We head back to the Embankment, Tallaght, Co. Dublin 1976 for today’s Song of the Day, a great horse-racing classic – ‘Plains of Kildare‘. It’s performed by Andy Irvine, Paul Brady and Dónal Lunny. Watch it above. When this was broadcast in 1976, Planxty‘s band members had parted ways – they would reform again in in 1978 and a third time in 2003. Prior to the broadcast Irvine and Brady released their self-titled album which is still widely recognised as one of the classic Irish albums of all time. It was produced by Lunny and recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales and featured Kevin Burke on fiddle.
There was a series of concerts televised at the Embankment around this time, Irish music had become an international force and to showcase this, RTÉ selected some of the best including the Bothy Band, De Dannan (with Johnny Moynihan), Clannad, Aileach, the Sands Family and of course Andy Irvine & Paul Brady. From: https://klofmag.com/2016/07/song-day-andy-irvine-plains-kildare-1976/
From his band 'Sweeney's Men' in the mid sixties to 'Planxty' in the seventies, and 'Patrick Street' in the eighties, to his solo work and collaborations, Andy is considered pioneering in the world of traditional music and musicians. 'Andy Irvine at the Embankment' was broadcast on 5 November 1976. On the series of television concerts recorded at The Embankment, producer Noel Greene says: "Irish folk music has now become an international force. I want to offer a musical showcase to the individuals and groups on the Irish scene and felt that this could be done more successfully in a folk-music centre than in a studio. I chose The Embankment because it has been a major centre for Irish folk-music acts for many years. It's the right size for our purpose and also helps to create the right atmosphere". From: https://www.rte.ie/archives/exhibitions/1664-traditional-music/498039-andy-irvine/
Recorded in the long hot summer of 1976 at the legendary Rockfield Studios and originally released on Compass Records, Andy Irvine and Paul Brady – stepping away from the ashes of Planxty – joined with Donal Lunny, who contributed bouzouki and produced the record, and Kevin Burke who added the fiddle. The result was nothing short of the finest folk album one could ever hope to hear.
It’s magic that can be heard from the very start – ‘Plains of Kildare‘ tells of a famous horse race, and features a discourse between the winning horse Stewball and his rider. In other hands and in other versions it’s a song that is treated as a somewhat corny novelty item – but here it’s taken seriously and carries the listener along at a hectic pace. There’s instrumental magic on ‘Fred Finn’s Reel / Sailing Into Walpole’s Marsh‘ which is quite simply a heavenly pairing of tunes – the Irish folk music session of your dreams with perfectly intertwined playing. And there are songs of soldiering life – the bravery of ‘The Jolly Soldier‘ who’ll fight for his bride (and her dowry), the reluctant admiration for a free spirit in ‘Mary And The Soldier‘, the young girl’s outwitting of bullying soldiers on ‘Martinmas Time‘ and the regrets of loss of love through a fatal wounding of ‘Bonny Woodhall.’ And of course there’s the sardonic anti-recruiting song ‘Arthur McBride And The Sergeant‘, a version so good that Dylan would lift it wholesale for ‘Good As I Been To You.’ This version is superior to Dylan’s.
Amongst all these tales there is one newly composed song. Andy Irvine’s ‘Autumn Gold‘ which recounts the more than mixed feelings experienced with leaving a village – and a girl – during one of his Eastern Europe extended excursions. And alongside all the traditional music it fits. It fits so perfectly. And that’s a phrase that can be applied to every track on the album – Andy Irvine’s and Paul Brady’s songs are perfect compliments to each other, whenever an instrument solos it is in just the right place and hits just the right note. The album, often referred to as ‘The Purple One‘, was always good, and much more than that. Getting on for almost fifty years later it still sounds fresh and exciting. From: https://americana-uk.com/andy-irvine-paul-brady-andy-irvine-paul-brady
