Irish Heartbeat
Encyclopedia
Irish Heartbeat is the eighteenth album
by Northern Irish singer-songwriter
Van Morrison
and is a collaboration with the traditional
Irish
musical group The Chieftains
, released in 1988 (see 1988 in music
). The album was recorded at Windmill Lane Studios
in Dublin, Ireland
and reached #18 in the UK album charts.
rock festival. They joined up in Belfast
during Morrison's No Guru
tour and afterwards, Morrison and Paddy Moloney
discussed recording an album together during a walk. They each had a list of songs and reached a consensus to cover two of Morrison's previously released tracks (the title track was one) and the rest from traditional Irish songs.
Recalled Moloney:
In October 1987 they performed together at Balmoral Studio in Belfast
. The concert was broadcast on St. Patrick's Day in 1988.
) and the title track "Irish Heartbeat
" (which first appeared on 1983's Inarticulate Speech of the Heart
). "Carrickfergus" is described as "a melancholic air worthy of Otis Redding
" by critic Denis Campbell. "on Raglan Road
" was adapted from a poem by Patrick Kavanagh
and is the story of "a man ensnared by a beautiful revenant whom he had mistaken for 'a creature made of clay'."
In 1994, Billy Connolly
recorded a live cover of the song "Irish Heartbeat" during his World Tour of Scotland
. The performance was used as the closing theme to the BBC
series.
gave the album four stars and remarked upon its "splendor and intense beauty". On the other hand, critic Robert Christgau
gave the album a "C+" in his Consumer Guide and called Morrison's collaboration with the Chieftains "misguided." Nonetheless, it was voted one of the best albums of the year in the Village Voices influential Pazz & Jop
rock critics' poll.
, arranged by Van Morrison
and Paddy Moloney
, except as indicated.
Album - UK Album Chart
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by Northern Irish singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
and is a collaboration with the traditional
Traditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
musical group The Chieftains
The Chieftains
The Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
, released in 1988 (see 1988 in music
1988 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1988.-January-March:* January 1 – André Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra plays its first concert....
). The album was recorded at Windmill Lane Studios
Windmill Lane Studios
Windmill Lane Studios, also known as the "U2 studio", is a three-storey music recording studio located in Dublin, Ireland. It is located on Windmill Lane, a small street just south of City Quay and the River Liffey and a little north of Pearse Station. It was opened in 1978 by Brian Masterson who...
in Dublin, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and reached #18 in the UK album charts.
Recording
The album was recorded on dates from September to December 1987 and in January 1988. The Chieftains and Van Morrison had met years before at the EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
rock festival. They joined up in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
during Morrison's No Guru
No Guru, No Method, No Teacher
This album was hailed by most critics as a return to form and gave Morrison his best reviews of any of his albums in the eighties. John Wilde in Sounds remarks, "the crescendos here are never dampened by their subtle nature and never fall short of blinding. The whole album aches with a steady...
tour and afterwards, Morrison and Paddy Moloney
Paddy Moloney
Paddy Moloney is one of the founders of the Irish musical group The Chieftains and has played on every one of their albums.He was born in Donnycarney in Dublin. His mother bought him a tin whistle when he was six and at the age of eight he started to learn the Uilleann pipes. He also plays button...
discussed recording an album together during a walk. They each had a list of songs and reached a consensus to cover two of Morrison's previously released tracks (the title track was one) and the rest from traditional Irish songs.
Recalled Moloney:
I think at that time Van was searching for his Irish roots. It was this man of blues, of rock ‘n’ roll, jazz and more importantly soul, coming home to his Irishness with The Chieftains and the music we’d been playing for so many years. Musically we were going to meet each other half way.
In October 1987 they performed together at Balmoral Studio in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. The concert was broadcast on St. Patrick's Day in 1988.
Composition
The album consists of eight traditional Irish songs, plus re-workings of the Morrison songs "Celtic Ray" (which first appeared on 1982's Beautiful VisionBeautiful Vision
Beautiful Vision is an album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released February 1982 by Warner Bros. Records in the US and Mercury Records in the UK. As with many of Morrison's recordings, spirituality is a major theme and some of the songs are based on the teachings of...
) and the title track "Irish Heartbeat
Irish Heartbeat (song)
"Irish Heartbeat" is a popular song that was first recorded on Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison's 1983 album Inarticulate Speech of the Heart...
