Dominic Behan l/p finnegan's wake

Subject: Dominic Behan l/p finnegan's wake
From: domo
Date: 19 Feb 08 - 06:00 PM

Hi,
I am collecting recordings by Dominic Behan and wondered if someone could give me a track listing of the American release of his L/P entitled "Finnegan's Wake". I imagine it may be a re-issue from some of the albums I already have but I want to double-check. Also, I am curious as to when it was actually released. Jim Carroll, we spoke about Dominic when we met at the Cle Club. Check your PM, as I have sent you one.

Subject: RE: Dominic Behan l/p finnegan's wake
From: theballadeer
Date: 19 Feb 08 - 09:47 PM

I am not aware of a Finnegan's Wake LP, but there is a EP of that title. Info here on my site.

Nick

Subject: RE: Dominic Behan l/p finnegan's wake
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 20 Feb 08 - 03:12 AM

Hi Dom,
Have put out feelers for Cosmopolitan Man.
Others that come to mind are - 'Dominic Takes The Floor' and 'Irish Love Songs' (both 10" lps I think, either Topic or Collector).
Try Irtrad if you have no luck elsewhere.
Best
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Dominic Behan l/p finnegan's wake
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 20 Feb 08 - 10:45 AM

The topic Discography at Musical Traditions list one 10 inch and one 12 inch LP by Dominic:

10T28 Irish Songs Recalled. Dominic Behan accompanied by John Hasted:
    Zoological Gardens / Love is Teasing / The Poor Lone Boy / The Maid of the Sweet Brown Knowe / Coolin / Maureen / The Blind Man / Lagan Love / The Old Triangle / She Moves Through the Fair / Poem.

12T35 Down By the Liffeyside: Irish Street Ballads. Dominic Behan with Peggy Seeger, Leon Rosselson and Ralph Rinzler:
    Get Me Down Me Filling Knife / The Saint / Down By the Liffeyside / Ross' Farewell to Dublin / Waxy Dargell / Red Roses For Me / Thank You Mam, Said Dan / John Mitchell / The Finding of Moses / Master McGrath / Dicey Riley / Finnegan's Wake / The Women are Worse that the Men / Easy and Slow / The Spanish Lady / The Twang Man / Bold Robert Emmett / Biddy Mulligan.

Subject: RE: Dominic Behan l/p finnegan's wake
From: Flash Company
Date: 20 Feb 08 - 11:11 AM

Oh Dear, that reminds me of a lot of songs I stole!

FC

Subject: RE: Dominic Behan l/p finnegan's wake
From: Liam's Brother
Date: 20 Feb 08 - 01:37 PM

I have Finnegan's Wake and I was talking about it with Mick Moloney last night, which is quite a coincidence. Unfortunately, I don't have it at hand here and now. Finnegan's Wake was originally issued on Selection or Collector in England and appeared in the USA on Harry Oster's Folk-Lyric label. I bought the disc in the mid-1960s. I would not be surprised if it was made from the same master. "The Trees are Getting High" and "Master M'Grath" are on it for sure.

Subject: RE: Dominic Behan l/p finnegan's wake
From: domo
Date: 20 Feb 08 - 02:55 PM

Thanks guys,
To the Balladeer: I have visited your site in the past and find it great for all the info on old L/Ps. I am curious about the write up on Christy Moore's first album "Paddy on the Road" Is this the actual sleeve notes from the album? It mentions a song called "Cemented in Love" by Dominic which is'nt listed in Christy's book. However, in his boxed collection Christy sings "Building up and Tearing England Down" and calls it "Paddy on the Road". Dominic has another song in his songbook called "Paddy on the Road" which is completely different.Was "cemented in love" a provisional working title for "building up" or was all the confusion due to too much drink during recording?
The L/P Finnegans Wake is advertised on some of the vinyl sites such as GEMM as a "CDR copy + the L/P", but does not give any other details.

