Formed while the members were working in America, the initial impetus was to record an album of Irish rebel songs (released as "The Rising of the Moon") as one of the first releases in 1956 of new folk label, Tradition Records. Paddy Clancy's harmonica provided the only musical accompaniment for this debut album.
Little thought was given at that point to continuing as a singing group. The four were all were busy establishing careers (in the theatre) for themselves, in addition to their work at Tradition Records. With the album being a local success, requests were often demanded for the brothers and Makem to sing some of their songs at parties and informal pub settings. Slowly, the singing gigs began to outweigh the acting gigs and by 1959, serious thought was given to a new album. Liam had developed some guitar skills, Tommy's hand, which hasd been injured, had healed enough that he was again able to play tin whistle and Uilleann pipes, and the times spent singing together had improved their style. No longer were they the rough, mostly unaccompanied group of actors singing for an album to jump-start a record label; they were becoming a professional singing group.
The Clancy Brothers were an influential Irish folk music singing group. Most popular in the 1960s, they were famed for their woolly Aran jumpers and are widely credited with popularizing Irish traditional music in the United States. The brothers were Patrick "Paddy" Clancy, Tom Clancy, Bobby Clancy and Liam Clancy. Paddy, Tom, Bob, and Liam are best known for their work with Tommy Makem, recording dozens of albums together as The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. They were a primary influence on a young Bob Dylan and on many other emerging artists.
The release of their second album, this one of Irish drinking songs called "Come Fill Your Glass with Us", solidified their new careers as singers. The album was a success, and they made many appearances on the pub circuit in New York, Chicago, and Boston. It was at their first official gig after "Come Fill Your Glass With Us" that the group finally found a name for themselves. The nightclub owner asked for a name to put on the marquee, but they had not decided on one yet. Unable to agree on a name (which included suggestions like "The Beggermen", "The Tinkers", and even "The Chieftains") the owner decided for them, simply billing them as "The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem". The name stuck. They decided to try singing full-time for six months. If their singing was successful, they would continue with it; if not, then they would return to acting. The Clancy brothers and Tommy Makem proved successful as a singing group and in early 1961, they attracted the attention of scouts from The Ed Sullivan Show.
The Clancy Brothers' mother read news of the terrible ice and snow storms in New York City so she sent Aran sweaters for her sons and Tommy Makem to keep them warm. Paddy and Liam Clancy stated they wore the sweaters for the first time in the Blue Angel club. When Marty Erlichman, their manager, saw the sweaters, he was beside himself! "That's it!" he exclaimed. I've been looking for a special costume for the group. It was also the night that Barbra Streisand sang in the Blue Angel for the first time. The sweaters became the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem's trademark. When back in their hometown, the band purchased their Aran jumpers from Babington, on the main street. Babington had a local woman by the name of Betty McGillivray née Duggan knit the jumpers and supply the shop on regular occasions.
On 12 March 1961, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem performed for 16 minutes in front of a televised audience of 80 million people on The Ed Sullivan Show. As Pearl Bailey did not show that night, the Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem were given her time. The televised performance instantly attracted the attention of John Hammond of Columbia Records. The group was offered a five-year contract with an advance of $100,000, a huge sum in 1961. For their first album with Columbia, they enlisted Pete Seeger as backup banjo player for the live album A Spontaneous Performance Recording It included songs that would soon become classics, such as "Brennan on the Moor," "Jug of Punch," "Reilly's Daughter," "Finnegan's Wake," "Haul Away Joe," "Roddy McCorley," "Portlairge" and "Moonshiner." The album was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1961.
By the end of 1961, they had released two more albums, one final one with Tradition Records, and another with Columbia, Hearty and Hellish: A Live Nightclub Performance, and they were playing Carnegie Hall. Additionally, they were making appearances on major radio and television talk-shows in America.
1962 proved to be an even better year. Ciarán MacMathuna, a popular radio personality in Ireland, was visiting America when he heard of the group. He collected the few albums they had out at the time, brought them back home to Ireland and played them on his radio show. The broadcasts skyrocketed the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem to fame in Ireland, where they were still unknown. In Ireland, songs like "Roddy McCorley," "Kevin Barry" and "Brennan on the Moor" were slow, depressing songs full of melancholy, but the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem had transformed those songs (the disgruntled purists in Ireland said "commercialized") and made them lively. For generations the songs had been a reminder of the troubles in Ireland and therefore they weren't anything anybody sang proudly. The Clancy Brothers changed all that, and the transformed songs reinvigorated Ireland's pride in her music. The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were brought over for a sold-out tour of Ireland in late 1962. Popularity in England and other parts of Europe soon followed, as well as Australia and Canada. By 1963, appearing on major talk-shows in America, Canada, England, Australia and Ireland, as well as their own TV specials, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were "the most famous four Irishmen in the world" as said by Ireland's Late Late Show host, Gay Byrne, in a retrospective interview in 1984. In 1964, one third of all the albums sold in Ireland were Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem records.
The 1960s continued to be a successful decade with the release of approximately two albums per year, all of which sold millions of copies. They continued to peak with television appearances in front of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
Their popularity is the result of several factors. There was already an American folk revival beginning in the United States, and men such as Ewan MacColl popularizing old songs on the other side of the Atlantic. But it was the Clancys' boisterous performances that set them apart, taking placid classics and giving them a boost of energy and spirit (not that they took this approach with all their songs; they would still sing the true mournful ballads with due reverence).
