Performing with a lengthy list of bands, Kavana has blended the musical traditions of the British Isles with blues, country, Cajun, rock and other influences. His collaborations have brought him together with influential musicians from the worlds of British soul, blues, rhythm & blues, rock, Irish folk and folk-rock, and worldbeat music. A talented songwriter, Kavana has written songs exploring history and politics, as well as drinking, dancing, and playing music. The Village Voice has called him a "hard-hitting, no-nonsense realist".
Contents [hide]
1 Biography
1.1 Early career
1.2 Solo career
1.3 Academics and current career
2 Discography (partial)
2.1 Solo
2.2 with The Bucks
2.3 with LILT
2.4 with Juice on the Loose
3 In film
4 References
5 External links
[edit]Biography
[edit]Early career
After cutting his early musical teeth in a R&B band, the Wizards, Kavana moved to London in the late 1970s. He got a job at Rock On Records, replacing Philip Chevron, who was leaving to work full time with his band, The Radiators From Space.[1] In 1977, Kavana put together Kavana's Krisis Band, playing regularly at Islington's Hope & Anchor, a hot spot of the 1970s London soul scene. This band evolved into Juice on the Loose, who became something of a house band for Ace Records, with Kavana as band leader and producer. During this era, Kavana and members of the band toured and recorded with many legendary American acts, including Big Jay McNeely, Clarence "Frogman" Henry, Willie Egan, Dr. John, Dough Sahm, Augie Meyers and Flaco Jiminez, Wallace Davenport, Gatemouth Brown, Memphis Slim, Champion Jack Dupree, and Slim Gaillard.[2] Kavana appears on Juice on the Loose's self-titled album, released on Line Records in 1981. Other Juice on the Loose recordings would surface on Kavana's first solo album, Rollin' & Coastin' (In Search of America).
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Kavana also played with Panama Red, The Thunderbirds, The Balham Alligators, and The Alexis Korner Band. Following a European R & B package tour backing Korner, Kavana played an anniversary show for the Boogie Woogie Band's anniversary at Dingwalls, with an all-star band that included Charlie Watts on drums and Jack Bruce on bass.[3]
[edit]Solo career
Kavana released his first solo album, Rollin' & Coastin' (In Search of America) in 1985, on the Italian record label, Appaloosa. The album was a compilation of solo tracks and Juice on The Loose recordings.
In the mid/late 1980s, Kavana opened several tours for The Pogues, whose management considered him as a replacement for departing bass player/singer Cait O'Riordan.[4] The band chose road crew member Darryl Hunt for the job, but Kavana makes several appearances on The Pogues' album If I Should Fall From Grace With God, and co-wrote two songs with Pogue Terry Woods: “Every Man Is A King (In The U.S. of A.)” and “Young Ned Of the Hill”, the former released originally as a B-side and the later included on The Pogues album Peace and Love.
In 1990, Kavana produced the album For The Children. Featuring 29 guests (including several members of The Pogues), the album was a fundraiser for LILT (London Irish Live Trust), a charity organization working for peace in Northern Ireland.
By the late 1980s, Kavana had formed the eclectic group Alias Ron Kavana. The group was subsequently named "Best Live Act in the World" by Folk Roots Magazine in 1989, 1990, and 1991. The Alias Band's first album, Think Like a Hero, was released in 1989. Alias Ron Kavana's second album, Coming Days, followed in 1991.
Terry Woods joined forces with Ron Kavana and recorded the album Home Fire, released as Kavana's second solo effort in 1991. The two appear together in the 1990 Ken Loach film, Hidden Agenda, performing the Wolftones' song “The Ballad Of Joe McDonnell”.
After quitting The Pogues, Woods joined with Kavana and formed a new band, The Bucks. This lineup recorded the album Dancing to the Ceili Band, released in 1994 on WEA. The album and the band's live shows were well received by fans and critics, but disbanded after a short time. Kavana cites lack of label support as a reason, and claims he “never got a penny” for the album.[5]
Returning to the Alias Band, Kavana recorded Galway to Graceland (ARK 002) in 2005. The album was self-financed and produced independently. Due to financial difficulties it was deleted before getting a full release.
Kavana again entered Pogues territory, this time playing guitar in an early version of Shane MacGowan's band The Popes. Kavana’s guitar work can be heard on “Haunted”, a duet featuring Sinead O’Connor. He also came up with the tune for "Snake With Eyes of Garnet" from MacGowan’s first solo album, The Snake, although he received no credit for this work.[5]
[edit]Academics and current career
In 1995, frustrated by problems with record labels and the music business generally, and finding himself in the hole financially, Kavana took a three year break from the industry, enrolling in a full time Humanities course, graduating with first-class honours in Irish Studies and Film Studies.
Working on and off for several years, Kavana released a two-disc set Irish Songs of Rebellion, Resistance and Reconciliation in 2006. This was followed by the 2007 four disc set Irish Ways: Story of Ireland in Song, Music & Poetry. The albums followed Irish history through songs and poems from 1796 to the present day. The albums are credited to The Alias Acoustic Band.
