The Chieftains

My introduction to Celtic Music began on a great note - listening to the Irish Folk Band 'The Chieftains' on the 'Luciano Pavarotti and Friends' album. Later I bought their CD 'The Long Black Veil' and it played more or less continuously for weeks afterward - I just couldn't get enough. They were and are just absolutely amazing.

Regarded as the most famous exponents of traditional Irish music in the world, the Chieftains were formed in November 1962 by the Irishman Paddy Moloney.

A native of Donnycarney, a small village near Dublin, Paddy Moloney was born on 1 August 1938 into a musically inclined family. His grandfather was a flute-player, one of his uncles played professionally in the Ballyfin Pipe Band, and there were regular, informal music gatherings at his home. When he was quite young, just six actually, Moloney's mother bought him a toy tin whistle 'for one shilling and nine pence' and he taught himself to play that. A bit later, at the age of eight, he began taking lessons in the traditional Uilleann Pipes with the well-known musician Leo Rowsome. Moloney's obvious talent pointed to a future career in music, but, perhaps to be on the safe side and no doubt to future business advantage, he chose to become an Accountant and accepted a position with one of Ireland's largest building firms, Baxendales. In his free time, he kept up with the Music, playing small gigs - duets, quartets, Ceili Bands, Skiffle bands - regularly in fact throughout the 1950s, collaborating often with other upcoming and also part-time musicians like Michael Tubridy, Sean Keane, Peadar Mercier, Martin Fay, Sean Potts, Sean O'Riada and others.

United by their great belief in Irish Traditional Music - pure Irish music unalloyed by Pop music elements, which at that time was not as popular as it is today - Sean O'Riada had gathered the above mentioned musicians to form a traditional band, Ceoltoiri Cualann (The Musicians of Cualann), in 1959. They provided the background score for 'Mise Eire', a documentary on the Irish War for Independence, recording several traditional airs as well as an original composition of O'Riada's. The soundtrack album proved to be an outstanding success, and overnight Irish Music became the 'in' thing. The Ceoltoiri Cualann began featuring in a weekly radio show.

Around about this same time, Gaerech Browne, one of the Guinness heirs and a good friend of Paddy Moloney, established Claddagh Records, a new music company, with the main aim of promoting traditional Irish music. Claddagh's very first recording was that of the pipe maestro Leo Rowsome, Moloney's music teacher. In 1962, on Browne's suggestion, Paddy Moloney and his friends from the Ceoltoiri Cualann came together to form 'The Chieftains' and to record a new album under this name.

The original Chieftains were Paddy Maloney on Tin Whistle and the Uileann Pipes, which give the group their very distinctive sound, Michael Tubridy (b. 1935, Kilrush, County Clare) on Tin Whistle, Flute and Concertina, Sean Potts (b. 1930) on Tin Whistle, Martin Fay (b. 1938, Dublin) on the Violin, and David Fallon on the Bodhran. Of these, Sean Potts and Martin Fay were to briefly leave the group in 1968 to join another group 'Gael Linn'. Sean Potts, along with Michael Tubridy, parted finally in 1979; David Fallon in 1965.

The new additions were Peader Mercier (b. 1914), Bodhran player, who joined in 1966 - and left in 1976. Sean Keane (b. 12 June 1946), the Fiddler, who joined in 1968 and is still around. Derek Bell (b. 21 October 1935, Belfast), a superb player of the Harp, the Tiompan, and the Keyboards, joined in 1972 and remained until his sudden death in Phoenix, Arizona, on 21 October 2002. Kevin Conneff (b. 8 January 1945, Dublin), Bodhran player and Vocalist, joined in 1976 and Matt Molloy (b. 12 January 1947, Ballaghaderreen, County Roscommon), Flautist, in 1979.

In 1962 though it were the original Chieftains that began to have music sessions at Moloney's Dublin home. They rehearsed for about an year before they were ready to record their very first album. This, entitled 'The Chieftains', was recorded in five evenings, working from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Originally intended to be only a one-off thing, the album was so successful they decided to stay together and have another go. They didn't feel confident enough to give up their day jobs just yet though - that came later in 1974. Moloney himself continued with Baxendales until 1968, when he became the Managing Director of Claddagh Records. He worked here for the next five years, producing some excellent albums by phenomenally talented Irish artists like Maire Ni Donnachadha, Denis Murphy and Paddy Taylor.

In 1969 came the second Chieftains album, titled 'The Chieftains 2'. This was cut in the famous Abbey Road Studio, where the Beatles were then recording. They generously made the Studio available to the Irish Musicians and even turned up to see them work.

The success of this album as well as that of the next two made The Chieftains famous not just in Ireland but also in the UK. By mutual agreement, the group now decided to devote themselves full-time to the music business. In 1975, they wrote and performed the score for Stanley Kubrick's film 'Barry Lyndon'. This film was not a commercial success, but the Chieftain soundtrack album, especially the track 'Women of Ireland' was a smash hit with everyone! It created interest across the Atlantic and they found themselves suddenly in demand in the US.

In 1976, under Island Records, their albums were released in England and America, and there was just no looking back after that.

The group has since released atleast one album every year, won seven Grammies, and has performed at countless live concerts. They have performed before the Pope, on the Great Wall of China, and in the Washington D.C. Capitol Building. They have collaborated with an amazing galaxy of Western and Eastern music stars on their various albums and have written a number of film-scores. Paddy Moloney has been awarded an honorary Doctorate in Music from Trinity College, Dublin, and the late Derek Bell, two years before his death, had been given the MBE for his contribution to traditional Irish and classical music.

In recent times, the Chieftains have been criticized for 'selling out', particularly since they are so experimental, often featuring non-Irish artists and even non-Irish music in their work. The Chieftains, not bothered, continue to let their music speak for them. Over the years they have maintained consistently high musical standards. They are each not just excellent at their own instruments, but also remarkably attuned to one another and together moreover have the ability to interpret traditional Celtic music with a sensitiveness not surpassed yet. To have maintained such a standard for the past 41 years is quite an achievement. A miracle, according to Paddy Moloney.

Discography :

1. Celebration - 2004

2. Further Down the Plank Road - 2003

3. Down The Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions - 2002

4. The Wide World Over: A 40 Year Celebration - 2002

5. Water from the Well - 2000

6. The Chieftains...Claddagh Years Vol. 2 - 2000

4. The Chieftains...Claddagh Years - 1999

7. Tears of Stone - 1999

8. Fire in the Kitchen - 1998

9. Santiago - 1996

10. Film Cuts - 1996

11. Long Black Veil - 1995

12. The Celtic Harp - 1993

13. Another Country - 1992

14. An Irish Evening:Live at the Grand Opera House - 1992

15. The Best of the Chieftains - 1992

16. The Bells of Dublin - 1992

17. Chieftains 10: Cotton-eyed Joe - 1991

18. Reel Music - The Film Scores - 1991

19. The Chieftains Collection - 1989

20. Bonaparte's Retreat - 1989

21. A Chieftains Celebration - 1989

22. Celtic Wedding - 1987

23. Ballad of the Irish Horse - 1986

24. Chieftains in China - 1985

25. Year of the French - 1982

26. Chieftains 9: Boil the Breakfast Early - 1979

27. Chieftains 8 - 1978

28. Chieftains 'Live' - 1977

29 Chieftains 7 - 1977

30. Chieftains 5 - 1975

31. Chieftains 4 - 1973

32. Chieftains 3 - 1971

33. Chieftains 2 - 1969

34. Chieftains 1 - 1963