Ruby Murray

Artist: Ruby Murray

LP: Irish (And Proud Of It)

Song: "Cockles and Mussels"
[ listen ] 

Song: "Miss O'Leary's Irish Fruit Cake"
[ listen ]

Song: "Forty Shades of Green"
[ listen ]

Happy St. Patrick's Day from me and Ruby Murray! Born in Belfast in 1935, Ruby was an Irish national treasure, reaching her peak popularity in the mid-to-late 1950s. She seems to have delighted in sharing her talent with others, even performing for nursing home staff in her final years, before succumbing to cancer in 1996 at the age of 61. You can read more about the lovely Miss Murray here and here. Ruby's rendition of "Forty Shades of Green," it's safe to assume, was the inspiration for this more modern tale of romance developed years later and set in the Pacific Northwest.

[ Ruby Murray: March 29, 1935 — December 17, 1996 ]

Calum Kennedy

Artist: Calum Kennedy

LP: Songs of Scotland and Ireland

Song: "The Ould Lammas Fair"
[ listen ]

Song: "Lovely Stornoway"
[ listen ]

Scottish singer Calum Kennedy once embarked on a disastrous tour of the Scottish Highlands in an old bus, with the entire enterprise documented on video by the BBC. Kennedy reportedly wasn't happy with the program, but it has since developed cult status. I found this 1959 recording (and not much else, other than a James Last Christmas LP) at Lyle's Place in Victoria, Canada. I've provided a sample of one of Calum's Irish songs ("The Ould Lammas Fair") as well as one from Scotland ("Lovely Stornoway," which is also a really good band.) You can read about Mr. Kennedy on Wikipedia here. 

[ Calum Kennedy: June 2, 1928 — April 15, 2006 ]

[ Lyle's Place — Victoria, BC, Canada ]

Eileen Donaghy

Artist: Eileen Donaghy

LP: Let's Sing With the Irish!

Song: "Galway Bay"

[ listen ]

Here's another neat record I found while rummaging through the "as is" discount bins last weekend. Born in the town of Brackaville in Northern Ireland in 1930, Eileen "Maisie" Donaghy worked as a darner in a weaving factory before singing "The Boys From the County Armagh" to a packed stadium at the Ulster Football Final in Clones in 1958, which set her on a path to become one of Ireland's most popular and beloved singers. Eileen's "Let's Sing With the Irish" LP, on which she sings with Johnny Gregory and His Orchestra & Chorus, was released simultaneously in the USA and the UK in 1961. You can get your own copy of the record, with fewer scratches, right here. You can read more about the life and career of Eileen Donaghy on Wikipedia here, and find the LP liner notes included below.

[ Eileen Donaghy: July 16, 1930 — October 26, 2008 ]

Horslips

Artist: Horslips

LP: Dancehall Sweethearts

Song: "Stars"

[ listen ]

The fiddle figures prominently in the traditional jig-inspired music of this folk-rock band from Ireland. Formed in 1970, Horslips evidently developed a larger following after their 1980 breakup than they'd accumulated during their decade together—a fact that likely figured into their decision to play a few reunion concerts in Belfast and Dublin at the end of 2009. You can read more about Horslips here, and click here to visit their official website, where you'll find additional band info, the Horslips discography, some "horseshit" and lots of neat pictures of the group, who are, in general, a whole lot sexier than Los Freddy's.

 

Mickey and Mary Carton and Their Orchestra

Artist: Mickey and Mary Carton and Their Orchestra

LP: Little Bits of Ireland
Song: "I'll Forgive and I'll Try to Forget"
[ listen ]

Anyone in the mood for a good, old-fashioned Irish-American break-up song? Here are some notes from the back of the record:

Two of the most attractive exponents of true Irish melodies, Mickey
and Mary Carton have always sung songs that the Irish love. Brother
and sister, they were born in the Bronx, New York, in a household that
was full of music. Their father was an accordion player, and it was only
logical that Mickey and Mary should become attracted to the instrument.
Playing the accordion became second nature to them, and they
were always in demand at local entertainments.

The World War interrupted their duo performances but, after a stretch
in the army, Mickey returned to form his own Irish orchestra,
with Mary as featured singer.

Mickey and Mary Carton make new friends wherever they go and
whenever they appear. They have been on the Ed Sullivan Show five
times; they are cherished by Irish audiences throughout New York,
Chicago, Springfield, Boston, and practically all of new England.
These recordings are sure to increase their already wide popularity.