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17 Dec 03 - 07:37 PM (#1074921) Subject: Luke Kelly & Bob Dylan From: Mickey191 Want to get a Luke Kelly CD. Any suggestions as to when he was in his prime and with a nice selection of songs. The same question for a Bob dylan CD - I would like to be able to understand the words - (Realize some may say that's blasphemy - but clarity is the byword here) |
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17 Dec 03 - 07:55 PM (#1074931) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: The Borchester Echo There was a compilation tape of 26 Luke Kelly tracks, The Collection, issued on the 10th anniversary of his death. According to this link it has been issued on CD. For Bob Dylan, the answer must be Biograph, available anywhere (especially right now at the big music chains). |
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18 Dec 03 - 05:15 AM (#1075185) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Big Tim Suggest; "Luke Kelly: Songs of the Workers". Tracks are: Joe Hill, The Sun is Burning, When I Was a Bachelor (Foggy Dew - old version), Springhill Mine Disaster, Battle of the Somme/Freedom Come All Ye, Lifeboat 'Mona', Thirty Foot Trailer, Alabama, Lag's Song, Button Pusher, School Day's Over, Parcel of Rogues, High Germany, I Must Away (Night Visiting Song), Peat Bog Soldiers, Blantyre Explosion.CD on Outlet label, Belfast. Look out also for a book called "Luke Kelly: a memoir" by Des Geraghty, Basement Press, Dublin,1994, ISBN 1 855940 906. (The author was/is an Irish union man and knew Luke well.) Dylan? Too many to pick from! |
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18 Dec 03 - 04:09 PM (#1075626) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Seamus Kennedy I second Big Tim's suggestion. And Luke Kelly's diction was impeccable. Seamus |
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18 Dec 03 - 04:39 PM (#1075647) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: diesel I'ld absolutely recommend the 'Luke Kelly Colection' 2cd set 26 songs - covers a lot of the songs over the period - great starter CD ! My tuppence worth anyway ! Diesel |
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18 Dec 03 - 04:59 PM (#1075656) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: ard mhacha Diesel, I have Luke`s collection CD and there are a few ropey recording on this disc. Luke was one of the best singers early in his career, later on he struggled through some of his songs, he wasn`t a well man for a number of years before his death and as result his voice hadn`t the same appeal. Ard Mhacha. |
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18 Dec 03 - 05:20 PM (#1075673) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: The Borchester Echo I'd like put in a stronger recommendation for The Collection which not only has 10 of the tracks listed by Big Tim but also such gems as Auld Triangle, Sons of Roisin, Sweet Primroses, Make Way for the Molly Maguires, Dirty Old Town, A Song for Ireland, Dainty Davy, In the Rare Old Times. The Town I love So Well, Scorn Not His Simplicity and Raglan Road. Can it really be 20 years since Luke Kelly walked among us? And yes, such diction... |
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18 Dec 03 - 05:26 PM (#1075675) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: The Borchester Echo Oh, Ard Mhacha, I was just playing it as I made my last post (that's why it took me so long!). Not ropey to me, he sounded just as he always did. Sublime. |
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18 Dec 03 - 07:46 PM (#1075772) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Jim McLean I have never heard anyone singing Dainty Davy better than Luke (or Peggy Gordon, for that matter). |
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18 Dec 03 - 08:33 PM (#1075803) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Mickey191 Thank you folks so very much. Appreciate your input. Anyone care to make a comparison between Luke & Paddy Reilly? I love Paddy - but I'm easy. May fall in like with Luke when I hear him. Thanks again. |
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19 Dec 03 - 03:54 AM (#1075959) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Fergie Paddy has a good voice, Luke had a great voice, a unique voice he could make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, he was absolutely brilliant, I cannot listen to Luke sing Raglan Road without a tear coming to my eye. |
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19 Dec 03 - 05:28 AM (#1075984) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Big Tim You never heard Luke Kelly! You're in for a treat - he is the greatest folk voice of them all ( I think I can safely say without fear of contradiction!). The Collection sounds like a better bet than "Workers" but I wasn't aware of that one. Re Dylan; try the Bootleg Series (rare and unreleased 1961-1991). |
