Four Men and a Dog

Last updated

Four Men and a Dog is an Irish traditional band that emerged in 1990 during the Belfast Folk Festival. The band plays Irish traditional music with a mixture of different other genres, including rock, jazz, blues, bluegrass, swing, salsa, polka and even rap. They originally had their name because of former singer Mick Daly's nickname; "The Black Dog". Daly was later replaced with Kevin Doherty. Other original members included Gino Lupari, Donal Murphy, Brian McGrath, and Cathal Hayden. [1]

Contents

Their debut album, Barking Mad (1991), was granted Folk Roots magazine's "Album of the Year" award, [2] the first time that an Irish group had that honour. [1] Line-up changes ensued before in 1993, Shifting Gravel, their second album, was not well received by critics nor the public. Their displeasure was centered around Doherty's pop/rock leanings, which overwhelmed the earlier pure Celtic undertones of the group. [2]

They met The Band in 1994, and recorded their album Doctor A's Secret Remedies (1995) [2] at Levon Helm's studio in Woodstock, New York, with musical guests Garth Hudson and Randy Ciarlante. Rick Danko also joined Four Men and a Dog on a UK tour where they played some of The Band's classics.

Long Roads followed in 1996. [1]

Band members

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shane MacGowan and The Popes</span> Irish band formed in 1992

The Popes are a band originally formed by Shane MacGowan and Paul "Mad Dog" McGuinness, who play a blend of rock, Irish folk and Americana.

The Boys of the Lough is a Scottish-Irish Celtic music band active since the 1970s.

The Bothy Band are an Irish traditional band, originally active during the mid 1970s. They quickly gained a reputation as one of the most influential bands playing Irish traditional music. Their enthusiasm and musical virtuosity had a significant influence on the Irish traditional music movement that continued well after they disbanded in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Street</span> Band

Patrick Street is an Irish folk group founded by Kevin Burke on fiddle, Andy Irvine on mandolin, bouzouki, harmonica and vocals, Jackie Daly on button accordion, and Arty McGlynn on guitar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Moginie</span> Australian musician (born 1956)

James 'Jim' Moginie is an Australian musician. He is best known for his work with Midnight Oil, of which he is a founding member, guitarist, keyboardist and leading songwriter.

<i>Prosperous</i> (album) Album by Christy Moore

Prosperous is the second album by Irish folk musician Christy Moore, released in 1972. His first album, Paddy on the Road, was recorded by Dominic Behan in 1969 and has long been out of print. In addition to Moore's guitar and voice, Prosperous featured musicians Andy Irvine, Liam Óg O'Flynn and Dónal Lunny. These four musicians later gave themselves the name Planxty, making this album something of the first Planxty album in all but name. Other musicians included Kevin Conneff on bodhrán, Clive Collins on fiddle, and Dave Bland on concertina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irish fiddle</span> Music style

The fiddle is one of the most important instruments in the traditional repertoire of Irish traditional music. The fiddle itself is identical to the violin, however it is played differently in widely varying regional styles. In the era of sound recording some regional styles have been transmitted more widely while others have become more uncommon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Burke (musician)</span> Irish fiddler

Kevin Burke is an Irish master fiddler considered one of the finest living Irish fiddlers. For nearly five decades he has been at the forefront of Irish traditional music and Celtic music, performing and recording with the groups The Bothy Band, Patrick Street, and the Celtic Fiddle Festival. He is a 2002 recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Máirtín O'Connor</span> Irish musician

Máirtín O'Connor is an Irish button accordionist from Galway, Ireland, who began playing at the age of nine, and whose career has seen him as a member of many traditional music groups that include Skylark, Midnight Well, De Dannan, and The Boys of the Lough. A traditional Irish musician, O'Connor was one of the major forces of the music in the world-renowned Riverdance.

Kevin Doherty is an Irish songwriter, musician and singer. He has played with various bands since the late 1980s and currently records and performs both as a solo artist and as a member of Four Men and a Dog.

<i>Otherworld</i> (album) 1999 studio album by Lúnasa

Otherworld is an album by Lúnasa that was released 1999 on Green Linnet Records. It is the band's second major release. Although the album displays the band’s traditional Celtic sound, it features techniques and styles unusual to the genre, such as occasional double-tracking recording and occasional instances of instruments that differ from Celtic music, such as cello, electric bass and flügelhorn, leading Allmusic to say the album "yields a sound that is unique to the group and yet clearly in touch with tradition". The album has been described as innovative, with The Georgia Straight citing several tracks' usage of multiple woodwinds as an example.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irish traditional music</span> Genre of folk music that developed in Ireland

Irish traditional music is a genre of folk music that developed in Ireland.

Cathal is a common given name in Ireland. The name is derived from two Celtic elements: the first, cath, means "battle"; the second element, fal, means "rule". There is no feminine form of Cathal. The Gaelic name has several anglicised forms, such as Cathel, Cahal, Cahill and Kathel. It has also been anglicised as Charles, although this name is of an entirely different origin as it is derived from a Germanic element, karl, meaning "free man".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathal Hayden</span> Irish musician

Cathal Sean Hayden is a Northern Irish musician, acclaimed for his skilled style of Irish fiddle and tenor (four-stringed) banjo. He was born on 13 July 1963, in the village of the Rock, County Tyrone, an area immersed in traditional music.

<i>Whatever Tickles Your Fancy</i> Album by Christy Moore

Whatever Tickles Your Fancy is the third solo album by Irish folk musician Christy Moore, released in 1975.

<i>Irish Times</i> (album) 1990 studio album by Patrick Street

Irish Times is the third studio album by the Irish folk band Patrick Street, released in 1990 on Green Linnet and Special Delivery Records, a division of Topic Records.

<i>No. 2 Patrick Street</i> 1988 studio album by Patrick Street

No. 2 Patrick Street is the second studio album by the Irish folk band Patrick Street, released in 1988 on Green Linnet Records.

<i>All in Good Time</i> (Patrick Street album) 1993 studio album by Patrick Street

All in Good Time is the fourth album by the Irish folk band Patrick Street, released in 1993 on Green Linnet Records/Special Delivery.

<i>Na Mooneys</i> (album) 2016 studio album by Na Mooneys

Na Mooneys is the debut (eponymous) self-produced album from Irish folk music band Na Mooneys, released in October 2016.

Dónal Murphy is a British-born Irish traditional accordionist, known for his work with the band Four Men and a Dog. Born in Birmingham to a father who played the button accordion and a mother who was a step dancer, he moved to Limerick as a child. Here he co-founded Four Men and a Dog in 1990 together with Cathal Hayden (fiddle), Brian McGrath (banjo), Gino Lupari (Bodhrán) and Mick Daly (guitar/vocals).

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Four Men & A Dog | Biography & History". AllMusic . Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 483. ISBN   1-85227-745-9.