The Barleycorn

Last updated

The Barleycorn
Origin Belfast, Northern Ireland
Genres Irish rebel music, Irish folk, Northern Irish folk
Years active1971–1995
LabelsRelease Records
Past membersJohn Delaney
Brian McCormick
Paddy McGuigan
Liam Tiernan
Paul Anderson
Derek McCormack
Paddy Sweeney
Dennis O'Rourke
Maurice McCarthy

The Barleycorn (also written as The Barley Corn) was an Irish traditional music and rebel music band.

Contents

The band, consisting of Paddy McGuigan, Liam Tiernan, Brian McCormick and John Delaney, was formed in mid-1971 in Belfast. Other musicians joined over the years, while some of the original members left.

Their first recording was "The Men Behind the Wire", produced by Billy McBurney in Belfast and pressed in Dublin by Release Records in December 1971. [1] After its release on 14 December the song shot into the Irish charts, selling far more copies than any other single until then released in Ireland, and remained in the charts for months. [2] It reached no. 1 position in the Irish charts on 22 January 1972, where it remained for three weeks. After a gap of one week, it returned to no. 1 for two weeks on 15 February. Royalties from the recording were donated to families of the internees. [3] They also had big success with a follow-up single called 'Sing Irishmen sing'. In the following year the band made its debut album in the United States on Rex Records, The Barleycorn in America. [4]

Paddy McGuigan was the first to leave the band, despite arguably contributing the most to its success with his songwriting, in 1975. Liam Tiernan left the band in 1981 and emigrated to Boston where he started his own pub. John Delaney stayed with the group until 1995, when the group broke up. He emigrated to the United States. [3]

After the late Derek McCormack, "one of the finest voices of his generation", [5] joined the band about 1982, the band undertook a change of direction to showcase his lyrical voice. The singer/guitarist Paddy Sweeney was in the group before going on to join the Dublin City Ramblers. Derek McCormack had previously been a member of Dermot O'Brien's band and later bass player with the Fureys.

The Barleycorn released "The Fields of Athenry" in 1982, reaching no. 7 in Ireland. [6]

Barleycorn became firm favourites when they were the resident bands at a pub on the Expo88 grounds in Brisbane, Australia. They were so popular the pub operator brought them back for the last weeks of Expo. [7]

Personnel

Discography

Related Research Articles

Skid Row were an Irish blues rock band of the late 1960s and early 1970s, based in Dublin and fronted by bass guitarist Brendan "Brush" Shiels. It was the first band in which Phil Lynott and Gary Moore played professionally before finding greater fame with Thin Lizzy.

"The Men Behind the Wire" is a song written and composed by Paddy McGuigan of the Barleycorn folk group in the aftermath of Operation Demetrius.

Planxty were an Irish folk music band formed in January 1972, consisting initially of Christy Moore, Andy Irvine, Dónal Lunny, and Liam O'Flynn. They transformed and popularized Irish folk music, touring and recording to great acclaim.

<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.

De Dannan is an Irish folk music group. It was formed in 1975 by Frankie Gavin (fiddle), Alec Finn, Johnny "Ringo" McDonagh (bodhrán) and Charlie Piggott (banjo) as a result of sessions in Hughes's Pub in Spiddal, County Galway, Ireland, with Dolores Keane (vocals) subsequently being invited to join the band. The fiddler Mickey Finn (1951–1987) is also acknowledged to have been a founder member.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Irvine (musician)</span> Irish folk musician

Andrew Kennedy Irvine is an Irish folk musician, singer-songwriter, and a founding member of Sweeney's Men, Planxty, Patrick Street, Mozaik, LAPD and Usher's Island. He also featured in duos, with Dónal Lunny, Paul Brady, Mick Hanly, Dick Gaughan, Rens van der Zalm, and Luke Plumb. Irvine plays the mandolin, mandola, bouzouki, harmonica, and hurdy-gurdy.

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>The Long Black Veil</i> (album) 1995 studio album by The Chieftains

The Long Black Veil is an album by the traditional Irish folk band The Chieftains. Released in 1995, it is one of the most popular and best-selling albums by the band. It reached number 17 in the album charts. The band teamed up with well-known musicians such as Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones and Van Morrison. The album went gold in the U.S. and Australia, and Double-Platinum in Ireland. One of the tracks, "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?", sung and written by Van Morrison, won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dónal Lunny</span> Irish folk musician and producer (born 1947)

Dónal Lunny is an Irish folk musician and producer. He plays guitar and bouzouki, as well as keyboards and bodhrán. As a founding member of popular bands Planxty, The Bothy Band, Moving Hearts, Coolfin, Mozaik, LAPD, and Usher's Island, he has been at the forefront of the renaissance of Irish traditional music for over five decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Cutliffe</span>

John Cutliffe is an Irish musician from Buncrana, County Donegal. He was born on February 8, 1962. He is known as a musician, songwriter, and producer. He has worked in London, Nashville, and Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloodstone (band)</span> American soul musical group

Bloodstone is an American R&B, soul, and funk group, most popular in the 1970s and early 1980s. The band charted thirteen songs between 1973 and 1984.

Mississippi were an Australian soft rock band (1972–1975), which included Graham Goble on lead vocals and guitar, Beeb Birtles on lead vocals and guitar, and Derek Pellicci on drums. The band had started as Allison Gros in Adelaide in 1970 and moved to Melbourne in 1971 where they recorded as Allison Gros, Drummond and, early in 1972, became Mississippi. As Drummond they issued a cover version of "Daddy Cool", which peaked at No. 1 on the Go-Set National Top 40 for eight weeks. As Mississippi they reached No. 10 with "Kings of the World". In early 1975, with Birtles, Goble and Pellici aboard and the addition of Glenn Shorrock, the group were renamed Little River Band.

<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.

Patrick Joseph McGuigan, known as Paddy Joe McGuigan, was an Irish traditional musician and songwriter who played for some years with The Barleycorn folk group. He wrote a number of well-known Irish rebel songs, including "The Men Behind the Wire", "The Boys of the Old Brigade", "Irish Soldier Laddie", "Freedom Walk" and "Bring Them Home".

Crubeen, formerly The Longkesh Ramblers, was a 1970s Irish folk band from Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland.

<i>Eagles Whistle</i> 1976 studio album by Crubeen

Eagle's Whistle is the debut album by Irish folk group Crubeen released on LP record by EMI Ireland in 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dublin City Ramblers</span> Irish folk band

TheDublin City Ramblers is an Irish folk band, originally formed by the name of The Quare Fellas in 1970. The band has had a long line of members and Sean McGuinness is the only current member of the original line-up, that also included Patsy Watchorn later member of The Dubliners.

<i>Words & Music</i> (Planxty album) 1983 studio album by Planxty

Words & Music is the sixth album by the Irish folk band Planxty, produced by Dónal Lunny and recorded at Windmill Lane Studios in late October and early November of 1982; it would be their only release on the WEA label. In 1989, the album was reprinted by the Shanachie label, who have kept it in print ever since.

<i>Between the Jigs and the Reels: A Retrospective</i> 2016 compilation album by Planxty

Between the Jigs and the Reels: A Retrospective is a two-disc anthology by the Irish folk band Planxty. It includes a 17-track CD and a 36-track DVD with over two hours of previously unreleased footage (1972–1982) from RTÉ archives.

References

  1. 15 January 1972 issue of Spotlight magazine
  2. Nick Guida. "The Barleycorn in America: the Barleycorn at theBalladeers". Theballadeers.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Barleycorn". Irish-showbands.com. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  4. "Rex Records (USA)". IrishRock.org. 31 May 2016. Archived from the original on 5 August 2016.
  5. Nick Guida. "A Song for Ireland (The Very Best of): the Barleycorn at theBalladeers". Theballadeers.com. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  6. "Search The Charts". The Irish Charts: All There Is To Know. Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  7. per