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19 Dec 03 - 07:24 AM (#1076045) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: ard mhacha I have all of the Dubliners old LPs and Luke Kelly`s early singing voice was much better than his later recordings, just listen to Luke singing Tramps and Hawkers one of his best renditions and Raglan Road, all on early discs, sublime. I have been to numerous Dubliners shows and Luke although he carried on gamely despite his illness,was definitley not at his best in later recordings. Ard Mhacha. |
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19 Dec 03 - 07:38 AM (#1076061) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: GUEST,Teribus Arguably the greatest folk singer these islands have ever produced. Amazing power and emotion for anything he sang, and as said by a couple before me diction as clear as a bell My favourites of his: Travelling People Tramps and Hawkers Freedom Come All Ye Parcel O' Rogues Black Velvet Band Night Visiting Song |
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19 Dec 03 - 02:54 PM (#1076347) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Big Tim I have him on video singing "Raglan Road", late period, and I do think he was a bit over the top on that particular performance, you know, trying to do justice to the poetry. Around the same time though, he did a great job with "Scorn Not His Simplicity": an amazing song. IMO he and Bob Dylan are the two greatest folk(ish) voices of the 20th C. Mikey, you got good taste! I, too, have all the old vinyl, also CD, also Dave Swarbrick's "Teribus"! Tomorrow I'll post some biog stuff from the book. |
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19 Dec 03 - 03:00 PM (#1076349) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Nerd Castle Communications just reissued the very first albums of the Dubliners on CD; the first one, "The Dubliners with Luke Kelly" has that great "Tramps and Hawkers" version and is a real treat. But Luke only sings about half the songs. The second one doesn't have Luke on it (he went to England to hang around with Ewan MacColl and the Critics Group), but he's back on the third one, Finnegan Wakes. Great stuff! |
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19 Dec 03 - 10:08 PM (#1076599) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Mickey191 Thanks again folks, Big Tim-Love to read that bio. My cousin from Cork, was on a rave about Luke, feeling the same as you all do. Of course I loved the "Minstrel Boy" song about him, and "Raglan Road" since I heard Joan Osborne sing it with the Chieftains. Heard it many times before--but she made it different & beautiful. What would we do without the joy of music? |
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20 Dec 03 - 02:18 AM (#1076683) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: GUEST,JTT Keep us posted - I went to amazon.co.uk and found it listed, but as "this item is currently unavailable", and it wasn't listed at all in amazon.com. cdwow doesn't list it at all. |
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20 Dec 03 - 02:26 AM (#1076685) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: GUEST,JTT Though wait a minute - Claddagh Records in Dublin has a list of five Luke Kelly CDs available: Legacy, Luke Kelly With The Dubliners, Songs of the Workers, Thank You for the Days and The Collection. |
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20 Dec 03 - 06:06 AM (#1076726) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Big Tim The following is from Des Geraghty's book (so if wrong, blame him, not me!) "Luke was born on 17 Nov 1940 (his birth certificate says 17 December, but his mother always maintained it was a month out, and the family agreed that she should know). [Born in]Lattimore Cottages on Sheriff Street; a collection of eight or so single-storey buildings [near Connolly Station], outside toilet and a single [communal] tap in the yard. Luke's mother, Julia Fleming, grew up in Lattimore Cottages. Her mother, who lived with the family until her death in 1953, was a MacDonald and the Kellys believe she came from Scottish stock, which may explain something of the affinity Luke always had for Scottish songs. In 1942, the authorities demolished Lattimore Cottages, and they became the first family in St Laurence [sic] O'Toole flats on the Mayor Street side. The Kellys are a close and loyal tribe and none of Luke's meteroic rise in the 60s and 70s affected their relationship with one another. St Lawrence [sic]O'Toole Boys Choir was an exceptionally good one, renowned in the 40s and 50s in Dublin. When young Luke Kelly applied to join, Brother Cordial turned him away and told him to go home and practise the scales." Summarising now; Luke married Deirdre O'Connell, an Irish-American, in the parish church in Whitehall [north Dublin] on on 21 June 1965. Eventually the marriage broke up and in the latter years of his life Luke's partner was Madeliene Seiler, who is German. [30 June 1980, Cork Opera House]- Luke as quoted by Geraghty - "There I was in front of 2000 people, in the middle of 'The Town I Loved So Well', when it started. I felt the warning signs. I had this terrible spasm of pain down my left side. I was having difficulty holding the instrument and my speech was going. The words I was singing were coming out in a babble. I was taken off and later went back on to finish the show. I knew it was time to have a really good check up". Summarising again: Luke had a brain tumour. He was operated on, for 5 hours, in Cork Regional Hospital. The operation was a temporary success but in March 1983 he required a second operation, this time in Richmond Hospital in Dublin. Again he seemed to recover. But on 28 January 1984 he was again admitted to the Richmond for emergency treatment. He died at 11 p.m. on 30 January 1984. "He had a quality impossible to define and certainly impossible to learn" - Phil Coulter, February 1984. |
