Interesting albums from the folk and roots music history, by Marius Roeting.
It’s a gem in the history of folk music, although you won’t see them in the lists of overviews: The Irish band The Johnstons. In the mid-sixties, sisters Adrienne and Lucy Johnstons make music with their guitar-playing brother Michael. It’s all very premature, but they are allowed to record a number of singles for the Pye label. The second one – Ewan MacColl’s “The travelling people” – becomes a smashing hit in their home country. The follow-up, a traditional Irish song, also makes it to the charts. But the group is musically too limited. That’s why a multi-instrumentalist is recruited to strengthen the ranks.
The Johnstons 1e trio
Mick Moloney is already a well-known Irish folk musician. He leaves his mark on the group and later becomes an authority on Irish traditional music, while also working as a professor in America. op het gebied van de Ierse traditionele muziek. Paul Brady, a young ex-rock musician, was instrumental in shaping The Johnstons’ sound. He replaced Michael, who had left due to disagreements. Brady delved more and more into the traditional music of his country. He later joined Planxty, made some unforgettable solo albums, and created responsible pop songs, which were covered by many artists, including a big hit for Tina Turner. The Johnstons were instrumental in launching his career, and it all started with the debut album of the quartet, which contained mostly English-language, Irish traditional songs, a few sung in Gaelic, and some adaptations of songs by great folk song composers of the time, such as Ewan MacColl and Ian Campbell. Within a year after the debut, the group released two albums: Give a Damn, which included only contemporary songs, and The Barleycorn, which consisted exclusively of traditional songs. The group moved to London, leaving Lucy Johnstons behind in Dublin. The remaining trio made perhaps their best album there: Bitter Green. Its successor, Colours of Time, consisted mostly of contemporary compositions, and a significant portion of it was original work. Moloney did not agree with the direction and left. The remaining duo of Brady and Adrienne Johnston made one more album, again untitled, before Paul Brady joined Planxty to take Christy Moore’s place. And another album was released under the name The Johnstons. If I Sang My Song is really more of a solo album by Adrienne Johnston, although Brady plays various parts on a strongly orchestrated record. Adrienne Johnston died in 1981 after a household accident in America, where she had moved after the group disbanded. Mick Moloney died unexpectedly last year on July 27 in his own home. Paul Brady is still active today.
The Johnstons – Bitter Green/Colours of the Dawn/If I Sang My Song + Bonus Tracks – BGO Records BGO BGOCD 1297
1. The Travelling People 3:12
2. The Curragh Of Kildare 2:49
The Johnstons – The Johnstons – Transatlantic Records TRA 169
3. They’ll Never get their Man 1:55
4. The Tunnel Tigers 2:15
5. Fhir a Bhata 4:59
6. O’Carolan’s Concerto 2:19
7. The Lark in the Morning 2:40
8. The Whistling Theif 3:11
9. The Rounding of Cape Horn 4:12
10. The Dublin Jack of all Trades 3:16
11. Apprentice Song 2:04
12. Caillerch an Airgid 1:46
13. Reels (Handme down the Tackle & Jenny’s Welcome to Charlie) 3:09
14. The Lambs on the Green Hills 4:56
15. The Frog’s Wedding 3:11
The Johnstons – Give a damn – Transatlantic Records TRA 184
16. Port of Amsterdam 2:44
The Johnstons – The Barley Corn – Transatlantic Records TRA 185
17. Fuigfidh Mise ‘N Baile Seo 3:06
18. The Barleycorn 2:59
The Johnstons – Bitter Green – Transatlantic Records TRA 211
19. Bitter Green 2:21
All compositions are traditional, arranged by The Johnstons, except for:
- Track 1 and 4: Ewan MacColl
- Track 10 and 14: Colm O’Lochlainn
- Track 11: Ian Campbell
- Track 16: Brel, Blau, Shuman
- Track 19: Gordon Lightfoot
