Plain and Simple

Last updated

Plain and Simple
Plain and Simple.jpg
Studio album by
Released1973
Recorded1973
Genre Irish folk
Label Polydor
Producer Phil Coulter
The Dubliners chronology
Double Dubliners
(1972)
Plain and Simple
(1973)
Live
(1974)

Plain and Simple is a studio album by The Dubliners, the last to be produced by Phil Coulter. Released on the Polydor label in 1973, [1] it featured a number of tracks penned by Coulter himself, including "The Town I Loved So Well", written about The Troubles in his hometown of Derry, and "The Ballad of Ronnie's Mare", a satirical song inspired by Ronnie Drew's equestrian interests. It was the last studio album to feature all five original members of the group.

Contents

Track listing

Side One

  1. "Donegal Danny"
  2. "Queen of the Fair/The Tongs by the Fire"
  3. "Fiddler's Green"
  4. "Johnston's Motor Car"
  5. "The Wonder Hornpipe"
  6. "The Jail of Cluian Meala"

Side Two

  1. "The Town I Loved So Well"
  2. "The Ballad of Ronnie's Mare"
  3. "The Three Sea Captains"
  4. "Skibbereen"
  5. "Rebellion - Wrap the Green Flag 'Round Me Boys/The West's Awake/A Nation Once Again"

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronnie Milsap</span> American recording artist; country music singer and pianist

Ronnie Lee Milsap is an American country music singer and pianist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dubliners</span> Irish folk band

The Dubliners were an Irish folk band founded in Dublin in 1962 as The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group, named after its founding member; they subsequently renamed themselves The Dubliners. The line-up saw many changes in personnel over their fifty-year career, but the group's success was centred on lead singers Luke Kelly and Ronnie Drew. The band garnered international success with their lively Irish folk songs, traditional street ballads and instrumentals. The band were regulars on the folk scenes in both Dublin and London in the early 1960s, and were signed to the Major Minor label in 1965 after backing from Dominic Behan who was paid by Major-Minor to work with the Dubliners and help them to build a better act fit for larger concert hall venues. The Dubliners worked with Behan regularly between 1965 and 1966; Behan wrote numerous songs for this act including the song McAlpine's Fusiliers created specifically to showcase Ronnie Drew's gravel voice. They went on to receive extensive airplay on Radio Caroline which was part-owned by Phil Solomon CEO of Major Minor, and eventually appeared on Top of the Pops in 1967 with hits "Seven Drunken Nights" and "The Black Velvet Band". Often performing political songs considered controversial at the time, they drew criticism from some folk purists and Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ had placed an unofficial ban on their music from 1967 to 1971. During this time the band's popularity began to spread across mainland Europe and they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in the United States. The group's success remained steady right through the 1970s and a number of collaborations with The Pogues in 1987 saw them enter the UK Singles Chart on another two occasions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke Kelly</span> Irish folk singer

Luke Kelly was an Irish singer, folk musician and actor from Dublin, Ireland. Born into a working-class household in Dublin city, Kelly moved to England in his late teens and by his early 20s had become involved in a folk music revival. Returning to Dublin in the 1960s, he is noted as a founding member of the band The Dubliners in 1962. Known for his distinctive singing style, and sometimes political messages, the Irish Post and other commentators have regarded Kelly as one of Ireland's greatest folk singers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronnie Drew</span> Musical artist

Joseph Ronald Drew was an Irish singer, folk musician and actor who had a fifty-year career recording with The Dubliners.

Patrick Reilly is an Irish folk singer and guitarist. Born in Rathcoole, County Dublin, he is one of Ireland's most famous balladeers and is best known for his renditions of "The Fields of Athenry", "Rose of Allendale" and "The Town I Loved So Well". Reilly released his version of "The Fields of Athenry" as a single in 1983; it was the most successful version of this song, remaining in the Irish charts for 72 weeks. He achieved number 1 in Ireland with the Liam Reilly written song "Flight of Earls" in 1988.

<i>Fleetwood Mac</i> (1968 album) 1968 studio album by Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac, also known as Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, is the debut studio album by British blues rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in February 1968. The album is a mixture of blues covers and originals penned by guitarists Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer, who also share the vocal duties. It is the only album by the band without any involvement of keyboardist/vocalist Christine McVie.

"The Town I Loved So Well" is a song written by Phil Coulter about his childhood in Derry, Northern Ireland. The first three verses are about the simple lifestyle he grew up with in Derry, while the final two deal with the Troubles, and lament how his placid hometown had become a major military outpost, plagued with violence. The final verse includes a message of hope for a "bright, brand new day", saying "They will not forget but their hearts are set / on tomorrow and peace once again".

