''The Clancy Brothers' Greatest Hits'' is an original studio album of some of
The Clancy Brothers
The Clancy Brothers were an influential Irish folk music group that developed initially as a part of the American folk music revival. Most popular during the 1960s, they were famed for their Aran jumpers and are widely credited with popularisi ...
' most popular hits re-recorded with
Louis Killen
Louisa "Lou" Jo Killen (born Louis Killen; 10 January 1934 – 9 August 2013) was an English folk singer from Gateshead, Tyneside, who also played the English concertina.
Killen formed one of Britain's first folk clubs in 1958 in Newcastle upo ...
. The Clancys had performed each of these songs previously with different arrangements with their former partner
Tommy Makem
Thomas Makem (4 November 1932 – 1 August 2007) was an Irish folk music, folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller. He was best known as a member of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. He played the long-necked 5-string banjo, tin whistle, l ...
in the 1960s. This was the group's first of three albums for
Vanguard Records
Vanguard Recording Society is an American record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the so ...
, their last album with Killen, and the final album they would release for almost a decade. The recording was initially released as a double album. A backing musician on a few of the tracks is
Don McLean
Donald McLean III (born October 2, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Known as the "American Troubadour" or "King of the Trail", he is best known for his 1971 hit "American Pie (song), American Pie", an eight-and-a-half-minut ...
, best known for his song "
American Pie".
In 2000, Vanguard re-released the album on a CD entitled ''The Best of the Vanguard Years''. In addition to including the entirety of the ''Greatest Hits'' album, the CD included four previously unreleased tracks from the Clancy Brothers' follow-up album ''Live!'' (1982).
Track listing
#"
Maid of Fife" – 2:19
#"Jug of Punch" – 2:55
#"
Gallant Forty-Twa" – 2:15
#"
Whistling Gypsy" – 3:11
#"
The Leaving of Liverpool
"(The) Leaving of Liverpool" ( Roud 9435), also known as "Fare Thee Well, My Own True Love", is a folk song. Folklorists classify it as a lyrical lament and it was also used as a sea shanty, especially at the capstan. It is very well known in ...
" – 3:50
#"
Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew, stylized as Mtn Dew in some countries and colloquially known as Dew in some areas, is a soft drink brand owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in 1940 by Tennessee beverage Bottler (company), bottlers Barney and A ...
" – 1:45
#"The Nightingale" – 3:27
#"
Roddy McCorley
Roddy McCorley (died 28 February 1800) was an Irish nationalist from the civil parish of Duneane, County Antrim, Ireland. Following the publication of the Ethna Carbery poem bearing his name in 1902, where he is associated with events around the ...
" – 3:11
#"Castle of Dramore" – 2:46
#"Father's Grave" – 2:08
#"Johnny McAdoo" – 1:39
#"
The Irish Rover
"The Irish Rover" ( Roud 4379) is an Irish folk song about a magnificent though improbable sailing ship that reaches an unfortunate end. It has been recorded by numerous artists, with the lyrics changing over time due to the folk process.
T ...
" – 2:58
#"
Old Woman from Wexford" – 1:59
#"
Bonnie Charlie" – 4:35
#"Jolly Tinker" – 1:52
#"Haul Away Joe" – 2:18
#"
The Shoals of Herring" – 3:32
#"The Mermaid" – 2:41
#"
Kelly-The Boy from Killarn" – 2:31
#"
Rosin the Bow" – 2:48
#"Whiskey is the Life of Man" – 2:44
#"
MacPherson's Lament" – 3:08
#"Whiskey You're the Devil" – 2:12
#"
Holy Ground" – 2:02
The Clancy Brothers albums
1973 greatest hits albums
Vanguard Records compilation albums
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