[edit]Discography (partial)
[edit]Solo
Rollin' & Coastin' (In Search of America) - 1985, Appaloosa
Think Like a Hero - 1989,1995 Chiswick
Coming Days - 1991,1995 Chiswick
Home Fire (with Terry Woods) - 1991, Green Linnet
Galway to Graceland- 1995, Alias Recordings
Alien Alert (with The Resident Aliens) [live] - Proper Records, 1999
Irish Songs of Rebellion, Resistance and Reconciliation - 2006, Primo Records
Irish Ways: Story of Ireland in Song, Music & Poetry - 2007, Proper Records
[edit]with The Bucks
Dancin' To The Ceili Band - 1994, WEA
[edit]with LILT
For the Children - 1990, Alias Records
[edit]with Juice on the Loose
Juice on the Loose - 1981
(see also "Rollin' & Coastin' (In Search of America)")
[edit]In film
Kavana has appeared in and/or composed music for the soundtracks of such films as Sid and Nancy, Ryan's Daughter, and Hidden Agenda (1990).
[edit]References
^ Philip Chevron, 15 January 2010, writing on the Pogues' on line forum: http://www.pogues.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2808&start=15
^ All Music Guide entry; also Ron Kavana, interview printed in liner notes of Kavana's 1999 live album "Alien Alert", published by Proper Records.
^ All Music Guide; also Ron Kavana, interview printed in liner notes of Kavana's 1999 live album "Alien Alert", published by Proper Records.
^ Pogue Mahone Kiss My Arse: The Story of the Pogues, by Carol Clerk, published 2009
^ a b Ron Kavana, interview printed in liner notes of Kavana's 1999 live album "Alien Alert", published by Proper Records.
[edit]External links
"Ron Kavana Page". Proper Records. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
"1998 Interview/Article: The philosophies behind Ron's Songs: Ron Kavana - great songwriter and sometimes philosopher". FolkWorld. Retrieved 2010-02-02.
reconciliation
Ron Kavana Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And autumn winds are threatening
To blow our love away
It's then love will be tested.
Arm in arm we'll stand,
Side by side together
To face the common foe
That would tear our love asunder.
Tura lura lay
Tura lura laddie
Tura lura lay
Tura lura laddie
You fair weathered friend
Where are you now I need you
Unlike the autumn sun
A cold December morning
When hard times come around
In cold and stormy weather
There's only you and I, my love
To shelter one another
Tura lura lay
Tura lura laddie
Tura lura lay
Tura lura laddie
Now there's a time to fight,
And there's a time for healing
As the sun would melt the snow
On clear, bright April mornings.
Our fight has run its course
Now is the time for healing
So let us all embrace
Sweet reconciliation
Tura lura lay
Tura lura laddie
Tura lura lay
Tura lura laddie
Ron Kavana's song "Reconciliation" speaks to the theme of the endurance of love through seasons of challenge and difficulty. The lyrics convey this theme through the metaphor of changing seasons, with the contrasting images of summer and autumn winds, and the arrival of cold, stormy December mornings. The beginning of the song acknowledges that love will be tested, but the singer expresses their determination to stand alongside their partner and face whatever may come. The lines "To face the common foe/That would tear our love asunder" provide a sense of shared purpose and solidarity in the face of external challenges that could threaten their relationship.
However, the song moves away from a combative or adversarial tone in the second verse. Instead, the singer turns to address a "fair weathered friend" who is needed during times of difficulty. This suggests that the song's theme is not just about weathering challenges as a unit, but also about the importance of support from those outside of the relationship who are able to provide guidance and comfort. The final verse of the song shifts the focus towards healing and reconciliation, suggesting that although the relationship has been tested in the past, this is a time to lay down arms and come together. The seasonal metaphor is once again invoked, with the hopeful image of the sun melting snow and the coming of bright April mornings.
Overall, "Reconciliation" is a song that speaks to the power of love and the ways in which it can survive and thrive in the face of external challenges. It also recognizes the role that friends and other sources of support can play in helping a relationship weather difficult times. Through its use of vivid seasonal imagery, the song conveys a sense of hope and the possibility of renewal and growth.
Line by Line Meaning
When summer time has come
As the summertime arrives
And autumn winds are threatening
And the fall winds are ominous
To blow our love away
To break apart our love
It's then love will be tested.
That's when our love will be put to the test.
Arm in arm we'll stand,
Together, we'll stand side by side,
Side by side together
Close together
To face the common foe
To confront the enemy we share
That would tear our love asunder.
That would cause our love to fall apart.
Tura lura lay
N/A
Tura lura laddie
N/A
Tura lura lay
N/A
Tura lura laddie
N/A
You fair weathered friend
My unreliable friend
Where are you now I need you
Where are you now when I require your assistance
Unlike the autumn sun
In contrast to the fall sun
A cold December morning
On a chilly December morning
When hard times come around
When difficult times arrive
In cold and stormy weather
During cold and stormy conditions
There's only you and I, my love
Only you and I, my darling
To shelter one another
To protect and keep each other warm
Tura lura lay
N/A
Tura lura laddie
N/A
Tura lura lay
N/A
Tura lura laddie
N/A
Now there's a time to fight,
Sometimes it's necessary to fight
And there's a time for healing
And other times it's crucial to heal
As the sun would melt the snow
Just as the sun softens the snow
On clear, bright April mornings.
On crisp, clear April mornings.
Our fight has run its course
Our conflict has come to an end
Now is the time for healing
It's now time to recover
So let us all embrace
So let's all accept
Sweet reconciliation
A gentle and peaceful coming together
Contributed by Mila K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.