Rainy Sundays... Windy Dreams
| Rainy Sundays... Windy Dreams | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 1980 | |||
| Recorded | Late 1979, at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin | |||
| Genre | Irish / Southeastern European / Balkan folk music | |||
| Length | 46:38 | |||
| Label | Tara Records | |||
| Producer | Dónal Lunny | |||
| Andy Irvine chronology | ||||
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Rainy Sundays... Windy Dreams[1] is Andy Irvine's first solo album, produced by Dónal Lunny and recorded at Dublin's Windmill Lane Studios in late 1979. It was released in January 1980 by Tara Records.[2]: 274
Andy Irvine's first solo album showcased songs and tunes from two of his main influences: side one (on the vinyl LP) featured pieces inspired by Irish traditional music, and side two concentrated on Balkan music.
Recording
The album opens with a trilogy of songs ("The Emigrants"), comprising: "The Green Fields Of Amerikay" (which Irvine learnt from Len Graham), "Farewell To Old Ireland"[3]: 56–58 (Irvine's adaptation of "The Emigrant's Farewell", H743[4]: 200 from Sam Henry's collection) and "Edward Connors"[3]: 60–62 (which Irvine learnt from Eddie Butcher of Magilligan, County Londonderry).[5]
Then comes "The Longford Weaver"[3]: 62–64 (H745[4]: 47 in Sam Henry's, where it is also known as "Long Cookstown" or "Nancy Whiskey"); it segues into "Christmas Eve" (reel).[5]
The Irish set concludes with "Farewell To Balleymoney"[3]: 66–67 (H615[4]: 343 in Sam Henry's collection).[5]
The Balkan set begins with "Romanian Song (Blood and Gold)",[3]: 68–69 based on a Romanian song collected by Béla Bartók, re-written by Irvine and Jane Cassidy and set to the music of a Bulgarian dance tune in the 'paidushka' rhythm of 5
16; the song then segues into "Paidushko Horo", an extensive collection of musical phrases borrowed from Bulgarian dance tunes in the same rhythm and performed at breakneck speed.[5]
"King Bore And The Sandman",[5] in mixed rhythms of 6
8, 9
8 and 4
4,[3]: 70–72 is Irvine's energetic lament about his times in Bucharest and "dedicated to the man, in the public house, we are always trying to avoid".
The original album (LP) closes with the self-penned "Rainy Sundays",[3]: 72–76 reminiscing about a young lady called Vida with whom Irvine pursued "a one-sided romance in Ljubljana years ago."[3]: 72 [5]
The CD version of Rainy Sundays... Windy Dreams, released in 1989, includes a bonus track of "Bonny Woodhall"[3]: 24–25 featuring Irvine with Mick Hanly during their live performance as a duo at 'The 4th Irish Folk Festival' in Germany on April 30, 1977.[6] "Bonny Woodhall" is Irvine's interpretation of "Bonny Woodha' " (H476 in Sam Henry's Songs of the People[4]: 84 ), which he also set to new music. On this track, Irvine accompanied himself on Fylde 'Octavius' bouzouki (with the bottom two courses strung in octave).[7]
Track listing
1. The Emigrants – 13.51
- (a) "Come to the land of sweet liberty" (Traditional; arranged by Irvine, Lunny, Gavin and O'Flynn)
- (b) "Farewell to old Ireland" (Traditional; arranged by Irvine, Lunny, Brady and Gavin)
- (c) "Edward Connors" (Traditional; arranged by Irvine and Lunny)
2. "Longford Weaver"/"Christmas Eve" (Traditional; arranged by Irvine, Gavin and Epping) / (Traditional; arranged by Irvine, Gavin, Epping and Lunny) – 5:31
3. "Farewell to Ballymoney" (Traditional; arranged by Irvine, Lunny and Brady) – 4:31
4. "Romanian Song (Blood and Gold)" (Andy Irvine, Jane Cassidy) – 4:09
5. "Paidushko Horo" (Traditional; arranged by Irvine and Lunny) – 3:34
6. "King Bore and the Sandman" (Andy Irvine) – 3:05
7. "Rainy Sundays" (Andy Irvine) – 6:13
8. "Bonny Woodhall" (Bonus Track) (Traditional; arranged by Andy Irvine) – 5:44 (*)
Personnel
- Andy Irvine - Vocals, bouzouki, mandolin, mandola, hurdy-gurdy, harmonica.
- Dónal Lunny - Guitar, bouzouki, 10-string bouzouki, harmonium, Pan flute, percussion, backing vocals.
- Liam O'Flynn - Uilleann pipes.
- Paul Brady - Guitar, piano.
- Frankie Gavin - Fiddle, viola, flute.
- Rick Epping - Accordion, harmonica, jaw harp.
- John Wadham - Bongo and congas.
- Paul Barrett - Fender Rhodes and Polymoog.
- Garvan Gallagher - Bass guitar.
- Keith Donald - Soprano saxophone.
- Lucienne Purcell - Vocals.
- Mick Hanly - Guitar (Bonus track). (*)
Recorded and mixed at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin.
Produced by Dónal Lunny.
Engineered by Brian Masterson.
(*) Bonus track recorded live at 'The 4th Irish Folk Festival' in Germany on April 30, 1977.
References
- ^ Andy Irvine - Rainy Sundays... Windy Dreams LP, Tara Records TARA 3002, 1980.
- ^ O'Toole, Leagues (2006). The Humours of Planxty. Ireland: Hodder Headline. ISBN 03-4083-796-9.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Irvine, Andy (1988). Aiming For The Heart. Germany: Heupferd Musik Verlag GmbH. ISBN 39-2344-501-6.
- ^ a b c d 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 08-2033-625-4.
- ^ a b c d e f Sleeve notes from Andy Irvine - Rainy Sundays... Windy Dreams LP, Tara Records TARA 3002, 1980.
- ^ Sleeve notes from The 4th Irish Folk Festival On The Road, InterCord INT 180.038, 1977.
- ^ Andy Irvine - Rainy Sundays... Windy Dreams CD, Wundertüte TÜT 72.141, 1989.