MICK HANLY 'As I Went Over Blackwater' (full album)

[@richmondscribe]

I heard The Guerriere / The Constitution long ago on the radio and loved the martial aire of it. I looked everywhere for a copy but my search was in vain. As a last attempt I managed to get Mick's email address and contacted him asking if it was possible to purchase a copy. He responded saying the album was long out of print but that he could probably find a copy of his own which he would copy and send to me! Sure enough, it arrived a week or so later with a warm note thanking me for enjoying his music and promising to visit if he ever found himself in Richmond, Virginia. He's still a no-show but his music is ever present and greatly enjoyed and appreciated! Thanks again Mick!

[@213davidhunter]

What a beautiful record that seems to have passed me by until now. I wonder if John Doyle listened to this when he was starting out. I can hear him in this. Thanks for posting, I am off to Ebay to find a copy!

[@AndyIrvineFanblog]

Simply a magical folk album.

[@paulslane1165]

Go ro mile mhaith agat Pere Grino for posting this! many happy hours will be had listening T. Belfast.

[@michaelgaynor1382]

Thank you to whoever gave us this. I used to own it years ago. What a beautiful singer. What a great guitarist. Thanks, Mick. You have given us hundreds of hours of bliss.

[@radharcanna]

Love this album. There was so much more excitement around the music back then. You rarely heard any tracks until the album was officially released. I waited patiently by the radio until the magic began.

[@EricOwensFlute]

How did I spend a life in trad and never hear of this man. This is incredible.

[@paulmetsers4341]

One of our favourite albums ever!!

[@Kitiwake]

Mick Hanly apart from his famous compositions is a fine performer.

[@marcusnolan7787]

I think I meet you. Beautiful album. jamming along with it on the fluit.

[@uwekasten716]

the first album i´ve heard from him. later also " a kiss in the morning early".. he had this crushy fresh voice, almost like an instrument. and great guitar arrangments. simply wonderful to listen to it again...

[@nilsou01]

I had this on a lousy tape, thanks so much for posting this man. I have been looking for this for 3 years !

[@AndyIrvineFanblog]

Featuring Andy Irvine on four tracks: "Jack Haggerty" (harmonicas), "The Guerriere and The Constitution" (harmony vocals and hurdy-gurdy), "Every Circumstance" (mandolin) and "Miss Bailey/Jessica's Polka" (harmonica).

[@AndyIrvineFanblog]

JACK HAGGERTY - This is the first of three songs taken from "The Penguin Book of Folk Ballads" and I quote from them: - "Although one would never guess it from hearing the ballad, it originated as a spite song. Its author was an accomplished raftsman and entertainer in the Flat River camps named Dan McGinnis. Annoyed that George Mercer, a younger man, had been appointed woods boss over him, McGinnis and a few other mischief makers concocted this song in 1872 about an affair between Jack Haggerty, a good looking lumberjack at the camp, and Anna Tucker, the belle of Greenville and Mercer's fiancee. Haggerty was hardly acquainted with Miss Tucker. We owe these facts about Jack Haggerty to the diligence of Mrs. G.J. Chickering". There was no music given, so the melody is my own. Mick vocal & guitar, Dónal bouzouki, Andy harmonicas.THE GUERRIERE AND THE CONSTITUTION - This is the second song from the Penguin Book of Folk Ballads. Again I quote: - "The engagement between the "Constitution" under Captain Isaac Hull, and the "Guerriere" under Captain Richard Dacres was fought on August 19th 1812 off the coast of Nova Scotia. Though the ships were of equal armament Hull succeeded in reducing the "Guerriere" to a wreck in twenty-five minutes, with a loss of seventy-eight British sailors killed or wounded. The Americans lost fourteen men." Again there was no music, so the tune's my own. Mick guitar & vocals, Andy hurdy gurdy, Sean Hanly Bodhrán, Andy & Dónal harmony vocals.EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE - This song was written by Colm Sands of the Sands family from Newry, Co. Down. I heard him singing it in Rostrevor about a year ago and immediately fell in love with it. Mick vocal & guitar, Andy mandolin.THE DEWEY DENS OF YARROW - Micheal O Domhnaill and myself did a shorter version of this song on the album "Celtic Folkweave". To make a short story longer I added several verses from different versions in Child and wrote a different tune. Good stories die hard. Mick vocal & guitar, Dónal synthesiser, Matt flute.MISS BAILEY and JESSICA'S POLKA - This is also from the Penguin Book of Folk Ballads and the full title is "Unfortunate Miss Bailey". It's originally an old London Music Hall song to which I added two more verses and abandoned the chorus, which went "Oh Miss Bailey! Unfortunate Miss Bailey!" The Polka was written for my daughter Jessica, who was born the week before the album was made. Mick guitar & vocal, Andy harmonica, Dónal bouzouki, Noel concertinas, Paddy fiddle.I WISH MY LOVE WAS A RED RED ROSE - Triona Ni Dhomhnaill gave me this song one afternoon in the "Meeting Place" in Dublin. She sang it the previous night at her own folk club and I thought for pure simplicity I had never heard anything like it. I have heard a few variants from time to time but none as charming as this. Mick guitar & vocal.OFF TO CALIFORNIA and THE PLAINS OF BOYLE - I learned the first tune from an album by Andy McGann, Paddy Reynolds and Paul Brady, which was made in the States some years ago. Maire Ni Ghrada gave me the Plains of Boyle, but somewhere along the road I lost the tape, so the version here was learned from an album of Leo Rowsome's. Hopefully there aren't too many discrepancies between the two. Mick guitar, Dónal synthesiser.THE SCOURGE OF THE NATION - Speaks for itself. Mick vocal.AS I WENT OVER BLACKWATER - As you can see from the preceding notes my sources are mainly books, but this piece I can truly say I learned on my Grandmother's knee. She still launches into this and other assorted fragments the minute the sherry bottle is taken from the press to make the Christmas cake. Heaven bless her heart I love her dearly. Mick guitar & vocal, Declan electric guitar.

