Sweeney's Men (album)

Sweeney's Men is an album by Sweeney's Men,^[1] recorded in early 1968 after 'Galway Joe' Dolan had left the band and been replaced by Terry Woods.^{[2]: 75–77}

Sweeney's Men
Studio album by Sweeney's Men
Released	1968
Recorded	Early 1968, at Livingston Studios, Barnet
Genre	Folk music of Ireland, Scotland, England and American Old-timey
Length	43:29
Label	Transatlantic
Producer	Bill Leader
Sweeney's Men chronology
Sweeney's Men (1968) The Tracks of Sweeney (1969)

Professional ratings

Review scores
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Allmusic	link

Johnny Moynihan contributed "Rattlin' Roarin' Willy"—a song written by Robbie Burns and set to the slip jig rhythm (9/8)—and also Pecker Dunne's "Sullivan John", which had previously been sung by Dolan before he left the band.^[2]: 75 Moynihan also sang "Dicey Riley" and "The Handsome Cabin Boy", which he learnt from the singing of A.L. Lloyd.^[3] "Johnston" is Moynihan's version of the tale of sinister murder also known as "Three Huntsmen", listed as entry H185 in Sam Henry's collection, Song the People^{[4]: 128 [5]}

Andy Irvine contributed the sea shanty "Sally Brown", which he learnt from a Library of Congress recording of an old sailor in a Seamen's Home in Virginia. He also recorded the ballad "Willy O' Winsbury", the lyrics of which he learned from Child's English and Scottish Popular Ballads, and which he set to a different air.^[2]: 75 Irvine also covered the English folk song "Dance to Your Daddy", along with the Irish traditional song "Reynard The Fox", which celebrates a fox chase that took place in 1793.^[3]

Terry Woods brought the well-known American ballad "Tom Dooley" and also the southern ballad "The House Carpenter", based on a recording by Clarence Ashley.^[2]: 76 Woods also composed new music for "My Dearest Dear", a song by Peggy Seeger.^[3]

Moynihan and Irvine learnt the slip jig "The Exile's Jig" from a group of traditional musicians based in Dublin called Ceoltóirí Chualann, led by Seán Ó Riada.^[3]

The album was re-released on CD in 1996, packaged together with Sweeney's Men second album, The Tracks of Sweeney.^[6]

The album is included in the collection Irish Folk Favourites. "Old Woman In Cotton" is included on the collection Galway Bay: Irish Folk Traditions. These are available on streaming platforms.

Track listing

1. "Rattlin' Roarin' Willy" (Trad., Arr. Woods/Irvine/Moynihan) – 2:25
2. "Sullivan's John" (Pecker Dunne) – 3:15
3. "Sally Brown" (Trad., Arr. Woods/Irvine/Moynihan) – 2:20
4. "My Dearest Dear" (P. Seeger/T. Woods) – 3:53
5. "The Exile's Jig" (instr) (Trad., Arr. Woods/Irvine/Moynihan) – 1:39
6. "The Handsome Cabin Boy" (Trad., Arr. Woods/Irvine/Moynihan) – 4:45
7. "Dicey Riley" (Dominic Behan) – 1:41
8. "Tom Dooley" (F. Warner) – 2:32
9. "Willy O'Winsbury"" (Trad., Arr. Irvine) – 4:57
10. "Dance To Your Daddy" (Trad., Arr. Woods/Irvine/Moynihan) – 2:14
11. "The House Carpenter" (Trad., Arr. Woods/Irvine/Moynihan) – 3:57
12. "Johnston" (Trad., Arr. Woods/Irvine/Moynihan) – 3:40
13. "Reynard The Fox" (Trad., Arr. Woods/Irvine/Moynihan) – 3:26
14. "Old Woman In Cotton" (Carrol, Irvine) – 2:45 (*)

(*) Additional track on the 1996 CD.^[6]

Personnel

• Andy Irvine - vocals, mandolin, bouzouki, harmonica, guitar
• Johnny Moynihan - vocals, bouzouki, tin whistle
• Terry Woods - vocals, 6-string guitar, 12-string guitar, banjo, concertina

References

1. Sweeney's Men LP, Transatlantic Records Ltd, TRA SAM 37, 1968.
2. O'Toole, Leagues (2006). The Humours of Planxty. Ireland: Hodder Headline. ISBN 0-340-83796-9.
3. Sleeve notes from Sweeney's Men LP, Transatlantic Records Ltd, TRA SAM 37, 1968.
4. Huntington, Gale; Herrmann, Lani; Dr Moulden, John, eds. (2010). Sam Henry's Songs of the People. Athens, GA and London: The University of Georgia Press. ISBN 0-8203-3625-4.
5. Sleeve notes from Andy Irvine - Abocurragh, Andy Irvine AK-3, 2010.
6. Sweeney's Men CD, Castle Communications Plc, ESM CD 435, 1996.

External links

• Andy Irvine – Official website
• Livingston Studios – Official website