

Did I hear the obligatory Yank at the end saying "!" [/quote]

benhall.1 wrote:
Did I hear the obligatory Yank at the end saying "Waanderrrful!"

Ben, which part of jolly old do you hail from?
And is the pronunciation there rhotic or non rhotic?

I think I may have a recording of Paddy Fahy playing it somewhere as well.

If you can't find it, I have one here as well. There's a notation of his version in CRE2, for the impatient.

Now, reel version, anyone?

BG ~G2 DG ~G2 | BdBG dGAB | cA ~A2 eA ~A2 | cBcd egdc|
BG ~G2 dG ~G2 | BdBG dGAB | cBcd egge | dABa G ....

There's an unusual EP CD by Kavan Donohoe from Co. Cavan playing an "electronic" set of "VPipes" [ "v" for "Virtual" ], and he plays a reel called "Clancy's Fancy" which I would almost swear is a reel version of the "IW". I'll include it too. This will take a day or two.