The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem

"Sing of the Sea" 1968





















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 Clancys at the top, Teo Macero began producing their records for Columbia. Macero introduced many new instrumentations to the Clancys music, the among them Louis Killen coming in to play concertina on backup, especially 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 the simpler traditional Clancy mix of guitar, banjo, tin whistle and harmonica.

Side One
Congo River
Santy Anno
Farewell to Carlingford
Paddy West
Johnny's Gone to Hilo
The Lowlands Low

Side Two
The Good Ship Calibar
Love Is Kind
Blood Red Roses
Three score and Ten
Heave Away My Johnny

Paddy Clancy
Tom Clancy
Liam Clancy
Tommy Makem