" (which first appeared on 1983's Inarticulate Speech of the Heart
Inarticulate Speech of the Heart
Inarticulate Speech of the Heart is the fourteenth album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1983 ....
). "Carrickfergus" is described as "a melancholic air worthy of Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
" by critic Denis Campbell. "on Raglan Road
On Raglan Road
"On Raglan Road" is a well-known Irish song from a poem written by Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh named after Raglan Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin. In the poem the poet, walking on a "quiet street", recalls a love affair he had with a young woman...
" was adapted from a poem by Patrick Kavanagh
Patrick Kavanagh
Patrick Kavanagh was an Irish poet and novelist. Regarded as one of the foremost poets of the 20th century, his best known works include the novel Tarry Flynn and the poems Raglan Road and The Great Hunger...
and is the story of "a man ensnared by a beautiful revenant whom he had mistaken for 'a creature made of clay'."
In 1994, Billy Connolly
Billy Connolly
William "Billy" Connolly, Jr., CBE is a Scottish comedian, musician, presenter and actor. He is sometimes known, especially in his native Scotland, by the nickname The Big Yin...
recorded a live cover of the song "Irish Heartbeat" during his World Tour of Scotland
Billy Connolly's World Tour of Scotland
World Tour of Scotland is a six-part television series — the first of Billy Connolly's four "world tours" — originally broadcast by the BBC in the winter of 1994. It involved his touring around his homeland of Scotland for 54 nights during the spring of 1994, beginning in Greenock and visiting...
. The performance was used as the closing theme to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
series.
Reception
The album received mostly positive reviews upon its release. It was called "some of the most haunting, rousing, downright friendly music of the year". Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
gave the album four stars and remarked upon its "splendor and intense beauty". On the other hand, critic Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
gave the album a "C+" in his Consumer Guide and called Morrison's collaboration with the Chieftains "misguided." Nonetheless, it was voted one of the best albums of the year in the Village Voices influential Pazz & Jop
Pazz & Jop
The Pazz & Jop critics' poll is a poll of music critics run by The Village Voice newspaper. It is compiled every year from the top ten lists of hundreds of music critics...
rock critics' poll.
Track listing
All songs traditionalTraditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
, arranged by Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
and Paddy Moloney
Paddy Moloney
Paddy Moloney is one of the founders of the Irish musical group The Chieftains and has played on every one of their albums.He was born in Donnycarney in Dublin. His mother bought him a tin whistle when he was six and at the age of eight he started to learn the Uilleann pipes. He also plays button...
, except as indicated.
Side one
- "Star of the County DownStar of the County Down"Star of the County Down" is an old Irish ballad set near Banbridge in County Down, in Ireland. The words are by Cathal McGarvey, 1866-1927, from Ramelton, County Donegal...
" – 2:41 - "Irish HeartbeatIrish Heartbeat (song)"Irish Heartbeat" is a popular song that was first recorded on Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison's 1983 album Inarticulate Speech of the Heart...
" (Morrison) – 3:52 - "Tá Mo Chleamhnas Déanta (My Match It Is Made)" – 3:31
- "Raglan RoadOn Raglan Road"On Raglan Road" is a well-known Irish song from a poem written by Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh named after Raglan Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin. In the poem the poet, walking on a "quiet street", recalls a love affair he had with a young woman...
" - (lyrics by Patrick KavanaghPatrick KavanaghPatrick Kavanagh was an Irish poet and novelist. Regarded as one of the foremost poets of the 20th century, his best known works include the novel Tarry Flynn and the poems Raglan Road and The Great Hunger...
) – 4:43 - "She Moved Through the FairShe Moved Through the Fair"She Moved Through the Fair" is a traditional Irish folk song, existing in a number of versions and which has been recorded many times.-Origins:...
" – 4:44
Side two
- "I'll Tell Me MaI'll Tell Me Ma"I'll Tell Me Ma" is a well known children's song. It was collected in various parts of England in the 19th century and again appears in collections from shortly after the turn of the 20th century...
" – 2:29 - "CarrickfergusCarrickfergus (song)"Carrickfergus" is an Irish folk song. The origins of the song are unclear, but it has been traced to an Irish language song, "Do bhí bean uasal" , which is attested to the poet Cathal Buí Mac Giolla Ghunna, who died in 1745 in County Clare.The song appears on a ballad sheet in Cork City in the mid...