But by the late 1960s, rock music had taken full swing, and the ballad and folk boom was waning. To keep the band at the top, Teo Macero began producing their records for Columbia. Macero introduced new instrumentation to their music, including Louis Killen coming in to play concertina on backup, particularly on their 1968 album of sea songs, Sing of the Sea. But their last three albums for Columbia Record in 1969 and 1970 are considered by many to be overproduced, with a multitude of string instruments and synthesizers added to the simpler traditional Clancy mix of guitar, banjo, tin whistle and harmonica.
In 1969, the group recorded a song for a two-minute-long TV ad for Gulf Oil: "Bringin' Home the Oil". They adapted a traditional Scottish tune they had recorded, "The Gallant Forty Twa," with new words about large-capacity supertankers. The song and commercial featured the then-largest supertanker in the world, the Universe Ireland, which operated with sister ships Universe Kuwait, Universe Japan and Universe Portugal, all mentioned in the song and which operated from the seaport at Bantry Bay.
1969 marked the amicable departure of Tommy Makem from the group. Giving them a year's notice, Makem left in April 1969 to pursue a solo career armed with such recent compositions as "Four Green Fields", debuted on 1968's Clancy Brothers album, Home Boys Home.
The "other brother", Bobby Clancy, filled Tommy Makem's vacancy and the band became The Clancy Brothers.
The Foggy Dew
The Clancy Brothers And Tommy Makem Lyrics
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There Ireland's lines of marching men, in squadron passed me by
No pipes did hum or no battle drum did sound its dread tattoo
But, the Angelus bell o'er the Liffey swell, rang out in the Foggy Dew
Right proudly high over Dublin town, they hung out the flag of war
For, 'twas better to die 'neath an Irish sky than at Suvla or Sud El Bar
And from the plains of Royal Meath, strong men came hurrying through
'Twas England bade our wild geese go that small nations might be free
But, their lonely graves are by Suvla's waves on the fringe of the grey North Sea
Oh, had they died by Pearse's side, or fought with Valera true
Their graves we'd keep where the Fenians sleep, 'neath the hills of the Foggy Dew
The bravest fell and the sullen bell rang mournfully and clear
For those who died that Easter tide in the springing of the year
And the world did gaze in deep amaze at those fearless men and true
Who bore the fight that freedom's light might shine through the Foggy Dew
The Foggy Dew is a traditional Irish folk song that was written in the early 20th century. The song tells the story of Ireland's struggle for independence from England. It begins with the singer, riding towards Dublin on Easter morning, encountering lines of marching Irish men. There are no battle cries or drums, but the solemn sound of the Angelus bell echoes through the city. The singer witnesses the flag of war proudly raised over Dublin, as the Irish prepare to fight for their freedom. Strong men from Meath join the cause, while the British army sails in by the foggy dew.
The song highlights the desire of Irish patriots for independence and the lengths they were willing to go to achieve it. It also draws attention to the great sacrifice of the rebels who fought in the Easter Rising of 1916, which took place in Dublin during Easter Week. The song mourns the loss of those who died during the uprising but also praises their bravery and dedication to the cause. The Foggy Dew is a powerful reminder of the impact of Irish history, and the struggles and sacrifices made by those who fought for their country's freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
It was down the glen one Easter morn, to a city fair rode I
I traveled to a city fair down a valley on the morning of Easter
There Ireland's lines of marching men, in squadron passed me by
A group of Irish soldiers in formation passed by me
No pipes did hum or no battle drum did sound its dread tattoo
There were no musical instruments played, no drums sounded
But, the Angelus bell o'er the Liffey swell, rang out in the Foggy Dew
The church bell of the Angelus rang out over the river Liffey in the foggy morning
Right proudly high over Dublin town, they hung out the flag of war
The flag of war was raised high over Dublin with great pride
For, 'twas better to die 'neath an Irish sky than at Suvla or Sud El Bar
The thought was that it was preferable to die in Ireland than in the battles of Suvla or Sud El Bar
And from the plains of Royal Meath, strong men came hurrying through
Strong men arrived from the plains of Royal Meath in a hurry
While Brittania's sons with their long range guns, sailed in by the Foggy Dew
British soldiers with long range guns arrived by sailing in through the foggy dew
'Twas England bade our wild geese go that small nations might be free
England requested the Irish soldiers to leave to help smaller nations gain freedom
But, their lonely graves are by Suvla's waves on the fringe of the grey North Sea
However, their graves are far from home near Suvla's waves on the fringe of the grey North Sea
Oh, had they died by Pearse's side, or fought with Valera true
Had they fought beside Pearse or Valera, their memory would be honored differently
Their graves we'd keep where the Fenians sleep, 'neath the hills of the Foggy Dew
Their graves would be among the grave of Irish nationalist group, the Fenians, beneath the hills in the Foggy Dew
The bravest fell and the sullen bell rang mournfully and clear
The bravest soldiers fell and the bell rang sorrowfully and clearly
For those who died that Easter tide in the springing of the year
For those who died in the spring season during Easter time
And the world did gaze in deep amaze at those fearless men and true
The world looked on with deep admiration for the fearless and true men
Who bore the fight that freedom's light might shine through the Foggy Dew
The soldiers fought so that freedom's light may shine even in the foggy dew
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CIARAN PADRAIG MAIRE BOURKE, RONALD JOSEPH DREW, BARNEY MCKENNA, JOHN EDMUND SHEAHAN, LUKE KELLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind