"Theme from Harry's Game" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Clannad | ||||
from the album Magical Ring | ||||
Language | Irish | |||
Written | 1982 | |||
Released | October 1982 | |||
Studio | Windmill (Dublin) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:30 | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) | Richard Dodd | |||
Clannad singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Audio sample | ||||
Music video | ||||
"Theme from Harry's Game" on YouTube | ||||
1993 US single cover | ||||
"Theme from Harry's Game" is a 1982 song by Clannad commissioned as the theme for Harry's Game ,a Yorkshire Television miniseries adapted from a 1975 novel set in The Troubles in Northern Ireland. [1] It was released as a single in October 1982 and became a surprise hit,reaching number 5 in the UK Singles Chart the following month and number 2 in the Irish Singles Chart.
The song was written "in a couple of hours", [2] [1] credited to Pól and Ciarán Brennan. [n 1] Gerald Seymour,author of Harry's Game,originally wanted to use "Mhorag 's Na Horo Gheallaidh",a Scottish Gaelic song from Clannad's album Fuaim ,but Clannad felt Irish-language lyrics would be more appropriate. [2] The verse is adapted from a Connacht Irish proverb [1] in a 1948 anthology, [n 2] [2] [6] glossed by Máire (Moya) Brennan as "Everything that is and was will cease to be." [2] This was considered appropriate to the miniseries' depiction of the futility of political violence. [7] [2]
The song is to date the only British hit single ever to have been sung entirely in Irish. [8] The chorus "Fol lol the doh fol the day,Fol the doh fol the day",is ancient Irish mouth-music,known as Portaireacht,which is common in traditional music. [9]
Over previous albums,Clannad's sound had moved away from traditional Irish music arrangements,and the production of "Theme from Harry's Game",using lush slow layers of synthesiser and vocal harmony,marked the arrival of what would become their signature style for the next decade. [2]
The song won an Ivor Novello award,and launched Clannad's global career. Its success delayed the release of the band's 1983 album Magical Ring ,which was altered to include it and more material in the same style. [10] [2]
It has since appeared in several Hollywood movies,most notably Patriot Games, in which an IRA member,played by Patrick Bergin,is seen watching the music video for the song on his television.
Clannad's 1990 album Anam was released in the United States in 1992 to capitalise on the Patriot Games exposure,with "Harry's Game" inserted in the tracklist;the album sold well and the track was often broadcast on VH1. [11] Its use from late 1992 in a Volkswagen Passat commercial introduced Clannad to a broader American audience and boosted sales of Anam. [12] [13] [14]
The song also features on Clannad's vocalists' live albums,the 2005 album Óró- A Live Session and the 2008 Moya Brennan solo album Heart Strings . The original has also been sampled various times by artists such as Kaleef and Elate. Moya Brennan recorded a solo version at Mothership Studio for dance musician Chicane,which he used on his UK top 10 hit "Saltwater."
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
In 1989, as part of the promotion for their compilation Pastpresent, Clannad re-released the "Theme from Harry's Game" as an AA-side single with their new song "Hourglass."
In 1992, the "Theme from Harry's Game" was used in the soundtrack to the film Patriot Games, and it was also re-released as a single. There were two versions of the CD single, a two-track and a four-track version, both with the same cover and catalogue number.
7" single, cassette, 5" compact disc
5" compact disc
In 1993, in connection with an advertising campaign for Jameson Whiskey, both "Theme from Harry's Game" and "In A Lifetime" were re-released in The Netherlands.
The song has been covered by artists including Phil Coulter [24] and Celtic Woman. [25] The Irish rock band U2 also used the song as their outro during the War Tour, and it can be heard as such at the beginning and end of their live film U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky . [14] [26] It has also been used extensively by the RAF for the decommissioning flypasts of the Avro Vulcan Delta wing bomber, and subsequently in memorial flights at airshows. [27]
Imeoidh an seanfhear atá cráite liath,
Imeoidh an fhuiseog is áilne ar an gcraoibh,
Imeoidh an duine óg is a cháil ina dhiaidh
Imeoidh a dtiocfaidh is a dtáinig ariamh.
The old man, grey with torment, will go,
The most beautiful skylark on the branch will go,
The young man will go, and his reputation will follow him,
All that ever will come and has come will go.
Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin known mononymously as Enya, is an Irish composer and singer-songwriter. Enya is the best-selling Irish solo artist, with an estimated 80 million albums sold worldwide, and the second-best-selling music act from Ireland overall, after the rock band U2. Her music has been widely recognised for featuring multi-layers of her own vocals and instrumentation, lengthened reverb, and interwoven elements of Celtic music. She has been composing her own repertoire for over four decades.
Clannad were an Irish band formed in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal, by siblings Ciarán, Pól and Moya Ui Bhraonáin and their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Ó Dúgáin (Duggan). They have adopted various musical styles throughout their history. Beginning as an acoustic folk group mainly performing rearranged traditional Irish songs in Irish, they expanded their sound with original songs in English, vocal harmonies, electronic keyboards, and elements of rock, Celtic, new age, smooth jazz, and Gregorian chant.