Subject: RE: Dominic Behan l/p finnegan's wake
From: GUEST,theballadeer
Date: 20 Feb 08 - 06:41 PM

Hi Domo,

As far as I know those are the actual sleeve notes. I do not have a vinyl copy but was sent a CD-R with the sleeve notes. I do believe "Cemented in Love" is "Building up and Tearing England Down."..titled "Paddy on the Road" on Christy's first album. How's that for confusing. I wish I knew more about a full length LP titled "Finnegan's Wake". But don't...I'll look on GEMM and see if I can make heads nor tails.

Nick

Subject: RE: Dominic Behan l/p finnegan's wake
From: theballadeer
Date: 21 Feb 08 - 01:57 PM

Hi Domo,

I think I found it!

Dominic Behan - Finnegan's Wake and Other Irish Folksongs
Folk-Lyric Records - PL-113

I could not find the year or track listing - but it does appear to be an American release (as you suspected). It could be a compilation of the "Collectors" EPs or a re-tilted release of Down by the Liffeyside: Irish Street Ballads, 1958—Topic 12T 35 LP.

I say that because Finnegan's Wake is on those releases...mind you it could different altogether.
I have found a picture of the cover of this album, as well as the cover of Mrs. Hooligan's Xmas Cake
1958—Collector JEI 4 EP. And the same picture is used...which points me in the direction of the "Collector" EPs compilation. Also a compilation came out in the 70's of Robin Hall and Jimmie Macgregor's "Collector" EPs. I don't know, I may have just muddied the waters.

Nick

Subject: RE: Dominic Behan l/p finnegan's wake
From: domo
Date: 21 Feb 08 - 02:27 PM

Hi Nick,
Thanks for that. I imagined it may well be a compilation of Down by the Liffeyside plus maybe a track or two from his E/Ps . If you have a look at a site called "musicstack", you'll see that they are now offering a special edition of his album "Rebellion". They offer to locate the L/P, clean it professionally,and copy it to CDR, and send you both the L/P and the CDR. The same as the offer on "Finnegans' Wake". I wonder how much of this is going on, or do they just do this for Dominic Behan fans !
                                 Cheers,
                                           Domo

Subject: RE: Dominic Behan l/p finnegan's wake
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Feb 08 - 03:10 AM

Domo,
Meant to ask you during our late-night conversation.
Is my memory playing tricks or am I remembering accurately that there were two albums called 'Dominic Takes the Floor' and 'Irish Love Songs'?
I'm sure I learned 'A Sailor Courted A Farmer's Daughter' from one of them

A sailor courted a farmer's daughter,
Who lived contagious to the town of Strabane,
With love and melody he did resort her,
That she'd marry him before she'd marry any other type or classification of a man.

I can still remember the cover.
Good luck with the project.
Best to Brenda.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Dominic Behan l/p finnegan's wake
From: domo
Date: 22 Feb 08 - 07:06 AM

Hi Jim,
I have that E/P " Dominic Takes the Floor" which has "A sailor courted a farmers daughter" on it. It also has "Love is Pleasing", "Zoological Gardens" and "The Blind man he could see "on it. I was told the "A sailor courted a farmers daughter" was written by Percy French and I have since got hold of "The World of Percy French" by Brenda O Dowda ,which seems to confirm this. However, Percy does not prolong the last line of each verse. The last line in verse two is simply:
"If I threw them into the Ocean Cold" rather than"If I had nothing in the world at all and wrapped all my possessions into a bundle and threw into the bottom of the deep blue ocean cold". Percy French has the girl living contagious to the Isle of Man but someone since moved her to Strabane. Words are published in the recent book "Ireland's Other Poetry- Anonymous to Zozimus ", by John Wyse Jackson and Hector McDonnell. Hector says he learned it from Tony McAuley, who worked for the BBC in Belfast. He lists the author as anon. So,was it Dominic or someone else built an extension on the last lines?
                                  Domo

Subject: RE: Dominic Behan l/p finnegan's wake
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 22 Feb 08 - 01:59 PM

Always thought it was Dominic.
There was a long, serious discussion on Irtrad last year regarding a somewhat po-faced version - inspired me to resurrect Behan's version from the back of my memory.
I was surprised I could still remember it.
Jim Carroll