Blackwater (Altan album)

Blackwater
Studio album by Altan
Released	5 April 1996
Recorded	Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin, Ireland
Genre	Celtic
Length	39:33
Label	Virgin
Producer	Altan and Brian Masterson
Altan chronology
Island Angel (1993) Blackwater (1996) Runaway Sunday (1997)
Singles from Blackwater
"Blackwater" Released: 1996

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Blackwater is the fifth studio album by Altan, released in April 1996 on the Virgin Records label. Three of the songs are sung in Irish. "Ar Bhruach Na Carraige Baine" is sung partly in English and in Irish. "Blackwaterside" is sung in English. The final tune is a tribute to Frankie Kennedy written by Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh herself.

Track listing

1. "Johnny Boyle's/King of the Pipers" (Jigs) (Trad/Trad) (Instr) - 3.30
2. "Dark Haired Lass/Biddy From Muckross/Sean Maguire's" (Reels) (Trad/Trad/Trad) (Instr) - 2:51
3. "Stór, A Stór, A Ghrá" (song) (Traditional) (Irish) - 2:51
4. "Strathspey/Con McGinley's/The Newfoundland Reel" (Strathspey and Reels) (Trad/Trad/Trad) (Instr) -3:11
5. "Tá Mé 'Mo Shuí (I am awake)" (song) (Traditional) (Gaelic) - 4:08
6. "An Gasúr Mor/Bunker Hill/Dogs Among the Bushes" (Hornpipe and Reels) (Trad/Trad/Trad) (Instr) - 2:36
7. "Molly Na gCuach Ní Chuilleanáin (The curly haired Molly)"(song) (Traditional) (Irish) - 4:57
8. "Jenny Picking Cockles/Farewell to Leitrim/John Doherty's" (Reels) (Trad/Trad/Trad) (Instr) - 2:41
9. "Ar Bhruach Na Carraige Báine" (song) (Traditional) (sung in English and Irish) - 2:38
10. "The Dance of the Honeybees" (hornpipe) (Charlie Lennon) (Instr) - 3:24
11. "Blackwaterside" (song) (Traditional) (English) - 3:43
12. "A Tune for Frankie" (jig) (Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh) - 3:25

See tune identifications for this album at irishtune.info.

Live performances

Altan played live in concert the following tracks: "Johnny Boyle's/King of the Pipers", "Dark Haired Lass/Biddy From Muckross/Sean Maguire's", "Stór, A Stór, A Ghrá", "Strathspey/Con McGinley's/The Newfoundland Reel", "Tá Mé 'Mo Shuí (I am awake)", "Ar Bhruach Na Carraige Báine", "The Dance of the Honeybees" & "Blackwaterside"

Personnel

Altan

• Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh – Fiddle, vocals
• Ciaran Tourish – Fiddle, whistle, backing vocals
• Dermot Byrne – Accordion, melodeon
• Ciarán Curran – Bouzouki
• Mark Kelly – Guitar, backing vocals
• Dáithí Sproule – Guitar, backing vocals

Guest musicians

• Steve Cooney – Bass (tracks 7, 9, 10, 12), backing vocals (tracks 3, 7)
• Conan Doyle – Backing vocals (track 3)
• Jimmy Higgins – Bodhrán (tracks 1, 3, 5), darrbuka (track 8), snare drum (track 7), wood block (track 9), clay drums (track 3)
• Dónal Lunny – Bouzouki (track 10), bodhrán (tracks 4, 7, 9, 12), keyboards (tracks 5, 7, 9, 12)
• Maighréad Ní Dhomhnaill – Backing vocals (track 3)
• Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill – Backing vocals (track 3), piano (track 11)
• Anna Ní Mhaonaigh – Backing vocals (track 7)
• Brendan Power – Harmonica (tracks 3, 7, 9)
• String quartet:
  • Máire Breatnach — Viola
  • Annette Cleary — Cello
  • David James — Cello
  • Tommy Kane — Violin

Production

• Brian Masterson – Producer, Engineer
• David Scheinmann – Photography
• The Design Corporation – Design

References

1. Ruhlmann, William. Blackwater (Altan album) at AllMusic

External links

• Blackwaterside on YouTube - Official video