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.
Wild Rover
The Clancy Brothers And Tommy Makem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Miscellaneous
Let The Boy Rock And Roll
I heard Mama and Papa talkin' last night
And I heard Mama say to Papa: Let that boy rock and roll
The neighbor not complainin′ and the schoolboy talked twice today
You know they think you're foolish, study or slippin' away
I say it′s all right, Pa, let the boy rock and roll
He's got a mind of his own and you know he′s got a musical soul
And he's gotta play music and you know we really can′t say no
So Daddy, don't you worry 'bout this crazy man
Go on and do what you think you should
But Daddy, don′t you call him Little Boy Bad
When you know he could be Johnny B Good
I say it′s all right, Pa, let the boy sing his song
In his brand new boots, he needs a foot from a kick in the town
If his music is groovy, you know he really can't go wrong
(Instrumental)
So Daddy, don′t you worry 'bout this crazy man
Go on and do what you think you should
But please don′t call him Little Boy Bad
When you know he could be Johnny B Good
I say it's all right, Pa, let the boy rock and roll
He′s got a mind of his own and you know he's got a musical soul
If the music is groovy, you know we really can't say no
The Lovin' Spoonful's "Let the Boy Rock and Roll" is a tribute to the power and importance of rock and roll music in the lives of young people. The song tells the story of a young boy who is passionate about rock and roll and wants nothing more than to play his music and be a part of the scene. The boy's parents are wary of his rock and roll aspirations, but the song argues that they should let him follow his dream and pursue his musical passions.
The lyrics paint a picture of a young person who is consumed by rock and roll and is willing to risk everything to pursue his dreams. The boy's parents are portrayed as cautious and concerned, but ultimately supportive of their son's musical ambitions. The song's chorus repeats the line "let the boy rock and roll", emphasizing the idea that young people should be free to pursue their passions and express themselves through music.
Overall, "Let the Boy Rock and Roll" is a upbeat and celebratory song about the power of rock and roll to inspire and transform lives. It also speaks to the generational divide between parents and children, and the idea that young people often have to fight for their freedom and independence.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard Mama and Papa talkin' last night
Last night, I overheard my parents discussing something
And I heard Mama say to Papa: Let that boy rock and roll
Specifically, mom is urging dad to let me pursue my love of rock and roll
The neighbor not complainin′ and the schoolboy talked twice today
Lately, the neighbors haven't been complaining about my music and a classmate even spoke to me twice today
You know they think you're foolish, study or slippin' away
However, some people think that I'm wasting my time with music and that my studies may suffer
He don′t think about nothin′ 'cept the rock and roll records that play
But I'm really only focused on the music and nothing else seems to matter
I say it's all right, Pa, let the boy rock and roll
Despite the potential risks, I believe it's okay for dad to allow me to pursue my passion
He's got a mind of his own and you know he′s got a musical soul
After all, I am my own person and I have a deep connection to music
And he's gotta play music and you know we really can′t say no
It's just who I am and what I need to do, and we really can't stop it
So Daddy, don't you worry 'bout this crazy man
Dad, please don't worry about me or let my passion for rock and roll make you question my sanity
Go on and do what you think you should
I trust that you will make the right decision
But Daddy, don′t you call him Little Boy Bad
Please refrain from belittling me or making me feel like a failure
When you know he could be Johnny B Good
I have potential and with your support, I could become a great musician like Johnny B. Goode
I say it's all right, Pa, let the boy sing his song
Once again, I believe that it's okay for me to pursue music and express myself through song
In his brand new boots, he needs a foot from a kick in the town
I'm ready to take on the world and make a name for myself, with my new boots as a symbol of my determination
If his music is groovy, you know he really can't go wrong
And as long as my music is appealing and enjoyable, success is almost guaranteed
(Instrumental)
This line indicates an instrumental break in the song
Writer(s): T. Clancy, T. Makem, W. Clancy, P. Clancy
Contributed by Bentley D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@joJo-df6hr
I've been a wild rover for many's the year
And I've spent all me money on whiskey and beer
But now I'm returning with gold in great store
And I never will play the wild rover no more
And it's no, nay, never
No, nay, never no more
Will I play the wild rover
No, never no more
I went into an alehouse I used to frequent
And I told the landlady me money was spent
I asked her for credit, she answered me "nay"
"Such a custom as yours I can have every day"
And it's no, nay, never
No, nay, never no more
Will I play the wild rover
No, never no more
I then took from me pocket ten sovereigns bright
And the landlady's eyes opened wide with delight
She says "I have whiskeys and wines of the best"
And the words that you tolt me were only in jest
And it's no, nay, never
No, nay, never no more
Will I play the wild rover
No, never no more
I'll home to my parents, confess what I'd done
And I'll ask them to pardon their prodigal son
And when they've caressed me as ofttimes before
I never will play the wild rover no more
And it's no, nay, never
No, nay, never no more
Will I play the wild rover
No, never no more
And it's no, nay, never
No, nay, never no more
Will I play the wild rover
No, never no more
@japanpro1
in 1967, several of us attended a concert at constitution hall in washington, dc. we wore wool sweaters, and moments before curtain time an announcement was made that one of the borthers had left his at the motel, and would anyone in the audience be willing to provide a certain size. 'exactly!', one of my companions responded, and one of the brothers wore his sweater for the performance. one of the young women in our small group, the daughter of a prominent dc physician with every kind of connection, had ascertained where liam was likely to go after the concert. we got there before there was anything of a crowd. actually, no one seemed to expect him. well, when liam walked in, mary the daughter of the doctor, walked up to hin and said in a matter of fact but alluring voice: 'we'd like you to sit with us.' indeed, he did. we passed several hours in our cozy both, listening to liam recite irish stories and poetry, and once or twice rising to sing a song on request from someone in the establishment. it came time to take liam to his lodgings, as he was inebriated - or by irish standards, approaching such state. we drove him to a holiday inn at capitol circle - does that location still exist? lo, his brothers and tommy makem show up,tommy a non-drinker, the only one of the boys nearly sober. a mini concert takes place. it seems for having brought liam home safe.
@flipflopsguy8868
Amazing story thank you for sharing. You lived the life.
@CJCopperJet
What a great story!!!
@ianmcvicar6495
O
@ianmcvicar6495
Oooooo9
@ianmcvicar6495
ool
@timothymeehan181
Pete’s humility, sitting facing them with his back to us, so completely captures that man’s soul….🙏🎶
@peglombardi5094
That was the best!!! Always loved the Clancy Brothers - and Tommy Makem. My daughters grew up listening to them and watching their Dad try to do the Irish Jig! 50 years later, we still love to listen.
@russellmoody4227
this song always takes me back to primary school when the principal would come in and sing with us for a while. We would always sing sea shantys and folk music.
@MoiraJones
I remember my 3 year old son visiting his brother's primary school with our new baby- stood up on a table and sang this all the way through. I didn't know whether to laugh or hide in a corner!!