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20 Dec 03 - 06:48 AM (#1076738) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Dave Hanson Luke simply was unique, there will never be anyone lke him. eric |
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20 Dec 03 - 07:44 AM (#1076755) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Jim McLean I agree with everything previously posted. I was the first road manager for the Dubliners just after they had their chart success with Seven Drunken Nights. I travelled with them and sat up all night with them, watching them interact. They did (with the exception of John Sheehan) drink very heavily and my job was mainly to see that they got to the venue in time. Luke shared a tremendous sense of humour with the lads and was very well read. For their own entertainment, after a gig, in the hotel room, they would impersonate each other. When Barney impersonated Luke he would carry a book, thumping it on the table and shouting in Luke's voice 'This is life!' Many happy memories, he was a great guy. Jim |
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20 Dec 03 - 07:51 AM (#1076757) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: cobber In 1977 the Dubliners came to Melbourne (Australia) and we (the Cobbers) were the support act for them. We actually taped the entire show through the PA (though the bloody tape ran out half way through The Town I loved So Well). Jim McCann was with them on that tour along with John and Barney. The band was really hot and they packed the Dallas Brookes hall on the Thursday and the Saturday nights. They were supposed to play on Friday and Saturday night but there was a conflict in the bookings and the hall on Friday had also been promised to Stephane Grappelli. The Dubliners admired him so much they changed to the Thursday. I was reminded of that night again today as it is my son's 28th birthday. He was backstage at the concert and during the interval, Luke asked me if he could hold him. I thought he meant for a minute but he carried him around for the entire interval. He told me later that he was trying to stay off the drink and by carrying the baby, he ensured that nobody would try to put a beer in his hand. There has been a lot of talk about his voice which was outstanding. They used to say it was powerful enough to take the froth off a guiness at ten paces but a lot of this gets lost in the studio. He was also a real gentleman, not only in his manner but a really gentle spirit, a great wit and the posessor of a rare intellect. I last saw him in Ireland in 1979 when the Dubliners invited us there as their guests (and forgot to tell us the Pope would be in town at the same time, but that's another story). He didn't look well then and talked about how he was struggling with a weight problem. That was the last time we saw him. |
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20 Dec 03 - 11:17 AM (#1076818) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: GUEST,theballadeers Here are several Luke Kelly CDs...I would recommend "Thank You for the Days" very early, previously unreleased tracks. |
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20 Dec 03 - 08:46 PM (#1077089) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Canberra Chris Luke Kelly was my great singing hero, the blazing power of his voice is why I sing now. In their early years I went to every Dubliners concert in London, and sang all his songs. After one I was leaving through the alley beside the theatre when I met him coming the other way. We stopped and looked at each other, but I was completely lost for words! After a pause, he smiled, nodded and walked on. O to have that idiot moment again! Or Luke, alive and singing, anywhere. Chris |
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20 Dec 03 - 09:51 PM (#1077121) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Mickey191 Thank you all for your generous sharing, especially Big Tim for the bio notes. There was a long time-almost 18 yrs. when I was living in the boonies with no radio reception & out of touch with alot of great music. Too busy trying to earn a living. So I missed out on some good stuff. |
