Blog-friend JES reminded me a couple of days ago of the great Irish folk song The Parting Glass, when he posted a version of it by Canadian all-girl folk trio The Wailin' Jennies. For me, though, the definitive version is the recording by The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem; I'm not sure if this is it - the YouTube poster has credited it to Liam Clancy only, and there's no video. However, there is this performance by Liam and Tommy from a 1970s Irish TV show - a very acceptable substitute.
Hmm, possibly even better is Ronnie Drew's take on the song with The Dubliners, accompanied here by a tribute montage of clips and photos of the great man.
Apparently, The Pogues recorded it too - not sure when; I've never come across this before. There's also an oddly moving performance of the song by Shane MacGowan (moving, often, for not quite the 'right' reasons; he's so wasted, he keeps forgetting the words), joining Liam Clancy on stage (only a year or so before Liam's death).
I think of this as 'a man's song' (women, for the most part, don't drink in quite the same way, or get quite so sentimental about it), but for a female perspective on it, check out this beautiful version by Cara Dillon, from her 2009 album Hill of Thieves. Ah, and here she is singing it live at the Shetland Folk Festival that year; it's not quite as haunting as the album version, but still a very nice performance.
Supplement: The Weeble (rightly) recommends this version by Irish acapella trio The Voice Squad.
7 comments:
My preferred version is by The Voice Squad. Will play you an MP3 of it when I'm back in town.
Good call, Weebs. I couldn't find a performance video of them, but I'll add a link to their version.
Are they still active? It seems to be nearly 20 years since they recorded.
Cara Dillon's version is surprisingly nice -- I tend to think of her as basically fluff -- but if you're looking for a female version, Sinead O'Connor's (on Sean-Nos Nua, I think) is even better.
Don't know about performance videos of The Voice Squad, but the recorded version I have (same arrangement as the Youtube clip you linked to, but a studio recording) is off of 'Many's the Foolish Youth.' Which was 20+ years ago, come to think of it. I think they're still around, but have no actual evidence of that.
These are all nice versions, all for different reasons. I don't know if I have a preference as to the gender, genre, geography, or group size or the song's performers--but I swear by Euterpe that no matter who is singing it, or how drunk they are, or how out of tune their instruments, it sounds best around a campfire.
I like Sinead, but I really didn't take to her version of this - not the one that's on YouTube, anyway. Too slow, and elaborately devoid of feeling! Rather twee, jangly arrangement, too - leprechaun music!
Not as bad, though, as this awful techno version...
CW, your recommendation (elsewhere) of the Wailin' Jennies version encouraged me to give it another listen, and I find it's growing on me.
Your mention of campfires makes me think that Michelle Shocked would do a great job with this song. I wonder if she ever has?
Lovely song, and thanks (to you, Weeble, and Cedra) for pursuing it further -- wonderful versions all.
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