Moya Brennan, also known as Máire Brennan, is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist. She is the sister of the musical artist known as Enya. She began performing professionally in 1970 when her family formed the band Clannad. Brennan released her first solo album in 1992 called Máire, a successful venture. She has received a Grammy Award from five nominations and has won an Emmy Award. She has recorded music for several soundtracks, including Titanic, To End All Wars and King Arthur.
Legend is a 1984 soundtrack album for the ITV television series Robin of Sherwood, by the Irish folk group Clannad. It is their eighth album. In 1985, this album won the BAFTA award for Best Original Television Music, making Clannad the first Irish band to win the award.
Ian Parker is a Scottish keyboardist, vocalist, composer, DJ and producer.
"Perfect" is the debut single by the English folk and soft rock band Fairground Attraction, written by Mark E. Nevin. Released on 21 March 1988 by RCA, the single reached number one in the United Kingdom on 8 May 1988, where it stayed for one week. It also reached number one in Australia, Ireland, and South Africa. In the United States, the song peaked at number 80 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Perfect" won the award for British Single of the Year at the Brit Awards 1989 and was nominated for the Ivor Novello 'Best Song Musically and Lyrically' award.
Anthony "Anto" Drennan is an Irish guitarist and bassist noted for his involvement with the Corrs, Genesis and Mike + the Mechanics.
Joanne Hogg is a Northern Irish musician, best known for her work as the lead singer and songwriter with the Celtic Christian progressive rock and pop band Iona.
Banba is an album released by Irish folk group Clannad in 1993 on BMG records. It was re-issued in 2005 with the Afterlife mix bonus track of "I Will Find You". Banba was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album, but was the runner-up to Spanish Angel by Paul Winter Consort.
Pól Brennan is an Irish singer, songwriter and producer. He is the brother of Enya, Moya Brennan, Brídín Brennan and Ciarán Brennan. He is a member of the family band Clannad, and co-wrote the hit song "Theme from Harry's Game". He left the group in 1990, but rejoined in 2011.
"Saltwater" is a song by English musician Chicane featuring the vocals of Irish singer Máire Brennan. The track uses parts of Clannad's 1982 hit "Theme from Harry's Game" with both re-recorded and newly written lyrics.
"Pray" is a song by English boy band Take That. Written by band member Gary Barlow, the ballad was released on 5 July 1993 by RCA and BMG as the second single from the band's second studio album, Everything Changes (1993). It is the first of twelve singles by the band to reach number one on the UK Singles Chart, staying at number one for four weeks, and starting a streak of four consecutive number-one singles. The song has received a Gold sales status certification and sold over 438,000 copies in the UK, won British Single of the Year and British Video of the Year at the 1994 Brit Awards, and was the finale of Take That's Beautiful World Tour 2007. The music video for "Pray" was directed by Gregg Masuak and filmed in Mexico.
"Relight My Fire" is a disco song written and released by American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer Dan Hartman as the title track from his 1979 album of the same name. It was also performed by Costa Anadiotis' band Café Society in 1984 and British boy band Take That in 1993, five months before Hartman died.
Pastpresent is a compilation album by Irish folk group Clannad, released in 1989. It is a collection of selected songs recorded by the band from 1982 up to 1989, including two new songs exclusive to this release – "The Hunter" and "World of Difference".
The Best of Clannad: In a Lifetime is a greatest hits compilation album by Irish folk group Clannad. It contains two new tracks, "Christmas Angels" and "What Will I Do", the latter of which is on the soundtrack to the Kevin Costner film Message in a Bottle.
"In a Lifetime" is a pop song performed by Irish artists Clannad and Bono. It was written by brothers Pól Brennan and Ciarán Brennan and produced by Steve Nye. The single was released in January 1986, and was the third single to be released from Clannad's eighth studio album Macalla (1985). It charted in many countries including United States, Ireland, UK, Italy and Brazil. It is one of Clannad's most successful songs and it remains as Bono's most successful solo effort.
"Babe" is a song by English boy band Take That, released in December 1993 by RCA and BMG as the fourth single from the band's second album, Everything Changes (1993). Written by bandmember Gary Barlow, it features Mark Owen on lead vocals. Production was led by David Clayton, who later spent 10 years as keyboard player and backing vocalist with Simply Red. Accompanied by a music video directed by Gregg Masuak, the song was a number-one hit in both Ireland and the United Kingdom while peaking within the top 10 in Belgium, Finland, Germany, Israel, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.
The Duggans were an Irish musical duo from Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland.
"Hourglass / Theme from Harry's Game" is a double A-side single by Irish musical group Clannad. It was released in 1989 to promote their best-of Past Present. However, "Hourglass" does not appear on the Past Present album.
Ireland: Landscapes of God's Peace is Máire Brennan's 2000 book. It contains Celtic prayers, lyrics to Brennan's Perfect Time album and her personal thoughts on Ireland, Christianity and Celtic culture. The book comes in a set with the Perfect Time album, although it now considered a collectors item by Brennan's fans. Tynedale House Publishers print a limited number every few years.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)