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21 Dec 03 - 03:32 PM (#1077356) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Big Tim Thanks to all from me too. Here's the words of "Luke: A Tribute", written by Michael O Caoimh (sorry, can't do fadas) and recorded by Christy Moore on the Dubs "Celebration" double album. The years have passed, the time has flown, Since first I saw you there, With feet apart to the music moved, Your bright red curling hair, The spotlights shone in colour bright, Reflecting on your face, The music notes soared sweet and clear, In the spirit of your race. Your songs told tales of peace and joy, Of sorrow and of love, The power and passion of your voice, Soared heavenly above, And from the inner soul and heart, With emotion in each song, You stirred the hearts of many, Luke, When you sang of right and wrong. The homour in those laughing eyes, Was shared in full with all, When you chose a song to lift the hearts,, That filled the music hall, The ectasy and joy was felt, In chorus, clap, and cheer, When the 'Son of Roisin' [Ireland] took the stage, The king of balladeers. I saw you sing a thousand times, Ten thousand songs or more, I still can clearly hear you sing, Though your time with us is o'er, For memories now are all we have, When we think of you today, Your name we'll always honour, Luke, We're glad you passed this way. |
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21 Dec 03 - 03:36 PM (#1077363) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: RoyH (Burl) Big Tim, thank you for that I hadn't seen that song before. A fitting tribute to one of the best singers ever. Burl |
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21 Dec 03 - 04:00 PM (#1077382) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: ard mhacha Come to the Bower, The Foggy Dew [Easter Rising version],The Rocky road to Dublin,and The Old Triangle, other gems when performed by Luke. Ard Mhacha. |
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21 Dec 03 - 05:33 PM (#1077442) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Big Tim There's a bridge of the River Tolka in Dublin, less than a mile north of where he was born, named Luke Kelly Bridge [30 May 1984]. As Des Geraghty has written, "So Luke became a part of the physical history of Dublin - a bridge has spanned that particular spot on the Tolka since 1313". |
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21 Dec 03 - 05:36 PM (#1077443) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Jim McLean I'd quite forgotten I had written the sleeve notes to The Dubliners 'Recorded Live at the Albert Hall' 1968. I did a small peice of doggeral for each singer and for Luke I wrote: And then there's carrot headed Luke, Who's never seen without a book! Smollet, Joyce or Dostoevsky, Luke takes as smoothly as malt whiskey. And every word that Tolstoy wrote, Our Luke can quote, and quote, and quote! At singin he's beyond compare, No skylark warbles quite so rare, With banjo gripped in both his hands, Legs wide apart, he takes his stand. His beards, his cheeks, his eyes, his head, A burning mass of fiery red, What will he sing? our Luke's no prude, 'The Rocks of Baun' or jus 'Hey Jude'. and that was 35 years ago.. |
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22 Dec 03 - 04:18 AM (#1077670) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: AKS Luke is the only one who ever has done 'a one-timer' to me: I wasn't so much into the folk music at that time (latter 1973), but a friend of mine had talked positively about the Dubliners, so of curiosity I bought The Dubliners Live (that happened to be available right then), put it on the turntable, and, after the introductory FLs&SP: "thank you very much ... well in the neat little town they call Belfast ..." - he's been my number one favourite ever since! I don't think anybody can beat him, what comes to the range of expression. If you listen to, say, "Come and Join the British Army" on one hand and "The Unquiet Grave" on the other, you'll see what I mean. AKS |
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22 Dec 03 - 04:37 AM (#1077674) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: GUEST,Pat Cooksey. For me Luke Kelly was the best folk singer there ever was, or ever will be. Luke lived the way he sang, his disregard for the trappings of sucess were well known, as was his generosity to those around him. The music world, folk music included, has become a much more cynical place since his passing. |
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22 Dec 03 - 05:07 AM (#1077683) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Big Tim He was certainly a very special singer: the fact that he was also, by all accounts of those who knew him, a very special human being is the icing on the cake. "Only the good die young" there's some truth in that. Thanks Jim for your verse, somehow that one had eluded me! Here's another tribute in verse, by Declan Collinge. This was originally written in Irish and so probably loses something in the translation. Again, it's from DGs book. AN FEAR RUA (OMOS DO LUKE KELLY) : THE RED-HAIRED MAN (A TRIBUTE TO LUKE KELLY) Over the clatter of the supermarket, Over the prattle of my children, Your voice comes forcefully to me, And it's hard to believe that you are dead. Once more I taste the sourness Of my first Among the lads And I see you again In the spotlight in full flight Among your crew, Your short leg beating time To the rhythm of your banjo Your red curly shock And your brazen goatee Enhancing your power. We sang our songs That night And roared our applause Proud of our youth Of our spokesman And of our city alike You were ever A man of causes, A man of vision, Of music, Talented champion Of the hour Your echo comes back to me Above the din of the crowd, Above the clamour of the queues, Above the measured voice of the registers. And my throat fills up Luke. It is not you alone that I lament But the lost song of our city And a reckless generation. 1990. |