<i>Today</i> (Elvis Presley album) 1975 studio album by Elvis Presley

Today is the twenty-second studio album by American singer Elvis Presley, released on May 7, 1975 by RCA Records. The album featured the country and pop music sound typical of Elvis during the 1970s, as well as a new rock and roll song, "T-R-O-U-B-L-E", which was released as its first single and went Top 40 in the US. "Bringing It Back" was its second single in the US. The album also features covers of songs by Perry Como, Tom Jones, The Pointer Sisters, Billy Swan, Faye Adams, The Statler Brothers and Charlie Rich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Escape the Fate</span> American rock band

Escape the Fate is an American rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2004. Originally from Pahrump, Nevada, the group currently consists of lead vocalist Craig Mabbitt, guitarists Matti Hoffman and TJ Bell, bassist Erik Jensen and drummer Robert Ortiz. Ortiz is the only founding member remaining in the band.

Marion Montgomery was an American jazz singer, who lived for the majority of her life in the United Kingdom.

<i>Ten More Turnips from the Tip</i> 2002 studio album by Ian Dury & the Blockheads

Ten More Turnips from the Tip is the fourth and final studio album by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, and Dury's ninth overall. It was compiled and released in 2002, two years after Dury's death in March 2000.

<i>At My Window</i> (album) 1987 studio album by Townes Van Zandt

At My Window is an album released by folk/country singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt in 1987. This was Van Zandt's first studio album in the nine years that followed 1978's Flyin' Shoes, and his only studio album recorded in the 1980s.

<i>Double Dubliners</i> 1972 studio album by The Dubliners

Double Dubliners is The Dubliners' ninth studio album, and features all five members of the classical line-up. It is also known as Alive and Well, the title it was released under on the Polydor label. A standout track here is a recitation by Ronnie Drew of Pádraig Pearse's poem "The Rebel". Other notable tracks here are "The Sun Is Burning" and "The Night Visiting Song", both sung by Luke Kelly. In December 1983, "The Night Visiting Song" would become the final song to be performed by Luke Kelly with The Dubliners on Irish television.

<i>15 Years On</i> 1977 studio album by The Dubliners

15 Years On is the eleventh studio album by the Irish folk band The Dubliners. This album was created to celebrate the band's 15th anniversary from the day they started music together. The album was released on the Chyme label in 1977. The album features 24 tracks on two records. In spite of having only nine previously unreleased tracks, it is still regarded as an original album.

<i>Alive Alive-O</i> 1997 live album by The Dubliners

Alive Alive-O is a double album by the Irish Folk Group The Dubliners which was recorded live throughout several Evenings in December 1996 in Germany at the end of their European tour. After the departure of Ronnie Drew, The Dubliners were joined by the famous Irish singer Paddy Reilly who lends his voice to several ballads on the album. John Sheahan's daughter Ceoladh guests with her father, duetting on fiddle with him on his composition, "Among Friends". The album is notable for some mixed German-English song introductions by Sean Cannon, causing widespread laughter among the audience.

<i>Live from the Gaiety</i> 2003 live album by The Dubliners

Live from the Gaiety is a live album by The Dubliners. It was recorded during the Irish leg of their tour celebrating forty years on the road. The double album was recorded at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin in June 2002. All surviving members took part. A companion double DVD of the concert in its entirety was also released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">There's Always Me</span> 1967 single by Elvis Presley

"There's Always Me" is a 1961 song by Elvis Presley originally on the album Something for Everybody. The song was also released as a single in 1967.

<i>A Time to Remember</i> 2009 live album by The Dubliners

A Time to Remember is the 2009 double album recording of the show by the same name, by The Dubliners, recorded in Vienna. First performed in Vicar Street, Dublin on 4 July 2009 and later taken on tour around Europe, it was conceived as a tribute to their deceased members. The show features the group playing along live to video and audio performances featuring former members Ciarán Bourke, Luke Kelly and Ronnie Drew, as well as performances from The Dubliners' then current lineup. This is the last Dubliner's release featuring Barney McKenna, as he died in 2012. This also means that it is the last album to feature a founding member, as following McKenna's death none of the founding members of the band are still alive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Will Be with You</span> 1988 single by TPau

"I Will Be With You" is a song by British band T'Pau, released in 1988 from the seventh and final single from their debut studio album, Bridge of Spies (1987). It was written by Carol Decker and Ron Rogers, and produced by Roy Thomas Baker. "I Will Be with You" reached No. 14 on the UK Singles Chart and remained in the charts for six weeks. The 7" single cover picture is a still of Carol Decker taken from the music video to the track, "Bridge of Spies", which had preceded the release of "I Will Be With You" in some international territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falling in Reverse</span> American rock band

Falling in Reverse is an American rock band that formed in 2008 by lead vocalist Ronnie Radke while he was incarcerated. The band's original name was "From Behind These Walls", but it was quickly renamed to Falling in Reverse shortly after formation. They are currently signed to Epitaph Records. The band has undergone numerous lineup changes, with Radke being the only remaining original member.

References

  1. "The Greystones Guide | The Songs We Love So Well". The Greystones Guide. 10 December 2023.