In the mid seventies I was putting myself through college playing in a band called Wickentree, a semi-traditional Irish group that made a fairly meager living in venues like the Celts Room, Molly McGuire’s, Paddy’s Place, and hotels up the Ottawa Valley in places like Eganville and Quyon. Like every “Irish” band that needed to eat, we played about 40% pub tunes like “The Black Velvet Band”, 40% Clancy Brothers songs, and a mix of airs, jigs and reels. We thought we were pretty good.
Our lead singer was Charles DeLint (who went on to become a pretty well known fantasy writer). One night in 1975 we arrived at practice and found Charles pacing, almost manic. He had just picked up a new album. “This”, he said,” Is going to change Irish music. This is what we should be doing.”
The album had a plain purple cover, with a single blurry polaroid picture in one corner of an attractive young woman and a pretty rough looking guy. Scribbled in marker was the title “Bothy Band 1975″. The first track was called the Kesh Jig. Here’s a film clip of that tune and arrangement recorded a year later.
The Bothies were Matt Molloy, flute and tin whistle, who later joined the Chieftains; Paddy Keenan, uilleann pipes and tin whistle; Dónal Lunny (the guy who introduced this tune) on bouzouki, guitar, and production; TrÃona Nà Dhomhnaill, harpsichord, clavinet and vocals; and MÃcheál Ó Domhnaill, guitar and vocals; and Tommy Peoples on fiddle. They fused rock and roll energy, traditional spirit, and brilliant musicianship into what I think is the best Irish band ever. After three studio albums they split up: every one of those albums (The Bothy Band 1975, Music In the Glen and Out of the Wind, Into the Sun) is a masterpiece.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all!
Slà inte mhath, balbulican. (That’s Scots Gaelic, but I think it translates.)