" – 4:23 - "Celtic Ray" (Morrison) – 3:47
- "My Lagan LoveMy Lagan Love"My Lagan Love" is a song to a traditional Irish air collected in 1903 in northern Donegal.The English lyrics have been credited to Joseph Campbell . Campbell was a Belfast man whose grand-parents came from the Irish-speaking area of Flurrybridge, South Armagh. He started collecting songs in County...
" – 5:19 - "Marie's Wedding" – 3:17
Personnel
- Van MorrisonVan MorrisonVan Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
- lead vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Paddy MoloneyPaddy MoloneyPaddy Moloney is one of the founders of the Irish musical group The Chieftains and has played on every one of their albums.He was born in Donnycarney in Dublin. His mother bought him a tin whistle when he was six and at the age of eight he started to learn the Uilleann pipes. He also plays button...
- uilleann pipesUilleann pipesThe uilleann pipes or //; ) are the characteristic national bagpipe of Ireland, their current name, earlier known in English as "union pipes", is a part translation of the Irish-language term píobaí uilleann , from their method of inflation.The bag of the uilleann pipes is inflated by means of a...
, tin whistleTin whistleThe tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, English Flageolet, Scottish penny whistle, Tin Flageolet, Irish whistle and Clarke London Flageolet is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is an end blown fipple flute, putting it in the same category as the recorder, American Indian flute, and... - Martin FayMartin FayMartin Fay is an Irish fiddler and bones player, and a former member of The Chieftains.In 1962 he became one of the founding members of The Chieftains. In 2001, he decided to stop touring with the group, limiting his appearances with the group to events in Ireland.-External links:*...
- fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, bonesBones (instrument)The bones are a musical instrument which, at the simplest, consists of a pair of animal bones, or pieces of wood or a similar material. Sections of large rib bones and lower leg bones are the most commonly used true bones, although wooden sticks shaped like the earlier true bones are now more... - Derek BellDerek Bell (musician)George Derek Fleetwood Bell, MBE was an Northern Irish harpist, pianist, oboist, musicologist, and composer, best known for his accompaniment work on various instruments with The Chieftains....
- harpHarpThe harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, tiompán - Kevin ConneffKevin ConneffKevin Conneff is more familiarly known as the voice and rhythmic heartbeat of the legendary Irish folk group, The Chieftains, through his talents as vocalist and bodhrán player. He joined the group in 1976, replacing Peadar Mercier who had been the second bodhrán player for the group...
- bodhranBodhránThe bodhrán is an Irish frame drum ranging from 25 to 65 cm in diameter, with most drums measuring 35 to 45 cm . The sides of the drum are 9 to 20 cm deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side...
, co-lead vocals on "Star of the County Down", "Tá Mo Chleamhnas Déanta" & "I'll Tell Me Ma" - Matt MolloyMatt MolloyMatt Molloy is an Irish musician, from a region known for producing talented flautists. As a child, he began playing the flute and won the All-Ireland Flute Championship at only seventeen years old...
- fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening... - Seán KeaneSeán Keane (fiddler)Seán Keane was born on July 12, 1946 in Dublin. He is a well-respected fiddler, and also a fiddle teacher. He was a member of Ceoltóirí Chualann in the 1960s, before joining The Chieftains in 1968...
- fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music... - Ciarán Ó BraonáinCiarán BrennanCiarán Brennan is an Irish singer, songwriter, producer and instrumentalist from Gweedore, Co Donegal...
- bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2... - Mary BlackMary BlackMary Black is an Irish singer. She is well known as an interpreter of both folk and contemporary material which has made her a major recording artist in her native Ireland, and in many other parts of the world....
- back-up vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
on "Marie's Wedding" & "Tá Mo Chleamhnas Déanta" - Maura O'ConnellMaura O'ConnellMaura O'Connell is an Irish singer and actress. She is known for her contemporary interpretations of Irish folk songs, strongly influenced by American country music.-Background:...
- back-up vocals on "Marie's Wedding" - June Boyce - back-up vocals on "Celtic Ray", "Irish Heartbeat" & "Marie's Wedding"
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | The Billboard 200 | 102 |
Album - UK Album Chart
| Year | Chart | Position |
| 1988 | UK Album Chart | 18 |