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22 Dec 03 - 12:41 PM (#1077819) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Big Tim That should be: "sourness of my first pint". |
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22 Dec 03 - 04:25 PM (#1077948) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: GUEST He was a family friend. I only remember meeting him once, because I was just a nipper in those days. Once met, never forgotten is a phrase I hear about Matt McGinn and it's true of Luke Kelly too. Matt was a family friend too and I was struck by how similar they were. They were both two gems; they made this world a better place . Sadly missed. |
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21 May 04 - 02:12 PM (#1190944) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: samundcandy Hi Cobber, I read your interesting lines about the Dubliners and Luke Kelly in Australia 1977. The Dubliners have just started to found a private archive with all they can get from their career. I am one of the official archivists of the Dubliners' archive and I got a special certification from John Sheahan to do the collecting work. We would like to get a copy of the concert you mentioned. I would offer you some of our rare and unpublished material for that of course for your own private use. Do you know other people who might have collected or recorded concerts of the Dubliners? Please contact me. Greetings Gerhard Braas Please email: braas-Kaltenkirchen@t-online.de |
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21 May 04 - 06:32 PM (#1191092) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Susanne (skw) Hi Gerhard, didn't know you'd become a member. Welcome! Do bootlegs of Tonder Festival count? I may have some individual songs. And how are my photies? |
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22 May 04 - 07:19 AM (#1191425) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: samundcandy Hi Susanne, everything is copied and waits for taking from you. Do you know how to contact a member directly? |
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23 May 04 - 09:08 PM (#1192337) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Susanne (skw) Go to the menu right at the top (Quick Links showing) and choose 'Send a Personal Message'. Then, of course, you'll have to know their Mudcat name ... |
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29 Nov 05 - 03:00 PM (#1616553) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: GUEST,Jokker Does anyone know who Michael O'Caoimbh" is? Has he published any other material? |
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30 Nov 05 - 09:40 AM (#1617184) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: leftydee I bought a CD in Galway 5-6 years ago called "Luke's Legacy" . I've tried to buy a copy for gifts but have never found it again. Absolutely one of my favorites. It's the Dubliner's, but all tracks are Luke's vocals. Oddly, the the play list on the CD is mismarked so maybe they took it off the market. Grab it up if you can. Lefty |
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30 Nov 05 - 06:09 PM (#1617559) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: cujimmy I have some friends from Dublin who told me wonderfull things about Luke, like how he would sing along with drinkers in Phoenix Park or just ordinary people in the street even when he was very famous, allways full of compassion and for these kind of reasons he is my favorite folk singer. There is a lovely song called THE MINSTREL BOY sung by Paddy Reiley which was written about his sad death in his early fourties, a song I never tire of singing. |
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09 Oct 10 - 06:12 AM (#3003091) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: GUEST,fom jim this is jim iam looking for luck kelly cd thank you for the days can you contack me on 0862524007 |
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09 Oct 10 - 07:35 AM (#3003119) Subject: RE: Luke Kelly From: Desi C Luke was always in his Prime, he died fairly young too. but any of his stuff from the early 70's as a solo artist especially, the collection mentioned below or The Very best of Luke Kelly. £ tracks though I'd rate a must are Raglan Road Which he rarely gets credited for putting Patrick Kavanagh's poem to music. Peggy Gordon, which he learnt in Wolverhampton, a Scottish song made an Irish favourite, and his favourite son Bunclody. In my view the best Irish ballad singer ever Bob Dylan, his Anthology coollection has all a Dylan fan should need |