[@BarryHawk]

Top notch.

[@renderizer01]

I've had this on vinyl but it somehow deserted me a long time ago and I couldn't find a replacement (even the tape copy I've had decided to go places - and it really is a shame that this gem never got reissued). Have been looking for the lyrics to Scourge Of The Nation for years as I could only remember half of it - and even Mick's website has only a sadly truncated version of the song. Good thing I've found it again here, Great song, fantastic album. Sigh...

[@brendanwhite3848]

Great stuff Pere, Great lp Vinyl. Have you got A kiss in the morning Early ?

[@PereGrino]

Unfortunately I don't have it but here's a link to that particular track: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5vQoKSMrMSbpdU I do have 'The 5th Irish Folk Festival' which features Mick Hanly, Andy Irvine and Liam O'Flynn.

[@claoftheninesausages]

Pere, Thank You so much for uploading this, brings back many memories of early 80's.

[@janvantgeloof3645]

then i’m not the only one who find that cd of the 5th Irish Folkfestival very very good!!

[@janvantgeloof3645]

Many thanks for uploading this great album!

[@Melvorgazh]

I know he did some tracks with late Micheál Ó Domhnaill. Is it him who also plays the giotár here? Gorgeous sound 😽😎

[@PereGrino]

Mícheál Ó Dómhnaill is not credited on this album. 'Celtic Folkweave' is their album together and can be heard on KZbin. Try and find "Keep 'er Lit" which I am tempted to upload!

[@marcusnolan7787]

Did James Delany keyboard player, play with you one time ?

[@ricstunneloftunes4288]

a friend of my dads used to know Micks daughter

[@markojack15]

A friend of my Uncle knew a man who knew a man who once met Mick Hanly who mistook him for Freddie Flintoff the ex England cricketer.

[@ricstunneloftunes4288]

@@markojack15 wow !

[@kathleenjones4956]

great album. does anyone know who wrote the scourge of the nation?

[@PereGrino]

Hi Kathleen. That track is credited to "Hanly" .I have just amended the notes to include songwriting credits for all tracks. You will find the lyrics here: mickhanly.com/lyrics/requests/

[@madigan1916]

Is this album available on CD?

[@PereGrino]

Vinyl only unfortunately as far as I can see. Released on the Mulligan label.

[@bflat4378]

As someone an idea of which tuning he usually plays ?

[@PereGrino]

mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=58445

[@PereGrino]

books.google.ie/books?id=p88YVfZEN6cC&pg=PA50&lpg=PA50&dq=DAD+GAD+mick+hanly+tuning&source=bl&ots=LRIcjPcqQe&sig=Vt6Ha0BVbbamkDqcSvsU9i6shjM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjuwZ2-lfTcAhWDTMAKHRi0BzUQ6AEwD3oECAcQAQ#v=onepage&q=DAD%20GAD%20mick%20hanly%20tuning&f=false

[@bflat4378]

Cool, thanks ! I thought it couldn't be DADGAD the way it sounds, guess I was wrong...